Decoy

Decoy was founded in 1985, and Dana Epperson is its winemaker. Decoy Limited was introduced in 2020, focusing on wines from California appellations. Decoy Featherweight was launched in 2024.

In 2012, Decoy acquired Ridgeline Vineyard, and in 2013, it acquired Brownell Vineyard. Ridgeline Vineyard is located on Oak Mountain in the Alexander Valley AVA of Sonoma County, roughly 90 miles north of San Francisco. It spans 44 hillside blocks with elevations reaching nearly 2,000 feet, and is planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux red varieties. Brownell Vineyard is located beside the Russian River near Geyserville, was planted in the early 2000s, and comprises 10 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. Decoy also acquired a winemaking facility in Hopland. During winemaking, Decoy uses open-top punch-downs and lees stirring, and the winemaking team conducts up to 150 individual fermentations each vintage, frequently in five-ton lots.