Yorkville Cellars

About Winery and Wines

It was in the mid-eighties when after reading a Sunset magazine article about Mendocino County that we discovered this special place: a highland valley where the waters of the Russian and Navarro Rivers start and part, and where the giant coastal redwoods and valley oaks come together. After a visit we started looking for a property the following week. A number of them had small vineyards. We fell in love with the three ancient oaks on this property and were intuitively convinced that such a place would foster complex and richly favored grapes, and secured a 110 acre ranch in the town of Yorkville (Pop. 317). There were already a few acres of neglected Sauvignon Blanc but the quality of the small amount of fruit that these vines yielded was encouraging. With the help and dedication of our vineyard manager and application of the latest organic practices, we restored those vines to fine, healthy plants. Over a few years the vineyards were expanded to 30 acres and the first estate wines were bottled in 1994. Deborah was raised in the London area and it was common to have a bottle of claret on the dinner table. Edward's maternal side is Italian, so likewise a family meal wasn't considered complete without wine. Our passion, and knowledge about wine was dramatically enhanced when we had the opportunties to live in Italy near Lake Como; in Germany at the southern edge of the Rheingau; and in Paris. Each afforded the opportunity to constantly explore old world vineyards and wineries. We feel very fortunate to have had that experience. We even were able to split our honeymoon between Burgundy and Bordeaux.

Yorkville Cellars has two main vineyards on our ranch in Yorkville, California. Both are certified organic. The vineyard behind the tasting room is called Randle Hill Vineyard and is planted to Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. A total of 14 acres, it mainly dates back to 1982 and was expanded in 1989. The vineyard along Highway 128 in front of the tasting room is called Rennie Vineyard and was planted in 1990. It includes all six of the main red grapes originating in Bordeaux, France: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Malbec and Petit Verdot.