Fäsi Estate Winery & Tasting Room

It is the culmination of his long love affair with fine wines, his pioneering spirit, and deep appreciation for California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain foothills. Since immigrating to the United States from Switzerland, Ralph has been a dynamic force in California’s agricultural industry. In 1984 he established his first enterprise, Agrovice, Inc. which specializes in farm real estate management, farm

ing and crop marketing. This initial endeavor led Ralph to create additional operations in California’s agricultural world including Custom Farming, Inc., and Sunfruit, Inc. Simply put, Ralph “got his hands dirty in the field”. He truly understands the land, and appreciates its diverse bounties. In 1994, Ralph co-founded a groundbreaking major software and ticketing company, VisionOne Inc., which to date has multiple offices around the globe and over 180 employees. Despite a variety of successful, rewarding business endeavors, Ralph was committed to fulfilling his true personal dream…to create a family estate offering exquisite wines in the San Joaquin Valley. The quest to find the perfect location to embark on his most passionate venture, Fäsi Estate Winery and Tasting Room, was underway. Initially, he considered several of his favorite places in California: Napa Valley, Sonoma, and the Central Coast. Many beautiful options to consider, however there was one region in particular that continued to enter his mind. A region that offered something special, something not yet discovered, a place with untapped potential. And so, after much research and thought, Ralph was convinced that the only place to realize his dream would be in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Madera County. Madera is steeped in old-world winemaking traditions established by European immigrants (just like Ralph), and is relatively undeveloped and rather unknown. Madera is one of California’s first AVA’s (American Viticultural Area) designated in 1983. The soils, elevation and climate are perfectly suited to tastes and grapes that are found from one of Ralph’s favorite places, the Rhône Valley in France. With this vision in mind, he enlisted the expertise of many seasoned professionals: the late Professor Cesare Fabietti, Ron Brase of AgQuest, Dr. Bob Wample of Fresno State University, and fifth generation winemaker, Carl Wente. In 2000 the Fäsi Estate Vineyard was replanted with Syrah vines and has been farmed organically certified ever since. Also with sustainability as a priority, the electricity for the deep well pump and ranch operation is generated by solar power. The first release of Fäsi Crest Syrah was the 2003 vintage, which has been received extremely well. Each subsequent release has always been awarded the highest honors and medals. In 2012, with absolute confidence that premium wine can be produced in the Central Valley, Ralph established his own winery and tasting room, and retained Claude Bobba from Wente Vineyards to continue the successful endeavor. Bobba also helped develop the Fäsi Crest Syrah Reserve label. Together, they work diligently to nurture the vines into wines that truly sparkle from this little known corner of California’s Gold Country. The team at Fäsi Estate Winery and Tasting Room encourages you to visit our newly renovated boutique Winery & Tasting Room, located just off Highway 41, one hour south of Yosemite National Park and just 15 minutes north of Fresno.