Join us in the shop Tues Nov 12th at 5:30pm to taste the wines of Skinner Vineyards with winemaker Adam Smith.
This tasting is casual and free. All the wines will be available for ordering at discounted pricing during the event.

Come spend some time with us, learn about these wines from the person who makes them, and snag some for yourself to enjoy at home. We suspect they will be a good match for your holiday table.

Wines to be tasted:
Skinner Vineyards, El Dorado Grenache Blanc (2017) $26.99
Skinner Vineyards, El Dorado Rosé (2018) $21.99
Skinner Vineyards, El Dorado Grenache (2016) $29.99
Skinner Vineyards, Mourvèdre (2016) $29.99


"Adam, raised in El Dorado County, has cut a wide swath in winemaking in his journey back to the foothills. He honed his craft in the Willamette Valley in Oregon at Domaine Serene, Bethel Heights Vineyards, and Shea Wine Cellars. He then ventured beyond Oregon to New Zealand’s Craggy Range before being lured to the Sonoma Coast as winemaker for Banshee Wines. The Willamette Valley called him back, where his return saw, first, the collaboration with Jean-Nicolas Méo of Domaine Méo Camuzet in Burgundy to establish Domaine Nicolas-Jay and most recently, reconnecting with Banshee Wines to establish their Oregon brand, Averaen Wines.

“It’s been a longtime dream to return to where five generations of my family lived and near the dirt, trees, and elevations I’m connected to. The Skinner family is a terrific fit for their mutual respect of the transcendent possibilities in El Dorado vineyards.”

The story of Skinner Vineyards and Winery begins 160 years ago, when
James Skinner, a pioneering Scottish immigrant, came to the Sierra
Foothills to find his fortune during the California Gold Rush. He
planted a vineyard in 1860 and started one of the first commercial
wineries in the area. It remained in operation into the early 1900s.
After that, the Skinner family moved on, leaving only their name
behind.

Five generations and a century later, Northern California native Kevin
Skinner and his wife Kathy were driving through the area when they
discovered the name “Skinner[s]” on their road atlas. After some
investigation, the couple located the remnants of J. Skinner Winery.
When they returned home they told Kevin’s father, Mike, who didn’t
know whether there was a family connection, but learned through a
little more research that he was indeed the great-great-great-grandson
of James Skinner.

Mike’s wife, Carey, a successful real estate executive, was inspired
by the beauty of the area and thought that it was time for the family
to reclaim its wine-growing roots. In 2006, they purchased a 25-acre
ranch a mile or so from the old winery, where they planted their first
wine grapes. Soon after, they bought some land with existing vineyards
on a ridgetop with stunning views all the way to the Coastal Range to
the west and the Sierra to the east.

Today, Skinner Vineyards and Winery has two estate vineyards located
within a short drive from the original winery. Stoney Creek Vineyard
in Fair Play is the larger, and also the higher of the two, with
elevations of up to 2,470 feet. White Oaks Flat Vineyard sits much
lower, at 1,400 feet, in a valley in the El Dorado AVA. The vineyards
are farmed sustainably and the Skinners are committed to continually
expanding and improving their growing practices. Minimal intervention
in the winemaking is key as well. Fermentations are begun
spontaneously and minimal sulfur is added at bottling.

The family’s commitment to ecology is evident at the sleek new
12,000-square-foot winery as well, which was positioned to utilize
natural energy sources. Eighty percent of the building is made of
recycled steel, and it is equipped with an efficient solar-power
energy system, temperature-controlled sensors and roll-up doors in the
barrel room on the north side of the building.