Raise your glass and sip fine complimentary selections from the Puma Road Winery, see you on the stage!

The Franscioni family has worked the Salinas Valley soil for four generations. In the early 1890s, Silvio Franscioni Sr. settled a ranch outside of Gonzales with his beloved wife Maria and their children. What began as a dairy operation developed into a row crop farm. The owner of Puma Road winery, Ray Franscioni–Silvio’s grandson, is keeping the farming tradition vibrant and alive. His business ambitions reached beyond raising dairy cows and farming lettuce. While growing 6,000 acres of row crops, he decided to embark on a vineyard operation in the early 1990s.

For more than 20 years, Franscioni has been a prominent grape-grower in the Monterey County region. His operation has evolved into growing 2,000 acres of vines while continuing the family row crop business. About half of the grape yield is grown in the Santa Lucia Highlands; the other portion grows in the Paicines AVA.

About a decade after becoming grape growers, the Franscioni’s decided to craft wine themselves. The family produced their first vintage in 2003 under the label RF Wines. More than a decade later, Puma Road Winery now produces 4,500 cases per year. They proudly continue to grow 15 varietals. The winery is a thriving, local-based establishment that strongly reflects the Santa Lucia Highlands as well as the Paicines AVA. The earthy flavors and rich minerality of the soils create the unique wines one can only experience at Puma Road down the River Road Wine Trail.

We invite you to visit our Santa Lucia Highlands tasting room, situated on the original homestead the Franscioni family settled so many years ago. Experience the hospitality and local knowledge upon which we pride ourselves.