Our road to Ra Ra Wine Co. et al was somewhat circuitous but we got there.
It actually started very early last year, when we were planning our own Historic Vineyard tour. At that time, one of the wineries we reached out to was Saini Vineyards. Unfortunately, our schedule filled up and we were unable to visit them then. But that changed when we visited them last fall, which you can read about here:
Perlises Pick: Saini Vineyards – Eve’s Wine and Spirits 101
A couple of takeaways from that visit…
Saini Vineyards has a rich history and they make delicious wines. We enjoyed the visit immensely.
The Saini Vineyards General Manager is Kara Groom.
Does the name “Groom” mean anything to you? If it doesn’t, where have you been?
Daryl Groom is a winemaking LEGEND, both in Australia and here in California. You can Google him and read all about his amazing career which continues to go strong but this article is about his daughter Kara and her wines.
Kara did not always plan on following in her father’s footsteps into the wine industry. But she eventually did, although her style is definitely her own. Kara’s Dad definitely offers input and guidance but when they disagree, she has the final say. When we met her at Saini, Kara graciously invited us to taste her wines at her home’s patio overlooking the southern Saini Vineyard the next time we came into town, and we are so happy we did!
Kara Marie Wines started in 2018 and eventually became two labels. As Kara says on her website:
“Ra Ra Wine Co. is home to my tried-and-true classics, the wines that started it all! These wines are made with a low-intervention mindset and no oak influence, allowing the fruit to shine. This brand is based on a strong foundation of wines that celebrate the everyday!
Little Ra Ra Ferments allows me to unleash my creative side and keep things fresh year to year! These natural wines are all about experimentation and whimsy, without sacrificing quality. At a production level of 30 cases or less per, these wines truly are here for a good time, not a long time.”
These are the wines we tasted, all under the Ra Ra Wine label and all 100% of the varietal listed, with the exception of the co-ferment noted, which carries the Little Ra Ra Ferments label. They were all bottled this year.
2025 Melon de Bourgogne – Alexander Valley AVA. Grapefruit nose with honeydew notes. Grapes from the Robert Young vineyards in Geyserville. High acid, low sugar and alcohol. Excellent summer porch pounder. 2026 Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge, Best of Class, 98 points. 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Best of Class/Double Gold.
2025 Rosé of Grenache – Dry Creek Valley AVA. Baby pink in color. Buzzing with strawberry notes and acidity. Grapes from the Saini vineyards. 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Double Gold.
2025 Dry Gewürztraminer – Redwood Valley AVA, Mendocino County. Ripe apricot bouquet, fruit salad in a wine glass. First time bottling. 2026 Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge, Best of County, 98 points. 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Double Gold.
2025 Dry Riesling – from the Cole Ranch Vineyard in the Cole Ranch AVA, Mendocino County. This is a great historic vineyard in a tiny AVA which contains just this one vineyard. Hint of cantaloupe on the palate. High acid and low sugar. Light, bright, young and dry makes for an enjoyable, food friendly wine.
2025 ‘Pink Melon-ade’ Co-Ferment – Melon de Bourgogne (85%), Carignane (15%), Sonoma County. Serve at “bourbon temperature” between 60°F and 70°F. Cranberry fruit with a bit of zip on the finish. Native fermentation, unfiltered. This might be one of those wines where Kara and Daryl had a mild disagreement on whether to make it but we are sure glad she did!
2025 Pinot Noir Nouveau – Petaluma Gap AVA. Serve chilled. Shades of blueberry on the tastebuds. Very fruit-forward. Less time on the skins so less tannins, aged in stainless steel. 2026 Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge, Best of Class, 96 points.
2024 ‘Once in a Blue Moon’ Pinot Noir – Petaluma Gap AVA. Plump, rich, ripe berry fruit. Kiss of sweetness on the finish. Skins on longer than the Nouveau. Aged in neutral French oak for 10 months.
Also from Kara’s website: “Both of these brands encompass my philosophy that wine should be fun and delicious!”
We couldn’t have said it better. The labels are definitely fun, but don’t let the fun attitude fool you. These are serious wines – seriously delicious. If you don’t believe us [which you should] check out some of the awards mentioned in our tasting notes. Production is small so order from the website; the wines are also showing up on some restaurant wine lists, such as one of our favorites – Valette in Healdsburg.
Karen and Michael Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.
