Growing up, Rodney’s father farmed grapes, cherries, and kiwi, which inspired the entrepreneurial spirit of this third-generation Lodi grower to one day farm his own way. In 1985, he and his wife, Gayla, purchased 40 acres of old-vine Zinfandel—the same land where the winery stands today. The first plot was on Peltier Road, just north of Lodi. Instead of naming the winery after themselves, they chose to honor the road that led them to those gnarly vines, which would eventually become the foundation of their winery.
Rod spent 15 years building his reputation for quality grapes while expanding his custom harvest business. A year with a surplus of grapes sparked the idea to build a custom crush facility, and a Best of Class award at the California State Fair for a 2005 Petite Sirah launched the bottling side of their business. Today, they farm over 1,000 acres of estate-grown, certified sustainable grapes, with a strong focus on quality.
Today, they own multiple vineyards:
Alpine/Realty: 162 acres | Dustin: 47 | De Vries: 122 acres | Marengo: 66 acres | Kennefick: 24 acres | Lockeford: 251 | Coyote Creek: 180 acres | Hade Ranch: 140 acres
And they grow a wide variety of grapes:
Chardonnay: 154 acres | Pinot Grigio: 43 | Sauvignon Blanc: 89 acres | Chenin Blanc: 13 acres | Viognier: 20 acres | Vermentino: 20 | Pinot Noir: 98 acres | Syrah: 54 acres | Petite Sirah: 55 acres | Zinfandel: 132 acres | Cabernet Sauvignon: 149 acres | Teroldego: 32 acres
