Bill and Alissa Scanlin

6 Lois Lane ~ (925) 200-7676

When Bill Scanlin bought his home in Happy Valley in 1997, his friend looked at the sunny and sloping landscape on the side of the house and said, “You ought to plant a vineyard.” One year later, the vines were in and soon thereafter – with the addition of tanks and crush pads and bottling equipment – a home wine-making business was born.

Bill now has over 600 vines, mostly Cabernet, Cab Franc and Malbec. From these vines and others in the neighborhood, he produces 350 cases of the Deer Hill private label each year, including the 2017 Sangiovese that won “Best of Class” from the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle’s Wine Competition in 2021. All this work is literally done in his “garage.” “From the vine to the bottle, the grapes haven’t moved more than 100 feet in their whole lives,” he says as I partake in an unexpected tasting at 2:00 in the afternoon! As part of the Lamorinda Winegrowers Association, Bill also helps local garden vineyards produce blends and bottle wine from their own harvests.

His wife, Alissa, shares his passion, and they have turned the lower floor of their home into an inviting collaborative space, including a private tasting room and barrel storage. Their two grown sons can often be found lending a hand, crushing grapes on the weekends and making sure the fermentation process is just the right temperature. Bill has kept his day job at a Massachusetts firm training “day traders,” but his hobby is now our gain as a community. “The biggest thrill for me,” says our neighbor, “is the people you meet when you talk about wine.”