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Our Story

1932
The original winery is built anticipating the end of Prohibition.
1933
Wooden Valley Winery is founded at the end of Prohibition by brothers Salvador and Manuel Brea.
1934
Mario Lanza and Lena Carlevaro meet in Oakland, CA. Their families both came from the small town of Silvano D’Orba, in northern Italy.
1937
Mario Lanza and Lena Carlevaro meet in Oakland, CA. Their families both came from the small town of Silvano D’Orba, in northern Italy.
1944
Mario joins the Brea brothers as a partner of Wooden Valley Winery.
Mario and Lena settle in Suisun Valley.
Mario worked as a partner in the Oakland Scavenger Company, but he was injured in a workplace accident. His doctor recommended that he move from the Bay Area to a warmer climate. The rest is history…
1946
Mario purchases the ranch next door to the winery. He gradually replaces its 36 acres of pear and prune trees with grapevines. The property would grow to over 300 acres of prime vineyards.
1950
The Lanza supper begins as a Sunday tradition. Today, the family has grown a bit…but we celebrate often.
1955
Mario becomes the sole owner of the business. On a handshake, Mario agrees to keep the name Wooden Valley Winery, named after the road on which it sits. Mario's word is important to the family; we have kept the name just as he promised.
On a handshake, Mario agrees to keep the name Wooden Valley Winery, named after the road on which it sits. Mario's word is important to the family; we have kept the name just as he promised.
1955
Lena handles the accounts and runs the tasting room. Lena is the inspiration behind our unique brand of Lanza-style hospitality. She never forgot a name and always greeted guests like they were members of her family.
1958
Mario and Lena’s son Richard (Chick) Lanza begins working for the family business.
1960
Mario and Lena’s son Richard (Chick) Lanza begins working for the family business.
1960
Mario and Lena sell wine from the tasting room, while Chick delivers wine along a route, much like a milkman, in gallon jugs. His route extends down to the Bay Ares. Just like the milkman, he knows how much to deliver to each stop. If a woman has a large family, well, she gets a lot of wine!
1961
Chick marries Adrienne Struble, and together, they continue to grow the business. Wooden Valley Winery grew, and so did our family, with Chick and Adrienne welcoming four sons. The boys grew up on the land, learning to drive a tractor by the time they were ten years old. As the years passed, they worked hard and grew to understand all of the winery and vineyard operations. Then, with Chick and Adrienne's blessing, each one found his place in the family business. Their full-time involvement provided the impetus for the conversion to premium wines.
1970
The first new tractor is purchased, with many more to come.
1970
The Barrel Room/Warehouse is built to accommodate our future production growth.
1976
Our Tank Room/Fermenting Cellar is built to expand production & winemaking capabilities.
1977
A new tasting room is built. The newly enlarged tasting room was built over the old building. During construction, the old building was dismantled and carried out through the tasting room doors.
1980
Rick Lanza becomes the Winemaker for Wooden Valley Winery.
1982
With hard work and a strong desire to succeed, the Suisun Valley AVA is recognized under the guidance and leadership of Chick Lanza.
1984
Ron Lanza takes on the leadership role as Head of Winery Operations.
1984
Mario Lanza passes away. (1909 - 1984)
1985
Larry Lanza becomes a Vineyard Manager of Lanza Vineyards.
1988
Ken Lanza joins Larry and becomes a Vineyard Manager of Lanza Vineyards.
1994
A 224-acre parcel of the historic Scarlett Ranch is acquired. To date, this was the largest single purchase of land for Lanza Vineyards. Having worked on the thousand-acre Scarlett Ranch in his youth, owning this parcel was a dream come true for Chick.
1994
Our tasting room gets a new look. The focal point of the remodel was a new bar handcrafted using 100-year-old redwood wine tanks. The solid 35-foot-long bar top was so heavy it took eight men to put it in place. The wine displays behind the bar were crafted using the same redwood.
2000
New bottling line is installed. A significant move for the business, this new system would only accommodate 750ml bottles, moving our focus toward ultra-premium wines.
2003
Wooden Valley’s Wine Club is created. In February of 2003, we shipped our first wine club selection to a small number of loyal customers. Since that first shipment, our club has grown to nearly 2000 members.
2007
Wooden Valley Winery & Vineyards expands its grape and bulk wine sales to the Eastern United States...servicing home winemakers, bulk wine sales, and private label programs.
2008
Wooden Valley Winery celebrates its 75th Anniversary.
2009
Driven by the demand of our East Coast customers, Lanza Vineyards begins an Italian varietal program, planting Sangiovese and Primitivo grapes.
2011
Lena Lanza passes away. (1914- 2011)
2012
Our Italian varietal collection is expanded with the addition of Barbera.
2017
Lanza Vineyards is certified as a California Sustainable Winegrower.
2018
The celebration of our 85th Anniversary.
2021
Our beautiful Suisun Valley has become a destination for wine enthusiasts, and we see new faces every day. With this in mind, the beautifully remodeled space expands our tasting area and increases the outdoor space to accommodate more guests. Our look may have changed, but our values and Lanza-style hospitality have not!