Andis Wines

Andis Wines was founded in 2009 by Andy Friedlander and Janis Akuna, whose combined first names provide the winery name. Friedlander is a Marine Corps veteran who spent five decades in Hawaii, where he built one of the state's largest commercial real estate firms. Akuna, an MBA who served as a Certified Financial Planner and Wealth Advisor at a prominent Wall Street firm for more than 40 years, serves as CEO of Andis Wines. The couple acquired the property from grower Don Potter in 2009, taking over a vineyard originally planted in 1978 that already carried more than three decades of mature Zinfandel plantings. The winery opened to the public in November 2010 as a solar-powered facility with tasting room, outdoor patio, and small-lot production capability oriented to vineyard-designated bottlings.

• Founded 2009 by Andy Friedlander and Janis Akuna in Plymouth, California Shenandoah Valley AVA, Amador County
• Andy Friedlander: Marine Corps veteran with 50-year Hawaii commercial real estate career; Janis Akuna: 40-plus-year Wall Street Certified Financial Planner and CEO of Andis Wines
• Winery name combines the founders' first names
• Property acquired from grower Don Potter in 2009; vineyard originally planted in 1978
• Solar-powered winery and tasting room opened to the public in November 2010

Andis operates with an estate winemaker working under a high-profile consulting partnership. Mark Fowler joined as Estate Winemaker in 2019 after holding winemaking and viticulture positions in Amador and El Dorado counties for 15 years, most recently as Associate Winemaker and Viticulturist at Skinner Vineyards; his earlier roles included Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Cielo Estate, and Shakeridge Ranch. He oversees daily winemaking operations under the direction of consulting team Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky of Atelier Melka, the Napa Valley consulting practice whose client list includes a number of Napa cult and prestige producers. Lorenzo Muslia, originally from Florence, Italy, joined the team in 2014 and became partner and National Sales Manager; his Tuscan background and engagement with the Italian-variety program have shaped the broader stylistic direction. The combination of in-house Sierra Foothills experience (Fowler), Napa consulting expertise (Melka and Koschitzky), and Italian cultural perspective (Muslia) produces a wine program that bridges multiple traditions.

• Mark Fowler: Estate Winemaker since 2019; prior roles at Skinner Vineyards, Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Cielo Estate, Shakeridge Ranch
• Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky: consulting winemakers via Atelier Melka, providing oversight and stylistic direction
• Lorenzo Muslia: partner and National Sales Manager since 2014; Florence-born background informs Italian-variety program
• Team structure bridges Sierra Foothills viticulture, Napa consulting practice, and Italian cultural perspective

The Andis estate covers approximately 25 acres with around 21 acres farmed at roughly 1,560 feet elevation in the California Shenandoah Valley AVA. Soils are predominantly decomposed granite typical of the appellation. The Zinfandel plantings, which date to 1978 and now exceed 30 years of age, cover 7.25 acres and form the heart of the estate program. Additional estate varieties include Sauvignon Blanc, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. Beyond the estate, Andis sources from a network of grower vineyards across the California Shenandoah Valley, including old-vine Zinfandel plantings that supply material for the Painted Fields blend. The Original Grandpere Vineyard, one of California's oldest documented Zinfandel sites, contributes to single-vineyard bottlings demonstrating the heritage component of the program.

• Approximately 25 estate acres with around 21 farmed at roughly 1,560 feet elevation
• 30-plus-year-old Zinfandel: 7.25 acres planted in 1978, the heart of the estate program
• Estate varieties also include Sauvignon Blanc, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault
• Soils: decomposed granite typical of California Shenandoah Valley AVA
• Grower network supports the Painted Fields blend and includes the historic Original Grandpere Vineyard

The flagship Andis program centers on the Painted Fields line of multi-vineyard California Shenandoah Valley blends, named for the wildflower-covered fields that surround the estate in spring. Painted Fields Old Vine Zinfandel draws on multiple old-vine sources within the appellation and serves as the most widely distributed bottling. Single-vineyard Zinfandel bottlings, including Reserve Di Stasio Vineyard and other named sources, demonstrate site-specific variation across pre-Prohibition and old-vine California Shenandoah Valley plantings. Italian-variety production (Barbera, Primitivo, Sangiovese) reflects the warm-summer Mediterranean climate of the AVA, where Italian varieties have shown strong fit; Barbera in particular has emerged as a critical-recognition driver. The Curse of Knowledge Cabernet Sauvignon expands the program into Bordeaux varieties from estate and sourced fruit. Sauvignon Blanc anchors estate white production. Annual case production sits in the small-producer range, with direct-to-consumer sales and specialist retail and restaurant accounts forming the distribution mix.

• Painted Fields Old Vine Zinfandel: flagship multi-vineyard California Shenandoah Valley blend; the most widely distributed Andis bottling
• Single-vineyard Zinfandel: Reserve Di Stasio Vineyard and additional old-vine California Shenandoah Valley sources
• Italian varieties: Barbera, Primitivo, Sangiovese; Barbera particularly recognized
• Curse of Knowledge Cabernet Sauvignon expands program into Bordeaux varieties
• Sauvignon Blanc anchors estate white production

The Plymouth tasting room at 11000 Shenandoah Road serves as the public face of Andis, offering tasting flights, comparative pours across the Zinfandel sources, and Italian-variety bottlings, with outdoor patio seating overlooking the estate vineyard. The solar-powered facility reflects the founders' sustainability commitments. Andis sits along the well-trafficked Amador County wine route alongside other California Shenandoah Valley AVA producers including Terre Rouge and Easton, Vino Noceto, Sobon Estate, and Renwood, contributing to the cluster of producers that anchor the appellation's modern profile. The estate has built recognition particularly for the Painted Fields Zinfandel program and the Italian-variety bottlings, with reviews scoring in the high-80s to low-90s point range across major American wine publications. The dual identity (Andis estate bottlings plus the broader Painted Fields multi-vineyard program) provides accessible entry points alongside more concentrated single-vineyard expressions.

• Plymouth tasting room at 11000 Shenandoah Road; solar-powered facility with outdoor patio
• Sits along Amador County wine route alongside Terre Rouge, Vino Noceto, Sobon Estate, Renwood
• Painted Fields and Italian-variety bottlings score in the high-80s to low-90s across major American wine publications
• Dual program structure: Painted Fields multi-vineyard line plus Andis estate single-vineyard bottlings