A reputation for excellence – in both grape-growing and winemaking – has been our family tradition for over 100 years, reaching back to Bari, Italy. Our family’s winemaking passion and drive to innovate culminated in the creation of a state of the art winery in Madera in 1973.  The winery achieved many industry firsts – including the first winery to use stainless steel tanks and the first San Joaquin Valley winery to craft top-rate varietal wines made from specific grape types rather than blends. The first vintages won immediate international recognition among wine enthusiasts, both in the United States and Europe.

Papagni became renown for wines crafted from Alicante Bouschet, a deep, dark wine with spice, rich fruit, and a gentle earthiness. At one time, Alicante Bouschet was the most popular wine grape in America, accounting for nearly 1/3 of all grapes grown in California.

In recent years, we have been focused on producing small lot, hand-crafted, award-winning wines including our signature Alicante Bouschet , chardonnay, cabernet, pinot grigio and many more — that are available exclusively in our tasting room and select local restaurants.