Celebrating Coplan Vineyards in American Vineyard Magazine
Coplan Vineyards featured on the cover of American Vineyard magazine, May 2026, celebrating fifteen years of bold change, organic farming, and estate-grown wines in Carneros.
Written by Carole Coplan
Some mornings in the vineyard stay with you forever. This spring, one of those sunrises at Coplan Vineyards became the cover of American Vineyard magazine. I had enlisted my friend Deborah Jones, the photographer behind the iconic French Laundry cookbook, to capture the moment at American Vineyard's request, and at daybreak. Skipper was at my side, and the Carneros fog was drifting down the hill on the vines. Like clockwork, three hot air balloons followed overhead as we ran to the east edge of the Chardonnay vineyard. Deborah and I looked at each other and laughed. Skipper barked. The moment arrived as if the balloons insisted on joining us for the photo shoot.
Seeing Coplan Vineyards on the cover of the May issue, with a three-page article inside, is profound. Not just because it's recognition in a major industry publication, but also as a reflection of fifteen years of caring for this land, returning it to health, and creating wines I'm genuinely proud of.
When I purchased this property, the vineyard had been conventionally farmed for years. Rebuilding it was slow and challenging, and I learned a lot. We eliminated synthetic inputs, introduced cover crops, and began restoring the microbial life beneath the vines. After a fallow period of more than seven years, I planted Chardonnay, a nod to what Carneros is famous for, and what friends have joked should be my middle name. The property also holds historic Cabernet Sauvignon vines, and rather than treating them as simply a legacy asset, I leaned in and planted more in 2019. As our seasons grow warmer, I'm convinced this cool-climate maritime region is ideally suited for Bordeaux varietals, and I wanted Coplan Vineyards to be part of that legacy.
None of this was about earning a certification. It was my philosophy. We have farmed organically since 2012, and our CCOF certification simply formalized what we had committed to for years. Most wineries don't grow their own grapes. At Coplan Vineyards, I believe the wine begins long before harvest, with the farming. The vineyard, the soil, and the winemaking are one continuous act toward making the finest small-batch artisan wines.
Another detail that makes Coplan Vineyards unique is that the story doesn't end with the vineyard and the cellar door. Anyone who spent time here in our earlier days knew Orangey and Ricky, two cats who became as much a part of Coplan Vineyards’ property. Orangey, the quintessential barn cat, was entirely at home in the vineyard. Ricky arrived on weekends from a very different world and found his place here anyway. Their story became a book, Orangey and Ricky: Country Cat, City Cat, and I'm proud to say we are one of the few wineries anywhere to have produced an illustrated children's book. It grew the way everything here does, through observation and genuine inspiration from this land.
Fifteen years ago, I purchased a piece of property with an old farmhouse and a lot of potential. What has grown from it has exceeded anything I imagined. Being on the cover of American Vineyard is a milestone I will not take lightly.
Read the full article here, and if you haven't yet joined our wine club, I'd love for you to be part of what comes next. The best vintages, I firmly believe, are still ahead. In fact, we are releasing our 2024 estate Owl’s Peak Chardonnay and 2023 Life of the Party Red Blend this Saturday, June 6th, 2026.