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Cuda Ridge Wines
LIVERMORE VALLEY
Cuda Ridge Wines was inspired from a love affair—with a car. A 1970 plum
crazy purple Barracuda, to be exact. In the 1990s, Larry and Margie Dino were
looking to buy some property in Sonoma. The couple took a long, frustrating
drive to see the property but the land had a nonnegotiable price. The Dinos
passed on the purchase, but as they were driving home, Larry saw the car
of his dreams for sale on the side of the road. If he couldn't have the land
he wanted, he would at least have the car. Larry made a hefty investment
and spent the next three years having the car restored. Margie called the car
his mistress because it stole so much time, attention, and passion from her
husband.
The year was 1999 and the couple was making wine in their garage, with the
barrel next to the car. Margie said the wine took on the subtle aroma and taste
of the car. So, when they had a bottling party and were trying to come up
with a name for our first home vintage, Larry's car-enthusiast friend naturally
proposed the idea of Cuda Ridge Wines. The couple loved the reference to
their purple beauty and the name stuck. Today, the wine label is the color of
the car, and if you look closely, the ridge on the label is a subliminal drawing
of the car.
In 2003 the Dinos moved to Livermore, planted a small vineyard, and built
a barrel room in the garage. With the home vineyard, and a controlled
environment for storing, the wine became impressive. Four years later, they
rented a humble building on a friend's land in a rural area of Livermore, and
they got all the state and federal licensing and bonding to start producing
FACING PAGE: Proprietors Larry and Margie Dino in front of
Cuda Ridge Wines.
TOP RIGHT: Side photograph of the winery looking from the
vineyard.
Photographs by Frank Anzalone
LIVERMORE VALLEY
