How to be a California wine producer

The best known running joke in California wine country is of course: How do you make a small fortune in the wine business? Start with a large one.

This continues to tell the hard truth of what it takes to be successful in California wine production. Very often the people starting wineries in California have already made their money in other industries (law, real estate, dot coms, even Hollywood) and have decided to use the money for a second life as a wine producer.

But before they start indulging in daydreams of sitting back with a glass of wine and...