Tahnee Shields launched Oest Wines out of a belief that wine is inseparable from the land and the people who tend it. Since going solo in 2023, she has produced a small roster of natural wines that document a specific place, a specific season, and a specific community of farmers in California's Sierra Foothills.
Backstory
Shields' path to winemaking ran through organic farming. After college she spent years on small farms, deepening her understanding of soil health and land stewardship. A chance encounter with neighbor and winemaker Brad Artziniega introduced her to the winemaking world, and in 2019 the two produced the first tiny two-barrel vintage of Oest. The name sits deliberately between East and West, reflecting a project untethered to a single origin. After the 2022 harvest Shields took sole control, became the inaugural tenant at the Les Lunes facility in Richmond, and produced her first fully independent vintage in 2023 from grapes at Ponderosa Vineyard in Nevada City.
The Region
Shields focuses on the North Yuba sub-region of the Sierra Foothills, working among producers including Clos Saron, Frenchtown Farms, and Ellsworth Wines. Vineyards here sit at elevation in granite-influenced soils with warm days and cool nights, producing fruit with concentration and freshness in equal measure. She also sources from Arroyo Seco and Clarksburg, building a cross-regional conversation in each vintage.
Vineyards & Farming
Shields selects growers who practice organic and regenerative farming, prioritizing transparency about land management and harvest labor. She mentored under Gideon Beinstock at Clos Saron, learning to read vineyards and make decisions in the field. Ponderosa Vineyard in Nevada City is her primary source, with grapes arriving in small lots that she vinifies separately to capture individual site character.
Winemaking
Shields works in the natural winemaking tradition: native yeast fermentation, minimal or no added sulfur, no fining or filtration. She uses whole-cluster and maceration techniques where the fruit demands it, and has co-fermented grapes with honey. Wines age in barrel before bottling under straightforward labels that name the vineyard or the technique.
The Wines
Oestwines releases include a deeply hued rose blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, along with separate Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Rachis cuvees. Production remains deliberately small, with each wine labeled by vintage to underscore the project's commitment to place and time over house style.
