Our Story

Carneros Wine Company is the culmination of 50 years of experience growing and producing wines in the Carneros region. Spanning the cool southern reaches of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, California’s Carneros appellation is a scenic and magical place. Known for our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Francis and Kathy Mahoney are pioneers of this region.

When the foundation for Carneros Creek Winery was laid 1972, the Carneros region was an abundance of agriculture, bay fields, fruit orchards, and, as its name suggests, sheep pastures (Carneros is the Spanish word for sheep). Francis Mahoney aspired to grow grapes that would produce wines which evoked in him the same passion as that of the great Pinots of Burgundy.

He embarked on a groundbreaking experiment with U.C. Davis to seek out which of Pinot Noirs many clonal variations are particularly well suited to growing in the distinctive terroir of the Carneros. Six selected varieties grow on our 180 acres of vineyards in the fog-washed hills, affording the grapes the gentle ripening necessary to develop beautifully balanced acids and flavors.