In an effort to support AAPI-owned businesses, The Wine Daily has consolidated a list of Asian-owned wineries or wineries with an Asian winemaker. Thank you to the many members of the wine community who have written to us and helped grow this list. We’ve been thrilled by the positive response to this article, and continue to update it as new wineries are put on our radar.
Why are Asians in the wine industry so elusive? This is emblematic of the AAPI experience for many. Traditionally, Asians have been encouraged to blend in, not to stand out. The success of the wineries/winemakers on this list is truly against many odds. They have made their way in an industry without much preexisting network or social connections. In sharing this list, we hope to better support them.
Know of additional Asian-owned wineries or winemakers not on this list? Comment or send us a message, and we’ll add them!
Asian-Owned Wineries and Winemakers
In alphabetical order:
B. Kosuge Wines
Sonoma Coast, CA
Fresh, pure, and expressive: Kosuge Wines reflect owner Brian Kosuge’s winemaking philosophy. From using concrete eggs to age Gamay, to studying the ground of each planted vine, to removing additives, Kosuge is constantly experimenting with techniques to make his wines “more honest” — and the resulting wines are truly distinctive.
Bucella Wines
Napa Valley, CA
This family-owned Napa winery has a new director of winemaking, Kyle Mizuno. Mizuno, formerly of Blackbird Vineyards, was known for his elegant, terroir-driven Bordeaux right bank-style wines. We look forward to seeing what he will accomplish at Bucella Wines.
CHO Wines
Willamette Valley, OR
Founder Dave Cho is the first Korean-American winemaker in the Willamette Valley. Cho built his winemaking experience at Stoller Family Estate and Argyle Winery. Now, he produces small-lot Pinot Noir, Rosé, and sparkling wines from higher-elevation vineyards. His first release has already earned critical acclaim from Wine Enthusiast and James Suckling.
Dalla Valle Vineyards
Oakville, CA
The iconic Dalla Valle Vineyards was founded in 1986 by Naoko Dalla Valle. Over the years, it achieved cult wine status amongst enthusiasts for its exceptional, site-specific Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, Naoko’s daughter, Maya Dalla Valle, leads winemaking at the now entirely organic and biodynamic vineyard.
Dana Estates
Napa Valley, CA
This boutique Mayacamas Mountains estate produces small-lot, award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon. It is owned by Korean food importer and Napa Cabernet lover Hi Sang Lee.
Ektimo Vineyards
Sebastapol, CA
Tucked away off a country lane in Sonoma County, the recently-established Ektimo Vineyards is making waves with its expressive, site-specific Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay. Owner Dominic Xie named his winery after the the Greek word, “εκτιμώ”, to appreciate. His small-lot wines sell out quickly amongst their fan following.
Fairest Creature
Napa Valley, CA
Founder Jayson Hu has a vision: to create the best Cabernet Sauvignon, ever. Tall order, right? Well, he has assembled a team of exceptional winemakers to make this a reality. His four wines are made by acclaimed winemakers Benoite Touquette, Philippe Melka, and Thomas Rivers Brown. Each bottle, inspired by a different mythical Chinese creature, promises to be concentrated, complex, and highly ageworthy. Wines are available on a members-only basis.
Freeman Winery
Sonoma, CA
This family-run winery is one of the original pioneers of cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Winemaker Akiko Freeman and husband and proprietor Dan Freeman founded their Green Valley estate together in 2001. Today, they also produce wine from the steep, rugged terrain of their Sonoma Coast estate, which is just five miles from the Pacific Ocean.
Hestan Vineyards
Napa Valley, CA
Hestan Vineyards is one of the few tasting rooms where you can buy both cookware and wine. Its founders own one of the largest cookware distributors in the world, Meyer Corporation. Helen and Stanley Cheng founded Hestan Vineyards in 1996 out of a passion for wine. Today, the estate is entirely solar-powered and sustainably farmed. Two of the vineyard’s labels, Stephanie and Vincent Christopher, are named after their children.
Hobo Wines
Northern CA
This 1% for the Planet, biodynamic, and organic winery is about as eco-friendly as it gets. Founded by owner Kenny Likitprakong in 2002, Hobo Wines are made across dozens of California AVAs and varietals.
Kanpai Wines
Napa Valley, CA
Japanese for “cheers”, Kanpai is an artisanal endeavor between renowned winemaker Steve Matthiasson and owners Peter Chiang and Azumi Kubo. Each wine is crafted with its own unique profile and story in mind.
Kenzo Estate
Napa, CA
This Napa Valley estate is actually a pristine wildlife preserve, with only 4% of its land planted to vines. Owner Kenzo Tsujimoto partners with renowned viticulturist David Abrieu (Harlan Estates, Screaming Eagle) and and Marc Nanes (Cakebread Cellars, Quintessa, Hundred Acre) to craft world-class wines.
Kieu Hoang Winery
Napa Valley, CA
This Carneros-based estate is owned by Vietnamese businessman Kieu Hoang, who has a passion for wine and wellness. While the label currently includes Carneros- and California-appellated wines, Hoang will soon be releasing wines from his newly-purchased Spring Mountain vineyard.
Lynmar Estate
Sebastapol, CA
Husband-wife team Lynn and Anisya Fritz are stewards of both their land, and the extraordinary wine that it yields. Lynmar Estate is sustainably farmed, solar-powered, and carbon negative. In addition, every bottling celebrates the nuances of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from different clones and terroirs.
Maxville Winery
Napa Valley, CA
Need a place where you can go fishing, have a yoga retreat, take a cheesemaking class, and drink critically-acclaimed wines? Look no further than Maxville Winery, owned by Bay Area native Anthony Hsu. There are many unique ways to experience their Chiles Valley estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Mikami Vineyards
Lodi, CA
The Mikami family has been producing wine for over three generations. Their small, single-vineyard estate produces award-winning Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Rosé.
Moone-Tsai
Napa Valley, CA
With its exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, Moone-Tsai represents some of the best of what Napa Valley has to offer. Sourcing from the prestigious To Kalon vineyard, Howell Mountain, and Napa Valley’s Coombsville AVA, Moone-Tsai’s resulting wines masterfully balance structure, concentrated aromatics, and refined tannins.
Niew Vineyards
Willamette Valley, OR
Tai Ran Niew’s goal is to “to make the most ethereal Oregonian wine there is.” He uses Masanobu Fukuoka’s natural farming techniques, involving chemical-free, machine-free, and even weeding-free soils. His approach to winemaking is as much philosophical as it is scientific. The resulting wines are nuanced and beautifully expressive of their Willamette Valley terroir.
Noria Wines
Sonoma, CA
Winemaker Nori Nakamura crafted white wines to mimic the flavors in Japanese sake, and Pinot Noir to pair well with the delicate flavors of Japanese cuisine. His wines are estate-grown in the Russian River Valley.
Oakville Winery
Napa, CA
Lynn Watanabe began her career as a microbiologist, but her knowledge proved to be invaluable in winemaking. She now produces expressive, layered wines from the Pelissa family’s 55-acre, organically-farmed vineyard. Both her Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel have earned 90+ point ratings.
Ottavino (Currently Waits-Mast, Neely Wine)
CA
Winemaker Shalini Sekhar is the secret behind multiple award-winning Pinot Noir and Chardonnay labels in California. Currently, she produces beautifully expressive, cool-climate wines out of Mendocino County for Waits Mast, as well as Neely Wine in Santa Cruz. We look forward to seeing the future endeavors from Ottavino, her wine consulting business.
Patel Winery
Napa Valley, CA
Owner Raj Patel partnered with acclaimed winemaker Julien Fayard to craft critically acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon. Patel creates only a limited number of cases per year from select growers in the Coombsville, Rutherford, and Atlas Peak AVAs.
Peay Vineyards
Sonoma Coast, CA
Winemaker Vanessa Wong has mastered the art of producing beautifully nuanced, cool-climate Chardonnay. Before joining Peay, Wong gained experience working at Château Lafite-Rothschild, Domaine Jean Gros, and Peter Michael Winery. Today, the team consists of Wong, husband Nick Peay, and Andy Peay.
PerUs Wine
Napa Valley, CA
Founder Anmol Bhandari had a vision: to connect the most passionate members of the wine community and craft exceptional wines. Today, his elite, members-only club is renowned for its plush, concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon and proprietary red wine blends.
RD Winery
Napa Valley, CA
RD Winery CEO Mailynh Phan felt that wineries were largely catering to European food and wine pairings. As a result, every wine in their portfolio is designed to pair well with Asian cuisine. Under Phan’s leadership, RD Winery has expanded to include Fifth Moon, Hundred Knot, and Khoai wines.
REWA
Napa Valley, CA
Founder G.S. Sareen was born and raised in India, but dreamed of producing a classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, his Coombsville estate fulfills this vision, yielding complex, aromatic wines from its volcanic soil.
Sandhi Wines
Santa Barbara, CA
Michael Mina Restaurants wine director Rajat Parr founded Sandhi Wines to craft singular Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Santa Barbara terroir. To maximize complexity and flavor, Sandhi Wines are grown only from old vine, cool-climate sites and fermented without added sugars, acids, fining agents, yeasts, or enzymes.
Shiba Wichern
Oregon
This is a small, community effort led by winemaker Akiko Shiba. Shiba partners closely with multiple vineyards in the Willamette Valley and Eola Amity Hills to craft nuanced, site-specific Pinot Noir and Auxerrois.
Signorello Estate
Napa Valley, CA
Mumbai native Priyanka French crafts complex, concentrated wines that reflect this estate’s unique Napa Valley terroir. Under her close attention, only the highest-quality grapes are used in Signorello wines. French then applies precision viticulture techniques to transform them into nuanced, singular wines.
Six Cloves Wines
Sebastapol, CA
Sonoe Hirabayashi hails from generations of Japanese sake, soy sauce, and miso makers. While Hirabayashi became a winemaker, she never forgot her roots. Today, Six Cloves Wines honors her ancestor’s fermentation business. Each wine is crafted in partnership with the grape growers, to yield the purest expression of its terroir.
Shunyi Cellars
Santa Lucia Highlands, CA
This new winery was founded in 2019 by George Zhang, in partnership with winemaker Brian Kosuge. It is named after the residents of Zhang’s hometown in Jinan, China. Shunyi produces extremely small quantities of naturally-fermented, near dry-farmed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Sunset Cellars
Suisun Valley, CA
Doug and Katsuko Sparks are pioneers in the Suisun Valley, as founders of both their own winery and the Suisun Valley Wine Cooperative. The family-owned winery crafts award-winning Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon, even punching down and sorting grapes by hand.
Tinto Amorío
Paso Robles, CA
Tinto Amorío founder Anish Patel is a trailblazer in the wine industry. His all-organic, vegan line of wines is also the first in the U.S. to provide allergen lab data for consumers. Jajaja Glou Glou Red Wine, Monje Orange Wine, and No Pasa Nada Rosé Wine are all free of allergens that are often present in wine, including egg, fish, and gluten. Tinto Amorío also provides nutrition facts, so that you can sip your sugar-free wine with peace of mind.
Tobias Glen Vineyard
Sonoma County, CA
Founded by Janie Woo and Christina Lau, this California Certified-Sustainable vineyards produces limited-production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from its Russian River Valley estate. All grapes are hand-harvested, and old-world winemaking techniques are employed to maximize expressiveness of terroir.
Work Vineyard
Calistoga, CA
This family-owned Calistoga vineyard is run by husband-wife team Sam and Zina Malhotra. With the partnership of winemaker Kari Auringer, their wines showcase the vibrant, mineral-driven terroir of the area. Each Work Vineyard wine is named after a different family member.
Yan Cellars
Napa Valley, CA
Proprietor Eugene Bayani and winemaker Patrick Saboe craft complex, ageworthy Cabernet Sauvignon from the esteemed Spring Mountain AVA terroir.
Yao Family Wines
Napa Valley, CA
NBA star Yao Ming’s passion for Napa Valley wines led him to establish an estate. Today, the Yao Family Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon receives 90 point ratings from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Robert Parker, and more.
70s Love
Napa Valley, CA
In the 1970s, China made its first national foray into winemaking, Great Wall Wine, under Yang Shengjie. Today, his descendant Xinyue Zhang has started her own Napa winery honoring this legacy. Zhang has worked at Château Margaux in Bordeaux, Inglenook, and Calla Lily Estate in Napa. 70s Love features elegant, smooth, and ageworthy Petite Sirah.
Know of additional AAPI-owned wineries or winemakers not on this list? Comment or send us a message, and we’ll add them!
We’ve also received inquiries on where to buy Asian-owned wines, without having to shop from each individual winery. Here are some links to our affiliate partners that will let you buy multiple wines from this list at once:
Wine.com is the easiest place to buy multiple Asian-owned or -made wines at once. They also have a great program called Stewardship, which lets you ship an unlimited number of wines for just $49/year. You can easily try out any of the wines below, without having to meet an order minimum:
B. Kosuge Wines
Dalla Valle Wines
Dana Estates
Freeman Winery
Hestan Vineyards
Hobo Wine Company
Moone-Tsai
Peay Vineyards
Sandhi
Waits-Mast
Yao Family Wines