Never heard of School House Vineyard? Unless you’re a real wine geek, don’t feel badly. Practically no one else has heard of School House either, despite the fact that this low profile grower and producer has been making wine from Spring Mountain since the 1950s.

The winery is often confused for the second label of Caymus. But, that would be Liberty School. And believe me, John M. Gantner, who has being running School House since he inherited the 15-acre ranch from his father, has heard it all before. He doesn’t let these misconceptions bother him though. John just goes right on growing his Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a region that’s usually associated with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Bob Foley, the fabulous winemaker, who knows a thing or three about Cabernet, makes School House’s Burgundian-like Pinots ($75) and Chardonnays ($35) at his Pride Mountain Vineyards winery, above Gantner’s place and on top of Spring Mountain.

This is a necessary partnership, because Gantner has no winery of his own, even after all these years. He also goes against the conventional wisdom, by growing grapes such as some 120-year-old field blend vines -- Zinfandel, Carignane, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet and Grand Noir -- that go into a third wine he calls Mescolanza ($35).

In all, Foley makes about 500 to 600 cases a year from Gantner’s 1,500-foot elevation vineyard, which was named for a one-room schoolhouse that burned down in 1990.

In a telephone interview and then in a visit to the old place at the intersection of Langtry and Spring Mountain roads above St. Helena, Gantner told me in quite refreshing terms why he’s been doing what he does when all around him seem to exist in a world apart.