Tobin James Cellars is not your traditional estate with vineyards, but definitely a fun winery to visit and often the place to stop by many that are escaping the heat of the Central Valley. If you are even slightly intimidated about your knowledge of wines, come here - they will put you at ease!  The staff really wants to talk about things other than tannins, oak, and other terms so common in wine articles.  If you are serious about your wine, the owners - Jobin James, Lance and Claire Silver - are completely open and passionate about the wines they make. But if you are a "grape-nut" like me who would like to have fun while tasting great wines without being judged by condescending staff members - this is the place to be.  It is a pleasure to have this sterling place in our wine directory.*

Hours:

Daily - 10:00AM to 6:00PM

Doug and Katsuko Sparks started their winemaking journey as home winemakers in their garage in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset District. In 1997, having completed winemaking courses at UC Davis, Doug and Katsuko took their winemaking hobby commercial and made their first vintage of Sunset Cellars at a shared facility inside Rosenblum Winery in Alameda.

Over the years they built long-lasting relationships with some top growers such as the Teldeschi family in Dry Creek Valley and Wirth Ranch in Solano County Green Valley. Many of these are old vine Zinfandel vineyards, with many vines over 90 years old. Working with such precious fruit, Doug and Katsuko’s goal has been to create supple red wines that emphasize the grapes’ natural fruit flavors. They like to call their red wine approach “Zen Zin,” a minimalist winemaking style that allows the wines to express the flavors and characteristics created in the vineyards.
 

Stephen and Jamie had a dream of owning their own vineyard someday. Their idea was to buy 5 to 10 acres in the Napa Valley and establish a vineyard. They created a five year plan to save the money they would need. Meanwhile Napa land prices skyrocketed from $35,000/ acre to well over a million dollars an acre. In the spring of 2000 their search lead them to the historic Amador County.While continuing to work full time jobs, they traveled to their ranch in Amador each weekend. Five wells were dug to find the water they would need to supply the vineyards. In 2004, they had their first crush as a bonded winery. 2006 saw the first crop from their estate vineyards. They expect to grow the winery production to around 2,000 cases annually, which they only sell in the tasting room and through their web site.They are now open with nine wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Barbera, Mourvedre, Zinfandel, Syrah, ZinRah, Petite Sirah and a Gnarly Vine Zinfandel Port.