El Dorado’s Hidden Gem

Mountain-grown fruit from an estate in El Dorado County. Elegant, site-driven wines that reflect place and season.

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The Estate Vineyard

A 98-acre estate at 1,400 feet in El Dorado County. Mature vines, thoughtful spacing, and careful water stewardship yield concentrated, balanced fruit. With naturally modest yields (3–4 tons/acre), we favor purity over volume.

Mature Vines

Average vine age: 26 years, resulting in complex, balanced fruit.

Optimal Spacing

Plantings spaced 6×10 and 5×6 for ideal canopy management and ripeness.

Hillside Elevation

Fruit grown at 1,400 ft on rolling slopes for natural drainage and cool evenings.

Soil & Vigor

Rocky silt soils of Auburn and Sobrante series moderate vigor for concentrated berries.

Irrigation

High-volume wells and soil probes deliver measured irrigation exactly when needed.

Our Story

Safari Wineries began with friends who share a love of wine and a builder’s mindset. As neighbors in the Sierra Foothills, we saw the promise of Pilot Hill, with its elevation, rocky soils, and evening breezes, to grow fruit that reflects this place.

Our founders’ roots reach back to India’s Deccan Plateau, where agriculture is a constant. Trained as engineers, they moved to the United States and eventually made their home in the foothills. That mix of farming heritage and problem solving from their engineering backgrounds shapes how we work.

Winegrowing here also has deep roots. From early plantings around the Gold Rush era, the Sierra Foothills became known for orchards and vineyards that supplied fruit across the state. That history still guides how we farm today.

In practice, we work block by block and let each season guide our decisions. The aim is simple: honor the foothills’ past while embracing thoughtful innovation. We farm sustainably, follow the site, and craft wines that are true to their origin. Welcome to Safari Wineries.

Vineyard Details

A diverse palette of Bordeaux and Mediterranean varieties thrive across the estate. Multiple rootstocks and clones contribute nuance, texture, and age‑worthy structure.

Varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Vermentino, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris.

Rootstocks

420A, 1103P, 101-14, 3309.

Clones

Red clones: 4, 5, 6, 191, 337  •  White clones: FPS1, VCR12.

Toward Sustainability

We are working toward formal sustainability goals and exploring regenerative approaches. Our focus is long‑term: protecting soils, conserving water, and encouraging biodiversity where appropriate.

Diverse Blocks & Clones

Multiple clones and rootstocks create depth and complexity, allowing us to craft wines with nuance and character.

Quality Control

Pre‑harvest phenolic analysis guides picking decisions for each block, ensuring optimal ripeness and balance.

Optimal Conditions

Ideal elevation, mature vines and carefully managed soils yield small berries packed with flavor and structure.

Regenerative Future

By enhancing soil health, promoting cover crops and encouraging beneficial insects, we aim to build a more resilient vineyard ecosystem over time.

Trade & Distribution

For our trade partners: distinctive, estate‑grown California wines with provenance, consistency, and a clear story from a single mountain vineyard.

Premium Estate Source

Privately owned and professionally managed, with end‑to‑end control of farming and winemaking. Our 98‑acre estate at 1,400 feet produces limited quantities of exceptional fruit.

Proven Quality

Balanced acidity, varietal precision, and elegant structure, reinforced by recent vintage analyses. Auburn and Sobrante rocky silt soils yield wines of complexity and balance.

Commercial Fit

Ideal for distributors targeting core varietals, with quality positioned for the most profitable growth segment: $15–$25 per bottle.

Long‑Term Partnership

We value relationships built on transparency, quality, and shared growth, grounded in best‑in‑class farming and thoughtful winemaking.

Our People

Wines are made by people and place. Our growers, caretaker, and trusted advisors manage the vineyard year‑round, handling seasonal work from bud break through harvest with a focus on vine health, fruit quality, and consistency.

Juan Buskada, caretaker of the estate vineyard

Caretaker: Juan Buskada

Juan has been on the Pilot Hill slopes since the first shovel broke ground, working sunrise to dusk to establish and maintain the vineyard. His focus is practical viticulture: pruning, trellising, canopy management and irrigation scheduling. He understands how gentle slopes shape drainage and how higher elevations catch cooling breezes that help preserve acidity. Decades on the site mean he knows each block and guides it to deliver balanced fruit, season after season.

Growers

The team, led by Sateesh Arjula, manages the estate day to day, planning canopy work, irrigation, and harvest timing with an engineer’s precision. Season after season, the focus stays on balanced fruit, vine health, and sustainable practices. The team shares that drive, from seasoned agriculturalists to passionate newcomers.

Advisors

Supporting Juan is a team with deep experience. From the rolling vineyards of Napa Valley comes Mauricio Soto, a vineyard management professional with generations of practical knowledge and a focus on sustainability, blending thoughtful innovation with tradition.

Matt, a New Zealander now rooted in California, brings perspective from diverse terroirs. His work in the cellar ensures the vineyard’s quality is expressed clearly in the wines.

Community

Neighbors from Pilot Hill and surrounding foothills contribute hands and knowledge during harvest season. Their understanding of mountain weather and local terrain enriches the vineyard’s approach.

Winemaking Heritage

Two decades of estate fruit in acclaimed California wines, grounded in thoughtful farming and site expression.

“We’re a mountainous region and we have tons of little pockets where we can grow cool-climate grapes… El Dorado reminds me of Washington’s Yakima Valley because its reputation is held back not by grape quality, but by the absence of tourism.”
Justin Boeger, via Palate Press
"Planted on rich volcanic soils in a pristine location high up in the El Dorado Hills, the diversity of blocks and clones combined with a high-end viticulture approach ensures I'm consistently producing high-quality wines that are generous and of great appeal."
Matt Parish, Winemaker

For 20+ years, Safari Vineyard has supplied fruit to leading California wineries and brands, including Duckhorn, Delicato, and Francis Ford Coppola. For the past decade, Matt Parish (formerly Group and Chief Winemaker for Constellation Brands and Treasury Wine Estates) has produced a Reserve Cabernet and Red Blend exclusively from this vineyard under his Matt Parish Wines label.

Our Wines

Estate‑grown and classically styled, crafted to express the site with balance, precision, and length.

2024 Safari Vineyards Estate Red Blend

2,000 cases

Crafted in a classic Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and matured with premium French oak, this wine shows vibrant red and black berry fruit, fine tannins, and a smooth finish.

2024 Safari Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

1,000 cases

Deep and structured, this Cabernet Sauvignon, lifted by a touch of Cabernet Franc, offers dark fruit, mocha, and spice, complemented by silky tannins and good length.

Get in Touch

We'd love to share more about our vineyard, discuss grape purchases, or answer any questions.

Email: safariwineries@gmail.com

Sateesh Arjula: +1 (734) 709‑8464

Srinivas Kovi: +1 (510) 203‑6701