Nalle Winery is about as "family" as it gets. Husband and wife, Doug and Lee Nalle and son, Andrew, run the joint. Younger son, Sam, gives encouragement from grad school in Chicago. Then there's our bevy of friends who magically appear at the right moment to lend a hand. Steve Edgar, from Arizona, still shows up for crush, and has, since 1991.

Our winery and home rest on land that has been in Lee's family, the Henderlongs, since 1927. Her cousins, the Saini family, run the vineyard. In addition to the estate Zinfandel vineyard, other local growers provide Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with a smile and a handshake.