THE VINEYARD
61 Acres Above the Reservoir
Where Sierra granite meets Calaveras clay and every vine tells a story.
Estate Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills Calaveras County, Gold Country California
Planted in 2001 and proudly part of one of the top AVAs in California, Airola Road Vineyards sits on a hilltop directly above New Melones Reservoir, about nine miles south of Murphys, CA. The vineyard is not only visually stunning, its unique hilltop placement overlooking the reservoir creates morning fog, summer winds, and mild winters remarkably similar to the Mediterranean climate in which these vines flourish.
More than twenty years after its initial planting, our estate yields unsurpassed quality with each harvest, exemplifying the terroir of the Sierra Foothills region.
OUR APPROACH
A Climate Made for Wine
The secret to Airola Road begins with where it sits. Our hilltop estate overlooks New Melones Reservoir from a peninsula-like ridge, surrounded on three sides by water and open sky. This rare positioning creates a microclimate that winemakers describe as unlike anything else in the Sierra Foothills.
Morning fog drifts up from the reservoir, cooling the vines. Warm afternoon winds sweep the ridge, promoting even ripening. Mild winters protect the root systems. The result is fruit that comes off the vine evenly ripened and nutrient-dense, creating wines with extraordinary depth of flavor and color.
THE LAND
Low Yield.
High Purpose.
From the time our vines were planted, we have nurtured each varietal to suit its specific needs. We prune to keep our yield low, just three tons per acre, so that every grape receives the nutrients, water, and sunlight it needs to reach its full potential.
This is vineyard stewardship at its most intentional. We don't push the land to produce more. We ask it to produce its best.
The vision has always been nothing short of excellence.
“The secret to great wine starts in the vineyard. You can make poor-quality wine out of high-quality grapes, but you can never make great wine from poor quality grapes. At Airola Road Vineyards, we produce high quality grapes that produce great, award-winning wines. Our exceptional vines make extraordinary wines.”
— GEORGE KLAUSE
Owner, Airola Road Vineyards
Seven Varietals. One Hilltop.
Each grape is shaped by the land beneath it, the volcanic soil, the reservoir breeze, the Gold Country sun. Here is what grows at Airola Road.
SIGNATURE VARIETAL
An ancient Italian grape from the hills of Umbria, Sagrantino is among the rarest and most powerful wine grapes cultivated anywhere in the world. These grapes are extremely sought after and produce wines that are bold, deeply structured, and complex, with some of the most assertive tannins known in winemaking.
Of the approximately 24 acres of Sagrantino planted in the entire United States, three of those acres are right here at Airola Road Vineyards. Several award-winning Sagrantino wines have been produced from our fruit.
Sagrantino
RED VARIETAL
Cabernet Sauvignon
The world's most widely planted red wine grape
Full-bodied, complex, and fruit-forward when crafted with care. Our Sierra Foothills region may not be the first name in Cabernet, but don't let our obscurity fool you. Our outstanding grapes consistently produce award-winning, top-quality Cabernet Sauvignon wines that rival the most recognized regions.
RED VARIETAL
Barbera
Italian heritage, Sierra Foothills soul
This Italian varietal produces deeply colored wines with rich, fruitful flavors strawberry, raspberry, and hints of sour cherry. Ranging from medium to full body, Barbera is one of the Sierra Foothills' most celebrated varietals, and our hilltop fruit captures the very best of what this grape can offer.
WHITE VARIETAL
Chardonnay
The world's most popular white grape — native to Burgundy, France
Chardonnay has one of the widest-ranging flavor profiles of any grape variety. Its taste is shaped heavily by the climate and terroir where it's grown, ripeness at harvest, and methods of aging. Grown on our Gold Country hilltop, our Chardonnay captures the unique character of this estate, crisp, golden, and grounded in place.
RED VARIETAL
Syrah
inky, violet, and velvety
Big-bodied and flavor-packed, Syrah is one of the darkest, most intensely colored wines you can find. Deep purple with a velvety elegance backed by big fruit and crunchy spice. Airola Road Vineyards produces some of the most sought-after Syrah grapes in California.
RED VARIETAL
Grenache
Spicy, fruit-forward, endlessly versatile
A grape variety that's as fun as it is serious — Grenache produces medium-bodied wines that are spicy, grounded with soft tannins, and bursting with black and blue fruit. In the glass, expect black cherry and red garnet tones with strawberry and plum on the nose. An endlessly food-friendly wine.
RED VARIETAL
Tempranillo
Spanish heritage, California ambition
Our Tempranillo vines are the newest chapter in the Airola Road story. Details on this varietal are coming soon, but if the Sierra Foothills' history with Tempranillo is any indication, expect something worth waiting for.
What Winemakers Say About Our Fruit
The proof is in the wine. Here's what the people who craft from our grapes have to say.
Great Wine Starts Here
Every bottle that bears the mark of Airola Road fruit began on this hilltop, shaped by the fog, the wind, the soil, and the patient hands that tend these vines season after season. The land gives everything. Our job is simply to listen.