THE STORY

In 1997, when it came time to diversify the Doherty Family's agricultural operation, the decision to plant wine grapes was an easy one. Mike Doherty used his Fruit Science degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and his wife Amy used her degree in Agricultural Economics from U.C. Davis to plant the twenty-five acres of grapes in the gravelly loam soil in the foothills. They felt it was perfect for stressing grapes into wine-making perfection.

Mike approached his father with the idea and was given the family’s blessing on the condition a contract was secured with a winery to purchase the crop. Mike began the daunting task of cold calling winery after winery before Marc Mondavi of Charles Krug granted him his first contract. Planting began with 25 acres of Syrah in 1997, followed by 90 acres of Cabernet and Petit Verdot. Most recently planted on the home ranch were 10 acres of Chardonnay and the Spanish varietal Verdejo. Our latest planting has been in the Dunnigan Hills - 25 acres of 7 varietals surrounding our farmhouse tasting room. These varieties of grapes were selected as they are best suited to the area’s climate and soils. Over the years, the Doherty's have sold grapes to many Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino county wineries. The winemakers have the same opinion that there is high-quality fruit being grown in the foothills west of Arbuckle and in the Dunnigan Hills.