Our Winemaker
Diane Wilson
Honored as Woman Winemaker of the Year in 2008, and winning unprecedented back-to-back Sonoma County Harvest Fair Sweepstakes in 2005 and 2006 Diane Wilson has shot to the forefront of the Sonoma County wine industry. These highly–regarded awards, coupled with dozens of 90+ scores and close to 100 Gold Medals, demonstrate Diane's strong track record as an outstanding winemaker.
Diane describes her winemaking style as unorthodox. “My goal is to maximize the fruit flavor of the grape, making sure each wine has a front, a middle and a back, so it produces a full, rich mouth feel. To do this, it is all about balance. It is about having the right amount of skin contact during fermentation to extract flavor and color without getting too much tannin. It is about leaving the wine to age in barrels for the ideal length of time to soften the tannins awhile adding the flavor of oak without overpowering the delicate flavors of the fruit."
“Watching, smelling and tasting throughout the process ensures the final wine will be perfect. My sense of smell and taste are my strongest tools. Diane knows just when a wine has had enough oak aging and it is time to bottle or blend. When recently asked about which of the dozen plus wines she produces each year is her favorite, Diane revealed, "My wines are like my children; I don't really have a favorite, but every year a different one needs a little extra attention."
We are grateful to have Diane keeping a watchful eye on all her “children.”