About the Vineyard
The vineyard sits on varied ground across two hills — clay at the valley bottoms, pure sand mid-slope, loam in between. Four varieties, planted to match the soil they sit on. The site does the work. We're paying attention.
Philosophy
Minimal intervention isn't an aesthetic here. It's a method. The soil varies row to row, the vines were chosen to match, and they're being trained to find what they need on their own. What ends up in the bottle will capture the essence of Capay Valley.
Where We Are Now
Second leaf. The vines are establishing root systems and trunk structure. No fruit yet — clusters dropped to push energy into the plant. First small batch wines expected in 2028.
The Land
The property is also home to four emus, six hens, a rooster, two guinea fowl, three Indian Runner ducks, and a greenhouse with a planted pond. Three acres of olives are already in production. The vineyard is the slow project — the one measured in decades rather than seasons.
About the Vintners
Tyson and Scott run the vineyard together, with active management from their Shih Tzu Rebel. A deliberate, decades-long project to make wine that captures the two hillsides it grows on. It is, by design, not a livelihood. It is something better.
Wine isn't entirely new ground for the family. Davenport Cozzens — Tyson's third great-grandfather — settled in Dry Creek Valley in 1852 and planted what is generally recognized as the valley's first vineyard. The small settlement that grew up around his ranch came to be called Cozzens Corner. His brother founded Cozzens' Wine Press, an early American wine publication.
Tyson grew up in the agricultural community of Osgood, Idaho. Capay Valley is where the thread picks up again.