CALENDAR

Next Meeting

March 12th

Lisa Bishop Forbes to speak on the

balance between winemaking art and science.

Sonoma Community Center, Room 110

Time: 6:30 Socializing, 7:00 Start

Balancing the art and science of winemaking, winemaker/consultant Lisa Bishop Forbes of Bishop Forbes Wines will speak on the topic of quality wine making offering production tips and techniques.

Lisa Bishop Forbes is the founder and winemaker of Bishop Forbes Wines, a boutique label that showcases her site-driven approach and more than 20 years of experience crafting ultra-premium wines that consistently score 90 points and above. The Bishop Forbes portfolio is focused on balance, varietal integrity, and a clear expression of place,.

Bishop Forbes’ experience includes Director of Winemaking at Chalk Hill Estate and Winemaker at Dry Creek Vineyard. She also managed winemaking and operations at Ektimo Vineyards and Ross Road Custom Crush. In addition to her own label, Lisa is the principal of Lisa Bishop Forbes Winemaking, a
consulting practice serving boutique, family-owned wineries. Her consulting work spans
vineyard sourcing, harvest logistics, fermentation management, blending strategy, and bottling,
with an emphasis on high quality and respect for her clients’ stylistic preferences.

This event is free to attend, but registration is kindly requested via Eventbrite. Open EventBrite.

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.

Want to become a home winemaker? Start here. All welcomed.

Sonoma Home Winemakers meet the 2nd Thursday of each month except August and December.

We meet at the Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St. Sonoma, CA

Socializing at 6:30. Meetings begin at 7:00 PM

We encourage members to bring wines they are particularly proud of
or for which they want member assessments and advice.

Most meetings have a guest speaker who offers insights into viticulture and oenology.

scroll down to see
information on upcoming meetings and events, guide to seasonal/monthly vineyard and winery tasks and planning

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Hands-on vineyard pruning demonstration. Expert Ned Hill to give instruction. Public invited.

Saturday, January 31, 2026, 9:00 am

The Sonoma Home Winemakers (SHW) conducts its 3rd annual pruning demonstration for the public at Tex Juen Vineyard at Leveroni Road and Fryer Creek Drive, This hands-on, learn-by-doing educational opportunity will be led by the owner of vineyard management company La Prenda Vineyard Mgmt., Ned Hill. New or experienced vineyard tenders welcomed. Demonstration and pruning starts at 9AM and goes til 11AM. Please bring a sharp, clean pair of shears; water and wear sturdy,preferrably waterproof shoes,
No RSVP is necessary.

General meeting

March 12, 2026

Speaker and topic TBD

Sonoma Community Center, Room 110

Time: 6:30 Socializing, 7:00 Start

January in a home winemaker’s vineyard and winery
Winter Quiet and Strategic Planning
Thoughts offered by Brian Middleton and Bob Flanagan

As we recover from our celebrations of the new year, we turn our attention to what needs to be done in the vineyard and winery. We are like baseball fans before the first pitch of a new season, full of hope for what’s to come and ready to do what we can to make the season one to remember. January in Sonoma arrives with cool rains sweeping across the valleys and coastal hills. The vineyards rest in deep dormancy, bare vines stretch across fog-softened landscapes.

While we enjoy this time of rest, it is time to plan for upcoming work, learn from what we did last year and relish the wine we have in the barrels from last harvest. In the vineyard the vines are dormant and the ground cover is thick and verdant. As we get
ready in the vineyard we think about and inspect everything to identify any need to repair the irrigation systems, the trellis
system or replace vines. We also need to get ready to prune. The biggest concern around pruning is to avoid the rain—numerous pathogens are triggered by or spread through free water, and fresh pruning cuts provide an easy access point into a vine. We want dry vines and a sunny forecast for at least a few days after our pruning date. We can’t wait for all the rain to stop however, because our pruning date also impacts the phenological calendar of the vine—the later we prune, the later the vine matures. The risk of waiting too long is that we push harvest so deep into the fall that we risk rain or even frost before we’re able to pick the fruit. For most of us in Sonoma, balancing these concerns means we’re pruning in February.

Along with pruning of last year’s growth, the early spring is also the time to do more aggressive vine trimming—cutting
arms that will be bypassed by a new spur as well as cutting diseased or dead wood. Various “dead arm” diseases such as Eutypa lata and Botryosphaeria are fungal cankers that spread slowly from an infection point back through the vine.
Cutting off the infected wood can protect the rest of the vine, but it’s important to make that cut several inches into
clean wood past the point of infection. The most pronounced symptom of these infections visible pre-bloom is a wedge-shaped discoloration in the wood:

Powdery mildew (PM) pressure was relatively high in 2025, which means a higher level of powdery mildew spores nesting in the vines right now. Growers who had a lot of PM might want to do a pre-bud break spray of oil or sulfur (but not both at the same time—this is toxic!). For everyone else, starting a sulfuring cadence at bud break is probably fine.

In the winery and cellar, we begin tasting early barrel samples and continue to monitor sulfur levels as we do our regular topping work. Since most home winemakers don’t have the level of environmental control in the cellar that the commercial winemakers have, maintaining adequate sulfur levels is a critical first line of defense against spoilage. Equally important is minimizing the wine’s contact with oxygen, so regular topping is essential. Depending on the varietal and winemaking style, there could be another racking in the near future for some makers.

Looking ahead, it’s time to order bottles (or saving them!) and corks to be ready for bottling later in the spring. For those lucky home winemakers who are getting new oak barrels for their 2026 vintage, order now to get the best pricing of the year. And while it isn’t fun, the winter is a great time to do some hygiene work in the cellar—cleaning, fixing and
updating cellar equipment so it is ready and waiting for bottling, crush and press.
In the meantime, we have time to enjoy the fruits of prior labors while we wait for temperatures to
increase and the rain to ease so we can start work in earnest in the fields.

Cheers and Happy New Year from the Sonoma Home Winemakers!

Recent Meetings

January 8 Monthly Meeting

Kicking the 2026 educational year off with both a lot of laughs and great wine making info, Chris Jones of Claudio Family Cellars held us captive with stories of falling in love with wine in Minnesota then moving to the Napa Valley to fulfill his dream. Our home wine makers scribbled furiously to capture all his tips, tricks and ideas to help make this year's vintage even better. And he brought 6 bottles of his wine which were appreciated with gusto - pouring while he spoke. A first. Thank you, Chris!

November 13 Monthly Meeting

Stephanie Moriarty of Torrellerie Ø spoke on barrels and Creative Oak alternatives and the pivotal role that our California made French and American oak barrels play in helping winemakers make the wine they intend. Creative Oak alternatives provide winemakers, distillers, and brew masters the freedom to flavor their products exactly how they envision.

October 9 Monthly Meeting

Award wining wine maker and SHW alum Dennis McCarter of McCarter Cellars regaled us with stories of lessons learned as a new winemaker -- the good, the bad, and the unexpected -- at our October 8th monthly meeting. We appreciate him returning to share his tips and techniques learned from trial and error, and being there in the moment ... but always trusting what he thought was right. His award winning wines speak for themselves. With our gratitude!

September 11 Monthly Meeting

Joel Petersen, AKA the Godfather of Zin, founder of Ravenswood Winery, now Once and future Wines and 2011 inductee into the Vintners Hall of Fame gave a memorable talk on The Rise and Resurgence of Zinfandel, Tips and Secrets of Wine Making. And he brought his wine for us to appreciate!

Joel is a current member and former president of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance and also served on the Board of Directors for the Sonoma County Vintners. A founding board member and former two-time president of ZAP, he is also an advisor to the Historic Vineyard Society. Joel was the lead winemaker and chairman of the Heritage Vineyard project,

July 10 Monthly Meeting

Ron Fenolio of Veedercrest Wines, Napa.

Ron and partners started Veedercrest Winery and in 1976 it was one of the participants in the historic “Judgement of Paris” wine competition where his wine won "the most French wine" award... Ron's presentation covered the history of the wine industry in California, Judgement of Paris and the current state of the wine business.

A brief history of California wine - worth watching!

“As a videographer, I’ve recorded countless wine talks, but Ron’s extemporaneous command of winemaking, history, and marketing left me awestruck—he held every attendee spellbound from opening to closing.”

—John V. Pinto, Napa Valley Wine-Tasters Society Videographer

See full POV 30 minute video on our YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/xtwu_4UVS-M

June 12 Monthly Meeting

Travis Gallagher of Amorim Cork spoke on selecting right cork for the right usage in bottling your wine and offered in-depth information of cork realities. After graduating with his V&E degree from UC Davis, he worked 13 harvests at Trefethen Winery in Napa. For the last several years Travis has worked in wine regions across the country advising winemakers big and small on the proper cork selection for their vintages.

See 6 PDFs with the details of Travis presentation at the bottom of our Resources page.

May 8 Monthly Meeting

On May 8th, Cameron Hughes, one the country's most successful negociants, founder of the nationally known Cameron Hughes Wine label offered his perspective on the wine business and future wine consumption. "Changes in the wine world: a Negociant's perspective."

We would like to thank Cameron for sharing a unique perspective on the wine world and the future of wine enjoyment.

Past Speakers

Ron Fenolio of Veedercrest Wines, Napa. Ron and partners started Veedercrest Winery and in 1976 and it was one of the participants in the historic “Judgement of Paris” wine competition where his wine won "the most French wine" award... Ron's presentation covered the history of the wine industry in California, Judgement of Paris and the current state of the wine business.
Travis Gallagher of Amorim Cork spoke on selecting right cork for the right usage in bottling your wine and offered in-depth information of cork realities. For the last several years Travis has worked in wine regions across the country advising winemakers big and small on the proper cork selection for their vintages.
Cameron Hughes, one the country's most successful negociants, founder of the nationally known Cameron Hughes Wine label offered his perspective on the wine business and future wine consumption. "Changes in the wine world: a Negociant's perspective."
Jay and Nick Jensen of Novavine brought decades of grapevine, vineyard and nursery experience to this talk that focused on the proper selection of vines, it's importance and steps to insure success from the moment they're in the ground.
Katie Nydell, principal at VinLuxe Consulting spoke on fining techniques and tips. Her presentation included "Before and After" samples and details on how a simple fix can greatly enhance and even save a wine.
Adam Fey, SVP & Senior Relationship Manager, Global Commercial Banking Wine Team Lead spoke about The State of the Wine Business"
Leslie Hennessy, owner of Gourmet Wines and host ofKSVY-FM "Wine Around with Hennessy" spoke on winter vineyard management tips and secrets.
Leo Prada, the owner of ReCoop Barrels spoke on the interplay of wine and wood, and advantages of re-cooping.
Dennis Stroud, owner of Vintage Supply Partners. Dennis shared his knowledge of harvesting preparation.
Mike Officer is an owner and winemaker at Carlisle Winery & Vineyards, known for high end Zin and Rhône style, old vines and superb quality.
Robyn Sebastiani spoke about the role of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance.
Allison Bettis, viticulturist at Silver Oak Cellars & Twomey Cellars. We would like to thank her again for sharing with us her methods of vineyard management.
Robert Rex, founder and winemaker at Deerfield Ranch Winer Talked about “How to make your wine better from handling the fruit through fermentation and aging.”
Eric Close, A Vineyard Manager with Enterprise Vineyard Management . Winemakers and vineyard owners call on Enterprise Vineyards when they aspire to the highest standards of responsible stewardship of land and resources.
Maggie Staines, Assistant General Manager of La Rochelle Winery. She spoke about “The Tasting Experience - Past, Present, & Future.” We strongly encourage you to visit her at La Rochelle Winery.
Leigh Meyering, Enologist & Winemaker at myEnologist.Leigh's technical skills enhance her creative vision creating a diverse background in all levels of production. myEnologist
Ruben Calatayud, Second part of the seminar on "common winemaking mistakes". Rueben, the “Wine Doctor”, presented 16 common problems and solutions. Ruben is Enologist at Kosta Browne Winery that is part of the Duckhorn Portfolio.
Kelley Levin, Marketing Communications Manager for sister brands Marin French Cheese Co. and Laura Chenel. Kelley conducted a class on the Art of Pairing Cheese and Wine.
Mike Faulk, Lab Technician for Enartis discusses tips for the home winemaker- yeast strains, nutrients and wine adds. Mikes favorites yeast strain is WS.
Enartis winemaker's solutions
Rick Tranchina, Co-owner of the new shop in town, Pomme Cider Shop & Tap Room discusses the changing trend towards lighter, lower alcohol and even alcohol-free beverages. These beverages include artisanal ciders, Pét Nats, natural fermentations, and other styles of wines and ferments.
Ruben Calatayud, Enologist at Kosta Browne Winery . Rueben has earned the reputation as the “Wine Doctor” and the solver of wine problems by fixing any wine issues that come his way. Kosta Browne is part of the Duckhorn Portfolio.
Sam Baron, Winemaker GM at Kivelstadt Cellars - California non-traditional varietal & style winemaking.
Jack Sporer, the co-owner and manager of Magnolia Wine Services - Ways to make the vineyards better using natural, organic and regenerative farming methods. Jack makes wine under the label Fresh Wine Co.
Brian Casey, Sommelier at The Sonoma Mission Inn - Wine varietals and history of local grape growers.
Taylor Serres, History of the valley through the eyes of The Serres Ranch Farm and Winery that spans six generations of growers and winemakers.
Mike Benziger, Founder of Benziger Winery - Importance of pollinators in the vineyard and beyond.
Mike Sangiacomo, 3rd gen. grape grower Sangiacomo Wines.
Robert Rex, Winemaker at Deerfield Ranch Winery - Use of sulfites in winemaking.
Katie Madigan, Winemaker at St Francis Winery - Winemaking techniques.
Steve Hill, Grower and winemaker. History of winemaking and vineyard management. Durrell Vineyards
Alison Crowe, Winemaker at Garnet Vineyards, columnist, UC lecturer and author of the Winemaker's Answer Book - winemaking techniques.
Ken Wornick, Winemaker at Dysfunctional Family Winery - Fruits, tannins and the best time to pick grapes.
Bill Reading with Sonoma Portworks - The art and science of making Port.
Jeff Murrell, Director of Research at StaVin - Barrels, Oak,and Aging Techniques
Michael Jones, Fermentation Specialist at Scott Laboratories - Yeast and Fermentation.
Lydia Constantini, Manager of Sonoma Mission Gardens- Compatible local plants to support sustainable vineyard farming.
Jeff Gaffner, owner/winemaker of Saxon Brown - The business of wine marking and harvesting grapes.
John Rodrigues, Founder of Home Wine Lab - Testing and analysis to protect what goes in the bottle.
Casey Graybehl, founder and winemaker at The Grenachista Wine Company - Producing the Rhone-style varietal, Grenache.
Bob Peak, Writer/Editor for Winemaker Magazine - Critical decisions that need to be made on harvest and winemaking.
Doug Ghiselin, SHW member - Managing vine growth and removing suckers.
Rich Treghillo, Chef and SHW member - Wine and food pairing.
Dennis Przybycien, SHW member - Vineyard pruning demonstration.