INTERESTED IN WINEMAKING?
JOIN SONOMA HOME WINEMAKERS!
• Meet people with similar interests, attend meetings and special events, taste great wine and socialize.
• Help others make wine and learn from experienced grape growers and winemakers.
• Borrow, buy, or rent equipment. Get leads on grapes for sale and free.
• Access how-to presentations and mentors to learn winemaking best practices.
Next Meeting
May 14th
Cuver Brewing"s Brewmaster and Co-owner will speak
on the craft of Belgian brewing and the North Bay beer scene
Sonoma Community Center, Room 110
Time: 6:30 Socializing, 7:00 Start
In a unique departure from the world of homemade wine, Sonoma Home Winemakers has brewed up a special presentation in May to explore the art of the hop and the grain. This session focuses on the intricate craft of Belgian brewing, featuring Don Mills and Hendrik Cuver of Windsor’s Cuver Brewing. The duo will bridge the gap between European heritage and local craft innovation, discussing the science behind their award-winning recipes and the evolving state of the North Bay brewing scene.
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Hendrik Cuver, Co-founder, brewmaster and manager is a 4th generation brewer born in Belgium. He holds a master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Ghent, world-renowned for its Laboratory for Brewing Science & Technology, and provides the deep scientific foundation for Cuver’s Old World styles. He is joined by Hoppy Don Mills, co-owner and head of sales and a Sonoma State University graduate with 30 years of experience in media and storytelling. Mills oversees sales across Marin, Napa, and Sonoma counties. Together, Mills and Cuver, along with owner and award-winning home brewer Dr. Jan Verspecht, have built a Belgian beer brand grounded in family, relationships, and technical mastery. By combining academic precision with a passion for fermentation, the Cuver team has created a bridge between historical European traditions and the vibrant California craft market.
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This event is free to attend, but registration is kindly requested via EventBrite. EventBrite free event registration
21+ only please due to wine tasting of our members’ wines during the event. I.D. required.
Please bring your own glass (two if you’d like to do a side by side comparison).
Winemakers are encouraged to bring a bottle of their wine for tasting that night.
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Want to become a home winemaker? Start here. All welcomed.
Thank you Malia van der Kamp!
On April 9th, 2026, Malia van der Kamp, proprietor of Van der Kamp Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain, shared her experiences as an organic grower and producer of Old-World style wines. Van der Kamp discussed her family’s history on Sonoma Mountain and her approach to maximizing biodiversity on the homestead to produce top-quality, minimal intervention wines.
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Malia produces handcrafted, micro-lot wines with a focus on letting the unique terroir of Sonoma Mountain speak for itself. She primarily works with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The vineyard is organically farmed and holds Certified Naturally Grown status, reflecting a commitment to biodiversity and environmental health.
Who we are ... and how you can participate
For over 40 years, Sonoma Home Winemakers (SHW) remains a group of enthusiastic home winemakers whose nonprofit charter is to promote the fine art of growing grapes, making great wine and to share information and tips among members. We're based in Sonoma, California and meet once a month, generally the second Thursday. (Please double check our events calendar for specific dates and location). We share ideas and information, evaluate and taste each other's wines, and host a speaker from the wine community -- all in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.
If you'd like to learn more about home winemaking - whether you're a complete beginner or have been making wine for years -- come to a meeting as our guest. Consider this your open invitation! And if you like what you see, dues are only $50 a year for you plus one. (21+, please.) Membership also gives you access to several private, "member only" events: behind the scenes tours of grape vine growers, barrel makers, vineyard operations and so much more -- all designed to better your understanding of wine making.
We grow our grapes in our private vineyards, backyards, acquire grapes from local sources, or just help out fellow members with their winemaking. (You're not required to make wine...but most do!) Varietals our members make range from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel and Pinot Noir to the distinctive Tanat, exclusive Ribolla Gialla, Sangiovese, Syrah, Primitivo, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, and Mourvedre.
Additionally, SHW farms and manages the Tex Juen vineyard located on Leveroni Road at the end of Fryer Creek Trail in Sonoma. This vineyard was established on land leased from the City of Sonoma for the education of our members and is fully maintained by our group. Members are welcomed to participate and experience hands-on viticulture during our frequent, weekend work days. No previous knowledge required, just eagerness to learn. Send us an email about our next work day!
Are you a member of our regional wine community with knowledge you'd like to share with our group? Please let us know! We would welcome your sharing tips and techniques with us ... we're all about learning, and enjoying great home made wine!
With our efforts, we believe we are continuing the great tradition of winemaking that started in the Sonoma Valley almost 160 years ago. What will be your wine story? Come to a meeting and start creating it. Welcome!
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Board Members
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President: Bob Brindley*
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Vice-President / Speakers: Bob Flanagan*
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Treasurer: Brian Middleton*
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Secretary: Bill Graham*
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Membership Chair: Faye Mellos
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Internal Communications Chair: Karen Hannah
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External Communications Chair: Donah Kalens
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Events Committee Chair: Pat Plowman
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Website: Gregory Levinson
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Members at Large: Doug Ghiselin, Peter Stanford and Leslie Hennessy
* Executive Committee
Welcome to the SHW!
Hello from the Sonoma Home Winemakers! I’m glad you are interested in learning about home winemaking and vineyard management. Information on our website can help you. Better yet, please join us at one of our monthly meetings.
The goal of our group is to help hobby winemakers learn to make wine and hopefully new friends along the way. Each month we offer you a speaker to teach us about the different aspects of making wine from pruning a vineyard, to harvesting grapes, to making wine that you can be proud to share with friends and family. Plus we have several social events throughout the year to help you make new friends with the same interests and to enjoy the bounty of our labors.
I have been a wine enthusiast and collector most of my life and more recently a home winemaker. It may run in the family since I have early memories of helping my grandfather tend to his vineyard in Upstate New York.
The Sonoma Home Winemakers are a valuable and helpful resource. We also have fun! There’s only so much you can learn in books and online. Being able to access the minds of professional vineyard managers and winemakers as well as other experienced hobby winemakers has been invaluable. Understanding how to grow better grapes and learning how the pros make their wine has armed me with the knowledge to make better wine in my own right. And best of all, we share some fantastic home wine at each of our gatherings!
If you’re interested in home winemaking or you’re already on your way, I encourage you to come to our next monthly meeting - no winemaking or vineyard xperience is necessary. Everyone is welcome! I hope to see you soon.
Cheers!
Bob Brindley, President
Sonoma Home Winemakers