Taft Street
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Country of Origin: USA
Location: Russian River Valley, Sonoma
People: Mike Martini & Mike Tierney, Owners | Jeff McBride Consulting Winemaker
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The folks at Taft Street Winery have never been overly concerned with convention. Renegades from the start, two brothers and a friend began making wine in a garage on Taft Ave in Oakland in 1979. More than four decades later, that independent spirit remains intact: exceptional, unfussy wines crafted from outstanding Sonoma County fruit by a small, dedicated team — now produced in a converted apple processing barn in Sebastopol.
The term garagiste was coined in Bordeaux in the 1980s to describe independent winemakers producing serious wines in modest garages rather than grand châteaux. Like the French renegades, brothers Mike and John Tierney, alongside Mike Martini, transformed the Tierney family garage into a working winery with barrels stacked beside stainless tanks, a basket press in the corner, and bottles corked by hand. What began as a passionate side project quickly earned a loyal local following.
In the early 1980s, Taft Street moved north to Forestville in the Russian River Valley. During those formative years, Mike Tierney balanced two careers: teaching school by day and delivering wine from the back of his pickup truck by night. By the 1990s, the winery settled into its current Sebastopol home. National distribution followed, along with recognition from Wine Spectator and other publications, yet the philosophy never shifted.
From the beginning, the focus has been clear: source exceptional fruit from nearby vineyards and allow the Russian River Valley to speak through the wines. Since 1982, Taft Street has built enduring partnerships with growers throughout the region. These relationships remain foundational to the winery’s identity.
Today, winemaker Jeff McBride heads production. Having worked across small, mid-sized, and larger wineries, Jeff brings both technical precision and a deep understanding of Russian River Valley fruit. He crafts wines that reflect the region’s cool-climate character: bright acidity, nuanced aromatics, and elegant structure.