John Hahn and Frank Alviso during the planting of the vineyard in 1973.

Frank Alviso and John Hahn set out in 1972 with one goal - to establish a world class vineyard. They looked throughout California, from the Central Valley to the North Coast, and eventually settled upon a sleepy region of mostly walnuts and grazing land just above the gold rush town of Plymouth. After purchasing a 100 acre parcel from the Dal Porto family, they got to work. In the midst of a brutally hot summer, a new vineyard began to take shape. With help from good neighbors; the Deavers and the Coopers, the young vines got planted and watered and survived. Some of those original vines still survive in our Heritage Block and are the source of some of our budwood on newer plantings.

Since those early days, both Clockspring Vineyards and the Shenandoah Valley have become synonymous with the highest quality grapes and wines in the Sierra Foothills. Clockspring grapes have been featured in many vineyard designate wines through the years and continue to be a prized contributor for many local wineries as well as wineries in the North Coast. In addition to some partnerships which are still on-going after more than 30 years, we are always looking for new partners to move in to the future with.