Founded in 1970 by John Sheela and brothers-in-law Mike and Marty Lee on the historic 1906 Pagani Brothers site, Kenwood helped define modern Sonoma Valley. It's famed for the Artist Series Cabernet and Jack London Vineyard bottlings from Sonoma Mountain. Korbel's Gary Heck reacquired the estate in 2026.
Kenwood Vineyards was founded in 1970 by John Sheela and his brothers-in-law Mike and Marty Lee — a group of friends and former students who had taken accounting from John Pagani at Santa Clara University. After Pagani's brother Julius died in 1969, the family sold them the historic Pagani Brothers Winery, a bulk wine cellar built in 1906. The Lees and Sheela turned a jug-wine facility into one of the first premium wineries in Sonoma Valley, building the brand before the Sonoma Valley AVA itself existed. By 1976, Kenwood had acquired exclusive rights to source grapes from the historic Jack London Ranch on Sonoma Mountain — a relationship that became central to the winery's identity for the next five decades.
Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon — The flagship reserve Cabernet, released since 1975 with a different commissioned artist label each vintage.
Jack London Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Mountain — From the historic red-volcanic-soil Jack London Ranch, which Kenwood has bottled exclusively since 1976.
Jack London Vineyard Zinfandel, Sonoma Mountain — Robust and spicy, with the wolf-head bookplate label.
Six Ridges Chardonnay, Russian River Valley — A premium single-appellation Chardonnay from the upper tier.
Sonoma Series Sauvignon Blanc — A crisp, approachable white, long a Kenwood strength.
The Artist Series, launched in 1978 with a David Lance Goines pencil sketch (subsequently banned by the BATF as obscene), became California's first artist-created wine label and one of the most collected reserve Cabernets in the state. Mike Lee remained as winemaker until his death in 2011, training Stan Stupich and later Pat Henderson as successors. Pernod Ricard acquired the winery in 2014 from previous owner Korbel — and in March 2026 the circle closed: after Pernod Ricard's exit and a brief closure, Korbel's Gary Heck bought the 33-acre estate back through Kenwood Winery Land LLC for $4 million, returning Kenwood to local family ownership. The tasting room reopened in May 2026 under the Heck family, recommitted to the vineyard-driven philosophy on which the winery was founded — a Sonoma original, restored to Sonoma hands.
Mark Beaman joined Kenwood Vineyards as head winemaker in 2023, bringing more than two decades of cellar experience across California, Washington, and Hawaii. He began in 2000 as a lab technician at Columbia Crest before working harvests at Napa's Conn Creek and Villa Mt. Eden, then rose from enologist to associate winemaker at Mendocino Wine Company's historic Parducci Winery. After a stint crafting estate wines on Maui — where he authored Hawaii's first approved American Viticultural Area — he returned to Sonoma in 2019 as senior winemaker at Valley of the Moon and later shaped Sebastiani's flagship Cherryblock Cabernet. At Kenwood he continues the winery's small-lot, vineyard-driven tradition.
Kenwood Vineyards was founded in 1970 by John Sheela and his brothers-in-law, Mike and Marty Lee, who bought the former Pagani Brothers winery — a 1906 jug-wine cellar — and transformed it into a modern estate. Part of the new wave that ushered in Sonoma County’s fine-wine era, they secured exclusive rights to the historic Jack London Ranch vineyards in 1976 and launched the acclaimed Artist Series Cabernet. Winemaker Mike Lee guided the cellar for decades. Their founding vision — vineyard-driven wines expressing Sonoma’s distinct appellations — has defined Kenwood across every change of ownership since.
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Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon — The flagship reserve Cabernet, released since 1975 with a different commissioned artist label each vintage.
Jack London Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Mountain — From the historic red-volcanic-soil Jack London Ranch, which Kenwood has bottled exclusively since 1976.
Jack London Vineyard Zinfandel, Sonoma Mountain — Robust and spicy, with the wolf-head bookplate label.
Six Ridges Chardonnay, Russian River Valley — A premium single-appellation Chardonnay from the upper tier.
Sonoma Series Sauvignon Blanc — A crisp, approachable white, long a Kenwood strength.
Kenwood Vineyards was founded in 1970 by John Sheela and his brothers-in-law Mike and Marty Lee — a group of friends and former students who had taken accounting from John Pagani at Santa Clara University. After Pagani's brother Julius died in 1969, the family sold them the historic Pagani Brothers Winery, a bulk wine cellar built in 1906. The Lees and Sheela turned a jug-wine facility into one of the first premium wineries in Sonoma Valley, building the brand before the Sonoma Valley AVA itself existed. By 1976, Kenwood had acquired exclusive rights to source grapes from the historic Jack London Ranch on Sonoma Mountain — a relationship that became central to the winery's identity for the next five decades.
The Artist Series, launched in 1978 with a David Lance Goines pencil sketch (subsequently banned by the BATF as obscene), became California's first artist-created wine label and one of the most collected reserve Cabernets in the state. Mike Lee remained as winemaker until his death in 2011, training Stan Stupich and later Pat Henderson as successors. Pernod Ricard acquired the winery in 2014 from previous owner Korbel — and in March 2026 the circle closed: after Pernod Ricard's exit and a brief closure, Korbel's Gary Heck bought the 33-acre estate back through Kenwood Winery Land LLC for $4 million, returning Kenwood to local family ownership. The tasting room reopened in May 2026 under the Heck family, recommitted to the vineyard-driven philosophy on which the winery was founded — a Sonoma original, restored to Sonoma hands.
Mark Beaman joined Kenwood Vineyards as head winemaker in 2023, bringing more than two decades of cellar experience across California, Washington, and Hawaii. He began in 2000 as a lab technician at Columbia Crest before working harvests at Napa's Conn Creek and Villa Mt. Eden, then rose from enologist to associate winemaker at Mendocino Wine Company's historic Parducci Winery. After a stint crafting estate wines on Maui — where he authored Hawaii's first approved American Viticultural Area — he returned to Sonoma in 2019 as senior winemaker at Valley of the Moon and later shaped Sebastiani's flagship Cherryblock Cabernet. At Kenwood he continues the winery's small-lot, vineyard-driven tradition.
Kenwood Vineyards was founded in 1970 by John Sheela and his brothers-in-law, Mike and Marty Lee, who bought the former Pagani Brothers winery — a 1906 jug-wine cellar — and transformed it into a modern estate. Part of the new wave that ushered in Sonoma County’s fine-wine era, they secured exclusive rights to the historic Jack London Ranch vineyards in 1976 and launched the acclaimed Artist Series Cabernet. Winemaker Mike Lee guided the cellar for decades. Their founding vision — vineyard-driven wines expressing Sonoma’s distinct appellations — has defined Kenwood across every change of ownership since.
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