About Assiduous Wines

The Main Mission:  

To create savory wines that have a sense of place. Wine grapes truly are a product of their environment so why not let that be what it in each glass? When picking a wine growing site I usually look to some sort of outlier soil or climate factor to achieve a uniqueness in the wine. At Assiduous, whether in the vineyard or in the cellar, “less is more” is the approach that has always been taken.

 

The Winemaker: Keegan Mayo

 

I was born on The Big Island of Hawai’i, but moved to Santa Cruz at 8 years of age.  A love of food and wine was implanted over the years during trips back to the islands, and time spent with his father.  While his memories of fishing trips and big cookouts are very much a part of life in Hawai’i, simultaneously, he was being introduced to the world of wine. 

My first introduction into the wine industry was working for a few summers at Split Rail Vineyard in Corralitos. He graduated from UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Program in 2008. While attending school he spent a harvest with Mumm in Napa as a cellar hand and grape sampler.  In 2009, he spent the vintage with Church Road Winery in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, before settling into a nearly nine year tenure with Testarossa Winery, where he eventually became the Assistant Winemaker. 

Now I am excited to be working on my own project in my home town of Santa Cruz and strictly making wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains.