An elderly man and woman standing outdoors on a sunny day, smiling. The man has white hair, sunglasses, and a dark blue sweater. The woman has short brown hair and is wearing a cream-colored sweater. They are hugging and standing in a garden with trees and plants.

A Life Shaped by Exploration

Our first real exploration into the world of wine began back in the 1970s, when Scott and I traveled through various wine regions of California. We loved listening to the owners of small wineries as they shared their journeys into winemaking. At the time, we could only dream of having a similar experience ourselves.

Because of Scott’s job with the Foreign Service, we had the opportunity to live in Brazil from 1990 to 1992 and in Hong Kong from 1996 to 2002. Living and traveling through so many different parts of the world allowed our palates to expand far beyond California. We tasted wines from South America, New Zealand, Australia, Israel, Romania, Croatia, Italy, Spain, and France. Each place added something new to our appreciation and understanding of wine.

For the Love of Grapes…

Sunset over winding mountain road with lush green hills and rocky terrain.
Multiple international flags on flagpoles against a cloudy sky.

A Dream that Refused to Die

When we returned to the United States in 2002 and settled again in San Diego County, the idea of growing our own grapes and making our own wine resurfaced. But suburbia didn’t offer much space for planting anything meaningful. So in 2003, while Scott was on a short‑term assignment in Afghanistan, I began exploring the real estate market in San Diego’s East County. During one phone call, I told him I had made a decision — I had purchased a 2.5‑acre property in the southwest corner of Ramona, California.

A True Family Operation

Christopher & Jessica

A smiling couple outdoors, with mountains and trees in the background. The man has long, wavy hair and is wearing a dark sweater, while the woman has purple hair and is wearing a black sweater and ripped jeans.

We call our son, Christopher, “The palate.”

He can identify flavors by tasting mindfully, explaining their diversity, and using all his senses to notice aroma, texture, and appearance.

Jessica is the talent behind the beautiful labels that adorn our bottles, and together, she and Christopher can write the wine description on the side of our labels.

Again, we are so grateful for their talents and support.

Mark & Ciara

Despite Ciara and Mark’s jobs and transitions every two years, they have been able to assist with the logistics of harvest, bottling, and labeling. Preparations for harvest include moving multiple pieces of machinery out of storage and sterilizing everything. We are so grateful for their commitment to the winery.

A smiling couple sitting on a bench in a black wooden gazebo outdoors with trees and autumn foliage in the background.

Learning, Growing, and Joining a Community

We moved to Ramona in 2004 and planted our first grapes in 2005. We joined the Ramona Valley Vintners Association and met countless knowledgeable, gracious individuals who were willing to share their expertise. Scott took weekend classes at UC Davis and talked to as many of the founding fathers of Ramona’s wine industry as he could. Their guidance was priceless.

Medals hanging from a wooden display board, awarded at a wine competition, with some medals labeled 'Gold' and others with a grapevine design.

From Amateur Harvests to Commercial Success

Our first harvest as amateur winemakers came in 2009. A decade later, in 2019, we became commercial. We’re small, but we now sell and ship to 39 states. This is truly a family‑run operation — our son Christopher and his wife Jessica, our daughter Ciara and her husband Mark, and my brother Michael and his wife Linda all play a part.

We participate in wine competitions and fairs, though we’re much too small for a tasting room. Even so, we’ve been honored with Gold Medals at the Sunset Magazine International Competition, the Orange County Fair, and the Toast of the Coast Competition.

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Bunch of grapes hanging on a vine in sunlight with a blurred background.

Over the Years…

Green grapevine with clusters of unripe green grapes in a vineyard.
A homebrewing setup with a fermentation bucket, a wrapped fermentation vessel, and tubing for extracting beer.
Snow-capped mountain in the background with green trees and plants in the foreground, including a vineyard fence.
Vineyard with rows of grapevines on a hillside, with mountains and cloudy sky in the background.
Vineyard with grapevines and trees showing fall foliage under a clear blue sky.
A man in a black mask and glasses harvests grapes in a vineyard, holding a large orange bucket over his shoulder, with vineyard rows and green leaves in the background.
A scenic view of a vineyard with grapevines supported by wooden posts, a stone pathway, and potted plants. Trees with green leaves and some with autumn colors are visible in the background, under a bright, sunny sky.
Vineyard with rows of grapevines under a clear blue sky.
A man wearing a wide-brimmed hat, face mask, glasses, black long-sleeve shirt, jeans, and blue gloves is working in a vineyard, tending to grapevines next to an orange bucket, during daytime.
Four bottles of rosé wine from Farquar Family Winery, 2019, with a label featuring a large tree, on a kitchen counter.
Cluster of ripe purple grapes hanging from a vine among green leaves.
Person pouring crushed grapes into a wine or juice extraction machine in a winery or brewery setting.
A woman and man smiling at a food event, wearing aprons with a tree logo, woman holding a glass of red wine, background has pink cursive text.
Vineyard workers harvesting grapes on a foggy day, some sitting in a cart and others picking grapes along the rows.
Two people working in a vineyard, harvesting grapes with buckets placed on the ground, surrounded by green grapevines and a cloudy sky.
Person using a machine to harvest black grapes.
A grapevine with clusters of unripe green grapes growing among green leaves.
Grape stomping process with grapes and crushed grape skins around a metal spindle in a large container.
Bunches of grapes in red buckets at a vineyard or farm.
Woman in a vineyard holding a cluster of dark grapes, wearing a gray face mask, blue gloves, a light jacket, and a black cap with an orange logo.
A grapevine branch with young green leaves and small grape clusters growing on it, in a vineyard.
Black olives being crushed or mixed with a metal tool in a large container
Friends and family eating lunch after helping in the vineyards
Cabernet Sauvignon wine label
Family and friends working in the Farquar Family Winery inspecting grapevines on a sunny day.
Five bottles of Farquar Family Wine are lined up on a table with Ramona in the background, rose and red wines.
Farquar Family Winery gathers with its family at a pouring event
Luscious grapes hanging from the vines

“Farquar wines are crafted not only for exceptional flavor but also with careful attention to quality throughout the winemaking process. While individual sensitivities vary, many of our customers tell us they enjoy our wines with fewer headaches than they experience with other wines.”

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