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The Newsome-Harlow Story

Scott and Melanie Klann share a love for great wine and great food, so at Newsome- Harlow, the two are married . . . both philosophically and literally.

The interplay between food and wine is supremely important to both partners — Scott focusing on the grapes and Melanie on the gastronomy. After two decades in the winery business, dedicated to sustainable practices and their respective crafts, the couple has helped put Calaveras County on the map with Melanie’s culinary creativity and Scott’s expertly crafted artisan wines.

Together, the couple’s talents come together in a sensual, symbiotic pairing that embodies Bacchanalian hedonism at its finest — the kind that brings together wine, food, friends and copious amounts of laughter.

In this spirit, the pair began their own label, Newsome-Harlow, in 2000 with a couple of partners and a small batch of wines crafted from premium Calaveras County grapes. The name Newsome Harlow is the combination of the maiden names of Scott and his original partner, Mark Skenfield, a long time Calaveras resident and vineyard manager.

Their first vintage — a mere 150 cases — was sold exclusively to those on the winery’s mailing list. Ten years later, Newsome-Harlow is recognized as having some of the best wines in Calaveras, and produces 3,200 cases of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc and five signature Zinfandels that sell out each year.

Scott’s Story

Anyone who’s tasted Scott Klann’s creations immediately senses that this is a man who knows his art, but won’t ever rub your face in it. Everywhere he goes, Scott leaves a trail of beautifully crafted, accessible wines that please the palates of aficionados and amateurs alike.

His reputation as a Rock Star in both wine making, merry making and music is immediately apparent upon meeting him. Always ready with a quick wit, an obscure song lyric and intimate details about the wines he is pouring and often drinking, Scott is a zeitgeist in the Sierra Foothills wine world.

His two decades as a winemaker in the Sierra Foothills — learning the ropes at Cellar Rat, then moving on to Assistant Winemaker at Stevenot Winery and Winemaker at Chatom Vineyards — has helped put the Calaveras County wines on the map.

Scott’s dedication to sustainable agricultural practices and viticultural excellence is reflected in the artisan wines he produces for his own label Newsome Harlow and as wine maker at Twisted Oak — a winery that focuses on Spanish and Rhone varietals and has become one of California’s premier producers of Tempranillo.

Melanie’s Story

“Local,” “organic,” and “sustainable” may be buzz words to some, but they’ve always been a part of Melanie Klann’s vocabulary.

Melanie brings a raw and luscious earthiness into her kitchen while imbuing her creations with her love of eastern cultures and her southern heritage.

After starting her career on the service side of the food industry, Melanie worked her way to the back of the house, where she discovered her passion for creating exquisite creations in the kitchen. For years, Melanie has employed a “slow food” philosophy at Dragonlady Catering, Alchemy gourmet market and wine bar, and as owner of Biga Murphys, the first fresh bread bakery to open in Murphys in nearly 100 years.

Widely recognized as one of the most creative chefs in the Calaveras region, Melanie now runs Newsome- Harlow’s tasting room and heads up the food program, designing pairing dinners that incorporate fresh, local ingredients to highlight her husband’s artisan wines. Melanie is also one of the top yoga teachers in the county.

Why Newsome-Harlow?

Scott's original partner and life long friend, Mark Skenfield, started the winery in 2000. Their names, Klann-Skenfield, didn't exactly roll off the tongue. So in order to make it up to their mothers for all the trouble they got into together as boys, they named the new founded winery using their mothers' maiden names. Well played, boys, well played.