Premium Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Petite sirah
Coming Soon! Malbec, Petite verdot, Viognier, Sauvignon blanc

Home Winemaking Services

(1) Purchasing Grapes

Purchasing grapes from our ranch is easy! You have one key decision. Would you like to spend a day in the wine country picking grapes and reliving the experience of our ancestors? This is a great opportunity to visit the wine country during our most exciting season, harvest. On the way to our ranch, you'll see farmworkers in the fields and trucks delivering loads of grapes to the wineries.

(2) Picking

Once you arrive, we hope that you'll be wearing your comfortable work clothes. We recommend jeans, long sleeved shirts, hats, and sturdy boots. We ask that you bring your own grape knives. Families welcome! You will be expected to supervise any minors that you allow to pick.

Make sure that you bring a cooler filled with water, juices or soft drinks. On our hot fall days, it's easy to get dehydrated. The Dry Creek General Store (located just two miles down the road) makes wonderful wine country picnics, sandwiches and has a number of beverages and wine for your pleasure. They also cater! We're happy to make recommendations for many of the wonderful restaurants in the area. If you are planning on visiting a few wineries while you are here, we have found a cool Dry Creek Winery Guide online! Of course, the official guide to the wineries in Dry Creek resides in the Winegrowers of Dry Creek website!

Expect to spend at least a half day picking, depending up the quantity you've chosen.

(3) Crushing

While some home winemakers prefer to take the grapes directly home, most prefer to crush and destem the grapes on the ranch. We will provide our crusher/destemmer for your use. However, you will expected to feed the machine with your grapes. This can be a messy process, so expect the grape juice to be flying! After crush, you will have your "MUST", the juice and skins of your grapes. It's at this point that we will provide you with all the necessities to begin the winemaking process, including: the initial S02 additions, enzymes, D254 yeast addition, fermaid & malalactic bacteria. If you're just learning about winemaking and are working on your first few harvests, we will be providing some basic enology instructions.

(4) Supplies Needed on Day of Harvest

food grade container(s) and lid(s) to hold the "must" - available from:

• The Beverage People in Santa Rosa
• Napa Fermentation Supplies in Napa

Janice & Brian Schmidt, Owners & Managers
Tzabaco Rancho Vineyards, 5796 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Phone: (707)433-2511 Cellphone: (707)484-8882 Email: trv@sonic.net