Six Cloves Wines

About Winery: Founded in 2017 by winemaker Sonoe Hirabayashi, Six Cloves Wines is a boutique, small-production wine brand based in Sebastopol, California. The brand’s name pays homage to her family’s deep roots in Nagano, Japan, where generations of her ancestors mastered the traditional artisanal fermentation of sake, soy sauce, and miso. The six cloves motif, featured in her family crest, serves as a direct homage to her ancestors' business and represents her commitment to continuing their legacy as a dedicated craftsman. Growing up immersed in these historic, time-honored practices profoundly shaped Sonoe's winemaking philosophy: begin with pure, meticulously farmed ingredients, exercise patience, and employ a low-intervention approach in the cellar to let the grapes truly shine.

Sourcing exclusively from organic vineyards across Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino counties, she crafts highly expressive, small-lot Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and other varieties from cool-climate and unique sites. The resulting wines are elegant, honest, and pure—defined by their vibrant freshness and transparent sense of place, and intentionally crafted to pair beautifully alongside a wide spectrum of cuisine. Initially earning a devoted following among top sommeliers and fine dining establishments in Japan, Six Cloves is now celebrated and collected on both sides of the Pacific.

Aggie Connection: Prior to discovering her calling in the cellar, Sonoe was building a successful corporate career in accounting and finance in New York City. Given her family's deep background in traditional fermentation crafts, her interest in wine was a natural progression that only continued to grow stronger during her years living in NY. Her trajectory shifted entirely when an article in Wine Spectator highlighting UC Davis’s prestigious Viticulture and Enology program caught her attention. Driven by a desire to create something tangible and enduring rather than spending her days behind a spreadsheet, she left the East Coast for Davis.

She earned her B.S. in Viticulture and Enology in 2011, rigorously combining the scientific foundation she gained in the classroom with practical, hands-on cellar experience. Following graduation, Sonoe intentionally sought out mentors whose artisanal philosophies mirrored her own, honing her craft alongside industry luminaries such as Ted Lemon of Littorai and Steve Matthiasson in California, and traveling to New Zealand to work harvest with Hiro Kusuda. In 2017, she officially launched the Six Cloves brand with her inaugural vintage, beautifully harmonizing her world-class Aggie education with the generations of Japanese fermentation tradition she grew up with.

Alum: Sonoe Hirabayashi '11, Founder, Owner & Winemaker