Vance Rose: Wine-O

After more than 28 years in the wine business, making and selling wines for other people, I set out on my own.  I set out to find the best possible place to produce cool climate vineyard-designated wines with distinctive character, and still keep them affordable.  This pursuit led me to travel the world of wine, studying old world sites and methods and the new world as well.  I have traveled the wine regions of France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Australia and 49 of the 50 U.S. states.

In 2005, this led me to a bridge on the central coast of California called 5 Mile Bridge (hence the brand name), at the entrance to the Margarita Vineyard, where I would make my first two vineyard-designated wines (2005 "Margarita Vineyard" Zinfandel and 2005 "Margarita Vineyard" Syrah).

Location   Location   Location

Finding sites that both express their uniqueness and the very best of the grape varietal are of the utmost importance to me.  This is best done in cool coastal locations like the Margarita Vineyard, just 14 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean.  In 2006, I found "Serpents Path" on the Sonoma Coast, just 4 miles inland and perfet for great pinot noir.