Moon Mountain District Vineyard Update | Winter 2026 Wine Tymes Newsletter
Notes from the winemaker, Moon Mountain District Vineyard update, winter wine releases, pairing suggestions & more! Explore what’s happening in Moon Mountain District this Winter.
Notes from the Winemaker
Happy March from all of us at the winery! As winter comes to a close, we’re sharing a Moon Mountain District vineyard update along with a few highlights from around the winery.

Photo by Doug Marshall
In the Vineyard
The vines on my Moon Mountain District AVA property are dormant right now, but that doesn’t mean we’re slowing down. In fact, this is one of the most important times in the vineyard as we prepare for the next growing season before the spring rains arrive.
Farming on the mountain adds another layer of complexity. Our steep slopes, rocky volcanic soils, and elevation create incredible concentration in the fruit, but they also require a great deal of careful, hands-on work throughout the season.
Right now, our vineyard crew is busy pruning the vines and performing preventative disease management throughout the blocks. The work we put in now helps set the stage for balanced growth and a successful harvest later in the year. Read more about our pruning practices below!
In the Cellar
We’re beginning to bottle our 2024 vintage wines this week. Bottling is always a big undertaking and truly an all-hands-on-deck moment for our team.
These wines have spent about 18 months in barrel, and we’re excited to complete the vintage so we can begin sharing them with all of you. For those who participated in our futures sale, we’ll send an update once bottling is complete.
New Releases
We’re also excited to share several new releases this spring. I bottled a few fresh white wines this winter, including Grenache Blanc, Verdelho, and our new Rosé of Syrah—perfect for the warmer months ahead. We’ve also released a few new reds from the estate vineyards.

Our Estate Four Rows Select Cabernet Sauvignon and Estate Petite Sirah, along with our newest white wines, are now available. These wines highlight the diversity of our Moon Mountain District AVA estate and are already being featured in our tasting flights.
If you’re planning a visit to the tasting room, this is a great time to stop by and experience these new releases. You can join us Saturday, March 21 for our special Spring Arrivals Flight, where we’ll be pouring all of these newly released wines.
Wine Reviews
Last fall, I had the opportunity to sit down with Antonio Galloni from Vinous to taste through several of our wines. I just received a few of the scores back this month and I’m thrilled to share them with you:
2023 Tytanium Red Wine – 94 Points! Read Review
2023 Upper Bench Block Three – 92 Points! Read Review
2023 Mountain Magic Cabernet Sauvignon – 93 Points! Read Review
2023 Ty’s Red – 91 Points!
We are thrilled to receive these 90+ point scores. We’ll also be meeting with a few additional critics in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more reviews later this summer.
In-Home Tastings
2026 has already been a busy year for our In-Home Tasting program. It’s been wonderful visiting longtime friends and club members around the country and sharing a little bit of wine country with you and your guests.
I recently returned from visiting longtime members Pat and Sherry in Ohio, and it was a party! I also traveled locally to see long time club member Karen here in Northern California. Both events were a fantastic time, and it was great to meet so many new faces.
I currently have trips planned for Florida, Ohio, Minnesota, and more in the coming months, and our spring calendar is filling up quickly. If you’d like to host a future in-home tasting, reach out to me to get on the request list.

Team Ty News
I’m excited to share that we’ve promoted Rod to Tasting Room Manager in Kenwood. Many of you may have seen Rod over the past year at events, in the tasting room, or hosting estate tastings. If you haven’t met him yet, be sure to stop by and say hello.
We’re also excited to welcome Natalie to the team as our new Wine Club and Shipping Coordinator. Natalie is a Sonoma local and a recent graduate of Sacramento State. She’s currently pursuing her master’s degree at San José State University. We are lucky to have her on Team Ty!
Upcoming Events
Third Saturday Pop-Up Tasting — March 21
We’re hosting fun pop up tasting events each month. Each event is different theme and this month you can join us for a special Spring Arrivals Flight. We’ll be showcasing new seasonal releases including our Verdelho, Grenache Blanc, and estate spring wines. We hope you can stop by!
April in Carneros
We’re also excited to participate in April in Carneros, a spring celebration featuring 11 outstanding Carneros wineries. Guests enjoy unique experiences at each winery including special wine offerings, locally made food bites, live music, and more. If you haven’t attended before, it’s a great way to explore several local wineries in one afternoon and spend a beautiful day in wine country.
Wine Club Appreciation Party — June
We’re also looking forward to welcoming our Wine Club members back this June for our Wine Club Appreciation Party. This event is our way of saying thank you to the members and supporters who make everything we do possible. Stay tuned for more details soon!

Wine Guide
Featured Wine Releases
Explore our latest wine release notes and pairing suggestions written by our DTC Sales & Hospitality Lead, Paul Gillmore. Wines featured in February & March wine club allotments. Featured wines vary based on club tier.*
Want to taste with Paul? You can taste upcoming releases with Paul during one of our exclusive private tasting experiences!

2023 Four Rows Select Cabernet Sauvignon
February & March Wine Club
The story of this small section at the highest point of Ty’s Upper Bench Vineyard is one of patience to create a wine that has the richness and complexity that most would say defines Napa Cabernets. This is Moon Mountain Cab, so expect bold delivery, rich fruit complexity, and a lingering finish. Supremely ageable.
Pairing Suggestion
Flame grilled ribeye steak, rare please!

2023 Petite Sirah
February Wine Club
How did he squeeze a blackberry cobbler into a glass of wine? This vintage showcases opulent fruit and just the right hit of spice. It captures what jamminess in a wine should taste and feel like but still remains dry, rich and inviting.
Pairing Suggestion
Kansas City barbeque pork ribs or – just because it’s so much fun, dark chocolate peanut butter cups. maybe both!

2023 Arroyo Cabernet Sauvignon
March Wine Club
Elegance. Some cabs are appreciated for being big, forceful mouthfuls of wine, while others present a silky and complex mouthfeel. Arroyo is our southernmost cabernet vineyard and gets a bit more cooling effect, allowing us to leave the fruit on the vine longer so the depth and expression of the fruit develops in a pleasing, satiny way.
Pairing Suggestion
Yankee pot roast, slow cooked until it falls apart on your fork. Add fingerling potatoes cooked in duck fat. Don’t be shy with the gravy!

2023 Western Slope Cabernet Sauvignon
February & March Wine Club
It’s hard to understand how Ty manages to derive distinctly different flavors across 13 different cabernets, except here where Western Slope is blended with a bit or our Ballfield Syrah. The end result: some extra backbone and earthiness that makes this fun to savor and pair with food.
Pairing Suggestion
Grill up a burger, top it with grilled onions and some pepper jack cheese. Go crazy with the mustard and/or garlic mayo.

2025 Verdelho
New spring release!
You’ve never heard of it? Get ready for your next great wine discovery! This Spanish grape comes to us from near Lodi, CA and creates a wine that bursts with melon, white peach and a hint of pear. At first it seems like it wants to fish like a big, grassy sauvignon blanc…but it doesn’t. Rather it leaves with a happy tingle rather than a sharp “see ya!” Delicious and refreshing, and extremely limited.
Pairing Suggestion
Chinese chicken salad with lots of Mandarin oranges and bright yuzu poppyseed dressing.

Meet the Team:
Rod Rickard
Kenwood Tasting Room Manager
Rod has been part of the Ty Caton Vineyards team for about a year and recently stepped into the role of Tasting Room Manager at our Kenwood location. With a long career in hospitality throughout Sonoma and Napa Valleys, he brings a deep appreciation for wine country and the guest experience.
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Early in his career, Rod worked with several wineries and with Platypus Wine Tours, where he developed a passion for sharing the stories behind the vineyards, wines, and people that make Northern California wine country so special. Those experiences helped shape his engaging and approachable style when guiding guests through tastings.
At Ty Caton Vineyards, Rod is dedicated to creating a welcoming and relaxed environment where visitors can truly connect with the wines and the story of our Moon Mountain District estate. Whether greeting guests in the tasting room, hosting a flight, or leading a private tasting, Rod focuses on making each visit memorable and enjoyable.
A Napa resident, he takes pride in sharing his love of Northern California wines and looks forward to welcoming both new visitors and longtime supporters to our Kenwood tasting room.
Moon Mountain District Vineyard Update
Winter Pruning in Moon Mountain
During the winter months, the vines enter a dormant stage. While they aren’t actively growing, this is an important time for us in the vineyard as we prepare for the next season. The Moon Mountain District AVA is known for producing exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, but great wine begins long before harvest. It takes careful vineyard management throughout the year, and the work we do during dormancy plays a major role in the wines that eventually end up in your glass.


Photos by Doug Marshall
One of the most important winter tasks is pruning. The goal is to remove most of the previous year’s growth and leave only select canes and spurs. This helps control how many shoots—and ultimately how many grape clusters—the vine will produce in the coming season. By managing the vine’s growth early, we help preserve its energy and encourage the development of healthy, concentrated fruit while also maintaining the long-term health of the vine.
Pruning creates fresh wounds on the vine, and these cuts are vulnerable to the elements. To protect them, our crew paints a protective seal over each cut. This coating helps prevent fungal diseases from entering the vine, which is especially important during the wet winter and early spring months in Sonoma Valley. It’s a meticulous job, and our team carefully works through the vineyard block by block.
Working in the vineyard this time of year also means navigating the steep slopes and varied terrain of Caton Vineyard. The ground can still be wet from winter rains, making the work physically demanding, but it’s a necessary step to ensure a healthy start to the growing season.
While farming in the Moon Mountain District comes with its challenges, the site also offers natural advantages. Our steep slopes provide excellent drainage, and the cool mountain breezes help dry the vineyard after winter rains. These conditions create a natural defense against excess moisture and help protect the vines as they move toward the growing season ahead.
Upcoming Events
Saturday, March 21st 2026.
Third Saturday Pop Up Series: Spring Arrivals Flight
Every Third Saturday for a rotating series of pop-up tastings at the Ty Caton Vineyards Tasting Room. For March, join us for our Spring Arrivals Flight. Welcome spring with a fresh flight highlighting our newest whites and rosés, showcasing bright aromatics and crisp acidity.
Kenwood Tasting Room in the Kenwood Village Plaza: at 8910 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood CA 95452
Third Saturday tastings are available all day 11 am to 6 pm, with the last flight at 5 pm.
Tastings: $25 per person | Complimentary to wine club up to six guests.
Sunday, April 12th, 2026.
April in Carneros
Hospitality de Los Carneros is excited to welcome back April in Carneros, a spring celebration featuring 11 outstanding Carneros wineries, including Ty Caton Vineyards.
Enjoy a unique experience at each winery with special wine and merchandise offerings, locally made food bites, live music, and more. General admission ticket holders receive a commemorative wine glass (one per guest).
Tickets:
• $55 General Admission
• $15 Designated Driver
Follow the Journey
We’ll be posting updates from the vineyard all season long, so keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook for real-time videos, photos, and insights as this vintage takes shape.
Got questions about what you’re seeing? Send them our way! We love sharing about vines, soil, and everything in between.



