Located under the sunny small town of Geyserville, the Drive Wines’ tasting room is a step up from its humble beginnings.
John Musto and Tom Young began their winery operation in a dusty six-car mechanic’s garage. Working nights alchemizing wines amidst vintage racing cars with their second-hand wine equipment, they produced their first batch of Drive Wines, which won multiple gold medals.
The garage where it all began happened to be on the property of Pete Lewis, a grape grower in Sonoma County. “We went there to buy grapes from Pete and he made a deal with us,” says Young. “We take care of his vineyards, and he’ll give us the grapes.” Then, Lewis threw an addendum into the deal to kick start their wine careers. He offered them his garage as a sanctuary for the start-up enterprise. “[Lewis] said, ‘if you guys do this, you guys can even make your wine here, so I can stay involved.’ So, we bought winemaking equipment, and just kind of took over that space. It became a big classroom for us.”
Musto and Young originally met in 2015 at the Santa Rosa Junior College. They worked in the wine studies program while studying viticulture and enology. That fall, they made a barrel of Zinfandel from Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, a vintage that won a silver medal in the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, forging a passion in the process.
Today, they offer wine tastings at Locals, a one-room showcase for unique wineries. “We’ve been here for not even a year, so this is still kind of new for us,” says Musto. “But we love the focus on Sonoma County. The goal of continuing to make specifically Sonoma County wines is really important.” While their own tasting room remains a long-term goal down the road, both Musto and Young love being in the heart of Geyserville at Locals.
Drive Wines currently has three wines in its repertoire, the first being their Rosé of Pinot Noir. Produced in the vin gris style where the grapes are hand-harvested and immediately pressed for a light color and crisp acidity, there are strong notes of stone fruit alongside hints of lemon zest. This wine sold out swiftly and will be back by March 2022 for the spring and summer seasons.
What can Drive Wines offer now for crisp winter days? Their 2019 Syrah from Canihan Vineyards is perfect for the incoming cooler weather, with its bold violet color matching the striking aromas of blueberry and cassis, coinciding with notes of black currant and strawberry. It was made in the côte rôtie style to mirror the red wines from the northern Rhone region of France.
The last wine is a wide-appealing 2018 Zinfandel from Puccioni Ranch. “Zinfandel is kind of a year-round thing because it is a little bit lighter-bodied,” says Musto. It’s an elegant wine following a claret-style, with flavors of fresh cherry, strawberry, blueberry and freshly baked pie to create a long-tasting finish.
The duo’s dedication to creating the highest quality wine starts with walking the vineyards every day as much as possible. “You get a sense of how the flavors are developing throughout the season,” says Musto. “For us to get a sense of what a wine is ultimately going to taste like, it takes time. But I think when we look back on this 10 to 15 years from now, we’ll be able to walk the vineyard, taste the grape three weeks before harvest and know it’s going to be delicious. It’s going to bring certain flavor profiles.”
The lineup of wines will continue to expand, as both Musto and Young want to experiment with other wines in the near future. “Definitely a white wine,” says Young. “We are interested in unique white wines like Vermentino. We want to make something that’s different.”
Musto and Young’s winemaking venture began in 2017, so they’ve learned to adapt to the chaotic North Bay climate. “We’ve seen fires, floods and a pandemic,” says Musto. “That is all we know, as far as running a business.” Yet, Drive Wines perseveres under the charismatic leadership of the two co-owners and continues to make a name for itself one delicious glass of wine at a time. The local tasting room is now a must-visit destination for a wine-tasting getaway. “Once you get that wine bug, you’re in and you embrace becoming a jack-of-all-trades type to make a wine label happen,” says Young. “We are both just driven for it.”
Drive Wines
Address: 21023 A Geyserville Ave, Geyserville, Calif. 95441 
Phone: (707) 857-4900
Web: drivewines.com
Hours: Wednesday — Saturday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tasting Fee: Complimentary
Wines Available: 2018 Puccioni Ranch Zinfandel, 2019 Canihan Vineyards Syrah
Reservations: Optional
Picnics: No
Pets: Not allowed
Did You Know?
Originally from the east coast, John Musto moved to Italy in 2011 for nearly two years where he developed a passion for viticulture and began making wine. Drawn to the Italian style of winemaking, Musto chose to make Zinfandel which, while popular in California, has its roots in Italy (as a genetic cousin of Primitivo). “I think part of the reason why Californian and Italian wines are so different is the climate itself,” says Musto. “It’s so much warmer in California than it is in most of Europe.”
[Photos courtesy of Drive Wines]
