About the Winery
Pennrose Wine is the project of Ria D’Aversa and Mike Penn, who met while studying viticulture and touring vineyards of California. Their shared passion for the wines of France and Italy that offer freshness and elegance has led them to seek out organically farmed fruit from some of the most interesting sites within the Golden State. Through their small-lot winemaking and natural craftsmanship, they hope to express honest wines with bright and juicy flavors that reflect their unique terroir and provide easy accompaniment to the table. Ria and Mike are based in Santa Rosa, though they find their grapes from as far away as the Gabilan Range of San Benito County, the steep slopes of the Mayacamas in Mendocino county, and into the rugged mountain terrain of Amador county. When not moonlighting for Pennrose Wine, Mike spends his days as Head Winemaker for the California classic Green & Red Vineyards, while Ria directs the premium olive and grape farming operations for Petaluma Gap’s McEvoy Ranch.
“Our task is to harvest our grapes when they will make wines of lightness and finesse. We work with vineyards that have interesting exposures and soils, sound viticultural practices, and plantings with some of our favorite varieties. In the winery, we hope to express the essence of the vineyard by using the artisan techniques that we learned from some of the world’s great producers.”