Welcome to the wild West Coast
Think American wine is all glossy Napa valley brochures, billionaire’s estates and predictable recipes? Think again.
If you step off the beaten tourist track and head into the rugged corners of the Pacific Coast, you’ll find a wine world that is fiercely independent, wonderfully eccentric, and deeply connected to the land.
A place where you can spend your morning hiking through an ancient forest of giant redwoods so colossal they make you question your place in the universe. Or an afternoon cheering on a competitive frog-jumping contest in a historic Gold Rush boomtown, or fly-fishing for your own wild salmon dinner on a roaring river.
Out here, our independent winemakers aren't just making wine – they are living off the land, defying the corporate rulebook, and letting the wild terrain dictate what ends up in your glass.
So, grab your passport, pack a jacket and let two of Naked’s US icons show you the real America.
Meet your winemaker guides
Stephen Millier: the moustachioed legend of Lodi
"Welcome to California! I’ve been working with Lodi vines since the 1970s, and I was there on the very first day Naked Wines launched in the USA. I live in Murphys, an old 1850s Gold Rush town in the Sierra Foothills. If you love bold, pure, fruit-packed Zinfandel and local characters who refuse to conform, you've come to the right place."
Scott Kelley: Oregon’s outdoorsman extraordinaire
"Hi there, I’m Scott. I grew up fly-fishing the rivers of Oregon, and this rugged, green landscape is my home. For me, winemaking is the ultimate marriage of science and soil – but nature always takes the lead. Out here, we don't copy California. We let our cool, ocean-influenced climate and natural rainfall create wines of pure elegance and precision. Grab a glass, and let me show you what I mean…”
Lodi: scorching heat, biting cold and liquid gold
Our first stop is California’s Central Valley, specifically Lodi, a region whose winemaking roots stretch all the way back to the mid 19th century.
A short jaunt southeast of Napa, Lodi's wine story kicked off in the 1850s when farmers planted table grapes. They quickly realised the Mediterranean climate was a paradise for wine grapes, and the region's true calling was born.
But if you only know the area from the classic Creedence Clearwater Revival track, Stephen Millier is quick to warn you that being "stuck in Lodi" in real life looks entirely different. "It won’t prepare you," Stephen smiles, "for the feast of vineyards you will see going out in every direction."
Visually, the landscape is a striking mix of old and new. You have massive, sea-like expanses of lush green vines stretching toward the horizon under a blazing blue sky. Look closer, and you'll find the crown jewels: gnarly, thick-trunked old bush vines that look more like weathered bonsai trees than grape plants. Most famously, Zinfandel – of which Lodi proclaims itself the "Zinfandel capital of the world."
Of course, the Central Valley can be notorious for searing summertime heat, making it a challenge to make a wine here without it tasting overripe and jammy – but as Stephen explains, they have a secret weapon:
"Lodi is positioned at the northern tip of the valley, right where four major river systems meet to flow into the delta waterway. That massive body of moving water completely tames the high daytime temperatures. Every single evening, it sucks in a sudden, rushing river breeze that cools the vines right down.
That daily temperature rollercoaster locks in beautiful, bright fruit flavours, keeping the wines fresh and balanced. So if you’re planning a trip, you’ve been warned…
“It gets so cool, in fact, that I always tell visitors to pack a light jacket to ward off the evening chill.”
Oregon: a rain-drenched frontier
Now, let's head north. Cross the state line into Oregon, and the golden, sun-baked (albeit breezy) hills of California disappear, completely replaced by a forest wilderness.
Indeed, as Scott Kelley exclaims with glee, “Oregon is green!”
Spectacularly green. The region is over 75% mountains and hills, packed with dense forests of towering fir trees, sweet cedar, and rolling oak savannah in the foothills.
Scott explains that the geography here acts like facets on a diamond: "Depending on which specific hillside or slope you are standing on, the microclimate and terroir shift completely. It’s a beautifully complex jigsaw puzzle."
His vineyards are often tucked away in small clearances right in the middle of dense, wild forests. "I think vines absorb their surroundings and pull from the soils". So when you taste his Pinot, you can detect those complex, rustic characters of the forest floor, cedar and wild earth.
And because Oregon receives a spectacular amount of annual rainfall throughout the growing season, winemakers like Scott can do something incredibly rare in American wine: they dry-farm.
With no need for irrigation, the vines dig their roots incredibly deep into the soil to find water. This creates wines with a profound sense of place. And the long, cool growing season means the grapes ripen slowly, resulting in wines that are naturally higher in acidity and beautifully balanced.
It’s not without its heartbreaks. All that beautiful rain brings intense challenges, from spring frost during flowering that can ruin yields, to a constant battle against mildew and rot in the cellar. Farming here isn't a job for the faint-hearted. "Humility," Scott notes, is the number one lesson, "Never underestimate the craft, because it takes ten full years of making decisions and living with the hard consequences before you can truly call yourself a winemaker."
The itinerary: iconic Americana and the untamed wilderness
To truly understand our US winemakers, you have to understand the quirky, wonderful culture of the communities they call home. Out here, life revolves around regional pride, eccentric traditions and the great outdoors.
Lodi: Stephen’s top tips
Stop 1: The Jumping Frog Jubilee
If you happen to visit Stephen’s home turf in Calaveras County in the third weekend of May, you won't just be tasting world-class wine – you’ll be ringside at a legendary piece of Americana…
The annual Jumping Frog Jubilee is an homage to Mark Twain's famous short story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.
Locals and tourists alike line up to watch frogs compete to beat the mind-boggling, 21-foot world record set by a local frog named Rosie the Ribeter back in 1986. There’s live music and that most American of all things, a demolition derby.
The local wine winners are proudly poured for the crowds in the festival's official 'Frogeteria'. Stephen’s, of course, being a regular presence.
Stop 2: the Murphys Stomp & Witch Walk
Throughout the year, Murphys hosts an array of spectacular street festivals:
March: A legendary St. Patrick's Day rite of spring that draws up to 10,000 people to the historic town.
Harvest Time: A wildly competitive grape stomp complete with a flamboyant costume contest, where teams battle for ultimate bragging rights.
October: The Murphys Witch Walk, where the historic Main Street fills with costumed locals tasting special goodies door-to-door.
December: A cosy winter Open House where working fire pits are scattered along the streets so you can chase away the chill and chat with new friends.
Stop 3: the serenity of the Big Trees
If you need to escape the festival madness, Stephen recommends a short drive into the high country to visit the Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Here, you can hike through an ancient forest of Giant Redwoods – some of the oldest and largest living organisms on Earth.
During the 1850s Gold Rush, miners were so stunned by their size that they cut one down and shipped pieces of it around the world just to prove it was real. Another giant stump was flattened and used as a literal community dancefloor.
“The trees are still magnificent, the forest serene, there's so much beauty here that reminds us to stay humble.”
Oregon: Scott’s top tips
Stop 1: Crater Lake
“If you come to Oregon, you cannot miss Crater Lake. For me, it's the 7th wonder of the world.”
Formed by a collapsed volcano thousands of years ago, it is the deepest lake in America and boasts some of the most pristine, impossibly blue water on earth. It’s an incredibly spiritual place of pin-drop silence that completely resets your perspective.
Stop 2: the Oregon coast & Bandon Dunes
“It's some of the most beautiful coastline in the world, and of course, we have Bandon Dunes just about an hour and a half away. Some of the greatest golf in the world is out at Bandon Dunes.”
Scott recommends exploring all the way from Astoria in the far north – where the mighty Columbia River crashes into the Pacific Ocean – down to Bandon Dunes. If you’re a golfer, Bandon Dunes houses some of the best natural links golf courses in the world, carved into the rugged coastal cliffs.
Stop 3: sneaking into Oregon wine country
“And then you can't leave without hitting Oregon wine country…”
Once you’ve seen the coast, head into the heart of wine country. Oregon is home to around 985 wineries, but don't expect giant corporate visitor centres. The vast majority are tiny, boutique operations producing under 5,000 cases a year. It is an intimate experience where you’ll regularly find the winemakers themselves working the tasting rooms and sharing their unique, small-batch creations.
You could even drop in on Scott's Naked winemaker neighbour, Chris Baker, while you're out there.
Scott’s food tip: the ultimate riverside cookout
To find Scott Kelley when he’s not in the cellar, you’ll need to head inland to the emerald waters of the North Umpqua River, just outside Roseburg. This is the exact river Scott grew up fly-fishing on, and it's a place he still calls home.
Fittingly, when it comes to the food, there is one local masterpiece you have to try: Cedar-Planked Salmon
"My favourite local dish, by far. You've gotta serve it with Pinot Noir, it's just an epic dish. If you haven't tried it, I urge you to give it a shot."
Take a fresh, wild-caught salmon, pin it securely to an aromatic, seasoned cedar-wood plank, and roast it directly over the open flames of a wood fire until it's wonderfully smoky, flaky and tender.
As a bonus, because Oregon Pinot Noir is naturally blessed with bright, refreshing acidity and a delicate, silky structure, it cuts through the rich, oily goodness of the salmon beautifully.
Ready to stamp your wine passport?
You don’t need a long-haul flight to experience the magic of the Pacific Coast. Every bottle crafted by these US icons is a ticket to cooling delta breezes, historic gold-rush towns, and misty emerald forests they call home.
But if you are heading stateside, Stephen and Scott would love to show you their backyard in the flesh. Head over to our Cellar Door page to book a tasting or map out an insider's tour through the stunning hills of the Umpqua Valley. As Scott beautifully sums it up:
"From a young age, I just fell in love with Oregon and as I was studying wine, I hoped to establish a winery of my own here someday. 13 years ago, that came to fruition. And I've been lucky enough to move my family up here and make wines for Naked Wines for the last 12 years.
It's a spectacular place to grow your own food, live off the land, and be able to raise a family all the while doing what I love, which is making great wine.”
Yep, there are worse ways (and places) to make a living...
