Gary and Virginia (Ginny) Boney started planning their retirement in 2003 and purchased four acres in Ramona Valley. “We completed the house in 2006 and realized we had a lot of land with no plans. Our friends, the Castellis had built a house and planted a vineyard, so we decided to do the same. The plan was to grow grapes and sell them to local vintners,” Ginny said.
“Gary and I took weekend classes held in Ramona that discussed mostly vineyard topics, including the correct rootstock, varietals, diseases, etc. to manage the vineyard successfully. Nelson Pizarro of Pizarro & Castelli Winery taught us how to make wine. We have also worked with several vintners in the Ramona Valley to continue our winemaking education,” Ginny sai
2010, 2013 and a portion of 2017 were busy years in the vineyard. They planted grapes that based on the soil and climate grow well in Ramona. They grow Sangiovese (including Brunello clone), Tempranillo, and Syrah. All varietals that love the warm daytime temperatures and cool nights.
“We got hooked and started making wine commercially in 2017. We bottled our first wines in 2020 and 2021. We won double gold for our Tempranillo and silver for our Sangiovese and Brunello clone wines at the San Diego Toast of the Coast.
“I was glad that we started with the vineyard in 2010 before we started making wine in 2017. This gave us time to perfect our knowledge about the vineyard and how to manage it to have a successful outcome,” Ginny said.
2025 will be a busy year for the Boneys. They are experimenting with grafting Malbec and Petite Verdot in our vineyard. “We plan to bottle Malbec, Merlot, and a Sangiovese/Tempranillo and Syrah blend. Make a rosé and a white wine. Other than that, continue to make great wines,” Ginny said.
“When people ask us about planting a vineyard or starting a winery, I always tell people that it is a lot of hard work to manage a vineyard and or manage a winery. For the vineyard, there is plan management most of the year, spraying, irrigation and wire management, not just pruning and picking. For the winery, there is winemaking, testing, topping barrels, marketing, selling, networking, making new wine, managing a wine club, etc. I always recommend joining the Ramona Valley Vineyard Association (RVVA), where you can network and obtain education about vineyard maintenance and winemaking. I always tell new folks to ask lots of questions,” Ginny said.
