Winemaking at Dry Creek Vineyard

35 Years of Tradition and Excellence

Dry Creek Vineyard never hesitates to credit the Loire Valley as a primary source of inspiration. The winery’s love affair with the Sauvignon Blanc grape began when founder David Stare traveled through the vineyards of France. Dave was beguiled by the classic wines of the Loire region, and he vowed to produce wines fashioned after the refreshingly grassy and herbaceous Sancerres and subtle Pouilly Fumés. Today, the winery is also well known for it’s zesty Chenin Blanc, well balanced Chardonnay’s, delicious Zinfandels and full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Meritage wines.
 

 A Loire Valley Inspiration

Fumé Blanc and Chenin Blanc

Dry Creek Vineyard owes its inspiration to the Loire Valley. Traveling through the vineyards of France, David Stare was beguiled by the classic wines of the region--refreshingly grassy and herbaceous Sancerres, subtle and evocative Pouilly Fumés, the charming wines of Vouvray. His vague idea of starting a winery in California began to take shape. He vowed that his future winery's white wines would be fashioned according to the traditional Loire Valley standard.
 

Fumé Blanc Pioneer

Our Sonoma County Fumé Blanc signature remains a bold and grassy style that never strays from the varietal’s inherently appealing characteristics. As the first winery to plant Sauvignon Blanc in the Dry Creek Valley, David Stare’s vision to make wines modeled after those of the Loire Valley in France still influence our winemaking decisions today.
 

read more

Clarksburg Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc is arguably the most versatile of all wine grape varieties. Throughout its history, the style of Chenin Blanc has varied dramatically, depending on the part of the world where it is made. Our Chenin Blanc has always been crisp and dry, although Chenin has been known to morph into light sparkling wines, into long-lived nectar-like dessert wines, and even into brandies.

read more

Russian River Chardonnay

A Case Study in Transformation

There is a good reason Chardonnay is often called the king of white wines—more of it is produced than any other variety in North America. Few places on the continent can produce Chardonnay better than the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, California. This cool, fog abundant region is consistently recognized for producing some of the world’s best Chardonnay. Not only is the climate ideally suited for this delicate grape, but the diverse array of soils and passionate local growers contribute to the increase in both quantity and quality of Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley.
 

Russian River Chardonnay

Chardonnay has always played an important role at our winery. From the very first vintage in 1972, the varietal has contributed enormously to our success and helped to put Dry Creek Vineyard on the world wine map. Over the years, our style of Chardonnay has been approachable and balanced. The wine has a crisp acidity and often smells like apples, lemons, peaches or tropical fruits. Prudent use of oak has always been a hallmark at the winery; too much oak commonly takes over Chardonnay if the wine is fermented or aged in new barrels, or remains too long in seasoned ones.

read more

 Zinfandel Specialist

Heritage Zinfandel, Old Vine Zinfandel

and Unique Single-Vineyard Zinfandels

Classic Zinfandels

Zinfandel may be California’s most distinguished contribution to the world of fine wine. Just as Pinot Noir is synonymous with Burgundy, Zinfandel is most at home in Dry Creek Valley. We produce five distinctive bottlings of this varietal: Heritage Zinfandel, Old Vine Zinfandel, Somers Ranch Zinfandel, Beeson Ranch Zinfandel and Late Harvest Zinfandel.

read more

 Bordeaux in the Dry Creek Valley

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Meritage

Dry Creek Valley may well be California’s undiscovered Cabernet country. Well known for its Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley actually has more acreage of Cabernet Sauvignon planted than any other varietal. A little known fact is that the Cabernet Sauvignon grown here has contributed significantly to the blends of many well known Cabernets from the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. In addition, the unique terroir of Dry Creek Valley contributes greatly to the flavor profile of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Our Bordeaux Program

Given the quality of Cabernet Sauvignon inherent in the valley, we have moved our entire production of Bordeaux varietals to Dry Creek Valley. The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon was our first with a Dry Creek Valley designation on the label. Along with the 2003 Dry Creek Valley Merlot, these wines represent a new area in our Bordeaux program. Each wine has a rich bouquet of flavors including dark cherry, rich cassis and creamy nuances that make them immediately appealing.

read more