Cloud 9 Wine

The Philosophy of Cloud 9

The Cloud 9 philosophy is quite simple: to produce wines that optimize the sensory experience of each and every bottle we craft.  Secondarily, we strive to produce wines of distinctive character, so that when one tastes any Cloud 9 offering, it is immediately apparent that the wine is a new taste adventure and a new wine discovery - not just another example of a specific varietal or a specific style. Our goal is to exceed your expectations in every bottle from every vintage.  Composition evolves on your palate: in every sip you will notice a different sensory characteristic.

The packaging and the wine both strive to epitomize understated elegance.

The steps we take to realize this philosophy seem simple –but remain elusive to many of the world’s wineries:

• We scour California’s Sierra Foothills for the best grapes, grown under conditions to optimize flavor.  "Terroir" is an overused and often misunderstood term in this industry, but it reflects part of Cloud 9's distinctivity.  Vineyard 1869, which produces Seity Zinfandel, adds a distinctive chocolate character to all wines produced from this vineyard.  The newest addition to the Cloud 9 lineup, a Syrah from Baby Rattlesnake Vineyard in El Dorado, possesses a distinctive black walnut character that complements the natural spice of the Syrah grape.  More than half of the 110 cases have already been sold, so plan a tasting room visit soon,.

The beauty of foothill vineyards are reflected in the elegance of the wines

Seity Zinfandel grapes arriving at the winery

• Our winemaker, Nancy Steel, has years of experience in Napa, Sonoma, and - especially - the Sierra Foothills.  (She even spent some time in Australia for additional experience).  She has opened new grape sources and expanded the Cloud 9 style with the distinctive flair that is Cloud 9.

• We control production and vineyard yield.  There are no plans to expand Cloud 9 production beyond five wines and a maximum of 5,000 cases.

• In our blended wines, the focus is on flavor, not adherence to artificially-limiting regional protocols.  For example, our flagship Composition is a blend of grapes with origins in France, Italy, and Spain – not just grapes with traditional Bordeaux or Burgundy regional limitations.

Accordingly, all Cloud 9 wines are in limited distribution.  This website lists the areas where Cloud 9 is available at selected wine retailers.  You may also order directly through this site (if you live in states where shipment is legal) and at our two tasting room: in historic Murphys, California, in the heart of the Sierra Gold Rush country and at the Old Sugar Mill complex just outside of Sacramento.  We hope that you, too, will become a fan of and ambassador for Cloud 9 wines.