Third-generation vintners Ben and Jake Fetzer have expanded their wine business, launching Rural Wine Co., a new wine brand that focuses on sub-appellations in Mendocino County.
The Fetzer brothers have a long history in Mendocino, as they grew up in the wine industry and launched their own Masút Vineyard & Winery a decade ago. Their latest venture, Rural, debuts with a Pinot Noir, which is being sold nationally by MISA Imports.
A Chardonnay will be introduced in the first half of 2020, followed by a Cabernet Sauvignon. The Fetzer brothers are using only Mendocino fruit that is from vineyards certified organic or sustainable. Rural is targeted primarily for off-premise distribution.
“With Rural, we want to highlight the lesser-known appellations in Mendocino County. Mendocino is a large region with wide diversity in its sub-appellations,” said Jake Fetzer. “In addition to our own vineyard, we have a lot of experience with other vineyards around Mendocino, and the Rural wines demonstrate what can be achieved working with this top-quality fruit.”
The Fetzer brothers are making the Rural wines at their Masút winery, which boasts a new winemaking facility that the brothers recently completed.
The Masút property was acquired by their father Bobby Fetzer in 1994, and the brothers worked with him to plant the vineyard in the late 1990s.
Ben and Jake founded Masút in 2009 to honor their father, who passed away suddenly in 2006, and they have built Masút into a nationally-distributed, high-end winery focusing on estate-grown Pinot Noir from their vineyard. The Masút Pinot Noir is targeted primarily toward on-premise distribution.