Specialties
Odonata Wines is a small family business where we focus on creating bold expressive wines. Our grapes are sourced primarily from local Santa Cruz Vineyards, some of which we manage ourselves. We make many different varieties of wine: Chardonnay, Rhone White blend, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Malbec, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petite Sirah (AKA Durif). We even make a small amount of dessert wine if you have a sweet tooth! Come check us out at the new tasting room. Hope to see you there!
History
Established in 2005.
Began with 65 cases in 2005,
100 cases in 2006,
300 cases in 2007,
600 cases in 2008,
1,000 cases in 2009,
1,300 cases in 2010,
2,000 cases in 2011!
Meet the Business Owner: denis H.
Denis Hoey is a native of Sacramento, where he grew up in a family that appreciated wines and exposed him to a wide range of quality wines that helped develop his palate. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Business Management in 2004. Soon after that, he met Jeff Emery, owner and winemaker at Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard. Their relationship quickly turned into an Old World apprenticeship for Denis, and he is currently the production manager for SCMV.
Denis made his first wine from the 2005 harvest, and from there built his limited production Odonata Wines to a 2,000 case per year winery. He blends old world methods with new world technique to make nouveau-style wines. He strives to produce wines that are rich, textured, and balanced, and that respect varietal character. His success is based on careful attention to detail and the purposeful use of each step in the winemaking process. The result is clean, focused wines.