OUR STORY

 Donna and Grant believe the secret to great winemaking begins with sourcing grapes from some of the

best vineyards in California. 

Donna grew up in an Italian family with a long tradition of making red wine to enjoy with family and friends – a part of every 

family celebration (and there were many!).  Grant spent his formative high school years in Portugal where wine, water, and milk

were served on family style tables in the lunchroom cafeteria.  After graduation he attended the American College in Paris

and became a fan of French wines.

Their wine making journey started in 2005 with a wine making class where they learned the entire wine making process from pressing the grapes to labeling the bottles.  Soon they started buying Cabernet grapes from Napa Valley, Spanish grapes from Lodi, and Chardonnay grapes from the Santa Cruz Mountains.  Entries in the Santa Clara Valley and Santa Cruz County Amateur Winemaker’s competitions resulted in a variety of awards (Best of Show, Gold, and Silver medals).

With the encouragement of other winemakers, family, and friends – Grant and Donna decided to start a commercial wine busines and ultimately HWY 9 Winery.  Their first wines were released in 2019.