Sitting on 80 acres in Granite Bay, Twin Rocks Winery Estate has become a go-to stop for people looking for an intimate wine-tasting experience. “It’s a little oasis in the middle of a big city,” says winemaker and general manager Matt Piagari, who will produce about 80 tons of fruit, or 400 to 500 cases of wine, this year.
Since opening in March of last year, the winery has produced popular varietals including grenache, grenache blanc and primitivo, the Italian version of zinfandel. But Piagari says they are still experimenting, trying to figure out which grapes grow best on their property. “The agriculture is fantastic in this area of Placer County,” says Piagari, who uses a dry farming technique, which requires less water to grow grapes. “This is a long time coming.” Twin Rocks is one of 20 wineries that make up the Placer Wine Trail, a group of mostly family-run, smaller to medium-sized wineries in the Sierra foothills. Owners Angela and James Sehr, who opened the winery after retiring from the medical field, host seasonal family events, like holiday wreath making (using the property’s sauvignon blanc grapevines) and grape stomping in large barrels. It’s part of an overall plan to be completely immersed in the community. The winery also produces olive oil from 10 acres of olive trees, as well as seasonal honey.
This summer, construction will finish on an 18,000-square-foot tasting room and winery, where the grapes will be processed and customers can enjoy food pairings with their tastings in a large indoor/outdoor space. Because of COVID-related construction delays, the owners temporarily repurposed an on-site barn into a tasting room. Decor, couches and accent tables in various seating arrangements around the industrial-style barn give the room a cozy, welcoming feel as customers sip wine and look out onto the property. In fact, the staff has made the barn so inviting that customer feedback has motivated the powers that be at Twin Rocks to consider keeping it. “So many people are already nostalgic about the tasting room,” says Piagari. “The community has been incredibly positive.”
Twin Rocks Winery
6635 Cavitt Stallman Rd, Granite Bay, CA
916-587-0618
trwinery.com
