About Us

Although the history of the pinot noir grape in the Burgundy region of France dates back to the 4th century AD, our history of interest in wine and winemaking goes back about 25 years, when we first lived in Chicago, but took numerous business and pleasure trips to Europe, and began learning about winemaking in France.

Our attraction to the world of wine continued when we lived overseas, first Australia for five years, where we came to love Australian wines, particularly the small boutique wineries near where we lived in Melbourne; then England for two years, which enabled us to make frequent trips to the vineyards of France, Italy and Spain.

In the summer of 1994, we returned home to the central coast of California; in the following year, land adjacent to our property in Corralitos became available, and we began to think of growing grapes. We researched what grapes were most suitable to our microclimate in the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, and found that it was uniquely suited for pinot noir grapes. (Wine Spectator has identified the Santa Cruz Mountain appellation as the most underrated wine appellation in the world.)

We planted the first three acres of pinot noir in the spring of 1996, the Bay Block (named for the view of the Monterey Bay), and Henry’s Block (named for Judy’s father). These three acres have now grown to 14, divided into the Forest Block, the Meadow Block, the Oaks Block, the Bobcat Block, the RC Block, and Judy’s Block. To meet Judy’s desire for a white Burgundy, one acre is now planted to chardonnay.

On a windy ridge above the vineyard are two old California oaks, and it is there, on barely an acre, that a special Burgundian clone has been nurtured in what is called the RC Block. This ridge provided the inspiration for our son James, who thought up “Windy Oaks” and it stuck.

In 2000, we acquired the rights to four acres of land in nearby Aptos, and we planted several pinot noir clones on what has become known as our Diane’s Block.  This was named after our partners in that vineyard, Richard and Diane Klein. The site is slightly warmer than our Corralitos vineyards and produces a slightly more fruit-forward pinot noir.

In the fall of 2001, the winery was built with 2000 square feet of winery space. In total, Windy Oaks now has 18 acres planted to pinot noir and one to chardonnay. Both grapes are made into wines in the classic Burgundian tradition, using a process that employs very gentle handling throughout, and no filtering or fining.  The result is wines that emphasize their terroir.

Windy Oaks Chardonnay is crisp with citrus flavors and a silky balanced finish, like a very good white Burgundy. Windy Oaks Pinot Noir is a complex, sensuous, full-bodied Burgundy, showing well-integrated tannins, moderate oak and a supple finish. Both will benefit from aging, but can also be enjoyed on release.