Cep by Peay Vineyards

Cep by Peay Vineyards

Cep Vineyards is a true second label that offers the world-class quality of Peay Vineyards for a fraction of the cost so it can be accessible for everyday enjoyment!

Nick and Andy Peay founded the vineyard in 1996 and planted 30 of the first 54 acres in 1998. Their first vintage was 2002 and since that time they’ve only produced wines from estate-grown grapes with the exception of recently added Savoy Vineyard designated bottling. Vanessa Wong (Nick’s wife) came on board as head winemaker in 2002. Prior to coming to Peay, Vanessa worked at Peter Michael Winery as a winemaker and assistant winemaker from 1996-2000. She also spent time working in France at Château Lafite-Rothschild in Pauillac and Domaine Jean Gros in Vosne-Romanée.

The Peay family farms organically from their estate just outside of Annapolis and is the definition of a cool-climate meets coastal: they are located just 4 miles from the Pacific Ocean which means the grapes are occasionally picked as late as mid-October. Hello acid, balance, and structure!

All of the blending for the Peay cuvées is done blind and without knowing the production amounts of each blend so they can focus exclusively on quality of each expression. This may mean that they only bottle 70-80% of what was grown under the Peay label. The remaining barrels of wine – grown and made using the same exacting processes and standards as they are intended for Peay bottlings – become Cep wines.

Farming Practice:
Practicing Organic