Bettyann Spenker was a “city girl” who grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, not on a farm. Yet she met and fell in love with Chuck Spenker, a viticulturist. Fittingly enough, given her future as a winemaker, this was at a home winemaking party. In 1994, she and Chuck started the winery as an outgrowth of their interest in maintaining and demonstrating the high quality of their Zinfandel grapes. Their 60-acre property west of Lodi has been owned and farmed by the Spenker family for over a century.

Daughters Kate and Sarah grew up helping their parents run the winery, doing everything from sloshing in the mud to explaining the finer points of winemaking to customers. Their activities now include assisting with cheese production and sales, which complement the wines produced at Spenker. using milk from the herd of goats on the property.

In 2000, Fan-leaf Virus, which causes vines to stop producing fruit, eliminated the economic viability of the existing grapevines. After the vines were removed, a disease-tolerant rootstock was selected and re-planting of the vineyard began in 2004. The 2007 Zinfandel and Petite Sirah vintages marked the winery's joyous return to production.

Bettyann makes all of her family’s estate-grown wines: Muscat of Alexandria (Morning Glory), Rosé blend of Zinfandel and Syrah (Evening Prim Rosé), Sarah’s Syrah, Zinfandel. and Petite Sirah.