Four Ponds Estate Winery
Suzi Raposa never dreamed that she would one day own a boutique winery. But from the moment her feet landed on the former Spinetta family property on Steiner Road, she knew she had found her destiny.
She was on the cusp of adolescence when she and her family arrived in the U.S. as refugees from Laos, a small Southeast Asian country bordered by Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. They owned few possessions and didn’t speak English. Her family settled in California, and Suzi eventually earned a degree in physical therapy. She’s been a physical therapist since 1995, and still loves it. But with her children starting to leave the nest, Suzi began to think about what she wanted to do next. Where did she want to spend the rest of her life?
She wanted a peaceful setting. She wanted to return to nature. The first time she stood on the hill overlooking the 80-acre Spinetta family estate, she scanned the 24 acres of vineyards below her and felt the gentle breeze against her skin. She knew that it was exactly what she had been looking for.
Every bottle of wine tells a story...
Suzi’s entry into winemaking takes her back to her girlhood days of watching her grandfather — a rice farmer — work. He tilled the fields with a plow pulled by a water buffalo, while Suzi followed behind, catching small freshwater crabs among the weeds. A walk through the Four Ponds vineyards reminds her of what those rice fields smelled like, how the earth felt between her fingers, and the peaceful silence of farm work.
This second act adventure of hers is cultivated with love, the support of longstanding friendships and a close team with a shared dream and the desire to bring people together over great wine.
In Lao culture, water holds symbolic and practical importance. It’s often used in ceremonies to bring blessings and good luck. And it’s necessary to perpetuate life and support growth. Inspired by the four ponds that lend life to her land, Suzi is transforming this vineyard in the heart of the Sierra foothills. She’s crafting a new legacy that — at its heart — is about the connection between friends, family, and the sacred land itself.
Every bottle of wine tells a story of collaboration and passion, crafted to bring people together for unforgettable moments.
Cheers!
