As featured on GoldMedalwineclub.com

A new family winery, vineyard and event destination, Campos Family Vineyards is located on 44 acres in rural Byron, situated in eastern Contra Costa County of Northern California. The winery is owned by a locally involved couple, Ric and Michelle Campos, who jettisoned plans of retiring in hopes of building a property that could bring the community together.

Ric and Michelle first became interested in wine when they were co-owners of a business based in the Santa Rosa area. They would take day trips to Napa Valley, where they became familiar with some of the area’s most beautiful and highly regarded wineries and it became a dream of theirs to someday have a small vineyard where they could produce small-lot wines for family and friends.

Ric and Michelle were living in Discovery Bay when Leer Vineyards started up, offering a full-fledged wine experience right in their backyard. The Campos’ became regular visitors to the estate, joining the wine club, and attending their concerts and events – they absolutely fell in love with the place. When they learned the owners were putting the property and vineyards up for sale, their hearts sank fearing of what would become of the estate they held so near and dear to their hearts. After reevaluating their plans for retirement, Ric and Michelle decided to purchase the property themselves, in hopes of building something truly special for the community. Looking back over the past three years, the Campos’ have never been busier in their whole lives, but it has been a continual joy and far better than any retirement could have been.

Campos Family Vineyards opened its doors in 2015, offering a tasting room, an event center, concert venues, a wedding garden, a bocce ball court, a baseball field, and more! The winery hosts family-friendly events year-round, fund-raisers, and corporate gatherings and it even offers a unique Sunday morning worship service each weekend; Campos Family Vineyards has truly become a community resource and delight for everyone in the Contra Costa County area.

And the wine? Ric and Michelle work with winemaker Gerardo Espinosa to craft their award-winning bottlings for Campos Family Vineyards. The 36-acre estate is planted to Petite Sirah, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel and Mourvedre. Most of the fruit is sold to nearby wineries, but a small amount is reserved for the boutique production of Campos Family Vineyards’ wines. Annually, the winery crafts less than 2,000 cases, so these wines are incredibly hard to find outside the winery and tasting room. 2015 was the inaugural release, and set the bar quite high for the following vintages.

We are proud to introduce Campos Family Vineyards to our Gold Plus! Wine Club members and hope you enjoy this winning release. Cheers! Accolades

Gabriel Wine Notes

The Campos Family Vineyards’ 2015 ‘Gabriel’ Estate Barbera is named after Ric and Michelle’s grandson and was produced exclusively from their family vineyards in Contra Costa County. Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that is known for its deep color, soft tannins, and high levels of acidity. This 2015 bottling offers soft floral notes on the nose with hints of violets, juicy flavors of strawberries and sour cherries on the palate, and smooth tannins that result in a long finish. Aged 24 months in oak.