About Carol Shelton Wines
Carol Shelton Wines is one of California's most knowledgeable and genuinely committed old-vine Zinfandel producers. Carol Shelton, who spent many years as head winemaker at Rodney Strong before establishing her own label in 1994, has spent three decades identifying, cultivating, and producing single-vineyard Zinfandel from some of California's most historically significant old-vine sites.
The vineyard roster reflects Shelton's genuine passion for old-vine discovery: Dry Creek Valley heritage blocks, Rockpile AVA mountain terrain, Mendocino County's Coro program sources, and Paso Robles old-vine sites that date to the early 20th century Italian immigrant farming. Each vineyard is chosen for the same reason: genuinely old vines with deep root systems, low yields, and the accumulated terroir complexity that only decades of continuous farming produces.
The appointment-based Santa Rosa tasting experience provides direct access to one of California's most intellectually serious Zinfandel programs, wines produced by a winemaker who understands old-vine California Zinfandel as thoroughly as anyone practicing the craft.
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Russian River Valley SettingCarol Shelton sits in one of California's most celebrated cool-climate AVAs, known worldwide for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
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Fog-Influenced TerroirRussian River Valley vines benefit from the daily fog that pulls cool Pacific air inland through the Petaluma Gap.
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Sonoma Boutique FormatMost Russian River Valley wineries lean toward small-lot production and family-scale hospitality.
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Featured Wines
Zinfandel
Wild Thing Old Vine Zinfandel
Mendocino County Old Vine
Carol Shelton's most celebrated wine, Wild Thing Old Vine Zinfandel from ancient Mendocino County vines showing the extraordinary complexity and concentrated depth that three decades of old-vine sourcing expertise produces.
Zinfandel
Rocky Reserve Zinfandel
Rockpile AVA
Mountain old-vine Zinfandel from the Rockpile AVA, the most structurally intense and age-worthy expression in the Carol Shelton single-vineyard program, showing what high-elevation rocky terrain produces in California's most heritage-significant red variety.
Zinfandel
Karma Zinfandel
Dry Creek Valley
Carol Shelton's Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, old-vine sourcing philosophy applied to the valley most historically associated with California Zinfandel heritage, showing the warm benchland character of Shelton's Dry Creek partnerships.
White Rhône Blend
Coquille Blanc
Sonoma County
Carol Shelton's white wine expression, a Rhône-inspired white blend showing the breadth of a winemaker whose primary passion is Zinfandel but whose curiosity extends across the full California varietal landscape.
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Old-Vine Discovery Appointment
Appointment-based tasting of three decades of old-vine California Zinfandel sourcing, Wild Thing Mendocino, Rocky Reserve Rockpile, and Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel from one of California's most knowledgeable and genuinely committed single-vineyard Zinfandel programs.
$20
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