The Wine

We are grateful to work exclusively with small family vineyards, each with something unique and special to contribute to the TOYBOX Wines portfolio of wines. From our hallmark Cabernet Sauvignon to Petite Sirah, Calistoga to Yorkville Highlands, valley floor to high elevation sites, quality is the foundation for our relationships. The limited production, hand-crafted wines you receive each year reflect our commitment to delivering you something special time and time again.

The plan was to produce one wine — a Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley that would rival the best wines we had enjoyed over the years. Just as importantly, we wanted to make a wine that would connect with people on an emotional level, sharing our story about the things that inspired us to dream big: passion, independence, creativity, and fun. Hence, TOYBOX was born. The years to come were a bumpy ride with unexpected twists and turns. As much as there is a risk, there is a reward. It is a labor of love, and the journey continues.

Our family introduced the first TOYBOX wine, a 2007 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon, with the brazen aspiration to produce the most exciting new wine from Napa Valley. That wine and subsequent vintages stand as testimony to our family’s ongoing pursuit and commitment to quality. Today, several new chapters have emerged in the TOYBOX story, thanks in part to our relationship with the small family vineyards that we work with and the diversity in the vines they grow.

We now have more toys to play with, and our annual wine offerings have never been more exciting.  

Wine Making Philosophy

Balance is a subjective concept. Everyone has their own idea about what makes a “balanced” wine. Making wine in California allows a winemaker to achieve nearly limitless hangtime in most vintages, which, for many years, led to a “bigger is better” philosophy dominating the American wine market. It was during the late stages of this paradigm’s popularity that our winemaker Reid began studying wine and winemaking. The wines that most inspired Reid were of the more restrained ilk typified by classic European regions and more “thoughtful” California producers. 

When crafting our wines, we try to remain thoughtful. We aim for the balance between luscious fruit, spicy oak, and structure as we strive to make wines that are marked by ripe, attractive fruitiness, but remain elegant. Our wines are aged in oak barrels sourced from a variety of countries and producers to add layers of aromatic complexity and textural enjoyment. Structure in wine is often the unsung hero that can corral bold flavors into a form that can express both power and elegance. Our wines are marked by fresh acidity and balanced tannins that beautifully frame these rich wines and allow the wines to age gracefully.

Vineyards

Vine View Ranch

Located on a steep, rocky hillside at 1500 ft elevation in the Yorkville Highlands AVA in Mendocino County. This region lies at the confluence of the cool Anderson Valley and the much warmer Alexander Valley. Daytime temperatures often reach the nineties here during the growing season but are cooled in the evening by the maritime winds that funnel through the Navarro River Valley from the frigid Mendocino coast. These rocky, well-drained soils are formed from sandstone and shale with bits of serpentinite and quartz intermixed. The vines here struggle to find water and create small, concentrated berries that make powerful wines. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah we source from this site are sustainably farmed, without the use of herbicides.