Red Car Wine

For nearly 20 years, Red Car has been on a journey—one that started in sunny Los Angeles and marched steadily northward toward a vision of cooler vineyard sites and the complex, aromatic wines they can express.

Red Car was founded by Mark Estrin, Carroll Kemp and Richard Crowell in 2000 with 50 cases of wine made from a single ton of Syrah grapes vinified in a Culver City garage. In a nod to their California roots, the new venture was named...

Our original estate vineyard, planted in 2005, crowns the northwestern corner of King Ridge Road above Fort Ross on the coastline of Sonoma County. It sits at 900–1000 feet and is defined by giant coastal redwoods and the fog-laden Pacific Ocean. This proximity to the ocean moderates temperatures and makes it susceptible to rain and fog during the flowering season, which keeps yields very low.

The vines are planted in fractured marine ...

We are hands-on farmers, part of a small cadre of wineries in our region who are fortunate to grow a large majority of our own fruit. For several years now we have worked hard to go beyond sustainability and have integrated the concepts and principles of organic and permaculture systems into our farming as we search for nature’s ideal pathways.

Red Car produces site-specific wines, focused on achieving bright acidity and lively aromati...