Friends & Family

The Back Story The 'Collins Vineyard' was planted by the Babini family, just after the repeal of prohibition.  Like many local Italian immigrants, they made their money from chickens and prunes.  Planting grapes was more to keep the dirt busy.  Not much else would grow in these poor soils anyway, but Zinfandel doesn't ask for much, and is well suited to California's dry summers, so in the ground it went.  The year was 1934. Come 1980, they were ready to cash in on the real estate boom and retire, so they sold the 10-acre ranch to Michael Collins (for $141K), who three years prior had purchased the 24-acre property across the street (also planted to Zinfandel).  In 1989, the two parcels became one, forming the foundation of Limerick Lane Cellars, the now cult darling of the Zinfandel world. By 2011, Mike was ready to retire, and with no heirs to inherit the business, he decided to sell.  The Collins Vineyard (the 10-acre ranch), however, was not for sale.  So he sold the winery and 24