Martha Stoumen did not grow up in wine country. She studied geography at UCLA, then apprenticed through six years of harvests across Tuscany, Australia, France, Sicily, and New Zealand before enrolling at UC Davis for a master's in enology and viticulture. She founded Martha Stoumen Wines in 2014 with a deliberate question as its mission: what does California taste like without manipulation? Her first vintage shipped in 2017. By 2018 she had sold out of 2,500 cases.
The Region
Stoumen sources from a collection of Northern California sites that most producers overlook. Mendocino County — warm, dry, and organically farmed by multi-generation families — provides the backbone of her range. Contra Costa County and Suisun Valley contribute old-vine material of striking character. She leases and farms roughly half of her vineyards directly; the rest comes from growers who share her commitment to dry farming and organic methods, certified or not.
Vineyards & Farming
Every site Martha works is farmed without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. Dry farming — no irrigation — is a non-negotiable: it forces roots deep and keeps yields in check. She uses compost over synthetic inputs and encourages predatory insects rather than chemical pest management. The result is sites that bear the unmistakable character of their specific place and vintage rather than the uniformity of managed agriculture.
Winemaking
In the cellar, native yeast fermentation drives everything. No commercial yeasts, no additives, no manipulation. A small amount of sulfur — typically below 35 ppm total — may be added before bottling; otherwise the wines go untouched. Unfiltered and unfined, they carry the living texture and complexity that only microbiologically active wines develop over time. Martha describes the philosophy as one of patience: letting the process unfold rather than controlling it.
The Wines
The Post-Flirtation range — a pun on "post-filtration" — includes Carignan, Nero d'Avola, Negroamaro, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and white and rosé bottlings. Mediterranean-origin varieties appear alongside California classics, all handled with the same restraint. The wines are light in alcohol, vibrant in acidity, and built for the table rather than the trophy shelf.
