Fontanella Family Winery was a dream in the making since the day Jeff Fontanella, owner and winemaker, had decided to abandon his aspirations of medical school to instead pursue a career in winemaking. His path had been drawn long before it became evident to him, but a serendipitous turn of events that landed him in the halls of UC Davis led him to the career that was unquestionably his calling.

It was the Spring of 2000, after Jeff had cut his teeth in the cellars of Opus One and ZD, that he met his future wife at a Jimmy Buffett concert. Armed with a magnum of ZD Chardonnay, Jeff charmed his way into the heart of an aspiring young attorney who eventually would be his partner in life and business. In 2003, Jeff and Karen married and started a journey toward what would become Fontanella Family Winery.