Our Story

Led by founding winemaker Jared Brandt – who trained in France under renowned Rhône vigneron Éric Texier – Donkey & Goat emerged as one of the quiet but defining forces behind the natural wine movement in the U.S. Founded in 2003, before “natural wine” even had a name, the winery helped ignite a new philosophy of winemaking in California.

Located in the heart of Berkeley’s Gilman District, Donkey & Goat became known for expressive, terroir-driven wines crafted with transparency, integrity, and minimal intervention. Their pioneering approach shaped the direction of American natural wine. As true innovators, Donkey & Goat produced the first commercially released Pét-Nat in the United States, helped popularize skin-contact white wines, championed lower-alcohol winemaking, and was among the first American wineries to list ingredients on their labels. These milestones helped define natural wine in America and set standards embraced by today’s leading producers.