There is precedent for wine production in Muzio/Nunes family history. Grandfather Muzio made quite a bit of wine every year in his San Francisco basement, and Fred's mother, Dorothy Muzio Nunes, remembers punching down the must when she was a child. Fred forayed into growing wine grapes at the age of eleven when he planted Cabernet Sauvignon in his mother's  garden as a 4-H project and made himself a little wine. It didn't turn out to be cult-quality, but the process fascinated him even then. By the time he was twelve, Fred was on a tractor helping his father grow row crops in Salinas.

In the early 1950’s, Grandfather Muzio bought 43 acres in the Russian River Valley to farm hay and raise pigs and as a weekend spot for the family to gather. When Fred retired from a 30-year career as a firefighting helicopter pilot in 1997, he and Wendy leased the ranch from Dorothy, built a house on an adjacent property, and started planning Nunes Vineyard. Along the way, Fred had enhanced his understanding of science with a Systematic Biology and Ecology degree from San Francisco State University. Wendy brought business and graphic design experience. They both completed the viticulture classes at Santa Rosa JC with Rich Thomas (science can be fun!) and they continue learning at every opportunity.