About Us
The art of wine making at Alamitos Vineyards is a family legacy. John Enos Vargas, the maternal grandfather of vineyard proprietor, Shaun Coleman, was a winemaker in the early 1910s on the island of Faial, part of the Azores Islands of Portugal.
After mastering the craft of Azorean wine making, Grandpa Vargas sailed to the United States and settled in Livermore, California in 1923. There he made wine at some of the best-known wineries in the Tri-Valley including Concannon Vineyard, Garatti Winery (Villa Armando), and Cresta Blanca Winery (Wente Vineyards).
While at Cresta Blanca, John made the white wines (including Sauvignon Blanc) for the Old Almaden Winery (Californias first winery) which was located only a few short miles from where Alamitos Vineyards is today.
The pioneering spirit and passion for wine making is shared by Shaun and his partner, Chris Maune. They planted vines to produce wine that honor Shaun’s Grandfather’s legacy – Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and the Portuguese Touriga Nacional grape which is made into a Rosé, and our Umunhum Port, named for the nearby Mount Umunhum and meaning “Resting Place of the Hummingbird” in Ohlone Indian.
The land and the vineyards allow us to connect with the pioneers of yesterday and today as well as all the groundwork they did to create sense of community and belonging. We’re proud to be part of the New Almaden community and to contribute to a future where the pioneer spirit is reinterpreted for our modern world.
Alamitos Vineyards Estate strives to provide a wine tasting and event space experience like none other. Here, visitors can explore, taste, and discover the unique beauty of the San Jose countryside.
California Dreaming
Shaun Coleman & CHris maune, owners/vintners
Shaun is a native of California and the grandson of immigrant winemaker John Vargas from the Azores islands of Portugal. As a successful entrepreneur in the Silicon Valley, Shaun has founded several companies in the software, networking, and aerospace industries, he is also an accomplished engineer, holding over 50 issued US patents. Alongside his technological pursuits, he is a professional race car driver and has a passion for grape cultivation and the production of exceptional wines.
Raised in the Silicon Valley, Chris is a fellow entrepreneur who shares in the passion for wine making as it allows him to connect with his pioneering spirit. Chris worked for several years creating successful startups in the service industry and pulls from this experience to manage many aspects of the vineyard.
After building their legacy of innovation in the space, technology, and service industries, these two forerunners are now taking on the world of wine with great passion and finesse. Shaun and Chris invite you to explore the fruit of history at Alamitos Vineyards.
Winegrowing from soil to cellar
George Troquato, Winemaker
A third-generation vintner, George brings 30 years of winemaking experience from California’s Central Coast. With a degree in Crop Science from Cal Poly, George gained cellar experience working for his father at Troquato Vineyards, J. Lohr, and the Beaujolais region of France. George made the first five vintages of Testarossa wines and has spent three decades leading the winemaking team at Cinnabar Winery.
His winemaking philosophy starts in the vineyard, guided by the understanding that sustainable soils and strategic vineyard practices lay the foundation for a minimal-intervention winemaking style. As a winemaker consultant, George’s holistic approach is framed by a coordinated effort to promote healthy, balanced vines forming the foundation of extraordinary wines from California’s finest growing regions.