To us, ‘Beyond Expectations’ isn’t a tagline—it’s a promise. It means we show up with heart, dream big, and deliver experiences that surprise, spark connection, and leave a lasting impression.
In Italy, you never eat or drink alone. You are always in the company of family and friends. Your friends are like family, your neighbors are friends, and their friends are your friends. Everyone is welcome and cared for, even if they’ve just met. At Domenico, this is how we approach every interaction with our team, our partners, and our guests. We know their names, we listen to their stories, we take the time to get to know them, and we take pride in caring for them.
That’s hospitality, the Italian way.
At Domenico Winery, winemaking is both a craft and a calling. For the love of his Italian heritage, founder and winemaker Dominick Chirichillo has built a portfolio that proudly highlights Cal-Italia varietals—Primitivo, Aglianico, Montepulciano, Barbera, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Nero d’Avola, and Sagrantino—alongside California-grown classics like Zinfandel, Syrah, and Chardonnay.
We currently produce more than 20 varietals in-house, sourcing premium grapes from some of the state’s most celebrated AVAs, including Napa Valley, Sonoma Coast, Santa Cruz Mountains, Shenandoah Valley, Lodi, and Woodbridge. With over 500 medals earned for our wines, every bottle tells a story—of where it’s grown, how it’s made, and the people who make it matter.
Tucked into the rolling hills of Amador County in the Sierra Foothills, our vineyard is where the magic begins. Here, under wide-open skies and golden light, we grow some of our most beloved estate wines, each vine rooted in rich soil and generations of passion—including Syrah, Primitivo, Montepulciano, Aglianico, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Nero d’Avola.
Just steps away, our modern Estate House stands as a gathering place for tastings, celebrations, and moments that connect you to the land, the wine, and the story behind every bottle.
“Tra il dire ed il fare c’è di mezzo il mare…”
Between saying and doing there is an entire ocean.
ALL IN, ALL HEART
Fueled by a deep sense of purpose and genuine care for our people and our work, we show up with our best every day. We dive in fully, with passion and determination guiding us in everything we take on.
1955
Dominick (Domenico in Italian) was introduced to these traditions by his Nonno (grandfather), Domenico Giovinazzo in New York in 1955. In the basement of their home was a wine press that Nonno showed Dominick, passing down from one generation to another the love of handcrafting wine.
1977
Dominick, a licensed real estate broker, starts Aqua View Realty in Seaside Heights, NJ focusing on sales, rentals and real estate development.
1979
Dominick’s brother introduces him to Gloria. They went out to dinner and dancing…and fell in love on the dance floor. Dominick hired Gloria as the company’s bookkeeper, and the rest is history.
1982
Dominick and Gloria are married with their reception held at the Shadowbrook Restaurant in Shrewsbury, NJ
1990
Dominick opens the Bacchus School of Wine, the first commercial winemaking school in New Jersey, where anyone who wanted to learn the art of winemaking could make a barrel. Dominick later franchises this concept and launches five Bacchus locations throughout New Jersey.
1997
The Chirichillo family moves to Northern California where Dominick’s passion for winemaking takes him from amateur competitions on the East Coast to commercial status. The move enabled Dominick to choose his grapes personally from select vineyards in Napa Valley, Sonoma’s Central Coast, Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, Amador County and the Lodi District.
2000
Dominick plants his own 8-acre Sierra Foothills vineyard in Amador County, taking a hands-on role in grape growing. He practices sustainable farming, producing Estate Syrah and Primitivo. His passion shows in crafting limited-production Cal-Italia wines like Barbera, Sangiovese, and Aglianico.
2004
Dominick and Gloria purchase a building in San Carlos, CA, and begin renovations. Domenico Winery and Bacchus Winemaking Club are born in 2004, sharing their passion for wine. The club lets members create custom wines, with over 300,000 cases made by amateur winemakers across both coasts.
2005
On Mother’s Day weekend, Domenico releases its first commercial wine. Now an award-winning urban winery in San Carlos, it offers tastings, wine clubs, blending sessions, cooking classes, and custom bottling experiences through Bacchus Winemaking Club.
2019
A new Domenico is born. 2017 – 2019 a major renovation takes place inside and out, creating separate spaces for events, dining and tasting. The Osteria at Domenico opens as a beautiful, playful eatery and wine bar, designed by Gloria. Inspired by the tradition of Italian Osterie, the restaurant offers timeless fare such as cicchetti (small plates), pizza from the Osteria’s stone hearth pizza oven, casual bites, salads, pastas, entrées, wine, and espresso – along with a to-go menu.
2022
The stage is set! Construction begins on a 6,500 sq. ft. tasting room and event venue in Amador. The first floor features a farmhouse vibe with modern touches—stone, whitewashed wood, brass, a 9-ft fireplace, and Brazilian Quartzite. Upstairs includes bridal suites and mezzanine balconies.
2024
The spring marks the opening of their second tasting room – Domenico Winery – Amador County, a vineyard, tasting room and event space. With its beautiful setting nestled into the hills of Amador County, Domenico Winery becomes a destination winery for parties, family gatherings and weddings of all sizes.
Domenico Winery is—and has always been—a family affair. Founded by Dominick and Gloria Chirichillo, and now joined by the next generation, we’ve built this business on passion, perseverance, and a deep love for bringing people together.
From our roots in Italian winemaking to the vibrant experiences we create today, every bottle we craft and every guest we welcome is part of a legacy that’s still being written—one filled with heart, hustle, and a whole lot of good wine.
DOMINICK CHIRICHILLO
Owner & Winemaker
GLORIA CHIRICHILLO
Owner & CFO
NICK CHIRICHILLO
Chief Energy Officer
MATTY CHIRICHILLO
Family Member
MARINA PATTON
Chief Operating Officer
JASMINE CHIRICHILLO
Administrative Assistant & Graphic Designer
Passionate about wine, hospitality, and making things happen? Come be part of the family.
