Wine lover and rock star, Dave Meniketti, had been tempted by friends in the wine industry to start his own brand of fine wines. So with his wife, Jill, he started Meniketti Wines, sourcing grapes from premium California vineyards in the renowned Santa Lucia Highlands and Monterey appellations. Like everything Dave does in music and in life, he approaches wine with passion and taste.
“After many years of traveling and tasting wines all over the world, Jill and I strive to produce wines that impress our palates and make us proud. We’re truly excited to make these fine wines available to you.”
– Dave Meniketti
We aim for eco-friendliness wherever possible.
- We buy our grapes directly from vineyards that implement SIP (Sustainable in Practice) certified farming. We’re proud to support farmers who are certified as practicing sustainability.
- We bottle our wines with lighter weight glass (manufactured in the USA), which requires less energy and less water to produce, resulting in a reduced carbon footprint.
- We bottle using 100% natural cork, which is a biodegradable and renewable resource. Natural corks can be composted or recycled at these locations.
- Our wines are vegan. We do not use animal products to fine the wines.
Family-owned.
Dave Meniketti is the lead singer, lead guitarist, principal songwriter, and founder of the globetrotting rock band, Y&T.
Jill Meniketti is the manager for rock band Y&T, plus, she’s an author.
How We Got Here
Dave Starts What Becomes The Iconic San Francisco Bay Area Rock Band Y&T
First World Tour
Growing in popularity, Dave’s band, Y&T, records Black Tiger—their second album for A&M Records—in England and embarks on their first-ever world tour.
For the second time, Y&T tours with AC/DC.
Like other bands that later become big names, Motley Crue opens up for Y&T—Yeah, you read that right, Motley Crue opened the show for headliners Y&T.
First Music Video & More
Y&T’s first music video Mean Streak (from their 3rd album on A&M Records) hits MTV and radio worldwide. Y&T is on some of the world’s biggest tours, including DIO in the US and Ozzy in Europe.
Dave wins a Bammy Award for Best Bay Area Guitarist, beating out other great players, such as Neal Schon (Journey), Craig Chaquico (Starship).
Marriage & TV
After several years of dating, Dave and Jill get married.
Dave and band appear on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.
Hits & More Touring
Y&T’s Summertime Girls single and the accompanying good-humored music video become a huge hit on MTV and radio worldwide. With a popular song soaring in the charts, Y&T has a big touring year first with Motley Crue and then with Aerosmith.
Y&T plays Bill’s Graham’s iconic (and sold out) Day on the Green at the Oakland Coliseum for 66,000 Bay Area fans.
Y&T continues recording & touring the world
You get the idea—now that you know how cool Dave is 😎, we’re glossing over this batch of years to get closer to the wine stuff . . . 🤘😃🥂🍷
When in Rome
Not yet wine afficionados, on a family trip to Italy, Dave and Jill decide to join the family in drinking wine at each dinner . . . and they fall in love with Italian wines. From this moment, the quest is on to find excellent wine.
A World of Tastes
After the ’90s grunge-era kicked rock music to the curb, the genre (now deemed “classic rock”) experiences a strong resurgence, and Y&T resumes extensive world touring. This presents Dave and Jill with the perfect opportunity to expand their palates and explore exceptional wines around the world.
This is *not* Spinal Tap
Ready to part ways with their longtime manager, Y&T’s drummer, Leonard Haze, suggests asking Jill to manage the band. The other members agree, but Dave is hesitant—not that he doesn’t think she can handle it, but only because he knows his wife is a workaholic. Once Jill kicks their asses in her first year of management, Dave is quite pleased to have his wife at the helm.
OK, just sneaking this in to gloat a little
Dave is ranked in the Top Five position of the San Jose Mercury News and East Bay Times list of the Bay Area’s 25 Greatest Guitar Players.
Around the world with wine & song
As Y&T continues touring the world each year, Dave & Jill continue to explore Europe’s many wine regions, finding new favorites time and again.
The Temptation of Dave
Friends in the local wine industry start suggesting that Dave’s palate is so good he should produce his own wines. Dave has no interest in being another rock star who just slaps his own label on any old bottle of wine. But over the next few years, industry friends continue to insist they can help Dave produce his own wines.
We get our groove on
Jill’s first novel, Welcome to Groove House, is published . . .
. . . And Meniketti Wines is born. Thanks to help from wine industry friends at Testarossa Winery, Dave decides to move forward with his own brand of wines. Meniketti Wines’ inaugural release features a 2013 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Grapes & Barrels
Meniketti Wines goes all in, moving away from Testarossa and hiring supreme winemaker Sabrine Rodems, leasing cellar space at the foot of the Santa Lucia Highlands, striking deals directly with premium grape farmers, and purchasing French oak barrels directly from a premier cooperage in France.
We won!
For the first time ever, Meniketti Wines enters a wine competition—the 2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (the largest wine competition in North America)—and wins two medals: a Silver (2017 Temptation Rosé) and a Bronze (2016 Forever Pinot Noir).
Also, the long-awaited Y&T documentary—Y&T: On With the Show—is released.
Five for the Win
Meniketti Wines wins five medals in the 2020 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (the largest wine competition in North America): three Golds (2018 Temptation Rosé, 2017 Forever Pinot Noir, 2018 Black Tiger Syrah) and two Silvers (2018 Shine On Sauvignon Blanc, 2017 Contagious Chardonnay).
