Our Story

Greetings from the vineyard! 

In January 2026, Three Oaks Vineyard began a new chapter under the ownership of Mike Pickett and Rachel Schutz, two Clovis locals with deep roots in the Central Valley and a shared love of wine, hospitality, and bringing people together. We were incredibly fortunate to purchase Three Oaks from its founders, Steve and Vicki Shoemaker, who spent nearly two decades transforming this little piece of Clovis into the vineyard and winery it is today. From the beginning, it was important to us that Three Oaks continue to honor what they created while also growing, evolving, and becoming something uniquely ours.

Meet Mike & Rachel

Mike was born in Fresno and attended Bullard High School before going on to Fresno State. His career has been rooted in entrepreneurship, construction, and design. He leads the commercial design-build firm his father founded in the 1980s and is also the founder and president of Pickett Solar. When he isn't working—or working at the vineyard—you'll usually find him spending time with family, traveling, watching football, exercising, listening to a podcast, or enjoying a good glass of wine (and occasionally whiskey).

Rachel was born and raised in the countryside of Clovis and also attended Fresno State after graduating from Clovis High. An entrepreneur and natural host, she founded Stressed Mamas, a local nanny agency serving families throughout the Fresno and Clovis area. She loves cooking, baking, traveling, animals, entertaining, creating events, and finding just about any excuse to gather people around a table with a glass of wine.

Together, we're excited to bring our own energy to Three Oaks while protecting what makes this property so special: small-production wines, a beautiful estate, genuine hospitality, and a sense of community.

Where It All Began

Long before Three Oaks became ours, it began with Steve and Vicki Shoemaker.

Both Fresno-area natives, Steve and Vicki returned to the Valley in 2005 after more than 20 years away during Steve's military career. A retired Green Beret and counter-terrorism expert, Steve had spent years around the world. Their property in Clovis became a place to settle, reconnect with family, and begin an entirely different chapter of life.

And the vineyard? That idea actually started at Disneyland.

During a family trip to California Adventure, Steve wandered into the Napa Valley exhibit, pointed to the grapevines and announced, "I know what we're going to plant!"

In 2007, more than 100 aging almond trees were cleared from the property and Three Oaks Vineyard was born.

Steve's early background in agriculture and biology naturally carried into the vineyard. He later completed the Postgraduate Winemaking Certificate program at UC Davis and began producing wines that earned recognition beyond the property. Three Oaks wines went on to receive medals at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, proving that some pretty remarkable wine could come from a tiny estate winery right here in Clovis. But perhaps more important than the awards was the philosophy Steve and Vicki established from the beginning: authenticity.

Respect the land. Grow great grapes. Make wine without unnecessary additives. Let each vintage tell its own story.

That philosophy remains part of Three Oaks today. Our vines grow across several different soil profiles—from deep sand to sandy loam and sandy clay—each contributing something different to the fruit and ultimately to the wines we produce. We continue to farm thoughtfully and sustainably, allowing the vineyard and each growing season to guide what eventually makes its way into the bottle.

The Next Chapter

Before Steve and Vicki left California for their next adventure in Virginia, we were fortunate to spend invaluable time alongside them—learning the property, working in the winery, bottling, corking and labeling wines, asking countless questions, and absorbing as much knowledge as we could.

Today, Three Oaks remains a true estate winery where so much of what we do happens right here on the property. From caring for the vines and harvesting grapes to making, aging, bottling, corking and labeling our wines, there is an incredible amount of hands-on work behind every bottle.

We're proud to continue that tradition while writing the next chapter of Three Oaks.

You'll see some new things around here—new wines, events, gatherings, experiences and plenty of fresh ideas—but the heart of this vineyard isn't changing.

We want Three Oaks to remain a special little corner of Clovis where you can slow down, walk among the vines, discover a wine you love, bring your friends and family, and feel like you're part of our community.

Steve and Vicki planted the vines and built the foundation. We're incredibly grateful they've trusted us to take it from here and we can't wait to show you what's next.

Cheers! 🥂
Mike & Rachel
Three Oaks Vineyard