William (Bill) Bonetti, 94, died Sept. 7. Raised in the northern Italian alps and educated at the Conegliano School of Viticulture, he brought a traditional and formal winemaking background to America at the age of 22.
After years of honing his craft alongside the icons of the day, Bonetti’s crowning achievement was the design and operation of Sonoma-Cutrer, where he served as its first winemaker in 1981. Hel was selected for his wealth of knowledge, experience and passion for world class Chardonnays and was instrumental in creating a state-of-the-art winery with a winemaking philosophy that continues to this day.
During his tenure, he hosted the first Focus on Chardonnay colloquiums with premier California and French burgundy producers, stimulating open industry discussion, advancing the Chardonnay industry and forging strong relationships. Bonetti retired from Sonoma-Cutrer in 1990.