Capay winery helped bring award-winning wines back to the valley — over a century later

In the early 2000s, Capay Valley Vineyards started working to federally declare the valley as an American Vinicultural Area — a grape-growing region “with specific geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown,” according to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

During the process, it was discovered that a winery in the Capay Valley had been referred to as the “finest winery in the state” back in 1861. “Capay Valley Vineyards is happy to have brought the history full circle as they are producing award-winning wines in Capay Valley once again,” their website states.

The winery — housed at 13757 Hwy. 16 just around the corner from the Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks — was established in 1998 by Tom Frederick and Pam Welch, who are 40-year residents of the Capay Valley.

Growing grapes was not the original plan. The farm was originally supposed to be a nut-farming operation. In fact, according to Welch, wine was never the couple’s main focus.

“t’s been a gradual evolution,” Welch said. “And in the meantime, others started planting out here too so that was great. We weren’t the lone stranger anymore.”

At first, the vineyard started sending their grapes to other wineries before eventually developing their own facility. They produce wines from their own grapes, with varietals being chosen to collaborate with the climate and soils. All vineyard tasks — pruning, shoot thinning, and harvesting — are done by hand and tailored to each variety. Harvesting is done at night to ensure that the fruit is cool to start the winemaking process.

“We just progressed and planted more grapes, made other different varietals,” Welch said. “And finally built our buildings, and started bringing the grapes into our own facility and processing here. Red first because that doesn’t need as much equipment. The whites need the chilling and the stainless steel, so we finally brought all (that) and started doing all of our whites here too. And then the big excitement was, we started doing our own sparkling production just a couple of years ago here.”

Capay Valley Vineyards offers six varieties of wine — all overseen by winemaker Terri Strain — including a sparkling viognier, and a sparkling tempranillo.

Welch said that she chooses her drinks based on how she’s feeling and that picking a favorite is not easy. “You know, it is like your child,” she said.

Welch and Frederick live on the property in a house overlooking the vineyard. The winemaking occurs in a building just a short walk from their house. It’s been specifically built for their operations, with cellars built into the adjacent hills — a good way to keep the wines cold when temperatures reach summer peaks.

Capay Valley Vineyards also have their own tasting room, a small house at the front of their property that used to be rented out. Tastings take place near what used to be a kitchen, or outside on picnic benches. Welch said they’d like to rent the house out again and have their own tasting room built in the future.

Capay Valley Vineyard’s tasting room is open Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. They recommend visitors call to confirm ahead of time at (530) 796-4110. Their wines are available at multiple retailers throughout the region, including Costco and Nugget Markets.