Mount Aukum Winery

Award-Winning Wines

The word is out: what started quietly at the end of a winding hilltop driveway in El Dorado County is now a nationally-recognized winery with a dedicated cult following (click to learn about Mount Aukum's elite wine clubs).

Mount Aukum is known for bold, daring wines worthy of a lingering, fireplace conversation among friends but can be paired with a spicy, grilled delicacy - these wines can hold up to the strongest foods and can still taste great with nothing except a Schott Zwiesel wine glass as their companion.

Our Winemaker, Michel Prod'hon
Born in France, Michel became fascinated with the nuance, subtlety of winemaking at an early age and embarked on a lifelong journey in search of the perfect bottle of wine. His winemaking style draws on this early fascination, out of which grew a particular interest in the Rhone and Italian varietals. His daily obsession in the vineyards and around the winery makes him a bit of a control freak, but it is precisely this attention to detail that give Mount Aukum's wines their distinctive, award-winning character.

Great wines begin in the vineyard, so Michel works closely in Mount Aukum's vineyards to ensure balanced, premium quality fruit. Mount Aukum's superb location is distinguished by its elevation (a lofty 2,615 feet), excellent sun exposure, and granitic, rocky loam soil. Petite Sirah and Zinfandel comprise the majority of Mount Aukum's vines, but the vineyard also includes limited plantings of Petite Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Michel supplements grapes from Mount Aukum's hillside vineyard by working with the finest winegrape growers throughout the Sierra Foothills and demanding long-term relationships with each. He carefully selects vineyards with an excellent reputation for the highest quality fruit and sound vineyard practices to create wines of exceptional quality. By carefully thinning the clusters and picking in small lots, he can control the quality of the fruit arriving for crush. Each lot is carefully inspected to ensure the grape clusters meet his strict standards for quality.

Whether in a local wine tasting or a national wine competition, Mount Aukum wines earn their reputation for consistent quality.

Browse our online catalog of wines.

Want to meet Michel? Join one of our wine clubs for special members-only events, hosted by Michel.