Meet the Winemaker

California winemaker Ron Tamez lives and works at Hamilton Oaks, his Orange County vineyard, where he’s been growing grapes and producing and bottling wine for two decades. He has won a host of coveted awards for his Hamilton Oaks Vineyard wines at prestigious competitions including the Grand Harvest Awards, the LA County Fair, the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition and the International Eastern Competition.

Ron’s wines are served at some of the West Coast’s most notable hotels and restaurants, including the tony Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach; several locations of the venerable Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse; the trendy French 75 restaurant; and the renowned Pascal’s.

With his refined palate and formal training in viticulture, Ron has a talent for developing varietal blends that offer a unique twist on perennial favorites, including Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to name a few. For wine lovers seeking a truly original experience, Ron creates whimsical blends, like his Melange du Sud, that artfully combine exotic varietals and take winemaking to a level where large corporate labels dare not go.

In his newest venture, Ron has teamed up with Graves Family Vineyard, headed by Orange County, California-based entrepreneur Jeff Graves, to introduce a new line of ultra-premium wines under the Jumping Vines label.

Ron’s Hamilton Oaks Vineyard, located in the heart of the South Coast AVA growing zone, has been ideal for cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon vines. In addition to his own harvest, Ron seeks out small-batch harvests from other family-owned vineyards. He travels California’s most renowned viticultural regions throughout the year in search of quality fruit that will ultimately make for a complex wine with unique flavors and aromas that satisfy his palate. It is, perhaps, this dedication to craftsmanship that has helped Ron win an international following among wine enthusiasts.