Bishop's Vineyard

Bishop’s Vineyard began back in 2006 as a beautification project at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in the Diocese of Oakland. The grounds contained a portion of unused land that needed some aesthetic modifications. Robert Seelig, Executive Director of Cemeteries for the Diocese of Oakland and Tom Richardson, Director of Development, brainstormed a unique idea—instead of spending $50,000 per acre for weed-free, irrigated turf, why not plant some grape vines at half the cost?

After getting some advice from local experts and the support and blessing from then-Bishop, The Most Reverend Allen Vigneron, Bishop’s Vineyard was born. We started planting at three sites that have distinct climates for specific grapes—Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Primitivo at Holy Sepulchre in Hayward; Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel at Holy Cross in Antioch; and Pinot Noir, Merlot and Sangiovese at St. Joseph’s in San Pablo. Once the vines were planted, one main question still remained… what would we do with the wine that’s produced?

Our first efforts yielded bottles of altar wine that were offered free of charge to the parishes within the Oakland diocese and given to various charities to support their fundraising efforts. In 2013, we collaborated with Shauna Rosenblum of Rock Wall Winery in Alameda in order to expand the brand and improve the quality of the wine being produced.

Due to the Lord’s grace and the unwavering support of Oakland’s current Bishop, The Most Reverend Michael Barber S.J., what started as simple sacramental altar wine has quickly grown into one of the most unique winery operations in existence. We are growing many varietals of both red and white wines, and will now be available for all wine lovers across the country through the launch of the Bishop’s Vineyard Wine Club.

The wine club will allow registrants to purchase wines at a steep discount that will be shipped to their home each quarter. Wine Club members will also receive invitations to VIP events and tastings throughout the year. For more information, visit our website.