Fenton Herriott Vineyards is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills at the gateway to Apple Hill, and is situated on what was once the old Pony Express Route and resides just 1/2 mile from the Smith Flat house. This region has a vibrant prospecting history, and is just a short distance from the gold mining towns of Coloma and Sutter's Mill. The Sierra Nevada foothills has been used for farming for well over 100 years. The Mediterranean climate of this area combining warm summer nights and hot summer days with free-draining volcanic soils is especially ideal for grape growing and allows us to produce the quality fruit needed for our complex, delicately-balanced and full-bodied wines. As a small, family owned winery, Fenton Herriott is intimately involved in every part of the vintner process - vineyard and vine maintenance, grape crush, fermentation, barrel ageing, bottling, and packaging.

Capay Valley Vineyards was established in 1998 by Tom Frederick and Pam Welch, long time residents of Capay Valley, CA. This beautiful valley is located in the northwest corner of Yolo County bordering Napa and Lake counties. It is approximately 1½ hours from San Francisco and an hour from Sacramento. Capay Valley Vineyards produces wines from their own grapes. Varietals were chosen to complement the climate and soils. All vineyard tasks - pruning, shoot thinning, and harvesting are done by hand and tailored to each variety. Harvesting is done at night to ensure that the fruit is cool to start the winemaking process.

his is the perfect small-scale vineyard with just the right amount of unique character that makes wine tasting so charming and fun. Art, history, and vino. This is a triple threat of a vineyard. The tasting room is very simple but certainly warm and welcoming with lovely artwork on the walls and big french doors opening onto the winery with rows of grapes as far as you can see. The moment you pull in, you face a huge, regal barn and immediately feel welcomed by the beautiful grounds. Rob and Amanda led our tasting and both were very friendly and down to earth. Rob was very generous with his pours, giving a taste of the Cabernet Franc to both of us at the mere mention of the wine - the Cab Franc was a wine on the reserve tasting list, which was not the list we were tasting from.

Dino's Italian heritage all but ensured a wine and farming way of life, through it wasn't his only calling, at least initially. Prior to officially getting into the "grape game" in 1997, Dino studied at the University of Genoa where he uncorked a passion for the scientific aspects of medicine, which led him first to Switzerland and then the U.S. for his work with virus and infectious disease. With some "serendipity and luck" (Dino's words) his move to the West Coast coincided with the region's biotechnology boom. Turns out the yeast used in biotechnology is the same type used in wine fermentation. A wine country way of life planted its seeds.

Medicine not only shaped a lifelong career but also fostered a flourishing relationship between Dino and his wife, Corry Dekker. Corry Dekker, who leads vaccine clinical research at Stanford University, specializes in vaccine safety and frequently serves as an advisor to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At Stanford, she oversees vaccine trials and regularly conducts adult lecture series and discussions within her field.

The couple first connected over their shared interest in biotechnologies while working at Chiron, each making significant strides in their respective areas. With a background in pediatrics, Corry has earned the title of "The Queen of Flu Vaccines," as Dino affectionately describes her. She has collaborated with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in response to national emergencies and has worked across a range of disease areas, including smallpox, malaria, and the recent H1N1 outbreak. Her team is dedicated to keeping the public informed about disease prevention.