Puppione Family Wines
Get the Dirt from owner / winemaker Chris Puppione
“We can make what we want, when we want, or not at all. We aim to make wines we love with those we love—it is that simple and that challenging all at once.”
What was your first vintage year? Our first vintage was 2017, though we did not begin selling our wines until 2022.
How many cases do you make per vintage? About 400-500 cases per year.
Do you have a Tasting Room? No tasting room, though we do provide private tastings, virtual tastings, and in-home tastings on the road—all available by appointment.
What wine made you want to become a winemaker/start your own winery?
It was not necessarily any wine or grape that inspired me to make our first wine. It was actually the pending birth of my first child and the desire to bottle the feelings and spirit of that event in the form of our favorite grape—Syrah.
What varietals do you work with?
Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Friulano, Grenache, Mourvèdre. Our favorite to make? The next one, of course! We enjoy how our taste—like our life as a family—evolves and changes. It’s supposed to be fun, right?
What vineyards do you source from?
We source from growers who farm responsibly—those who implement sustainable, organic, regenerative and biodynamic principles. It is a care and love for the land that drives us to craft wines that celebrate a generational respect for where we live. Our “home” vineyard would have to be the Don Miguel Vineyard—the estate vineyard for famed Marimar Estate in the Russian River Valley where we live. We have a great history with Marimar, and the Syrah that powers and inspires all that we do comes from the flawless fruit from this idyllic site for cool climate wines.
What type of oak treatment do you use?
We use neutral French Oak barrels and stainless steel drums in the elevage of our wines. Simply put—when you work with such incredible fruit sources, we want to show it off—not mask it or try to overdress it.
What do you love about your winemaking region? What makes it different special?
We love our home in the Russian River Valley—specifically West Sonoma County. There is a spirit here that has always seemed to feature—one of adventure, love of nature, and little bit of renegade thrown in for good measure. The people and the wines that inspire us most from our ‘hood here are beautiful and raw and reflect this spirit. We have hillsides, we have valleys, and we have an incredible variety of grapes grown here. There is fog, there is water, and there is wind. And we are lucky to try and encapsulate what the land offers us year over year.
What’s the story behind your winery name / label?
While naming the winery after our own last name is not highly creative, it was purposeful. My great-grandfather made wines for his family and friends in the family basement back in Oakland in the early 1900’s, so we have a tradition to honor. But the most important part of our winery name is the word “Family”—as it was the birth of our little family in 2017 that launched our venture.
What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about the wine business before you started your own winery?
I feel like the people who spoke to us once we decided to really make this go were very honest and very encouraging all at once. We knew it was not an easy thing, which is why we have taken so long to get going. We made the first wines in 2017, but we didn’t sell a single bottle until 2022. We waited and really tried to do it without sacrificing our family life for the project that was intended to honor that very thing. I know plenty of folks might say that they wish someone had told them it would be expensive or tiring or hard or all of the above—but we really look at making our wines as a reflection of parenting our kids. It is tough more often than it is easy—but it is always worth it at the end of the day.
Most importantly, what's so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker, that wouldn't be possible for larger wineries?
Being a small producer is great because we answer to ourselves—and that is all. And I already answer to my wife and kids every day as a husband and a father, so there’s not much of a difference there. We can make what we want, when we want, or not at all. We aim to make wines we love with those we love—it is that simple and that challenging all at once. Not too bad. And when we want to chart a new course, unlike the larger wineries, we can make that change in an instant. Compare it to pulling a U-turn in a Mini-Cooper versus an aircraft carrier. We just whip it around and go.
How do you view the future in the wine industry for small-lot winemakers?
We will always be there…often in the shadows, on the fringes of society, but isn’t that where all the cool stuff happens anyway? I am good living and making our wines in Edge City.
If you could choose another wine region to work in what would it be?
Tough call. The easy answers would be the Savoie, Rhone Valley or even Provence. A curious one would be Idaho. But I am a bit of a sucker for my own backyard, and there is plenty more we can do here.
For more information about Puppione Family Wines, please visit their website or follow them on Instagram.