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Domenico Winery and Vineyards
Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
The legacy of handcrafting wine was passed down from one generation to another
Founded by self-taught, award-winning winemaker Dominick Chirichillo and his wife Gloria, Domenico Winery and Vineyards embraces the Italian heritage and the tradition of family winemaking.
Dominick was introduced to these traditions when he was just two years old by his grandfather, Domenico Giovinazzo, in Staten Island, New York. Instructed with a wine press in his grandfather’s basement, the legacy of handcrafting wine was passed down from one generation to another and Dominick made wines for his family and friends for many years.
His passion for winemaking lead him to develop the Bacchus Winemaking Club to help other home winemakers create their own wines with custom labels. The company was so successful that in just ten years it expanded to five different clubs with over 200,000 cases made by amateur winemakers across the country.
In 1997, Dominick and his wife decided to pursue a winery of their own and moved to California in order to be closer to the grapes they desired. After looking closely at California wine country, the Chirichillos selected San Carlos for their winery location since it was conveniently located in the middle of Silicon Valley.
Dominick planted his first vines in Amador County in 2002 and released the first Domenico wines in 2005 to rave reviews. Today, Domenico Winery also sources grapes from Napa Valley, Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, and Lodi, and has garnered over 300 medals for its wines!
