About Us
Our family motto is “Do Good Things and Be Good People.”
We are a family that cares deeply about each other and the positive influence we can have on our world. This translates into how we want to serve the people who buy our wines. We strive to be good stewards of what we have been given, the land that we farm, and the wine we make.
Regenerative Agriculture
In our style of winemaking begins with the soil and improving soil health through sound organic practices.
Natural Wine
When a winemaker receives high quality organic grapes, there should be little intervention needed during fermentation and the barrel aging of the wine. Healthy soils and organic grapes are the key to success.
Limited Production
As a small family winery, we limit our production so we can focus on producing quality wine in small batches best representing the terroir of the higher elevation Sierra Foothills.
The Andersonia Story
Brandy, a graduate student in soil science, met Shauna, an international jazz singer, and right away he knew she was The One, and (long story short) they were married in February, 2003.
After Brandy and Shauna relocated to California from New England, Shauna’s Uncle Bob, a wine distributor, had raved about an unconventional winemaker in Sonoma California. Tony Coturri. Uncle Bob insisted they visit the Coturri winery during his next visit to California. Tony, known by some as the godfather of natural wine in California, uses only organically produced grapes and native yeasts, and no chemical interventions in the winemaking process.
This practice of making wine resonated with Brandy, who had learned about the importance of working with the natural dynamics of agroecosystems. He recognized low-intervention winemaking practices, using only naturally-occurring, native yeasts for fermentation, and organically-grown grapes, created a greater connection between the agricultural product and the land.
In 2017, Shauna and Brandy purchased a property in Fiddletown, CA in the heart of the Sierra Foothills winemaking region. This small town has a big reputation with winemakers for producing grapes that make some of the highest quality wines in California. This Andersonia vineyard property shares ¼ mile of river frontage along the South Fork of the Cosumnes River, and is slated to be planted with Grenache 362, Syrah, and Mourvedre in 2025.
The history of Andersonia’s name itself began in 1902 when Brandy’s great grandfather, Henry Neff Anderson, purchased 10,000 acres of redwood forest in Mendocino County, now called Andersonia. Over the next 60 years, the Andersonia Lumber Company grew to about 20,000 acres when it later was sold off in several parcels over time. The last parcel of Andersonia was sold in 2020 when Brandy’s father, Hap Anderson, negotiated the sale of 523 acres of Andersonia West, an old-growth redwood forest, to Save the Redwoods League. This was a collaborative effort led by Save the Redwoods League, involving California public land agencies, PG&E, InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, and the Anderson family.
In 2022, this historic transfer of the remaining Andersonia West redwood forest to the Sinkyone tribe made national news, with articles written about it in NPR, National Geographic, CNN, the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the LA Times. As a nod to the original Andersonia Lumber Company, Brandy digitally preserved the original circular logo design from an original Andersonia letterhead, illustrating the letters A-L-C.
Our Family
Brandy
Winemaker
Brandy’s motto in the winery is “Let’s keep things simple.” Brandy approaches winemaking from a different perspective than most conventional winemakers. The diversity of soil and climate in the Sierra Foothills and the growing number of organic vineyards, Brandy is fortunate to make wine with some of the best organic grapes in California.
Similar to food, excellent meals are only made with high quality ingredients. Brandy is not shy about reminding people that the grape farmer is the most important person in the production of wine. With a background in Botany (UC Santa Barbara) and Soil Science (Ph.D., University of Vermont), he is careful to select only the highest quality organic grapes for Andersonia.
As a winemaker in a small winery, Brandy is involved in every step of the production, from grape production, fermentation, bottling and in sales in the Andersonia tasting room.
Shauna
Marketing & Sales
Shauna keeps all of the wine orders fulfilled and oversees the wine club, winery events, and is the official taste tester of all of Brandy’s wines.
While Brandy was studying soil in Vermont, Shauna was touring the US and Europe with her band where she learned the importance of marketing before the internet was a thing.
If something is of the best quality, selling it is easy. Andersonia Wines are the among the best naturally fermented wines in California. She wants to make the process of buying Andersonia wine as easy as possible.
Shauna still loves playing music and is looking forward to hosting music events at the winery. She also spends time crafting Spotify Playlists called “Bud to Barrel” – their favorite songs from the year’s vintage. To learn more, scroll down!
Budd
Intern / Dad’s helper
Budd loves helping his dad with anything at the winery, but his favorite job is mixing the grape must during fermentation. When in school, he looks forward to art, math, and handwork classes. When not making wine or in school, you can find Budd shooting hoops at the basketball court and playing video games with his friends.
Fun fact: Budd learned how to make Cab Franc before he learned how to read.
Our Spotify Playlists
Music is an important part of the Anderson family! While Brandy grows and bottles the grapes, Shauna explores the depths of the musical landscape and compiles songs that pique her interest and ear.
As we reflect on the musical landscape of each year, it’s fascinating to compare it to the concept of terroir in a vineyard. Just as the soil, climate, and topography of a vineyard can shape the unique characteristics of a wine, the cultural influences, societal events, and technological advancements of a given year can shape the sounds and styles of the music that emerges.
Shauna curates songs released from the time that bud breaks on the vine until the grapes are bottled. We then release each yearly playlist when that vintage of wine is released.
Just like a wine connoisseur can taste the terroir in a glass of wine, music lovers can hear the influences of the year in the songs they listen to. Cheers to another year of great music and to the unique sounds and styles that will continue to shape the musical terroir of our time.
2021
During the 2021 year, we saw a diverse array of musical styles and influences, from hints of the smooth and complex notes of neo-soul to the bold and robust rhythms of hip-hop and afro-pop. We’ve also seen the continued evolution of technology and the internet play a significant role in the way music is created, distributed, and consumed. There were quite a few remakes of songs from the past with a new twist.
Enjoy our 2021 Zinfandel along with our handcrafted playlists curated with songs that moved us from Bud to Barrel in 2021.
Explore Andersonia!
Located in the heart of downtown Camino, we are only 2 minutes from Highway 50 (Cedar Grove exit), stop by on the way to Tahoe and grab a bottle (or more) to bring up the hill!