About Tenbrink Family Vineyards
Tenbrink Family Vineyards is a farm winery whose story begins in 1982, when Linda and Steve Tenbrink moved to Suisun Valley as newlyweds with no farming experience and little more than a shovel. Over the following decades, they built a diversified agricultural operation that now includes approximately 60 acres of vineyards and 52 acres devoted to walnuts, fruit trees and an extensive heirloom tomato program. The family grows several hundred tomato varieties for restaurants, making the farm as much a food and agricultural story as a wine property.
The winery chapter began in 2006, when the Tenbrinks built a small production facility and focused more closely on wine grapes. Today, wine is made in a red barn joined to the remains of a century-old redwood barn. Annual production is intentionally small, around 1,500 cases, and the portfolio has included Riesling, Assyrtiko, Malbec, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Tempranillo. The shovel on the label reflects the family's view of itself as farmers first.
Hospitality at Tenbrink is private and farm-centered. The family hosts tastings, dinners, barbecues and special events by arrangement rather than maintaining a standard daily walk-in schedule. Winemaker dinners may use produce grown on the surrounding farm, and the farmhouse, gardens and outdoor areas support a relaxed, rural style of gathering. The property is closely connected with Tolenas Winery, founded by the next generation of the family, and both names may appear in connection with the Chadbourne Road visitor location.
Tenbrink is best for travelers willing to plan ahead for a more personal experience. It is not a stop to add spontaneously between public tasting rooms. An advance conversation is essential to confirm availability, the wines being poured and the exact format of the visit. For guests who secure an appointment, the reward is a close look at a working Suisun Valley farm where wine, fruit, vegetables and family hospitality remain deeply connected.
Suisun Valley sits in western Solano County, just east of Napa Valley and directly west of Fairfield, tucked between the Vaca Mountains and the Howell Mountains. It was recognized as an American Viticultural Area in 1982, among the earliest AVAs in California, and it has quietly grown wine grapes since the 1800s. Cool marine air draws in off San Pablo Bay each afternoon, and the valley runs roughly a 14 degree temperature swing from its lower to upper reaches, giving the region long, even ripening across more than twenty grape varieties. Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc are the calling cards, alongside Chardonnay, Barbera, Grenache, and other warm-climate grapes. Locals sometimes call Suisun Valley "Napa's backside," and the comparison is fair: family farms, unhurried tasting rooms, and honest pricing give it the feel of Napa a half century ago. Most wineries here are family owned, and it is common for the person pouring your wine to be the one who grew and made it.
Hours, tasting fees, and reservation policies change with the season, so it is worth checking the winery's website or calling ahead before you visit, especially on weekends. The details on this profile may have shifted since publication, and the producer is always the most authoritative source.
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