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Our Path into Winemaking

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An American Journey into Wine

The story of the McClain Family is not unique. It is, however, filled with passion. It is the story of a family who loved to go wine tasting with friends and loved spending time together. It is about a husband and a wife that are so in love with each other that they just had to find a way to spread that love to those that they cared for. While the journey into wine began when Jason & Sofia met, the launch of this dream come true did not start until July 8th, 2016. It was on that day that they decided to change their lives once and for all.  This was the day when they made the final choice to start selling off their assets, changing their lifestyle, and beginning a journey into a dream that today we call “McClain Cellars.”

A Dream Come True

1962 Chrysler 300 Convertible

If there is one thing that holds true for Jason and Sofia McClain, it is the belief that dreams do come true – a belief that they have instilled in their children from a young age. With every venture or activity the family engages in, whether at work or at play, there is an underlying theme of setting new goals and accomplishing new heights. Their perseverance and determination to give their all to the things in life they hold dearest is apparent from the moment you meet them.

Tracing his roots back way before Google, Yahoo, and Bing were the big places they are today, Jason prides himself on being a true trendsetter in the online space. Once he learned a formula for success, Jason found his calling and knew to build up one company just wouldn’t be enough. After spending over 20 years in the dot-com world and over 30 years running a business, Jason McClain, Winemaker, and Proprietor found himself on a true mission and a search for one thing.  To create the finest wine from the best soils in California that would truly bring about emotion to the one who enjoyed it. Along with his wife, Sofia, they traveled all across the West Coast searching for just the right wines to add to their collection.

1980 Piper Saratoga PA32R-301T

In 2007, the family acquired a plane and began going to all corners of the state trying to find just the right conditions, soils, and winemakers. Starting in Napa Valley, they spent time with wines of Duckhorn, Girard, Joseph Phelps, Gargiulo, Mondavi, Cakebread, Jessup Cellars, Hope & Grace, and Domaine Chandon to name a few. Every vineyard is unique and every winemaker is an artist. To learn from those who have a passion for the art is to be in the presence of greatness. They visited every tasting room, vineyard, and facility they could find. It was so many wineries that finding a place to store all of their purchases soon became another challenge to overcome.

The wine “research project” was soon becoming more than just a fun thing to do with friends… it was soon becoming a way of life. If they were going to craft a winery that would truly mean something…  they had to do their research.

2014 Entegra Anthem 44SL – 450HP

Later, as their family grew older, they continued the journey in their Motorhome.  Yes… they had three over the years and this is the most recent. What they could not access by plane, airport, or car, they began planning camping trips around the state. It seemed like the perfect pastime. It allowed them to connect and be together as a family while also allowing them to take their home with them. Winetasting with friends and family soon became a way of life.  Before too long, another wonderful family and dear friends of the McClain, Mark & Christen Barley, bought into the idea, bought an RV, and began to tag along. They went from wine tasting to wine tasting and bottle to bottle discussing what was good and bad, and what they might do differently.

The McClains found soils and wines as far east as Colorado and as far north as Washington state. Nothing, however, was as wonderful as the wines they found on the Central Coast of California. This is where they had to put down roots. The next task at hand was to find the right land and the right winemaker to create something amazing.

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Collecting… learning… investigating… and enjoying all that this great state has to offer, the McClain Family was on a journey of discovery.  Finding just the right soils, grapes, and aromas was only the first part. Connecting with the right winemakers to help them blend the perfect wine… now that was the big battle.  It was also one of the most exciting parts of this adventure…

Throughout all of these years, the family learned three things..

1) A great wine is made from love by those with a true passion.
2) There is no better wine than the one you drink with your best friend.

3) Patience, laughter, and love are the most important ingredients in a good bottle.

IT’S ONE THING TO ENJOY A GREAT BOTTLE OF WINE… YET ANOTHER TO ENJOY IT WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND.

– JASON MCCLAIN

McClain Family Cellars is a true realization of a dream. Jason, Sofia, and their three daughters, Kayla, Savanna, and Mackenzie, set out on a mission to create something that might truly bring someone to understand the importance of life.  Family, Friends, Faith, Future, and Fulfillment. These are the pillars of this boutique winemaking family.

May every sip, pour, and smell bring you to remember what is really important. The four things that lead us all to contemplate what is important and what makes us love, laugh, and live life to the fullest.

 Here is a great life!  Remember this…..  you only have so much time on this planet.  What will you do with the time you have left?
Cheers!
Jason & Sofia McClain
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