Our Story

Winemaking Philosophy

Wine is a naturally occurring and living entity. Left to their own devices, juice from the grape will spontaneously ferment with yeast in the air and slowly become wine, while at the same time, the wine will be protected by the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast as it’s being made. We believe this is how the universe intended wine to be made and enjoyed; a perfect entity in its own right with unique characteristics derived from the place and time it was made. We approach our winemaking philosophy with humble reverence to this process, acting as stewards of the fruit, conduits, if you will.

We believe a minimalist, light-handed approach in the cellar is the only way to showcase the individuality of the grapes and vineyards we work with. With this in mind, we employ ancient techniques such as spontaneous, native fermentation with whole cluster/berries, foot treading, wine aging in neutral environments, bottling without fining or filtration, and only adding a small amount of sulfites to preserve the integrity of the living wine only when naturally occurring sulfites are not high enough to protect the wine for aging. Finally, we believe (and know) these techniques can be utilized while producing clean, balanced, food-friendly wines of typicity with vibrancy, soul, and verve.

“Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add but when there is no longer anything to take away.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“Gold Dust” Estate Vineyard

Situated at 2,700’ elevation on a ridge line in southern El Dorado County, our Estate “Gold Dust Vineyard” features shallow, rocky granitic soils, which promote verve and freshness in our wines. We farm our vineyards organically, focusing on natural, regenerative methods to promote healthy, vigorous plants, allowing for slow ripening while focusing the vine’s energy into the grape. The vineyard is a small, but mighty 6 acres planted to Syrah, Viognier, Primitivo, and Tempranillo, which thrive in the area’s Mediterranean Climate and hard, rocky soil.

Our Story

Winemaker and proprietor Aaron Bryan has a nontraditional winemaking background. A classically trained economist, Aaron fell in love with the art and science of winemaking during his time at UC Santa Barbara.  He continued his informal wine education during his time in New York City and when he moved back to the West Coast, started making beer and wine out of his garage in the Mission District of San Francisco. Eventually, he met a group of urban winemakers on Treasure Island and started trading beer for a few barrels of cellar space. In 2013 he decided to make the leap full time and has been producing Conduit and divergent vine wines and Tag + Jug Cider since. 

In 2014 Aaron met Amy who was working as a regional manager for a major wine distributor and importer and their relationship quickly developed around a shared love of wine, food, and exploring Northern California. Over time, their personal relationship evolved into a lifetime partnership and Amy now runs the national (and international) sales, marketing, and public relations efforts for Conduit, divergent vine, and Tag + Jug Cider Co. brands.

In 2020, after many years or sourcing fruit from California’s Sierra Foothills, Aaron and Amy fell in love with a beautiful piece of property, vineyard, and winery that has now become the home base of Conduit, divergent vine wines, Tag + Jug Cider Co., as well as The Gold Dust Vineyard.