Recently we visited the Castelli & Pizarro Family Winery in Ramona, California. Winding roads through the hills brought us to a fun afternoon of tasting delicious wines.
We learned about the history of Castelli & Pizarro, their wines, and what it’s like for a small family winery to survive in the little-known wine area surrounding Ramona.
When Nelson Pizarro says his father-in-law, Mike, and he started this as a hobby, he isn’t kidding. It started when Mike’s daughter, Cassie, and Nelson were married at another winery in the area. The owner of that Romana winery convinced Mike to plant some grape vines.
Fast forward and those few grape vines turned into 3,000 vines. That’s the point where Mike knew he needed help with them. He recruited Nelson to join him in the vineyard. The two of them took time caring for all 3,000 vines for three years.
Neither had any knowledge or training on growing grape vines or making wine. That’s when they turned to their neighbors and the wine making community of Ramona. With the help and shared knowledge from other well-established winemakers, Mike and Nelson learned every piece of growing, harvesting, and fermenting.
After asking questions, analyzing micro-climates, and checking weather patterns, Castelli & Pizarro turned their hobby into making award-winning wines.
It wasn’t always easy as grape farmers know. In 2018 a hot, dry wind combined with higher-than-normal temperatures caused them to lose about 90% of the vineyard. Things got better, though. The vines that survived and the vines that were replaced started producing grapes.
Anticipating wine coming from those vines, Mike built a 1,600 square foot cellar. He wanted a place to go when it’s hot outside. Now you can go inside at Castelli & Pizarro where it’s nice and cool. The Italian-style cellar greets you with the aroma of toasted wood oak barrels. Sit down and taste some wines in the comfort of the cellar.
Most of their grapes come from their estate, with some grapes coming from close by. A few even come from Valley Center. Nelson, the grower and the wine maker, experiment with different grapes, making different wines. Depending on availability and what they have in the tasting room, you can taste Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Petit Sirah, or Super Tuscan.
This is definitely a family affair. Everyone helps in the vineyard, in the winery, or with the marketing. It takes a family to manage the vines, keep an eye on the weather, decide if irrigation is important, create and update the website, and of course make the wines.
Castelli Family Vineyards is located 36 miles east of downtown San Diego, nestled in the hills of Highland Valley Ramona. Stop in, taste some wines, play a game of Bocce Ball, and sit and enjoy the day.
If you cannot decide which wine to drink at Castelli Family Vineyards. Our suggestion is to try the Syrah.
Who knows…this could be the next go-to wine tasting area.
If you’re a fan of cornhole then you definitely need to register for Castelli Winery’s cornhole tournament March 12th at 2pm. It’s $50 a team and two players per team. There’s a cash prize and you get two glasses of wine per team.
Castelli & Pizarro Winery is located at 17872 Oak Grove Road, Ramona, CA 92065