About Lepe Cellars
Lepe Cellars is one of the most compelling stories in Monterey County wine. Founded by Miguel Lepe, widely recognized as the Monterey Peninsula's first Mexican-American winemaker, this artisan winery crafts organic, minimal-intervention wines that capture the true expression of Monterey's diverse terroir. What began with a single community college class has grown into a respected label producing roughly 800 cases a year of wines that critics and enthusiasts seek out for their authenticity, complexity, and sense of place.
Miguel Lepe's path to winemaking was anything but conventional. The son of farm workers from Jalisco, Mexico, he grew up in Salinas watching his parents harvest lettuce in the fields of the Salinas Valley. He enrolled at Hartnell College planning to study business, but during his final semester he signed up for a vineyard production class on a whim. That single course changed the trajectory of his life. He transferred to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo to study enology and viticulture, then honed his craft at wineries across the Central Coast and in South America, including stints at Figge Cellars and Justin Vineyards in Paso Robles. He served as assistant winemaker at Wrath Wines in the Santa Lucia Highlands before bonding Lepe Cellars in 2014, determined to build something of his own. His wife Jennifer joined the operation, and together they have built a family-owned label rooted in hard work, authenticity, and a deep respect for the land.
The winemaking philosophy at Lepe Cellars is intentionally hands-off. Miguel sources from organically farmed vineyards across Monterey County, hand-harvesting with shears to keep the fruit intact. Fermentation begins in small batches using native yeasts from the vineyard and cellar, and the wines age in finely grained French oak barrels at their own pace. Nothing is fined, and no additives are used, making every bottle organic, vegan, and sustainable. While most visitors associate Monterey with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Lepe Cellars showcases the region's broader potential with a lineup that spans Petit Verdot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Gamay Noir, Malbec, and a Sangiovese Rose. The tasting room, which moved to a new location in Carmel Valley Village in late 2025, is open Friday through Monday from noon to five, with appointments available midweek. Tastings are intimate, and Miguel himself is often the one behind the bar, pouring wines and sharing the story of a family that turned fieldwork into fine wine.
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