We make the best use of our land by tending vines well suited to our distinctive terroir and creating limited production wines from the best and most interesting Southern Italian varietals. At Chiarito Vineyard, we subscribe to old sustainable farming techniques and minimalist winemaking, preferring purity of flavor and product while nurturing and sustaining our environment. The saying around here is always fatto a mano, “everything by hand,” and John's allegiance to that philosophy can be seen in his hand-crafted wines, hand-farmed fields, hand-built buildings and his hand-prepared meals.

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Located just south of Talmage and East of Ukiah on the upper benchlands of the Russian River, the Chiarito Vineyard experiences moderately hot days and cold, clear nights—a similar climate to southern Italy and it’s perfect weather for Zin (or its southern Italian sister, Primitivo). Soil type is Pinole gravelly loam, a well-draining alluvium derived from sedimentary rock. There are two acres of vineyards planted around 18 years ago from St. George rootstock. The vineyard is thinned for 2½ to 3 tons per acre. The vineyard is head-trained, staked and tied with willow branches. It is dry farmed, plowed and cross cultivated. John is one of the of the last winegrowers to still plow his vineyards and practice dry farming techniques. Alongside the vineyards, John has planted a vegetable garden, fruit trees and olive trees, creating a rich and healthy environment.

In 2006 John leased five acres on the West side of the Ukiah Valley off of Lover's Lane to increase production of the southern Italian varietals. The story of the new vineyard all started with a stack of vintage Bricarelli grape boxes resting on his porch. They were handsome and utilitarian, dark green with black lettering, and reminded John of a nostalgic era of grape-growing. When his good friend, Norm Rosen, came over and saw the boxes, he asked John if he would give one away. As chance would have it, one of Norm's clients was Bricarelli's granddaughter and she had spoken fondly of her memories of picking grapes as a child, and described in detail the green and black grape boxes. When she came over to pick up the box from John, she was enthralled with the Old World flavor of the winery. In a short time, a lease was drawn up for her Lover's Lane acreage and John planted out 3.5 acres with Nero D'Avola, Negroamaro, and Petite Sirah. 2011 will see the first harvest, and John is curious to see the difference in fruit grown on the opposite side of the valley. In keeping with the Talmage vineyard and with the farms of his Italian ancestors, John plans to plant the new vineyard with lines of olives, figs, and an arbor of Moscato grapes.