The beginning….

After purchasing a home in Carmel Valley, California, situated on five acres including an extreme hillside slope behind the house, a determination was made that a landslide could occur from the hillside above the house. In order to protect the property, vegetation needed to be planted throughout the hillside. Considering the southwest facing slope, with a soil composition of medium loams and chalk rock, it was determined the best vegetation would be grape vines with the typical European style cross-hill terracing. And so began the journey into winemaking.

The first vines planted on the hillside in 1987 named after Frank’s first born son, Russell, created the vineyard which produces the estate cabernet for Russell’s Vineyard. In 1993, a second vineyard was planted on the hillside above Russell’s on a forty-one degree hillside and named after Frank’s second son, Michael. This vineyard produces the estate merlot, known as Michael’s Merlot. An additional vineyard was added in 1997 located in the front of the family home producing the Joyce Estate Pinot Noir.

In a small winery located on the property, Dr, Frank Joyce, a successful local dentist, discovered an unknown talent for turning the grapes into fine, premium wines. After studying with such noted winemakers as Paul Hobbs of Paul Hobbs Wines and Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead, he decided to pursue wine making in addition to dentistry.

In addition to the estate wines as early as 1996, Frank began purchasing grapes from select vineyards from which he produced a fine pinot noir and merlot from the Monterey appellation. Subsequently in 2002, Frank started purchasing premium cabernet sauvignon grapes from the Pedregal vineyard in the San Benito appellation and syrah grapes from the famed Mesa Del Sol vineyard in the arroyo seca appellation.

As the production of wine grew, the winery was relocated to a larger facility in Salinas, California. Today, the winery produces four pinot noirs, two merlots, two cabernet sauvignons, one chardonnay, one syrah and one pudding wine.