Lucca Winery
16265 E River Rd, Ripon, CA 95366, United States
The winery of Lucca is situated in the farming community of Ripon, part of the San Joaquin Valley. In this vibrant rural climate, they manufacture wines from grapes that are grown in vigorous vineyards in the Oakley Delta Basin. Consider their award-winning wines, from the Grande blend to the Mourvedre range.
History
Dionisio Lucchesi immigrated from Italy to Oakley, a small farming town in the Delta area of the Central Valley. He bought land along O’Hara Avenue and planted grapes, almonds and apricots. His love of the land and his passion for farming were passed on to his son, Guido, who continued to take care of the trees, the vines and the sandy soil in which they grew. During Guido ‘s tenure, apricots and almonds were harvested and sold, but a small portion of each grape harvest was kept for his own venture into homemade wine. Without any formal training, Guido made wines from his zinfandel grapes, which he shared with his family and friends.
In 1990, Guido ‘s son, Alan, took over the management of Lucchesi Family Farms. The operation has been extended to cover over 400 acres of vines. Alan shared the grapes he had harvested from his Oakley estate with his brother, Mark, an almond and peach farmer in Ripon. Mark started making small batches of wine to share. After a number of years, his output increased, and he started experimenting with mixtures. Mark ‘s passion in crafting and processing his homemade wine resulted in Lucca Winery.
Grape vines grown in sandy soils in and around Oakley have the benefit of being forced to reach deep into the soil for water and nutrients, producing grapes that have a deep taste. The climate in Oakley fluctuates between the warm days of summer and the cool breezes of the Delta. The soil and climate combine to produce the fine wines of the winery of Lucca.