Sacramento is about an hour and a half from all kinds of wine areas – Sonoma and Napa and the Santa Cruz Mountains and Lodi and Amador and El Dorado. But there is no thing like your own thing.

Craig Haarmeyer has been making wine since only 2008. Craig has been working in a number of directions that we have been in love with here at Magpie, foremost is his passion for Chenin Blanc from Clarksburg. His influence on the direction the Clarksburg chenin blanc has taken can’t be overstated.

A very acidic grape and high in sugar, Chenin Blanc from Clarksburg is listed on the Slow Food Ark of Taste.  Slow Food International honoree and Sacramento mainstay Darrel Corti describes chenin as reminiscent of light honey, peaches, and nectarines.

Besides Chenin Blanc,  Craig also makes red wines.

Haarmeyer Wine Cellars is in the former Harbor Winery building in West Sacramento.  Harbor was a pioneer of foothill zinfandels that have become such a big part of enjoying wine in this area.

Haarmeyer Wine Cellars produces some very new expressions of  extremely interesting low alcohol, early harvested zinfandels that we feel are part of a redefinition of what foothill wines can be.

Fun things can happen when Craig is around the restaurant.  We like him around.