Carol Shelton graduated from UC Davis with a degree in fermentation science and went on to become the award-winning and prolific winemaker she is today—who biz readers once again voted best winemaker. Shelton think’s it’s awesome to win this award and very special because winning isn’t just about her wines, it’s a tribute to her as a winemaker.
Shelton’s mother enjoyed teaching her children how to cook. And when the winemaker was too young to read, but old enough to want to help in the kitchen, her mother taught her to identify spices by scent. Her keen sense of smell came in handy when she was in college and conducted lab work and taste trials under the instruction of her master professor and advisor Ann Noble. Noble is the creator of the Aroma Wheel which was designed to help wine drinkers understand and create a standard to better taste wine.
After working for other wineries for many years, Shelton and her husband bootstrapped the formation of Carol Shelton Wines. They did not have partners, nor did they take out big loans, but they did reinvest their profits. “It’s a slow haul when you don’t have a huge fortune,” says Shelton, whose winery now produces 18,000 cases a year and has a devoted following. Though she produces a number of different varietals, the flagship wine is her Wild Thing Zinfandel which accounts for 75% of production. Shelton says when she first started to focus on zinfandel it was the Rodney Dangerfield of wines. “People were making it too sweet or over-oaked,” she says. She set out picking grapes when they were at a lower sugar level and bought fruit from vineyards that proved terroir was important to produce a good zin. Most of the grapes she sources today are from vineyard owners that she has been in contract with for a long time.
Her winery is currently located at 3354 Coffey Lane in Santa Rosa, with a colorful and intimate tasting room that is popular with locals and visitors alike. Wines can be purchased in the tasting room or through the wine club and are also sold through distributors in 43 states. Though prior to COVID there were plans for a new winery location, but a move is on hold for now, having stalled due to the economy. Shelton recently created a red Rhone blend from Oakley grapes, and a grenache that she bought for blending, but found it to be so delicious she bottled it on its own. There’s no doubt that the future holds more great creations from this popular winemaker.
