Berryessa Gap Vineyards

Open Year Round

History:

Berryessa Gap's connection to the land runs deep with farming roots from both Spanish and German ancestry in historic Winters, CA in Yolo County.

Our father Dan Martinez, Sr., a first generation farmer of Spanish immigrants, planted apricots, almonds, prunes and walnuts in Winters, CA. Dan Sr. later partnered with San Francisco winemaker and wine historian Ernest Peninou in 1969, to develop a grapevine rootstock nursery business, Yolo Hills Viticulture Society - supplying UC Davis sourced grapevine rootstock to what would become renown Napa and Sonoma Valley vineyards and beyond.

For thirty years, Martinez Orchards continued to sell rootstock cultivated in Winters, CA to vineyards in neighboring counties, and in 2000, Dan Martinez, Jr. and collaborative business and farming partner Santiago Moreno purchased the Coble Ranch at the crest of rolling hills overlooking Berryessa Gap - a local visual landmark seen for miles around - and planted this never before cultivated land to vineyards.  The Coble Ranch is the estate vineyard from which Berryessa Gap's grapes are sourced. Martinez Orchards continues to grow and sell grapevine rootstock throughout California today.

The site of Berryessa Gap Vineyards commands this view, overlooking literally a gap between the hills, east of Lake Berryessa. Here stands a very large and stately oak tree, thought to be around 300 years old. Surrounding this fine oak tree are the rolling vineyards which produce distinctive wines of the region, planted with rootstock grown only by Martinez Orchards.

Steeped in family agricultural history in Winters, CA, our winery operations began on Main Street in 2002 as we repurposed the old Winters Winery facility, and is now the location of our expanded wine tasting room. Mike Anderson, Ernest Peninou's great nephew, became our winemaker, bringing regional terroir into focus and helping to launch our business.

In 2005, we expanded and relocated our wine making production to the historic Tufts Ranch fruit packing shed and warehouse, minutes from downtown Winters. We invite visitors to visit our second wine tasting room there, as a memorable stop on wine country backroad Hwy. 128 traveling to or from nearby Napa Valley.