Castle Rock Winery

Castle Rock Winery is owned and managed by the founder, Greg Popovich.  He has been active in the wine industry for over twenty five years and is now directly involved in the every day management of Castle Rock.

Grapes are harvested from vines in California’s Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Mendocino County, Monterey County and Alexander Valley, and also from vineyards in Oregon and Washington.  The company keeps costs down by keeping their staff to only the most necessary individuals.

August Briggs is the consulting winemaker for Castle Rock.  August Briggs is also responsible for his own line of wines that focus on single-vineyard and appellation wines.

The winery produces twenty six wines: Columbia Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast Chardonnay, Russian River Valley Reserve Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Merlot, Mendocino County Merlot, Napa Valley Merlot, Lake County Reserve Petite Sirah, Russian River Valley Petite Sirah, California Cuvee Pinot Noir, Central Coast Pinot Noir, Columbia Valley Pinot Noir, Mendocino County Pinot Noir, Monterey County Pinot Noir, Napa County Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley Syrah, Sonoma County Syrah, Dry Creek Zinfandel, and Mendocino County Zinfandel. Pinot Noir, Sonoma County Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Lake County Sauvignon Blanc,

The Seattle Times chose Castle Rock’s 2003 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon as a Pick of the Week.  The 2004 Lake County Sauvignon Blanc scored 86 points from Wine Spectator and was named a Best Buy.  The 2003 Mendocino County Pinot Noir was rated a Top Value in the October 2005 Wine Spectator.  The 2002 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir scored 87 points in the October 2005 Wine Enthusiast.  Food & Wine Magazine named the 2003 Mendocino County Pinot Noir as one of the best Pinot Noir options for under $20.  The 2005 California State Fair saw several victories for Castle Rock including a gold medal for their 2004 Monterey County Pinot Noir, silver medals for their 2004 Reserve Napa Valley Chardonnay, 2004 Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, and 2004 Lake County Sauvignon Blanc.  Bronze medals were given to the 2003 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2002 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2003 Dry Creek Zinfandel. 

Fun facts: the company sold 440,000 cases of wine in 2008.  The Castle Rock website offers a wine and food pairing guide as well for novice drinkers or those looking for guidance.