Gianelli Vineyards In Jamestown California
The owners of Gianelli Vineyards, Ron and Lorie Gianelli, wanted to create a vineyard straight out of Italy. Traveling to Italy, they learned the old techniques, even all their equipment was purchased in Italy. With the help of Mr. Steve Cullum, they started planning in 2003 and today have 18 different estate grown varietals over 53 acres. True to the Italian spirit, they even have a few that have never been produced outside of Italy and others such as Vermentino, Fiano, Primitivo, and Agliancio. By 2015, they expect 7000 cases. Chuck Hovey is the winemaker and brought much success to Stevenot Wineries and they hope he can do the same for Gianelli Vineyards.
I had a chance to visit Gianelli Vineyards in August 2016. It was a quiet Saturday in Jamestown, and while driving up from the Bay Area to Fun Cabin Rentals, my dad and I stopped in for a tasting. We were greeted by Laura, the wine pourer. It was just us and another small group although the bar area where you taste can probably accommodate 5-6 small groups. They have a list and description of all the wines you can taste and the best part is they had a little paper where you could check off which wine you taste and write any comments. Sometimes I find that I might forget about certain wines so it’s nice to be able to jot down their order and write a little description. I thought most of the wine was pretty good. I ended up buying a bottle of the Aglianico which is a wine I hadn’t heard of before but is actually one of the oldest grapes as it has its roots in Ancient Greek and then was brought to Ancient Rome. It was very light and easy to drink. In fact, I’m drinking it while I write this post!
Overall the experience was enjoyable. It seemed like they had a great outdoor area as well although we primarily stayed inside. They also had some local olive oil and bread you could taste and then a small gift show. I would definitely stop back on the way to or from Fun Cabin Rentals. It’s about 30 minutes away from Fun Cabin Rentals and in downtown Jamestown. See below for more of the practical details.
Gianelli Vineyards is open for wine tasting at their tasting room Thursday through Sunday from 12:00pm to 5:00pm. The cost to taste wine is $5, but if you buy a bottle, the tasting is complimentary. The address is at 18263 Main St. in Jamestown (next to the Willow Steak House). To reach Gianelli Vineyards, please call 209 984-1500. For a map and more information, visit the Gianelli Vineyard at
If you love wine, a great gift to a loved one or yourself would be a membership in the Gianelli Vineyard Wine Club. With this membership you will get access to an exciting array of limited production, “Wine Club Only” and pre-release wines, complimentary Reserve Tasting for you and up to six guests, quarterly newsletters, wine Club Only dinners, 25% discount on all case purchases, crush and Harvest Bar-B-Q (Fall), and VIP tours for you and up to six guests (by appointment only). You can visit their website at for more information and to download an application.
