Black Sears Winery is a Howell Mountain estate located at 2,400 feet above sea level, making it the highest vineyard on the mountain. The 24-acre vineyard is owned by the Sears family. Joyce and Jerre Sears bought the property in 1979 and spent the next 25 years making wine with winemaker Ted Lemon. Their labels were Howell Mountain Vineyards and Black Sears. In 2004 they sold the Howell Mountain Vineyard label but in 2008 their daughter Ashley Sears and her fiancée Chris Jambois moved to the estate to revive the family winemaking venture. Thomas Brown is winemaker at the new enterprise. Black Sears produces Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.