As of April 2002, a familiar Paso Robles wine label has a place on the map—literally. After nearly a decade of learning the art of winegrowing and winemaking, Alex and Monica Villicana opened their Westside Paso Robles tasting room, providing a home for their handcrafted, award-winning wines and a destination for fans of the label.

The Villicana label owes its existence to an unsuccessful culinary school endeavor. After college, Alex decided to pursue his interest in food and wine by enrolling in a culinary program. When the school failed to open, he shifted his focus to winemaking, taking a job working the harvest at a local Paso Robles winery in 1990 and enrolling in viticulture and enology classes at U.C. Davis.

In 1992, Alex was offered the chance to hand-harvest some Gamay grapes leftover from a mechanical harvest at a local vineyard. He eagerly accepted and made his first wine, catching the winemaking bug. In 1993, he was in the right place at the right time when he was offered three tons of Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from the renowned Tchelistcheff vineyard in the Adelaida hills. Fortunate enough to secure fruit from that vineyard again in 1994, Alex became captivated by Paso Robles—not only for its high-quality fruit but also for the cooperative spirit and energy of the local winemakers.

Long Creek Winery & Ranch is a boutique winery encompassing thirty acres neatly tucked away in the Sierra Foothills within a stone's throw of massive Lake Oroville, seventy miles north of Sacramento, California. The vineyards and winery are uniquely situated on the western side of the Sierra mountain range where the four seasons are relatively mild. The vineyards enjoy a micro-climate that is comparable to some of the hillside country of central and northern Italy.

Charter Oak Winery is a small boutique producer of the most exceptional Napa Valley red wines made by winemaker Robert Fanucci.

Charter Oak wine is unfined and unfiltered, with the grapes fermented using natural yeast. The winemaker employs tools crafted by his grandfather (Nonno in Italian) to punch down the cap three times a day, working the must into a foaming lather. This unique method sets their wine apart. The winemaker believes that the key to their success lies in the natural fermentation process and the meticulous punch-down of the cap with handcrafted wooden tools, a ritual performed with dedication. Witnessing the sun illuminate the purple grape juice as it bubbles to the surface is a sight the winemaker cherishes deeply, as it nurtures the soul.

After three to four weeks in the fermentation tank, the time comes to separate the skin from the juice, all done by hand using a 100-year-old basket press. The wine is then transferred into barrels using buckets. Although this method is not the most efficient, it adheres to the winemaking tradition passed down from the grandfather. The result is wine that is truly handcrafted, and each bottle reflects a distinct difference from mass-produced alternatives.

Alexander Valley is often referred to as “California’s Bordeaux”, as the local landscape is itself a genuine mosaic of soil types and microclimates. Some of the finest grapes in the world are grown here making this a winemaker’s dream location for producing world-class wines. So when Ken and Diane Wilson discovered this property they knew at once this would be there new Cabernet Sauvignon Showcase. It is their intent to produce wines known more for the character of the estate than for the varietal content.