Our Story

At Calluna Vineyards, we believe that wine is nurtured from the ground up. This belief is deeply rooted in the understanding that the true essence of a wine emerges from the soil it is grown in, the sunlight it receives, and the dedicated hands that tend each vine. When the fruit is cultivated correctly, the winemaking process becomes secondary. That is why we live here and pour all our efforts into these vineyards we planted back in 2005. Every bottle we grow is a testament to the authenticity of our fruit and its profound connection to this land.

A note from founder & winemaker David Jeffrey:

Many years ago, it became my goal to make a wine that could stand on the table with the greatest wines of the world. I felt the only way to accomplish this was to fully immerse myself in this endeavor. I would only pursue this goal if I could plant the vineyard, live with the vines and make the wine myself.

That meant initially spending years in enology school and learning from those who were already successful. After many years of visiting wine regions and tasting wines from around the world, our adventure truly began in 2001 when my family and I left the East coast for Fresno, California where I attended Fresno State’s top Viticulture and Enology school. As a capstone to my three year program, I worked in Bordeaux for the 2003 harvest with Dr. Alain Raynaud at Chateau Quinault l’Enclos. My stated goal in Bordeaux was to go beyond being a cellar worker and closely examine every facet of Bordeaux vineyards and winemaking. Working with Dr. Raynaud was both a revelation and an inspiration.

The journey to Calluna has taken me around the world and led my family to this hilltop in the middle of Sonoma County. It’s here that we staked out our vineyard from bare land, raised our kids and began making the wines we’re proud to share with you today.