News Archive

November, 2005.  For the first time in its 34-year history, Dry Creek Vineyard is releasing a Cabernet Sauvignon comprised primarily of Dry Creek Valley fruit. The release of this terroir-driven Cabernet represents yet another strategic shift in Dry Creek Vineyard’s lineup of wines. “We’re dedicated to raising quality across the board,” says winemaker, Bill Knuttel. “Our narrowed focus on the Dry Creek Valley is another step in distinguishing ourselves and continuing our efforts to make world class, varietal defining wines.”
 

The decision to move the Cabernet program to the Dry Creek Valley was one that was not taken lightly. “For more than 30 years, we’ve made a Sonoma County Cabernet,” states winery General Manager, Don Wallace. “By focusing on the Dry Creek Valley, we’ve dropped our production from 20,000 cases annually to just under 8,000 cases with the 2002 vintage. Financially, we’re taking a hit, but our focus on quality and our home region comes first.”

There are only two wines remaining in the Dry Creek Vineyard portfolio that emphasize regions other than Dry Creek Valley; Clarksburg Chenin Blanc and Russian River Valley Chardonnay. The aim is to match variety to place and, whenever possible feature the appellation where the winery resides. The flagship wines, Dry Creek Vineyard Sonoma County Fumé Blanc and Heritage Zinfandel, use the Sonoma County designation but each is driven by grapes grown in Dry Creek Valley. In addition, the winery’s reserve program was replaced in favor of single-vineyard designated bottlings. “All of these efforts are about improving wine quality and reshaping our image in the marketplace,” says Wallace. “It is a necessary transition and one that we feel will help us better compete in today’s global wine marketplace.”

100 Year Old Vines & Refined Packaging
Contribute to New Direction at Dry Creek Vineyard

Old Vine Zinfandel leads the winery as flagship of its Zinfandel portfolio
 

July, 2005.  Dry Creek Vineyard, whose reputation for premium Zinfandel dates back more than 30 years, recently released its 2002 Old Vine Zinfandel, graced with an elegant new label. The powerful new look and feel of the packaging, coupled with the quality of wine in the bottle, leaves little doubt about Dry Creek Vineyard’s commitment to the Zinfandel category.
 

Dry Creek Vineyard defines Old Vine Zinfandel as wine that is produced from vines averaging at least 50 years in age or older. Having coined the term “Old Vine” Zinfandel in the early 1980’s, Dry Creek Vineyard established itself as a benchmark producer. However, with the term Old Vine becoming more diluted within the industry, the winery felt that a radical shift in packaging was warranted. The 2002 vintage was given a more modern, “da Vinci” look and feel, but also stays true to the sailing ship theme which graces the rest of the winery’s labels. One important component of the new package was communicating the average vine age of 80 to 109 years on the front label. “We felt that communicating the vine age was extremely important,” said winery proprietor Kim Stare Wallace. “By including this information, we’re telling our customers that this wine truly comes from Old Vines. It gives validation and significance to what is in the bottle.”

The Old Vine Zinfandel package also completes the label transformation of Dry Creek Vineyard’s core and single-vineyard offerings, providing a modern and refreshed look for the entire line up of wines.

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February, 2005.  Dry Creek Vineyard recently released Sonoma County’s first Sauvignon Musqué, a unique selection of the Sauvignon Blanc grape variety. There are a small number of wineries in California that blend Musqué in their Sauvignon Blancs, but only two before Dry Creek have produced what the industry would consider varietal versions and they both are made with grapes grown in the central coast region.  
 

Wineries cannot label the wine as Sauvignon Musqué because the Federal Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) does not officially recognize it as a true varietal. The agency requires wineries to call it Sauvignon Blanc. Call it what you will, Sauvignon Musqué is best described as a newly recognized selection, isolated from Sauvignon Blanc vines, though some would refer to it as a separate clone altogether. Dry Creek Vineyard named their wine Sauvignon Blanc, Taylor’s Vineyard Musqué.

Those familiar with the Musqué selection agree that it is truly unique. Its flavor profile does resemble Sauvignon Blanc, but with more perfumed, tropical and heady aromas and a touch more viscosity with flavors of guava, gooseberry, and exotic white grapefruit. Winery proprietor, Don Wallace, first experimented with the selection as an enhancement to the winery’s reserve style Fumé Blanc. With the winery’s decision to move away from reserves in favor of vineyard-designate wines, winemaker William Knuttel suggested the Musqué be bottled on its own since the selection was such a unique take on Sauvignon Blanc.

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October, 2005.  For the 5th year in a row, Dry Creek Vineyard was the title sponsor of the Dry Creek Vineyard Pro Am Regatta.

Held October 29 through November 5, 2005 at the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, this one-of-a-kind sailing event brought together the rock stars of the international sailing community for a week's worth of regattas and wine related events. For sailors, this is the equivalent of attending Major League Baseball All-Star game, says winery owner Kim Stare Wallace. "It's a chance for sailors of varying  degrees  of  ability  to  sail  and  hang  out  with their heroes."  The list of celebrity sailors included two-time Olympic medalist, J.J. Isler, Robbie Haines, and Lowell North, founder of North Sails.

In addition to the week long regatta, Dry Creek Vineyard owners Kim Stare Wallace and Don Wallace hosted several on-shore tastings and a dinner featuring the entire lineup of Dry Creek Vineyard wines. "We've been known as the wine for sailors for many years now", says Wallace. "Our support of the sailing community is something that we're passionate about. From our sailing themed labels to our support of US SAILING programs, it's logical for our family to blend our two passions into one."

February, 2005.  Dry Creek Vineyard was honored to host a culinary extravaganza at the revered James Beard House in New York City. For years, the Beard House has featured renowned chefs from throughout the country as part of a continuing tradition honoring the culinary philosophy, ideals and practices that earned James Beard his reputation as “the dean of American cooking.” As part of an effort to broaden the House’s reach and appeal, the James Beard Foundation also invites and features wineries; a sound concept since a glass of wine is most customarily enjoyed with food. During this event, Dry Creek Vineyard pulled  out all the stops  pairing  its fine wines with  the culinary delights of their friend, chef Ralph Tingle. Tingle's namesake restaurant, Bistro Ralph, is located on the Healdsburg square in Sonoma County, just a few miles from the winery.

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February, 2005.  For the 5th year in a row, Dry Creek Vineyard was chosen as the official wine sponsor at the Screen Actors' Guild Awards® (SAG Awards). The 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® aired on TNT from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center on Saturday, February 5, 2005.

Quickly becoming a favorite wine for Hollywood celebrities, winery proprietor Kim Stare Wallace was on hand to pour some of Dry Creek Vineyard's finest offerings. With mega-stars such as Clint Eastwood, Charlize Theron, and Leonardo DiCaprio in attendance, it was a night (and event) not to be missed!

Featuring 2004 Estate Fumé Blanc DCV3
 

On Saturday, December 17, 2005 from 1 to 3 p.m., Dry Creek Vineyard will host a book signing featuring James Beard award-winning author Paul Lukacs. Lukacs' new book, The Great Wines of America (W.W. Norton, 2005), is an in-depth look at forty of the country’s top wines.

In his book, Lukacs profiles Dry Creek Vineyard’s Estate Fumé Blanc DCV3 as one of America’s finest examples of Sauvignon Blanc.

Hosting the event will be winery founder David Stare. In 1972, it was Stare’s vision to plant Sauvignon Blanc and craft a wine in the Loire Valley style, which put Dry Creek Vineyard on the map.

In addition to the book signing, a tasting of the 2004 Estate Fumé Blanc DCV3 and light appetizers will be served. Books will be available to purchase.

No reservations are necessary and the cost is free to attend.  For more information, call Dry Creek Vineyard: 707-433-1000 or 800-864-9463

For the fourth year, Dry Creek Vineyard will be the title sponsor of the popular Pro Am Regatta at the Bitter End Yacht Club in Virgin Gorda, October 30 – November 6, 2004.

Wines from Dry Creek Vineyard will be served at various functions throughout the Pro Am event. Winery owners Don and Kim Wallace will be on hand both competing on the water and leading wine tastings and hosting a winery dinner on shore.

For any sports enthusiast, this is like fantasy football, but live. It is a sailing fan’s ultimate dream regatta. It puts some of the greatest sailors in the world in a single spot at a single time. In addition, it's a week that is served up to guests with delicious glasses of "the wine for sailors," Dry Creek Vineyard.

The winery not only sponsors the Pro Am Regatta at the Bitter End Yacht Club, they also created a brand, Regatta by Dry Creek Vineyard, that donates a portion of profits to US SAILING, the governing body of the sport in the United States. Brad Van Liew received their support as well in his quest to win the Around Alone race.

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Dry Creek Vineyard was the only U.S. winery awarded the "Grandes Expressions de Chenin" in a recent Chenin Blanc competition held in the Loire Valley, France. The winery took the honor with their 2003 Dry Chenin Blanc from Clarksburg, California. Of the 210 entries tasted, 51 wines from four countries were selected as 'Great Expressions of Chenin'. 33 of the award-winning wines came from the Loire, France, 16 from South Africa, one from Australia and one from the United States.

David Stare, founder of Dry Creek Vineyard, built his winery in 1972 precisely because of his experience in the Loire Valley. His admiration of the lovely qualities of Chenin Blanc caused him to emulate the crisp austere style from the very first vintage. “This is a fantastic acknowledgement that our wine is right there with the best in the world,” says Stare. “And, that it’s Bill Knuttel’s first as our new winemaker is outstanding. He should be very proud.”

The Rendez-Vous du Chenin took place from June 22 – 25, 2004, at the Royal Fontevraud Abbey in the Loire Valley. During the competition, the Loire again became the world capital of Chenin Blanc, which upon leaving, took up roots in most of the major wine producing countries. With 22,240 acres (9,000 ha) in the Loire, 54,360 (22,000) in South Africa, 1,235 (500) in Australia, 495 (200) in New Zealand, 8,895 (3,600) in Argentina and 19,770 (8,000) in the United States, Chenin Blanc plays an important role in the economies of these wine producing regions.

According to organizers, the Chenins tasted were from eight different countries including, France, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, with entries from three new countries – India, Thailand and Mexico.

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Two Single-Vineyard Zins
Point to Strategic Shift for Dry Creek Vineyard

Winery unleashes new wines and renewed focus
 

In a move more akin to a good spring cleaning, rather than a sweeping change, Dry Creek Vineyard has released two single-vineyard Zinfandels from the Dry Creek Valley appellation. This release is the first of a series of wines that will replace the winery’s “reserve” program in favor of smaller vineyard-designate bottlings. The wines feature newly designed labels that capture the essence of the winery with more original yacht artwork and a feel appropriate to their new focus. The package clearly signals change for industry pundits and consumers, so there will be no confusion on store shelves or restaurant wine lists.

A key part of this move is a reduction in case volume of ultra-premium wines from this 31-year old winery in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley. “We’re dedicated to improving the quality of our wines,” states winery General Manager, Don Wallace. “It’s about taking Dry Creek Vineyard to new heights. That’s what these Zins represent.”

The two vineyards, whose names appear on the labels, are Somers Ranch Vineyard and Beeson Ranch Vineyard. There are 500 cases of each and similar amounts of other single-vineyard wines that will be released at a later date.

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For the fourth year in a row, Dry Creek Vineyard wines were chosen as the official wines of the Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® held at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. The show was broadcast on TNT on Sunday, February 22, 2004.

To honor the tenth anniversary of the only awards show where recipients are chosen by their peers, we commissioned beautifully etched and painted magnums of our 1999 Meritage to be included in the Screen Actors Guild Awards® Presenter Gift Basket. Hugo Boss, Swiss Watch, Coach, and Vera Wang products were also included.

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Dry Creek’s Fumé Selected Best Of The Year
for the Second Year in a Row
 

Wine News Magazine named Dry Creek Vineyard Sonoma County 2002 Fumé Blanc the Best Value Sauvignon Blanc of the Year for 2003.

“Continuing its winning streak (No. 1 in this category last year), this cheerful wine offers fresh, moderately intense aromas of hay, citrus, peach and lemongrass,” according the magazines tasting notes. “Bright and lively on the palate with vibrant acidity, this crowd-pleasing, wonderfully varietal Sauvignon offers fresh, grass-tinged flavors of lemon-lime and succulent pear.” It’s no wonder they bestowed this honor and we here at Dry Creek Vineyard are proud to have earned it for a second year.

Dry Creek Vineyard, the family-run winery known for their sailboat labels, has signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with US SAILING, the national governing body for sailing in the United States. The agreement includes a contribution from Dry Creek Vineyard to support US SAILING’s education programs, based on sales of REGATTA, a wine brand specifically created for sailors and sailing enthusiasts. It also will partner the two organizations in an effort to further the reach of US SAILING and extend marketing opportunities for Dry Creek Vineyard.

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Dry Creek Vineyard, after conducting an exhausting search for a new winemaker, has announced that William (Bill) Knuttel will start as winemaker, Monday, July 21, 2003. Knuttel comes to Dry Creek Vineyard from Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards and Winery, where he was winemaker for the last seven years. Before working at Chalk Hill, Knuttel was winemaker at Saintsbury for 13 years, where he was highly respected for his superlative Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.

Dry Creek Vineyard General Manager and Partner, Don Wallace said, “We’re very excited to have Bill join the team.” Knuttel replaces Jeff McBride, who left in March to become a General Manager for Stimson Lane at their Napa Valley facility. “Bill and Jeff both make great wine,” states Wallace. “Now we’re ready for Bill to continue and extend the great winemaking that has come to define Dry Creek Vineyard.”

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Well-known wine authority and journalist, Jeff Morgan, selected Dry Creek Vineyard’s Endeavour Cabernet Sauvignon as one of the new up-and-coming cult-Cabernets.

Each year, Food & Wine magazine hosts a weekend wine and food extravaganza over Father’s Day weekend in Aspen Colorado. The affair includes grand tastings, winemaker dinners, cooking demonstrations, wine seminars and more, including the beautiful scenery of Aspen, a treasure of a town in Colorado’s high-country.

This year, one seminar Food & Wine guests could attend was “Newest Napa Cult Cabs,” moderated by Jeff Morgan, wine journalist for Wine Enthusiast Magazine and occasional contributor to other publications.

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Champion Sailors Pay Tribute to Dry Creek Vineyard

Around Alone victor Brad Van Liew shares cherished wine with friends
 

Healdsburg, CA (May 28, 2003) – After more than 28,000 miles of grueling ocean, Brad Van Liew claimed victory in the Around Alone race with an early sponsor by his side. Dry Creek Vineyard was the very first company to join Van Liew in his quest to win the Around Alone yacht race of 2002-3, and after eight months of battling the elements Van Liew proved a worthy recipient of their support.

“Brad’s determination and spirit to win was something the Dry Creek Vineyard family recognized early on,” said Don Wallace, General Manager of Dry Creek Vineyard at an event held May 17th at the Clarke Cookhouse in Newport, Rhode Island. “We are so proud of his accomplishments and we feel very rewarded that our early vision of his dream is now a reality.”

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The 12th Annual Dry Creek Vineyard Women's Sailing Week and 17th Annual Dry Creek Vineyard Pro Am Regatta are set for Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands, October 25 - November 1, 2003 & November 1-8, 2003.

For years the Dry Creek Vineyard family has been a major fan and supporter of sailing and the education and advancement of sailors. The winery's sponsorship of The Bitter End Yacht Club's year-end events confirms this commitment and that of bringing their wine to an ever increasing fan club of sailing enthusiasts. The labels that grace the fine wines of Dry Creek Vineyard have featured original paintings of sailing yachts since the early 1980s and their reserve and single-vineyard bottlings carry a unique, commissioned painting of historical America's Cup racing yachts each vintage.

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Dry Creek Vineyard presents the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award to John Kostecki (left). Held annually at the prestigious New York Yacht Club, the award was presented by winery representative, Allan Trelford, of Touton Selections. Liz Baylis was the recipient of the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award.

This is Dry Creek Vineyard’s third year presenting this top honor in the world of competitive sailing. Dry Creek Vineyard and luxury watchmaker Rolex, are partners in their support of the sport of sailing.

For the second year, Dry Creek Vineyard has been chosen as the wine included in the Presenters Basket at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. A virtual treasure trove of luxury items, Dry Creek was thrilled to be selected.

On June 3, a fleet of intrepid offshore sailors began a tactical race around the Atlantic Ocean. Dry Creek Vineyard was there as a sponsor of the EDS Atlantic Challenge race and of Brad Van Liew, America’s contender aboard Team Gartmore.

In each port location, Dry Creek Vineyard is serving a variety of special wines to the famed professional sailors, race organizers, sponsors and the international media. Sir Chay Blyth, renowned British yachtsman and the first man to race nonstop around the globe against prevailing winds, created the EDS Atlantic Challenge race.

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Dry Creek Vineyard has launched a new white wine that will be sold in the winery’s tasting room beginning July 1, 2001. Twenty percent of the full retail price of $10 will be donated to US SAILING for their educational and training programs.

The 2000 Regatta bears a contemporary label with three modern boats sailing downwind, spinnakers flying. This image reflects the refreshing, easy drinking wine contained within. A limited release of only 500 cases, Regatta is a perfect summer wine for both sailors and landlubbers.

The governing body for the sport of sailing, US SAILING is a member-based organization that promotes the sport’s growth with the support of volunteers and member organizations. The money donated to US SAILING from the sales of Regatta will be used to fund much-needed programs for developing young sailors.

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5th annual California Zinfandel championship
 

Dry Creek Vineyard 1999 Heritage Clone Zinfandel took top honors in the 5th Annual California Zinfandel Championship. Winning the Grand Championship Award and Double Gold Medals from a field of hundreds of Zinfandel entrants, our Heritage Clone Zin was judged to be the best!

Nationally recognized judges Joel Butler MW, Wilfred Wong and Nick Ramkowsky judged wines from known Zinfandel producers on July 16, 2001. They chose four double gold medal winners. These four wines were subsequently served at a Grand Championship Award Night on September 7, 2001. Only one wine emerged as GRAND CHAMPION!

Dry Creek Vineyard wines were recently featured at a major celebrity fundraising event benefiting the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF).
 

Just one week after the winery was featured at the 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, Dry Creek Vineyard was selected as the official wine for the annual fundraiser, Jaguar's Tribute to Style, attracting 1200 guests from the entertainment and fashion industries. The winery's limited edition 1999 Reserve Fumé Blanc, 1997 Reserve Merlot, 1998 Reserve Chardonnay and 1997 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were the sole wines served at an elegant private pre-party hosted by Badgley Mischka for American Express Platinum cardholders. A variety of Dry Creek Vineyard wines were poured at exclusive wine bars during the event. Held at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, which was transformed to resemble Rodeo Drive, the evening raised over $750,000 for Hollywood's largest fundraising organization.

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The 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards show on Sunday, March 11, will feature Dry Creek Vineyard wines on all of the celebrity tables during the live broadcast.
 

One of the highlights of the Hollywood award show season, this year’s SAG Awards broadcast will feature magnums of Dry Creek Vineyard’s 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon and bottles of the winery's cornerstone 1999 Dry Creek Vineyard Fumé Blanc.

In addition, all of the celebrity presenters of the SAG Awards will receive a basket of exclusive gifts including a bottle of Dry Creek Vineyard’s 1999 Reserve Fumé Blanc and an invitation to visit the family winery in the famed Dry Creek Valley area of Sonoma County. A participant in last year's SAG Awards gift basket, Dry Creek Vineyard was invited back as a centerpiece of the 2001 gift basket.

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Dry Creek Vineyard is pleased to provide the wines at the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Luncheon at The New York Yacht Club on Friday, February 9, 2001, in celebration of the winery’s ongoing commitment to supporting the sport of sailing.

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Dry Creek Vineyard is proud to release Regatta, a truly unique wine bottled in honor of the sport of sailing and American solo sailor, Brad Van Liew.

An easy drinking red wine with a colorful nautical label, Regatta grew out of an idea to produce an affordable "picnic" style wine available only in the winery's tasting room. When the time came to bottle this fruit-forward 1998 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel, Dry Creek Vineyard had just decided to sponsor the ocean racing campaign of Brad Van Liew.

What better way to support Brad's Mission America Campaign than to bottle a wine in celebration of his efforts! The family of Dry Creek Vineyard first heard of Brad as the sole American competing in Around Alone 1998-1999. In a grueling around-the-world sailing competition that attracts many European racers and receives enormous attention worldwide, Brad was an American pioneer.

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Dry Creek Vineyard is the Toast of Hollywood!

Top Sonoma County wine producer
is featured wine at star-studded NRDC benefit
 

Hollywood turned out on Wednesday, May 31, for the Natural Resources Defense Council benefit, Earth to LA, raising over $1 million for the environmental fund.
 

Dry Creek Vineyard wines were featured at the VIP party after the evening’s program of music by Jewel and Carole King, comedy by Al Franken and Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, and testimonials by Diane Keaton, Cameron Diaz, Rob Reiner and Robert Kennedy Jr.

Pierce Brosnan and his wife, Keely Shaye Smith, enjoyed Dry Creek Vineyard’s 1997 “Heritage Clone” Zinfandel while Christine Lahti preferred the winery’s signature 1998 Fumé Blanc. Kevin Costner, Dustin Hoffman, Ted Danson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Steven Weber, Ed Begley, Jr. and others sampled a selection of wines, including the winery’s classic 1998 Chardonnay and renowned 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Dry Creek Vineyard’s 1997 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has been chosen to be featured in the coveted Emmy gift basket.

A virtual treasure chest of high-end luxury goods, the Emmy basket is presented to each celebrity presenter of the famed Emmy Award for Excellence in the Television Arts. Always a star-studded event, the Emmys just keep getting hotter every year - and they’ll all be drinking Dry Creek come Sunday, September 10 - the night of the highly-anticipated Emmy broadcast.

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Actress Charlize Theron and her mother, Gerda, were guests of Dry Creek Vineyard recently. Ms. Theron, on a break from filming "Sweet November" in San Francisco, had expressed her enthusiasm for Dry Creek Vineyard's wines and the winery was pleased to invite her as their guest for a weekend.

Ms.  Theron, who has appeared in such films as "The Cider House Rules", "Mighty Joe Young", "The Astronaut's Wife", and "The Devil's Advocate", enjoyed a private tour, a special barrel tasting and a visit to the winery's vast vineyards overlooking the beautiful Dry Creek Valley.

Ms. Theron, her mother and the actress's dogs were then hosted for dinner at the home of Kim and Don Wallace and their two children. Kim is the daughter of the winery's founder, David Stare, and the couple manages the daily operations of Dry Creek Vineyard.

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