Wine is an amazing and intriguing creation.  In many respects, the process that transforms sunlight, air, water, and dirt into wine seems like a miracle.  Indeed, it is a magical experience to be part of the entire process from land to glass and to participate in every aspect, challenge, decision and step towards crafting fine wine.  Many people marvel at this ancient spectacle but few can make the decision to take up both the viticultural and winemaking challenge.  Lifelong friends Christopher Medlock James and Ames Morison decided to do exactly that, driven by the desire to create something entirely of their own design but also with the goal of making a wine with a real sense of place.

That special site took a long time to find.  In 1998, after looking at literally hundreds of prospective vineyards throughout California, they happened upon Bell Mountain in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley. Both men instantly knew they had found exactly what they were looking for and quickly set about turning this wonderful site into Medlock Ames vineyard and winery - focusing on premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The winery is founded upon some strong principles.  We are dedicated to environmental sustainability as well as the production of premier quality wine.  Our vineyards are farmed organically with no insecticides, chemical fertilizers or herbicides and solar power provides the energy we need to run.  It is our belief that the land we farm is our greatest asset and we take every precaution to nurture and protect it.  We also partner with local wildlife (owls and hawks make excellent gopher foes for example) and have reserved the majority of our acreage for oaks and wildflowers, not vines.

Our commitment to sustainability goes further, however, and flows through everything at Medlock Ames in a truly holistic approach - this management style forces us to evaluate formally every business decision we make, and determine its impact on our environment, on the health and well being of our employees, and on our bottom line. This is our way of farming and we only make wine from grapes farmed this way and from our land, giving us the maximum amount of control and care we find necessary to make the best wine we can. In the cellar, this commitment to quality continues with gentle gravity flow techniques as well as natural yeast fermentation helping to coax the natural attributes of our fruit into the wine.

The company's greenness is among its greatest assets, allowing for unflagging energy and a fresh perspective to the industry while maintaining a thorough commitment to the proven practices of making high- quality wine. We are driven by both our customers' satisfaction and the pure enjoyment of creating an ideal product. We strive to mirror the perfection of our surroundings by crafting equally ideal wines.