Winemaker
Kara Dunn
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Angwin, California, United States
i. Biography
Kara Dunn’s work at Dunn Vineyards in Angwin sits on Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, where altitude sets the pace and the estate name carries the weight of continuity. In that setting, the job is less about spectacle than about maintaining line: keeping Cabernet Sauvignon rooted in place, and letting the mountain’s character read clearly in the wine.
The Path
At Retro Cellars, Kara Dunn holds ownership, sales and marketing, and business operations; at Dunn Vineyards, she is winemaker. The two roles cover different parts of the trade. One asks for the operational discipline that keeps a cellar business moving; the other returns to the vineyard and the wine, where structure, balance, and measured decision-making matter most. Working across both sides of the business gives her a range that is practical, technical, and specific to the demands of small-house winemaking.
The Work Today
As winemaker at Dunn Vineyards, Dunn works with Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain through a family name long tied to Angwin. That kind of assignment depends on familiarity with a single place and grape rather than breadth for its own sake. The work is about translation: keeping the mountain’s identity intact, while guiding the wine with enough restraint for the site to remain legible in the finished bottle.
Signature
Kara's signature wines include 2019 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine marks her work in direct terms: Howell Mountain, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a vintage fixed to the estate’s terrain. As a signature, it points to the kind of wine this site can produce when handled with patience and control—concentrated, grounded, and closely tied to place.
Acclaim
Recognition for Dunn follows the consistency of her work as winemaker at Dunn Vineyards, with Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon as the reference point. The attention lands on precision rather than range. In Angwin, the reputation attached to Dunn comes from making a very specific wine with discipline, and from keeping that standard steady across the work.
Profile updated August 2026
FAQ
Asked of Kara
What is Kara Dunn's current role?
Kara Dunn is Winemaker.
What is Kara Dunn known for?
Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.
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