Winemaker Notes

Our Merlot is medium-ruby in color and abundantly fruit-forward. The wine opens with notes of blackberry, vanilla cream, and baking spices and leads into a mid-palate dominated by black fruit, closing with a pleasing, toasty finish. McManis Family wines are certified sustainable under Lodi Rules standards. The McManis Family Winery is certified sustainable under the California Winegrowing Alliance. Pairs well with wood-fired cheese pizza, hard cheeses and charcuterie, and spaghetti with meatballs.

About the Winery

The McManis family has been farming in the northern interior region of California since 1938. Fourth generation farmer Ron McManis, and his wife Jamie, founded McManis Family Vineyards in 1990. From the beginning, their mission was simple: every bottle of McManis Family Vineyards should consist of "quality wine at an honest price". They now farm over 3,600 acres of premium wine grapes from premier growing areas across the state. In 1998, the company designed and built a state-of-the-art winery to produce a range of red and white varietals sourced from ten estate vineyards. All 10 delicious varietals are certified sustainable under Lodi Rules standards and the winery itself is certified under California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. McManis is also the keeper of the third smallest American Viticultural Area (AVA) in California. Nestled between the cool confluence of the Stanislaus and San Joaquin rivers, south of Lodi, the River Junction Appellation comprises 1300 acres. The land near the river basin is consistently 2-5 degrees cooler than the surrounding farmlands, combined with the sandy loam soils unique to the area, is ideally suited to growing premium quality grapes. This geographical advantage also provides a more significant diurnal temperature swing - warm days, cooler nights than other vineyards. McManis Family Vineyards grows Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Viognier and Muscat Canelli in the AVA.