Established in 2002 by owner and winemaker Chris Brockway, Broc Cellars is a Berkeley-based winery focused on producing fresh, balanced California wines for everyday drinking. What began as a small négociant project has grown into a diverse range of more than 20 releases annually, sourced from organically farmed vineyards across the state. Broc emphasizes lesser-known varieties and site-driven expressions, rooted in transparency in both farming and winemaking.

An Omaha native, Chris worked in the restaurant world in Nebraska and the Pacific Northwest before eventually settling in California. As his interest in wine deepened, he enrolled in courses at UC Davis and later completed his degree in oenology at Fresno State, where he jokingly says he became an expert in everything he does not use. Through his early winemaking experiences with California Zinfandel, along with time spent at San Francisco’s first natural wine bars, Broc Cellars began to take shape as a move away from higher-alcohol, more extracted styles toward wines defined by energy, restraint, and drinkability.

From the outset, the approach has been intentionally minimal. Working exclusively with organically farmed fruit, fermentations are carried out with native yeasts, with no additions aside from a small amount of sulfur at bottling, depending on the wine, style, and vintage. Fruit is harvested to preserve natural acidity and at lower Brix levels for smoother fermentations and naturally lower alcohol, resulting in wines that feel lifted, vibrant, and balanced.

In recent years, Broc has evolved beyond its négociant origins. After more than a decade sourcing fruit from Fox Hill Vineyard in Mendocino, Brockway took over its farming in 2021 before purchasing the site in 2023. The 60-acre, CCOF-certified organic vineyard, planted largely to Italian varieties, marks a significant step toward estate farming, allowing for a deeper expression of the winery’s ethos while continuing to source from a diverse range of family-owned vineyards across California.