The new Ramona cellar combines fine wines and panoramic views

Sunrise Vineyards, a new winery opened in Ramona, will offer panoramic views of the Ramona Valley, Cuyamaca Mountains and grasslands when it opens on October 30.

Owners Lawrence Graham and his wife, Ann Marie Fowler, are working on the final details to prepare for the opening. They said they expected to offer nine different wines to the guests.

Their 2 ½ acre vineyard is on a hill at 16620 Highland Valley Road, on the west side of Ramona, near Mt. Woodson Elementary School. It is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc and a Portuguese grape called Touriga Nacional.

Graham said he and his wife have been waiting for several years to open. They were optimistic after the positive preview tastings they had for their friends and family.

“Everyone is raving about the wines, so we’re pretty confident,” he said. “When you run a business like this, you want the wines and the atmosphere to come together and provide an enjoyable experience. This is what we hope to offer to keep people coming back again and again.

In 2013, the couple got a taste of what owning a vineyard and vineyard could be like when they visited Chuparosa Vineyards on Gem Lane in Ramona.

“We liked the wines and the owner so much that we thought it would be a great idea to open a winery,” Graham said.

Graham and Fowler have been cultivating vines since buying their property in 2014. They had lived in Carmel Valley for a decade before, but said they came to Ramona after being in awe of the property’s spectacular views.

As retirees, they will be able to devote themselves to Sunrise Vineyards. Graham worked as a patent attorney for pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb until January, and Fowler worked in the advisory office at Westview High School in Rancho Penasquitos until 2015.

Although they were inexperienced in wine making at first, Graham took a winemaking course and earned an online certification from UC Davis in 2016. With on-the-job training, they were successful in manufacture a non-commercial batch of 2 ½ barrels in 2017. and a commercial batch of 12 barrels in 2018.

The two said they were delighted to be able to offer views from their patio tables and decorative wall. They plan to open gradually, starting with Saturday hours from noon to 5 p.m., then expanding to Sundays at the same times.

Eventually, they will get to the point where they can also be opened on Friday nights, they said. During the winter months, they will be open until sunset.