About Wooden Valley Winery
Wooden Valley Winery is the oldest winery in Suisun Valley and one of the families that has shaped the region's story. The winery was founded in 1933, at the end of Prohibition, by brothers Salvador and Manuel Brea, who named it for Wooden Valley Road, the road it sat on, which has since been renamed Suisun Valley Road. In 1944 Italian immigrant Mario Lanza joined as a partner, and by 1955 the Lanza family were sole owners, keeping the Wooden Valley name on a handshake. Over the decades the family expanded from a small parcel to more than 300 acres of estate vineyard, and it was Richard "Chick" Lanza who led the effort that earned Suisun Valley its AVA recognition in 1982.
Today the winery is run by the next generations of Lanzas, with Rick as winemaker, Ron in sales and marketing, and Larry and Ken managing the vineyards. Every wine is estate grown and bottled, and the down-home tasting room, anchored by a bar built from century-old redwood wine tanks, is a favorite stop for visitors heading to and from Napa. 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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