Michael Marra Vineyard is jointly owned by the Massiasons and Eidel Family Vineyards and is located west of the town of Sonoma, at the foot of the Sonoma Mountains.
While the other surrounding vineyards have normal loam soil, the Michael Mara Vineyard is made up of rugged, rocky, red volcanic soil formed by landslides caused by tectonic activity.
Grapes from this vineyard are used by the Mathiasson and Eidel families to make their own vineyard wines, as well as by some of California's most renowned wine producers, including Arnaud Roberts, Kessner, Brock Cellars, Roland Tebbs, and Scholium Project.
Michael Mara Vineyards is the culmination of blood, sweat and tears for the Maciasons.
This was the most rocky and difficult field Steve had ever seen in his 20 years as a crop consultant.
Developing the vineyards takes a lot of time and money, and making our own wine would require even more money, so for the first few years we had no choice but to sell most of the grapes we produced.
During that time, when we tasted the wine we had made from the small amount of grapes we had kept for ourselves, it felt for the first time that our efforts had led to results and our dreams.
Owner winemaker Steve Mathiason is one of Napa Valley's leading vineyard consultants.
His clients include Eiseley, Chappelle and Spottswoode, and he is known for producing well-balanced grapes.
Massaiason is a small winery that is entirely family run.
The white wines that Steve produces are modelled on those from the Friuli region of Italy, while his red wines are mainly Bordeaux style.
We believe in hands-on farming, and as much as possible we do all the farm work ourselves.
And Steve has surprised the entire California wine industry by preferring to harvest three to four weeks earlier than usual, a key factor in determining the wine's flavor.
In 2014, he was named Winemaker of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle, a leading American newspaper, and is a talented young winemaker with promising future prospects.
For Steve Mathiason, making wine is simply an extension of working in the vineyard.
The grapes used for Massaiason come from vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, all of which are personally managed by Steve throughout the growing season.
Steve is a specialist in bringing out the inherent characteristics and aromas of grape varieties in wine.
He specializes in the ubiquitous Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as varieties not commonly seen in Napa Valley, such as Ribolla Gialla and Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso.
Whatever the variety, his job is simply to allow the wine to reflect the characteristics of the soil and the variety in which the grapes are grown.
The characteristics of Massaison wines are their refreshing taste, which makes them perfect for pairing with food, and their lower alcohol content than regular California wines.
By using cultivation methods suited to each field, we are able to grow grapes with a concentrated flavor, and by minimizing our desire for self-expression as winemakers and respecting the individuality of the grapes, we are able to produce well-balanced wines that are wrapped in aromatic fragrances.
A former member of In Pursuit of Balance (IPOB), a once-popular organization in California dedicated to the pursuit of well-balanced Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the winery is renowned for producing elegant, vibrant wines reminiscent of Europe.