Wine.
From a Ridge.
On The Divide.

Rooted in the red soils of California’s Sierra foothills, Rancho Cortes is a small vineyard on the Divide in El Dorado County.

What began as an overgrown hillside became a pursuit of stewardship, resilience, and wines shaped by elevation, sun, and time. SHOP WINES

Our Story

We didn’t buy this place because we knew how to run a vineyard.

We bought it because we fell in love with the ridge, the views, the red dirt, and the feeling that this land still had something left to give.

The vineyard had been neglected for years. The vines were tangled, the blackberries were taking over, and almost everything needed work. We had no idea how much time, money, and patience it would take to bring it back.

But we kept going.

One row at a time. One season at a time. With help from good neighbors and people who knew more than we did, the vineyard slowly came back to life.

What the land gave back is now in the bottle. Grown on the Divide in El Dorado County, these wines carry the character of this place: red soil, mountain air, hot summers, and a lot of perseverance.

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Our Wines

Deep Red

2024 Fenaughty Syrah

Deep Red lives up to its name. A serious Syrah with unexpected depth.

Dark and expressive, with a smooth finish and enough structure to pair beautifully with grilled meats, rich sauces, and a proper steak dinner. Elegant, bold, and built for the table.

$48 | 750 mL bottle

Summer Blend

2024 Grenache Blanc / Vermentino

Bright, crisp, and quietly refreshing, Summer Blend was made for warm evenings, long tables, and the kind of days that seem to stretch past sunset.

A white wine shaped by mountain air, golden light, and the softer side of our vineyard.

$32 | 750 mL bottle

The Vineyard We Found

The rows were tangled, the soil was dry, and the blackberries had nearly taken over.

The Work Began

One season at a time, with help from good neighbors, we started bringing the vineyard back.

The Vines Returned

The buds broke. The fruit came in. The land began to give back.

The First Vintage

Our 2024 release is the first wine from that revival.

The Stewards

PETER DUFFY

KAREN CORTES DUFFY

This first vintage is more than wine to us. It is proof that with enough work, patience, and love, a place can come back to life.

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Wine. From a Ridge. On The Divide.