Oakstone Winery (Back to Previous Page)

Appellation: Fair Play Viticultural Area Location: 6440 Slug Gulch Road Fair Play, California 95684 Phone: (530)620-5303 Winemaker: Winemaker: John Smith, Assistant Winemaker: Steve Ryan Tasting Room: Medium Days/Hours: Wed thru Sun, 11:00 to 5:00 Parking: Medium Picnic Facilities: Picnic Tables and Event Facilities Available Red Wines: Red Table Wine, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Meritage, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Late Harvest Zinfandel, Port (Cabernet Sauvignon) White Wines: Viognier, Muscat Canelli Production: 10,000 cases

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The Winery

Founded in 1997 at the 2500-foot elevation, the winery takes its name from the black oak that is growing out of a huge grinding rock on the estate grounds. Carrying the oak theme, the beautifully designed tasting bar is made of a solid oak slab. Near the namesake grinding stone is a beautiful picnic area for relaxing in the shade of the oaks on a warm foothill afternoon.

The Vineyards

The estate has planted an extensive selection of varietals over the years that include the more commonly known Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Viognier as well as the less common Petit Verdot, Malbec, Charbono, Pinot Gris, Sangiovese and Muscat Canelli. The winery also purchases Chardonnay grapes from the Carneros region of Napa.

The Wines

Primarily know for their bold, deeply complex Bordeaux style wines, the winery has also made quite a name for their red table wine, Slug Gulch Red, which has quite a local following. Some people say they won't eat spaghetti without it.

The Winemaker

Dividing the two wineries between the larger producing, more mainstream Oakstone, and the lesser- known Obscurity, seemed the perfect way to highlight the minor varietals in a setting more specific to their market share. Winemaker and Proprietor, John Smith, earned his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry and worked as a developer of scientific and medical instruments. He developed a passion for home winemaking prior to creating the Oakstone and Obscurity Wineries. The assistant winemaker at Oakstone is Steve Ryan. 

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