We were lucky to catch up with Teri Kerns recently and have shared our conversation below.

Teri, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was helping start Ramona Ranch Vineyard & Winery from scratch in Ramona, California. At the time, neither my husband and business partner, Micole Moore, nor I had experience in the wine industry. We didn’t come from winemaking families, we didn’t inherit vineyards, and we certainly didn’t have investors backing us. What we did have was a dream, a willingness to work hard, and a belief that something special could grow in Ramona.

When we moved to Ramona in 2004, our original plan was simple — we wanted a small hobby farm with a garden, chickens, and maybe a horse or two. Around that same time, the Ramona Valley had just been designated an AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 2006. The region was brand new to the wine world and largely unproven. There wasn’t established infrastructure, there weren’t many wineries, there wasn’t shared equipment, and there certainly wasn’t a roadmap showing how to succeed there. Most people thought we were crazy to plant grapes in an area not known for wine.

But we fell in love with the land and the possibility of helping build something from the ground up. So we took the leap.

Everything was a learning curve. We planted our first vineyard ourselves. We learned irrigation, trellising, farming, harvesting, and winemaking as we went. We spent weekends and evenings researching, attending classes, asking questions, and physically doing the work ourselves. We made mistakes. We worried constantly about weather, pests, finances, drought, and whether anyone would actually buy wine from a completely unknown region.

Financially, it was a major risk. Vineyards take years before producing usable fruit, and wine takes years before it can even be sold. We invested enormous amounts of time, energy, and money into something that had no guarantee of success. At times, it felt like we were building the airplane while flying it.

But slowly, things started to happen. We began producing wines we were proud of. Customers started returning. The Ramona wine community grew together, and we became part of helping shape the identity of an entirely new wine region. Along the way, we leaned into sustainability and eventually became San Diego County’s only certified sustainable vineyard and winery — something we’re incredibly proud of.

One of the moments that validated all the risk came when one of our early wines — a 2009 Zinfandel made with Ramona grapes — won Best of Show Red at an international amateur wine competition against thousands of entries. That was the moment we realized this crazy dream might actually work.

Today, Ramona Ranch Vineyard & Winery has become more than a business. It’s a gathering place, a community, a working farm, and a reflection of years of perseverance and belief in something bigger than ourselves. Looking back, the risk was enormous — emotionally, financially, and professionally — but it completely changed the course of our lives in the best possible way.

The experience taught me that sometimes the biggest opportunities come from stepping into the unknown before anyone else can see the vision clearly.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve always believed that wine is about far more than what’s in the glass — it’s about connection, storytelling, agriculture, hospitality, and creating experiences that bring people together. That philosophy really shapes everything we do at Ramona Ranch Vineyard & Winery.

I co-own Ramona Ranch with my business partner and winemaker, Micole Moore, and over the years our roles have naturally evolved around our strengths. Micole focuses on the vineyard and winemaking side of the business, while I tend to focus more on hospitality, operations, sustainability, marketing, guest experiences, education, and community building. Together, we’ve created something that feels deeply personal and authentic to who we are.

One of the things that makes our winery different is that we intentionally stayed small and hands-on. Guests don’t walk into a large corporate tasting room — they meet the people who planted the vineyard, built the business, pour the wine, and care for the land every day. We love taking the intimidation out of wine and helping people feel comfortable asking questions, learning, and discovering what they enjoy. Whether someone is a serious wine enthusiast or simply looking for a relaxing afternoon with friends, we want them to feel welcomed and connected.

Over time, our winery has become much more than a place to taste wine. It has evolved into a gathering place for community, education, music, agriculture, and shared experiences. We host vineyard and winery tours, wine education classes, live music, sustainability events, food pairings, and even international wine and cultural travel experiences for our guests. Some of my favorite moments are watching people who arrived as strangers leave as friends.

I’m especially proud of the role we’ve played in helping elevate awareness of the Ramona Valley wine region. When we started, very few people outside of San Diego had heard of Ramona as a wine destination. Today, the region continues to grow in both quality and recognition, and it has been rewarding to help tell that story and advocate for local agriculture and small family wineries.

Sustainability is another core part of our identity. We are San Diego County’s only Certified Sustainable vineyard and winery, and I’m proud that we’ve built a business that reflects our values. For us, sustainability is about stewardship — caring for the land, conserving resources, supporting biodiversity, and creating something that can thrive long-term. It also ties directly into the guest experience because people increasingly want to know where their products come from and support businesses that align with their values.

What I’m probably most proud of, though, is the community we’ve built around the winery. Many of our guests have become close friends over the years. We’ve celebrated birthdays, engagements, anniversaries, retirements, and life milestones with them. We’ve traveled together internationally, harvested grapes together, laughed together, and supported each other through difficult times. That sense of connection and belonging means everything to me.

At the end of the day, I want people to know that Ramona Ranch is real. We are a small, family-owned business built with hard work, passion, and perseverance. Every bottle has a story behind it, every vintage reflects a season on the farm, and every guest matters to us. We truly love what we do, and I think people can feel that when they visit.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think authenticity, consistency, and relationships have been the biggest factors in building our reputation. We built Ramona Ranch from the ground up, stayed hands-on, and always tried to create a welcoming, genuine experience for our guests.

I also believe in supporting the broader Ramona wine community, educating guests in an approachable way, and staying true to our values around sustainability and hospitality. Over time, that consistency and passion helped build trust, strong word-of-mouth relationships, and a loyal community around the winery.

We’re both very involved in our community, volunteering on the boards of the Ramona Valley Vineyard Association, Ramona Community Foundation, and the San Diego Women’s Wine Alliance.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

Absolutely — what started as more of a passion project and side venture eventually became a full-time business and lifestyle for us. In the beginning, we were simply fascinated by the idea that quality wine grapes could grow in Ramona. We planted a small vineyard almost as an experiment, never fully realizing how much it would grow into such a huge part of our lives.

In those early years, we were doing everything ourselves while balancing other careers and responsibilities — farming on weekends, learning winemaking after work, hauling equipment, building relationships, and slowly growing the business one step at a time. There were no shortcuts and no overnight success stories.

A few key milestones really changed the trajectory for us. One was when our early wines started receiving awards and recognition, which gave us confidence that Ramona Valley could truly produce high-quality wines. Another was opening our tasting room and realizing people weren’t just buying wine — they were connecting with the experience, the vineyard, and the story behind what we were building. Third, I was laid off in 2021, this became the push I needed to focus fully on the winery.

Over time, the winery naturally evolved into something much bigger than we originally imagined. We expanded our vineyard, deepened our sustainability efforts, built a loyal wine club community, and became more involved in promoting and advocating for the Ramona Valley wine region as a whole. Today, Ramona Ranch isn’t just our business — it’s our home, our community, and a reflection of years of hard work, risk-taking, and passion.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ramonaranchwines.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ramonaranchwines/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RamonaRanchWinery/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ramonaranchwinery1236
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ramona-ranch-vineyard-and-winery-ramona