Madroña Vineyards takes its name from the majestic old madrone tree which still stands in the middle of the vineyard. The warm days and cool nights of the historic El Dorado grape-growing region have proven to produce fruit with excellent balance and intense varietal character. At an elevation of 3,000 feet (one of the highest vineyards in California), it can truly claim the distinction of offering mountain-grown wines.

Early in the 1970's, Dick Bush was convinced that the combination of climate, soil and topography found in the foothills of El Dorado County held great promise for producing outstanding wine. In 1973, Dick, his wife Leslie, and their children, parents and friends planted 35 acres of vines as the first step toward demonstrating this fact. More than two decades of experimentation and production, coupled with personal family attention to every part of the winemaking process, has helped fulfill the promise of this re-emerging region. The initial excitement Dick and Leslie felt for the potential of El Dorado County is now passed on to the next generation. With the latter's planting of new vineyards and varieties and their leadership at the winery, the tradition and commitment continue.

Over twenty years old, the 35-acre estate vineyards are now in their prime. Originally planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Johannisberg Riesling, the family has since added Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Gewürtztraminer. An old-world philosophy prevails at Madroña with nearly all aspects of vineyard production still done by hand. This intensive handwork coupled with an integrated-pest-management system fosters low-impact agriculture while producing wine grapes of the highest quality.

Whether you are just now “getting into wine” or you pride yourself on knowing quality when you taste it, we think you’ll appreciate our family’s commitment to small-batch, high integrity winemaking. We’ve been growing premium winegrapes here in El Dorado’s highest vineyard elevations since 1973.

Get Into Small-Batch Quality
Our estate wines come from some of the highest vineyards in El Dorado, with awesome views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Paul Bush manages the vineyards himself, adding to the family’s knowledge of grape varieties, clones within a variety, and microclimates. “Intensive hands-on vineyard practices make wines that are frankly exceeding what we thought possible at these high elevations,” says Paul, “And we’re going to keep on improving over the next 30 years.”

Madroña Vineyards is a member of the Apple Hill Wineries and the El Dorado Winery Association. We host and pour at many special events throughout the year.