A tip of the hat to David Stare, who 45 years ago today received the necessary permits to build the first new winery in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, after Prohibition. Founded in 1972, Dry Creek Vineyard paved the way for a renaissance of winemaking and viticulture in the Dry Creek Valley.
This history of the multigenerational family winery is full of notable firsts:
1972: First winery built in the Dry Creek Valley following Prohibition.
1972: First to plant Sauvignon Blanc in the Dry Creek Valley.
1972: First to label a wine as Fumé Blanc in Sonoma County.
1982: First to display a sailboat on a wine label, a bold and daring move beyond the norm.
1983: First to pioneer Dry Creek Valley’s American Viticultural Area (AVA) status.
1985: First to label a wine as “Old Vine” Zinfandel, setting off an industry trend.
1987: First to label a wine as a “Meritage”, illustrating the family’s love of Bordeaux blending.
1997: First to release a “Heritage Clone” Zinfandel from pre-Prohibition vine cuttings.
2017: First to receive a U.S. patent for printing cork sustainability information on a cork.
2017: First to release 45th consecutive vintage of Dry Chenin Blanc in the United States.
Stare’s daughter, Kim Stare Wallace, is currently the President of Dry Creek Vineyard and continues to lead with a “no compromises” philosophy producing appellation-focused, terroir-driven, varietal-defining wines.
“Competition is at an all-time high in our industry, so being true to our wines, our vineyards and the terroir of our region is more important than ever before,” said Stare Wallace. “Instead of getting sucked into the increasing corporatization of the industry, we are bucking the trends and are an increasingly rare breed.”