About Us
Our Story
Carmenet (pronounced “Car-men-ay”) Reserve is a French-inspired collection of fine wines with a California point of view. Grown at our family-owned Forest Lake Vineyard in Lodi, CA since 1983, we have set out to create balanced, elegant wines that represent affordable luxury in a bottle. Around here we like to say our Carmenet Reserve wines are “half the price, yet twice as nice” as other luxury wines. So, let’s raise a glass to discovering something new!
Our Winemaker
A native-born Californian, John Allbaugh graduated from California State University, Stanislaus with a degree in Chemistry. After graduating, John took extensive viticulture and enology courses at UC Davis and started making wine in 2005. His passion for winemaking is fueled by the memories that he has created with friends and family over a glass of wine.
"I want to make wines that everyone can enjoy and share with family and friends around the dinner table.”
Our Mission
At Carmenet Reserve we take pride in crafting consistent and traditional wines of distinctive character. Our wines are quality-driven for savvy consumers who want to enjoy elegant California wines at half the price, making them affordable luxury in a bottle.
