Kings Hill Cellars, A Members Only Winery
The trend for wine lovers seems to increasingly be to offer winemaking experiences. As people learn more about wine they become curious about taking then next step and having a turn at actually creating wine. Kings Hill Cellars in Santa Rosa, California is a "members only" winery that offers grapes, winemaking and storage facilities and the guidance of a winemaker to help when needed. Members invest in either half or full barrels of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel or Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes come from North Coast vineyards, including Mountain View Ranch, Herbert's, Le Vois and Trew in Dry Creek Valley; Fowler in Knights Valley and Volckhardt in Green Valley. Members choose their varietal and then are part of all the decision making as the wines are created. The winery is also available to vineyard owners who are interested in producing wine from their own grapes. They have 17 members thus far producing a total of nine barrels last year. Membership prices range from $2,450 for a half barrel of Sauvignon Blanc to $5,950 for a full barrel of Pinot Noir.
