Eaglepoint Ranch

Eaglepoint Ranch Winery is a partnership between chocolate maker, cookbook author and California sparkling wine pioneer John Scharffenberger, whose family owns the ranch, and longtime vineyard manager and winemaker Casey Hartlip. Eaglepoint Ranch is located on the eastern hills of the Ukiah Valley, on the Mayacamas Mountain range. A passionate winegrower in every sense, Casey has created a cult following for wines with the “Eaglepoint Ranch” vineyard designation made by such notable brands as Copain and Edmeades. Besides hunting big game, Casey devotes his time to tending the 82-acre vineyard which sits in the middle of nearly three square miles of upland range and timberland. Thirty-one separate blocks, six different varieties, and numerous exposures and trellis systems all at high elevation (1,800 ft.) make for very intense farming. Rhone varietals such as Syrah and Grenache are the focus of Eaglepoint Ranch and the 2006 Grenache illustrates the how dedication in the vineyard translates into elegant wine.