Jeff Runquist Wine (Back to Previous Page)

Appellation: Shenandoah Valley, California Viticultural Area Location: 10776 Shenandoah Road Plymouth, California 95669 Phone: (209)245-6282 Winemaker: Jeff Runquist Tasting Room: Medium Days/Hours: Fri thru Sun, 11:00 to 5:00 Parking: Large Picnic Facilities: N/A Red Wines: Barbera, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah White Wines: N/A Production: 4000 cases

Map

The Winery

Located directly on the wine trail in the Shenandoah Valley of California is an exciting new tasting room for Jeff Runquist Wines. The facility is invitingly done with its high ceilings and large windows, making the room open and airy with pleasant views of the nearby vineyards. Windows into the adjacent barrel room enhances the overall atmosphere. Although the tasting room may be recently opened, the wines of Jeff Runquist have been produced from grapes in the region, and for sale throughout the region, for over a decade.

The Vineyards

Jeff Runquist prides himself on sourcing his grapes from the regions where those grapes thrive best. He has long been purchasing grapes from some of the premier Amador County Vineyards. There are two Zinfandels produced from local Amador County Vineyards, one from the Masooni Ranch, which dates to the early 1900s, and another Zinfandel from the Nostro Vino Vineyard. In addition the winery produce a Sangiovese from the locally famous Pioneer Hill Vineyards, and a Barbera from the Cooper vineyards. Always looking to produce wines with grapes from the regions with just the right conditions for that varietal, the winery produces a Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles as well as one from the Napa Valley, a Petite Sirah from the Clarksburg area of the Sacramento River Delta, and a Pinot Noir from the Los Carneros region.

The Wines

The winery has been producing wines from Amador County grapes since 1997. If they were to have a signature wine it would be their “Z” Zinfandel, which has lots of great red fruit, a bit of stony minerality and some great baking spice followed by a soft, lingering finish. The small production Sangiovese has a fairly rich palate for the varietal, along with silky black fruit and some great toastiness. The acidity is high enough to make it a perfect food wine, but not so strong to make it too tart to sip after dinner. The Amador County Barbera is another star, with some nice red and black fruit and a background of chocolate and smoke.

The Winemaker

Jeff Runquist has had many years of experience making wines with the grapes of Amador County. He worked for Montevina before moving on to the Napa Valley Cooperative Winery in St. Helena and then J. Lohr winery in Paso Robles. He created his own brand in 1996. In addition to running his own winery operation, Jeff works with McMannis Family Vineyards in Ripon to manage their winemaking program. Jeff graduated from University of California, at Davis and later went on to obtain a business degree at the Santa Clara University. 

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