Les Lunes Wine

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Country of Origin: USA
Location: Mendocino
People: Shaunt Oungoulian & Diego Roig, Owners & Winemakers
Viticulture: Practicing Organic

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Les Lunes is the flagship project of Diego Roig and Shaunt Oungoulian. Diego and Shaunt are at the forefront of a new generation of California vignerons—reviving the hands-on, farm-first ethos that once defined the state’s great wines. As true vignerons, they lease and farm over eight hectares of vineyards across Northern California—including Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino—working the land organically and regeneratively. Their mission is twofold: to restore historic vineyard sites and to craft wines that echo California’s pioneering past while embracing a sustainable future.

The winemaking philosophy at Les Lunes is built entirely around vineyard integrity. By prioritizing thoughtful pruning, precise suckering, timed treatments, and careful weed management, they minimize synthetic inputs and preserve native microbial life in the soil and on the fruit. These practices result in vibrant, healthy vines and complex, terroir-driven fruit that requires no manipulation in the cellar. Fermentations are native, adjustments are avoided, and only a touch of sulfites is added at bottling.

Les Lunes wines are elegant, structured, and classically styled—showing balance in their youth and the capacity to age gracefully. This is the refined, site-specific face of California natural wine: honest, pure, and built to last.

About Diego Roig: Diego Roig was practically born with a glass of wine in hand. Raised in California by a family of grape growers and winemakers—with roots dating back to the pre-Prohibition era—his early requests for watered-down wine at the dinner table were regularly obliged, setting the stage for a lifelong career in wine. Over the years, Diego has trained under some of the most respected names in the industry, including Bob Cabral (Williams-Selyem), Vanessa Wong (Peay Vineyards), Andy Walker (UC Davis), Kevin Fontaine (Charles Joguet, Chinon), Colin Ross (Seresin, Marlborough), Didier Barral (Domaine Léon Barral, Faugères), Giusto Occhipinti (COS, Sicily), and Philippe Valette (Domaine Valette, Mâcon).

These formative experiences—combined with countless days tending vines and tasting wines from around the world—shaped Diego’s core belief: the best wines are grown in soils free of synthetic chemicals, with deep respect for nature. Grapes from such vineyards don’t require commercial yeast strains or chemical additives—just a touch of sulfites at bottling to ensure the truest expression of time and place.

About Shaunt Oungoulian: Shaunt Oungoulian’s journey into wine began with a single vintage in Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley, where he became fascinated by the biological and chemical transformations taking place in every tank, barrel, bottle, and glass. This curiosity led him to pursue a degree in Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. There, a few classmates introduced him to natural wines—wines that profoundly shaped his palate and philosophy.

Reframing his education through a non-interventionist lens, Shaunt found this approach more intellectually satisfying and creatively fulfilling. After graduating, he traveled to France, where he apprenticed with vignerons Philippe Valette in Mâcon and Julie Balagny in Fleurie. Both were technically rigorous yet fiercely committed to non-interventionist farming and winemaking—demonstrating that true expressiveness comes from a balance of tradition, restraint, and thoughtful innovation.

Shaunt continues to draw from these lessons in his work today, guided by the belief that great wines begin in the vineyard and are made with intuition, humility, and respect for nature.

Media Links
SevenFifty Daily: The Wine Mavericks that Heralded a New Generation at U.C. Davis