Ruston Family Vineyards is a vineyard and winemaking company situated in the Napa Valley. The family has been cultivating the west St. Helena hillside since 1941. Originally an old prune orchard, the land now supports grapevines of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The vineyard produces artisanal wines from both their own grapes and purchased fruit, designed to be enjoyed with food, family, and friends.

The story of Ruston Family Vineyards begins with Fred Carpenter, who moved to California from North Dakota around 1907 with his family. They settled in the San Joaquin Valley. At the age of 17, Fred relocated to Oakland, where he studied engineering through a correspondence course. He later became one of the inventors of the jet pump, with his company based in Berkeley, CA. In 1941, seeking to escape the summer fog of the Bay Area, Fred and his wife Lana purchased a 40-acre orchard in St. Helena, which was the maximum distance they could travel on a weekly gasoline ration. They built a house and spent weekends and summers there until the 1970s, after which they lived there permanently until the early 1980s. A photograph of Fred and Lana working in the orchard appears on the back label of their wines.

While the prune business eventually paid off the property loan, it eventually declined. In 1975, the more level eastern section of the orchard was sold. In the mid-1980s, Fred and Lana’s daughter, Lorraine Ruston, moved to the ranch and planted Merlot vines on the remaining western slopes. Lorraine managed the vineyard herself, selling the grapes to local wineries.

In the mid-1990s, Lorraine’s son, John Ruston, and his wife, Janet Sapadin, were residing in New York City and working in the environmental field. Janet, a New York native from Washington Heights, Manhattan, and John shared a mutual interest in wine and cooking, which led them to recognize the winemaking potential of the vineyard. In 1996, John, Lorraine, and Janet decided to expand the vineyard and enter the wine business. The 1997 Merlot was the first wine produced under the Ruston Family Vineyards label. John and Janet left New York in 1999 to live in the old farmhouse. Their two daughters, born in New York and raised in Napa Valley, pursued higher education at UCLA and UC Riverside before branching out, leaving behind cuvées named in their honor.

This is a Famly business run by four Brothers, all native residents of Napa, and all grew up making wine in their garage as kids.... Needless to say they produce some outstanding wine! The brothers take turns conducting private tours at a cave winery in the southeastern hills of the Napa Valley. It's a great tour and a REAL Napa Winemaking experience.

Longoria Wines is an artisanal family winery established in 1982 by Rick and Diana Longoria. Rick’s decision to start his own wine label was born out of a desire to produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, two varietals he was not producing as the winemaker for J. Carey Cellars, his first job as a winemaker. Rick sensed that those two varietals were poised to become the signature varietals for the new Santa Barbara County wine region, and he wanted to become a part of this new movement.