The Franscioni family has worked the Salinas Valley soil for four generations. The owner of Puma Road winery, Ray Franscioni–Silvio’s grandson, is keeping the farming tradition vibrant and alive. While growing 6,000 acres of row crops, he embarked on a vineyard operation in the early 1990s. For over 20 years, Franscioni has been a prominent grape grower in the Monterey County region with over 2,000 acres of vines. About half of the grape yield is grown in the Santa Lucia Highlands.
About a decade after becoming grape growers, the Franscioni’s decided to craft wine themselves. The family produced their first vintage in 2003 under the label RF Wines. More than a decade later, Puma Road Winery now produces 4,500 cases yearly. They proudly continue to grow 15 varietals. The earthy flavors and rich minerality of the soils create the unique wines one can only experience at Puma Road down the River Road Wine Trail or in Monterey near the Portola Plaza Hotel.
Puma Road is one of the few winery-based locations that offer accommodations.
