The Amapola Creek story began in 2001 when Richard and Alis Arrowood discovered a very special place on the western slope of the Mayacamas Mountains—those magnificent mountains that rise between and separate the Sonoma and Napa valleys. From the first moment we set foot on the 100-acre ranch that the Arrowoods now call home. It was almost as if we had known and loved the place in anoter lifetime. There is, in fact, a deep connection to the past here. The red-brown volcanic soils reveal the mountain’s fiery history, and traces remain of the old stagecoach road that once ran through the property. Stone walls still stand where Chinese immigrants built them more than a century ago.

Come and visit with the winemakers, Mike and Brooke, at the "World's Smallest Tasting Room" to taste our full range of current wines.

In 1996, Mike and Brooke Carhartt planted a vineyard along with a dream on the historic Rancho Santa Ynez™ property. Today, with their son Chase, the Carhartt's grow grapes and craft wines on that same patch of ground. A ground to glass operation, the Carhartt's take extreme pride in farming their own fruit sustainably, with the utmost care and consideration for the environment.

With Saxon Brown, owner/winemaker Jeff Gaffner has parlayed his longstanding grower relationships, developed as a consulting winemaker, into a line of small, site-driven bottlings that celebrate his favorite vineyard sites.

Jeff began his career at Chateau St. Jean, under the tutelage of renowned vintner Richard Arrowood, who Jeff credits with teaching him the importance of being as passionate about growing the grapes as making the wine. While at Chateau St. Jean, Jeff was part of the winemaking team responsible for the winery’s celebrated 1996 Cinq Cepages, which was named Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator Magazine.

In the years since, Jeff has become one of the most sought after winemakers for artisan labels, having gained critical acclaim and a loyal following for his site-specific focus and restrained winemaking style. The Wall Street Journal has said that they “love his vineyard voice”, while the Wine Spectator has lauded his winemaking as “deft”.