Dropped in here without an appointment, but our hostess kindly welcomed our group of four. The winery emphasizes on the Rhone varietals, including a serious syrah and grenache. They also make a pretty tasty zinfandel as well.

About Jeff Runquist Wines

For the adventurous wine drinker eager to explore the diversity of the wine world, Jeff Runquist Wines offers unique varietals sourced from California’s premier appellations, inspired by the curiosity and passion of the growers and winemakers.

Winemaker Jeff Runquist produces balanced wines that can be enjoyed in their youth while also having the potential to age and develop more complexity over time. His wines feature a consistent theme of fresh fruit, reflecting the inherent varietal flavors of the grapes. Jeff sources grapes from various regions across California, with plans to crush over twenty different varieties from nine different appellations for the 2013 vintage. While most wines are produced in small, limited quantities, four principal wines are consistently available throughout the year: Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Barbera, and Petit Verdot.

Jeff selects grapes from vineyards that yield rich, full flavors without excessive astringent tannins. He has a preference for wines that are vibrant and zesty. "Once I release a new vintage, I rarely revisit the previous year's wine. My father appreciates that; it means more older wines for him," Jeff notes.

His journey in the wine industry began in 1977 when he interned with Seagrams at their Paul Masson Sherry Cellars in Madera while studying enology at UC Davis. After graduating in 1980, he worked in the cellar at Montevina in Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley, where he was promoted to winemaker in 1982. Following a three-year tenure at the Napa Valley Cooperative Winery from 1987 to 1990, Jeff became the winemaker for J. Lohr winery in San Jose. It was during his time at J. Lohr that he realized he needed to create wine under his own label.

In 1995, Jeff crushed ten tons of Zinfandel from the Massoni Ranch in Amador’s Shenandoah Valley, and on April 1, 1997, he released 700 cases of that Zinfandel under his own name. In 1996 and 1997, he produced his wines at Sycamore Creek Winery in Morgan Hill, followed by a stint at McManis Family Vineyard Winery in Ripon from 1998 through the 2010 vintage. In 2006, he returned to Amador County after purchasing a small five-acre walnut orchard on Shenandoah Road. In the spring of 2008, Jeff and Margie opened their tasting room, and production facilities followed, allowing Jeff to crush the majority of their production in Amador starting in 2011.

Photo courtesy photographer Randy Caparoso

Robert Haas was a prominent figure in the American wine industry for over fifty years. Starting in the 1950s as a buyer for his family's New York retailer, M. Lehman, Haas traveled through the cellars of France, building a formidable reputation as a wine taster and forming lasting relationships with top wine producers.

In the mid-1960s, Haas ventured out on his own to import fine estate wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Loire, Alsace, and the Rhône Valley. It was during this time that he met the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel and persuaded patriarch Jacques Perrin to appoint him as the exclusive American importer for the estate. Through his importing business, Vineyard Brands, Haas collaborated closely with Jacques' sons, Jean-Pierre and François Perrin, helping establish Beaucastel as a leading estate in the international wine community.

As Haas and the Perrins traveled across the United States for two decades to promote their French wines, they became close friends and came to believe that Rhône grape varieties, which thrived in the sunny south of France, would also flourish in California's Mediterranean climate. In 1985, the families began searching for suitable property.

Robert Haas was honored by the Paso Robles Wine Community as the 2007 Wine Industry Person of the Year and received a lifetime achievement award from the Rhone Rangers in 2014 for his contributions to the American Rhône movement. Haas passed away in March 2018, and his remarkable career was celebrated in publications such as Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The New York Times. His son, Jason, who has managed the estate since the mid-2000s, was recognized by his peers as the 2015 Paso Robles Wine Country Wine Industry Person of the Year and the 2017 San Luis Obispo County Wine Industry Person of the Year. In 2022, Jason was named a Food & Wine Drinks Innovator of the Year.

The Perrin family has also garnered numerous international accolades, including the prestigious 2018 Meininger Award for Wine Family of the Year. Additionally, Jean-Pierre and François Perrin were named Men of the Year by Decanter Magazine in 2014.