About Us

Domani Vineyard had been a dream of Howard and Sandra Hickok for many years. With their five children grown it was time to focus on that dream. On a misty January morning in 2003 they began work on their vineyard.

By May of that year they had planted 600 vines in the field above their home in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They chose Pinot Noir. The cooling influence of nearby Monterey Bay and the elevation of nearly 2000 ft. would be perfect for this particular variety of grape. Under the tutelage of their friend, David Gates, five different clones were planted on the hillside to insure them many future wine blending possibilities.

The vines have grown and thrived over the past years under Howard’s meticulous care. He tracks each clone at harvest to record the performance and productivity of each. Dropping clusters at veraison to improve the vigor of the vines and the intensity of flavor of the remaining clusters. His ultimate goal; to produce the best tasting wine from their unique terroir.

In 2005, family and friends came together to help with Domani Vineyard’s small, first harvest. That first vintage won recognition at the Santa Cruz Co. Fair in 2007. Since then, their wines have continued to win awards. They also sell their grapes to Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard and Dragonfly Cellars.