LEAVING A GOOD LIFE, FOR A GREAT LIFE.
They say that when you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. As second generation farmers and winemakers, Tolenas Winery is the culmination of our passion for a more hands-on approach to winemaking, and continuing our family legacy. This commitment to the land, the crops, and the final product has resulted in producing some of the most premium and unique wines of the Suisun Valley.
In 2015, we began our winemaking journey under the guidance of Lisa’s parents and wine country pioneers, Steve and Linda Tenbrink. We savored every glass with them, and their expertise, wisdom, support, along with some amazing grapes have shaped the Tolenas portfolio into the stellar wines they are today.
Growing up surrounded by farmland, we knew the hardship and sacrifice that cultivating grapes required. Nevertheless, we felt driven to abandon the safety of our careers for a chance to cultivate our shared passion here, among the hills of the Suisun Valley. Just like Lisa, our three kids are learning the land as they grow alongside the grapes in the Tolenas vineyards.
Let us be part of the joy at your family’s table. Shop our selection of wines.
SO WHY TOLENAS?
Bordered by mountains and characterized by a cool coastal breeze, the wind-blown Suisun Valley is home. The name Tolenas is a tribute to the pioneers of Suisun Valley and serves to memorialize the contributions of early farmers to our region. Our grapes are grown on the slopes of the original Rancho Tolenas, the Mexican Land Grant spanning Napa and Solano Counties. In 1840, Rancho Tolenas was granted to Jose Francisco Armijo who planted his roots here, farming the land with his children. Almost 200 years later, we celebrate the kinship between the early Suisun Valley settlers and our family, as we continue an agricultural tradition on the same land.
Tolenas Winery was built on a foundation of family— with a passion for this land which has abundantly provided for generations of California winemakers. Our winemaking philosophy centers the vineyard and fruits as the focus, abstaining from disturbing the vines with chemicals or unnecessary additives. Our products reflect a commitment to both protecting the land and preserving the integrity of our wines. While making wines like this is risky, we wouldn’t have it any other way.