Frenchtown Farms

  • Sierra Foothills, California, United States
Frenchtown Farms
  • We interact with every vine personally, making decisions that shape the future of the vineyard as well as the final wine in bottle for that vintage.  We consider the events of the past season, try to predict the coming months weather, and attempt to give each vine exactly the amount of work that it wants to do for the year. 

Aaron & Cara Mockrish ended up in North Yuba County with the intention of establishing a farm, but a bottle of Clos Saron Black Pearl 2008 sent them off on an unexpected path to winemaking. Having tasted the wine, they found that the man who made it lived near to their farm. It was there, in Oregon House, California, that they found Gideon Beinstock, his tiny home vineyard, and their future.

They began learning from Gideon, working in the vineyards to the winery and everything in between, and it was clear that not only was this the life for them, that this was a singular place and the wines were unlike anything else. Shortly after producing their first vintage in 2015, they were able to secure access to a large portion of the Renaissance Vineyards, where they have been carefully farming multiple blocks of old, own-rooted, and dry farmed vines. In addition to their work at the Renaissance Vineyard, Aaron and Cara are establishing new vines on the steep, rocky slopes of their home vineyard, as well as tending to a 12-acre plot of mixed varieties in Grass Valley.

The hard work in the vineyard and cellar are clear when you taste the wines of Frenchtown Farms. They are part of a tradition while carving out a singular voice of their own.

Image Producer PRODUCT Description Country / Region

DB5166-18
Organic
Frenchtown Farms Cabernet/Merlot "Indigeaux" North Yuba
2018
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (30%), and Semillon (5%) from Renaissance. 2018 was a beautiful growing season, and both the Cabernet...
United States

DB3865-22
Organic
Frenchtown Farms Malbec “Chasse Patate”
2022
Malbec
100% Malbec from Naggiar Vineyard in Grass Valley. Chasse Patate is an expression of the lighter side of the Sierra Foothills. The Naggiar...
United States

DB4692-22
Organic
Frenchtown Farms Merlot Blend "Waypoint"
2022
Merlot
Aaron and Cara Mockrish lost all of their Syrah and Merlot, and portions of other red blocks at Renaissance from frost. Thankfully, friends...
United States

DB5193-21
Organic
Frenchtown Farms Rosé "Cecelia" North Yuba
2021
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon (80%), Sauvignon Blanc (20%) from the Renaissance Vineyard in North Yuba, CA. The Sauvignon Blanc was harvested first...
United States

DB5167-19
Organic
Frenchtown Farms Syrah "Suba Rosa" North Yuba
2019
Syrah
100% Syrah from the Renaissance Vineyard in North Yuba. The Syrah vineyard sits at 2300’ of elevation on a steep eastern-facing slope. Due...
United States

DB5165-21
Organic
Frenchtown Farms Syrah/Grenache "Cotillion" North Yuba
2021
Grenache
Syrah (50%), Grenache (50%) from Renaissance Vineyard in North Yuba. The Syrah and Grenache vines were first planted in the late 1970's and...
United States

DB5194-22
Organic
Frenchtown Farms White Blend "The Pearl Thief" North Yuba
2022
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc 50%, Semillon 50% from Renaissance Vineyard in North Yuba. The white block at the Renaissance Vineyard did not suffer the...
United States