Chris in his glory...wild mushrooms in hand and strings of homemade sausage hanging behind him.

Winemaker, founder, owner, and nephew to Marietta, Chris Bilbro puts his life into his wine. As a child, growing up in his great aunt Marietta's kitchen and garden, Chris learned to make the most with very little. While the presentation was simple, the food was always the right temperature, the portions were plentiful, and flavors were exceptional. This standard still holds true today. Making all the wines himself, Chris painstakingly evaluates his releases, while at the same time "shooting from the hip." Chris's winery is in many ways operated in the style of Marietta's kitchen; just as Marietta wasn't afraid of garlic and rosemary, Chris isn't afraid of jammy fruit or ripe grapes.

Chris making sausage with friends.

Any chance he gets, Chris is outside. Whether it is at his ranch in Yorkville, where he hunts mushrooms and wild boar, and has been known to occasionally nap under a tree, abalone diving in the Pacific, salmon fishing in Alaska, or pheasant hunting in Montana, Chris is equally passionate about his outdoor activities as he is about his winemaking. Constantly restocking his freezers, Chris can provide a wild game cuisine to suit any of his wines, along with fresh vegetables from his garden, on a moments notice. While Chris's winemaking history is long and has had more than one turn, it is hard to document, as he has no formal training. Chris's "professors" were old Italians the likes of Vic Berrizzi, and Frank Pastori. Chris developed his style and "cut his teeth" making sausage with Vic and picking olives with Frank.

A local preschool took a field trip to learn how to pick grapes.

For Chris, winemaking is by no means a job and far more than just a passion. It is his lifestyle, his tradition, and his love. With four boys, ages ranging from six to twenty-six, the legacy Chris has started looks secure. Don't be surprised, in a few years, to hear that Chris has stepped back a bit from Marietta, and is living on a remote ridge top in Mendocino County, making home made wine for his friends, tending his garden, cutting wood for his woodstove, and cooking the same meals for his grandchildren that his great aunt did for him years before.