Shokrian Vineyard

Grower and filmmaker Babak Shokrian is behind Shokrian Vineyard in Los Alamos, California, where native-yeast winemaking connects a broad range of wines. Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Viognier share space with Chardonnay, Grenache rosé, Gamay, and a Syrah–Petite Sirah blend. The range rewards attention beyond the familiar grapes: Harvest Moon bottlings include a Grenache–Mourvèdre blend, while Morgan Clendenen lends her name to both Syrah and Viognier.

The vineyard supplies fruit to other small wineries as well as its own label. Farming incorporates sustainable, organic, and biodynamic practices, and crews pick the fruit by hand at night. In the cellar, naturally occurring yeasts handle fermentation without additives or adjustments, followed by aging in French oak and stainless steel. The soundtrack is unusually specific: Coleman Hawkins, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane accompany fermentation. Jazz is a cellar detail here, not a tasting note.

Shokrian Vineyard sits on Cat Canyon Road, about two miles from downtown Los Alamos. Visits require appointments, with Thursday-through-Sunday tastings costing $20 per person and a separate tour-and-tasting experience costing $85. That makes the estate a planned stop rather than a drop-in between downtown tasting rooms, with a clear choice between a tasting alone and a visit that also explores the vineyard.