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Frenchtown Farms

@frenchtownfarms

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We grow wine in North Yuba.

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Aaron and Cara Mockrish were searching for a radical reset, and they found it in the rugged hills of Yuba County—just not the way they planned. Aaron was navigating the chaotic frontiers of the cannabis industry, while Cara was burned-out and looking for a grounded alternative to office work. A bottle of 2008 Clos Saron ‘Black Pearl’ changed everything. Struck by its wild, electric energy, they cold-called its maker, Gideon Beinstock, and ended up interning the entire 2015 harvest. What they thought would be an educational stint turned into their calling when the historic Renaissance Vineyard properties suddenly became available. At Gideon's urging, the two novices leapt into the void, leased the land, and birthed Frenchtown Farms.

While Gideon instilled in them the practice of letting wine guide itself, Frenchtown has evolved into a distinct generational voice. Where Gideon’s Clos Saron wines are famously brooding, bulletproof, and built for decades of cellaring, Aaron and Cara coax a more vibrant, immediate, and playful energy out of Sierra soils. They lean heavily into creative co-fermentations—stomping white juice directly onto red skins—resulting in wines that maintain a fierce mountain minerality but pulse with a bright, immediate freshness. Every bottle is crushed by foot, fermented with native yeasts, and aged in neutral oak without pump-overs, fining, or filtration.

But the true engine of Frenchtown is the hyper-deliberate, two-person mule-cart of their labor. Managing the unforgiving estate entirely by hand, Aaron and Cara have created a system where the grueling physical reality of their work and rhythmic, unyielding demands of the seasons act as a vital anchor. In a modern world of digital abstraction, this extreme tactile immersion forces a shared intuition and trust that creates chemistry winemaking beyond anything an E&V program will ever offer. It is, perhaps, this primal cadence of wine that ultimately delivered the reset they were truly seeking.

Meet Aaron and Cara, learn about their head-first leap into wine and taste their rooted life in their wines at Unfiltered. Tickets and festival info here: https://www.donkeyandgoat.com/unfiltered taken in Donkey & Goat Winery by @frenchtownfarms

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4 months ago

Today our team had the chance to sit down with @frenchtownfarms Cara, Aaron & Poppy for a wine tasting ahead of Meet the Winemaker dinner on Thursday 4/30! We can't wait to share this experience with you! taken in Golden Gate Saloon by @frenchtownfarms

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6 months ago

taken in Osprey, Florida by @frenchtownfarms

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6 months ago

A Limited Engagement Dinner Series:
Join us for an intimate evening celebrating place, people, and the power of thoughtful farming at our Meet the Winemaker Dinner Series, a limited engagement designed to bring guests closer to the stories behind the bottle.
Our inaugural dinner welcomes Aaron and Cara Mockrish of Frenchtown Farms, whose wines are grown and crafted on the steep, rocky slopes of California’s North Yuba AVA. Since 2015, they have built a life rooted in the rhythms of the land—farming old, own-rooted, dry-farmed vines and establishing new vineyards by hand in their tiny Gold Rush–era hometown of Frenchtown. Their approach to winemaking is intentionally simple, allowing the rugged Sierra Foothills terroir to speak clearly and honestly in every glass.
This special evening will unfold outdoors on our patio, where guests will enjoy a four-course, wine-paired dinner, thoughtfully designed to complement Frenchtown Farms’ expressive wines. Throughout the night, Aaron and Cara wilL share their journey, their farming philosophy, and the stories behind each pour.
With limited seats in a rare opportunity to engage directly with the wine makers themselves, this dinner is more than a meal. It’s a celebration of community, generosity, and the shared pleasures of exceptional food and wine experienced in the most authentic form. taken in Golden Gate Saloon by @frenchtownfarms

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6 months ago

Join us this Monday to taste through delicious new releases with Aaron of Frenchtown Farms. He’ll guide us through a tasting of four wines with your favorite available to take home! You know we love wines from North Yuba, come and find out why 😘

Ps. Stay tuned for a full calendar of upcoming tastings, special dinners, and other events! by @frenchtownfarms

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7 months ago

We started a YouTube channel!
It’s vineyard asmr…
We are still figuring out how to work a camera and edit stuff properly, but you gotta start somewhere.
New episodes every week this year. Like, Subscribe, Share, and help us grow. taken in Frenchtown, Yuba County, California by @frenchtownfarms

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8 months ago

Happy Valentine's Day! taken in Frenchtown, Yuba County, California by @frenchtownfarms

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8 months ago

New wines in the shop!

Our first fall as a family of three. The storms have arrived, the firewood is split and stacked. Fresh wines ready to ship for your holiday tables.

We ship M/W/F (because UPS only comes out to our little rural community three days a week 😭)

Last call for Thanksgiving orders, plenty of time to get your Christmas & New Year’s wine.

Thank you for shopping small - direct orders are what support our family and keep our holidays merry and bright. taken in Frenchtown, Yuba County, California by @frenchtownfarms

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a year ago

Celebrate Slow Food Terra Madre with us as we taste some of the best food and wine in California! Tickets at https://www.bluerubyfarm.com/happenings #cawine #agritourism #farmstay #farmtofork #localfoods #regenerativefarming by @frenchtownfarms

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a year ago

Grenache taken in Frenchtown, Yuba County, California by @frenchtownfarms

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a year ago

Look who finally decided to show up for work. taken in Frenchtown, Yuba County, California by @frenchtownfarms

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a year ago

Poppy Marilyn Mockrish - 8/7/25 taken in Frenchtown, Yuba County, California by @frenchtownfarms

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a year ago