We have been living in Moraga for more than 35 years, grew 4 amazing young adults in this town.  We started a business, Captain Vineyards 2005, today we heard from a friend who shared with us this link: https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/11-best-places-to-live-in-california-in-2024.html Moraga was chosen as one of the 11 best places to live in California in 2024, part of what makes Moraga special is, Captain Vineyards!!  We are thrilled, amused & tickled pink with this selection ..read more

          Hello! My name is Camille Captain, and I am currently 10 years old. I am the granddaughter of Sal Captain, the enologist at the vineyard, and Susan Captain, the viticulturist. I'm writing to you today to tell you a little bit about my amazing visit to Captain Vineyards. My stay this year was 2 and a half weeks. During my visit, I helped my grandpa with the sanitization of the tubes that the wine will later flow through. I lifted up the tube on one side so that the sanitation liquid would flow towards the other side, sanitizing the tube.    &nb ..read more

Bloom   Summer Summer is an incredible time to visit Captain Vineyards as the grapevines are in full force and the energy of the upcoming harvest can be felt around. As the summer season heats up, the beautifully manicured rows of vines seem greener than ever against the dusty landscape of the valley. Between June and August, the vines undergo tremendous growth as this is their final push of maturation before harvest. In just a few short months, the vines go from newly formed buds to thick and vigorous grapevines. Within those grapevines, the most exciting time in the lifecycle of t ..read more

Spring at The Vineyard Way to many things going on at the vineyard, from pruning, shredding, weed wacking, composting, checking the water system , controlling the erosion & trees falling & fence repair were the few things we are facing due to the extensive rains, winds of 2022-23. In 18 years, we have never seen a deer in our vineyard until this year!! The cool weather had our bud break be pushed back at least 2 weeks!  that means our harvest will be delayed.  Not to mention the bottling of our 2015 wines on its way this spring! Sara & Sasha Captain Moved in early Janua ..read more

Pruning is an often overlooked but essential aspect for the growth and quality of a vineyard. It usually involves removing branches, foliage, and fruit in order to reduce the amount of crop the vines produce. While this may seem counter-intuitive, too much crop can actually be a bad thing. When a vine produces a lot of grapes, the flavor is spread out and therefore less concentrated and intense. Pruning readies the vineyard for the growing season, prevents vine overcrowding, and thwarts any rot or mildew.     Pruning strategies depend heavily on the vine training system you ..read more

At Captain Vineyards we grow Cabernet Franc It is one of our flag ship wines!! Read More About Cab Franc Traditionally treated as a supporting cast member to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc is poised for a breakout role in California.  Suddenly in vogue for its distinct aromas and ability to pair well with many foods, demand for this red grape variety from Bordeaux is so high that it’s more expensive than Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc in Napa County cost wineries an average of $9,300 per ton in 2021 — up from $4,200 in 2007 — compared to $8,000 a ton for Cabernet Sauvignon, accor ..read more

Captain Vineyards slow Aging Barrels   Natural wine is widely debated.  The problem is that natural wine, though a viticultural and winemaking practice for more than 70 years, has never been legislated. Its existence and practice are, therefore, based on a philosophy that each winegrower can interpret in their own way. For the consumer, there is no set standard that guarantees an intersection of the growing practices and conduct of the winemaker. There is no ethical promise of wine that will be consumed under the label “natural wine.”  Most followers of the movement believ ..read more

Sasha Captain  The past few years have been stressful, and we’ve all found different ways of coping. You may have picked up new habits — some that are healthy and some that aren’t as healthy. Maybe you’re taking daily walks. Binging more TV. Prioritizing time with family. Or having a few glasses of wine a night. Many people have an occasional glass of wine or alcoholic drink when spending time with friends or relaxing. But if you’re drinking more alcohol than you used to, you’re not alone. "The pandemic’s effect on alcohol use has been devastating," says Reham Attia, MD, an addiction me ..read more

Our 2022 vintage has gone through primary fermentation in Bins, then secondary fermentation in Tanks.  All organic bi-product of the press is hauled into the Vineyard. Once the wine is liquid in Tanks,  the secondary fermentation begins, it takes about two to three weeks long.  We racked the wine 3 times so far. The wine is ready to be gravity fed into barrels. We have acquired New French Oak of 5 x 500L & 3 x 225L barrels for the 2022 vintage. We prepare the barrels to receive the wine, Sasha Captain, age 4.5 Years, is helping, she spend many hours with Sal, making sure ..read more

Our 2022 vintage started early this year, due to the week of  extreme heat that broke records in the area, due to our dry farming  practice, our vines reacted extremally!! sugar level was up & a bit of shriveling.  We had family, Finnish delegation, neighbors, friends, 4-H & club members, excited to learn & experience the joy of harvest.  WE were done by 10:30 a.m., with both Pinot Noir & Cab Sav. 1200 Lbs. of Pinot Noir & 1300 Lbs. Pinot Noir 2022 Ava & Sofie Captain after harvest!! Second & Last harvest of 2022 On the 20th of September we h ..read more