Our Story
Our mission at Fleur de California is to produce wines that stay true to the varietal and terroir of their origin while retaining the balance and acidity needed to complement any meal.
About Us
Fleur de California wines showcase exuberant fresh fruit flavors, highlighting the unique qualities of our vineyards. The style of our wines is crafted on the vine, with picking decisions based on the interplay between fruit flavors and acidity. The resulting wines display texture, balance, and true varietal character. With restrained use of oak and moderate alcohol levels, these wines are made to grace any table.
History of Fleur de California
In 1986 Fleur de Carneros debuted and was considered by Francis “Pinot 101”. The wines were aged in stainless steel or oak tanks and bottled within 8 months of harvest. The resulting wines exhibited bright fruit, with forward aromas of red fruit typical of the Carneros region. The style was inviting and straightforward, and most of the grapes were purchased from local growers.
Today, the Pinot Noirs are largely grown on our Estate vineyards, fermented in small lots, and aged in French oak barrels for about a year prior to blending and bottling. Compared to the early vintages, today’s wines show more depth and complexity while maintaining their varietal focus. Our Vermentino likewise comes from the Estate, as does a portion of our Chardonnay and Rosé. While our largest production still derives from Carneros, in 2003 the brand name changed to Fleur de California to allow us to work with fruit from other regions as well as our own, and our history of being part of the California landscape.
Decades of experience in farming and winemaking guide us in crafting each wine in the Fleur de California portfolio. We rely both on our estate vineyards and those of our small family growing partners, and Fleur de California wines embody the dedication, patience, and persistence of those who have worked the land for generations.
Label Artist
milly acharya
In 2014 we made the difficult decision to change our Fleur de California wine label. By chance we stumbled onto Ms. acharya’s (milly preferred her name in lower case) artwork, we were absolutely stunned. The beauty she was able to create with her watercolors, each one taking between 500 to 800 hours, was breathtaking. We contacted milly by phone, at her home in Ithaca, New York, and expressed our hope that she would grant us permission to use her paintings on our labels. She could not have been more gracious. We will be forever grateful for her kindness, we love our new labels. Thank you milly.
milly acharya passed away on February 27, 2019.
Wines of Fleur de California
As seen in:
Sustainable Farming to Protect our Land
Our vineyards are certified fish-friendly and Certified California Sustainable.
Brands of Carneros Wine Company
Mahoney Family Vineyards
All of our estate vineyards are farmed responsibly – Certified Sustainable and Fish-Friendly. We invite you to enjoy our wines, carefully crafted in small quantities from the very best of our 160 acres of estate vineyards.
Fleur de California
The style of our wines is crafted on the vine, with picking decisions based on the interplay between fruit flavors and acidity. The resulting wines display texture, balance, and true varietal character.
Carneros Ranch
These wines are sourced from a handful of notable Carneros Appellation vineyards, including the Haire and Mahoney Vineyards. These vineyards, and the families that own them, are true pioneers in the region.
Redwood Empire
Our winemaker utilizes small open top fermentations, neutral oak barrels, sur lie aging, and his own hands-on approach in carefully crafting the North Coast Redwood Empire wines.