Carneros is home to Vine Village, one of America’s most unusual vineyards and arts centers, a family-style community for some thirty developmentally disabled adults.

“We help give people access to opportunities,” says Vine Village director Michael Kerson. “That’s our goal.”

Surrounded by wisteria, redwoods and vineyards, Vine Village is equal parts working ranch and arts colony. Colorful wooden sculptures built and painted by those in the arts program are everywhere. Some stand in doorways and others seem to have burst out of the earth alongside vines and vegetables.

Over the years the arts program has evolved to include residents and about 15 developmentally disabled people who live in the nearby community. Vine Village offers a daily program of studio arts, multi-media, computer skills, continuing academic education, gardening, field trips, social events, music, video, ceramics, photography, dance and drama.

“We offer a rich milieu to learn skills and make friends,” says Chris Sholders, director of the art program. “A lot of times people will come here with virtually no social skills and very quickly they strike up friendships that carry over outside the program.”

Several times a year the Vine Village gallery opens its studios to buyers. This brings numerous art lovers to the facility and gives the residents the satisfaction of seeing their work appreciated. It bolsters their confidence and opens the door to lessons in commerce, says Sholders.

“We’re open in the winter and in the spring; check our website for upcoming dates,” says director Michael Kerson. “At other times we’re only open by appointment.”

The five-acre vineyard produces Chardonnay grapes that are crushed and made into wine at low cost by a local winery. In the last three years, Kerson has overseen the development of a Vine Village wine brand and is hoping to turn it into an additional means of financial support for the program.

“Our wine is delicious, but a lot of people still don’t know about it,” says Kerson with a shrug of resignation. “We really haven’t done a lot of promotion. We just haven’t had the time.”

While the Vine Village wine label is a fairly recent innovation, olive oil and wine vinegar with a Vine Village label have been available since 1975. The bottling operation also performs custom work for high-end restaurant and winery clients.

Besides the human population, these environs at Vine Village are home to horses, ducks, newborn goats, cats, dogs and three llamas. One of the dogs came here out of the Guide Dogs for the Blind program. “We don’t like to call them rejects,” Kerson says with a smile. “They’re called career change dogs.”

No one is a reject here.

For more information visit www.vinevillage.org.