Family to donate $1 for every bottle of Fumé Blanc sold at the winery and online

 
August, 2008 — The Dry Creek Vineyard family announced today that it will donate $1 to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for every bottle of 2006 Fumé Blanc sold either in the winery tasting room or online store.   The promotion will run from August 15^th through September 14^th in support of the Northern California Chapter’s largest annual fundraising event – Bike MS: Waves to Wine Ride 2008, which will be held September 13^th and 14^th.  Dry Creek Vineyard is the official wine sponsor of the ride.
  

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, Waves to Wine is estimated to raise $1.5 million for critical multiple sclerosis research and vital programs and services.  Cyclists participating in the fully-supported, two-day event will come together to commemorate the anniversary and lend their support to more than 20,000 Northern Californians living with the disease. 

“Every week, more than 200 new people are diagnosed with MS.  This disease affects nearly everyone directly or indirectly, and we are committed to raising as much money as we can to make a difference in how MS is treated and hopefully one day, cured,” says Liz Bernstein, Development Manager of the Northern California Chapter of the National MS Society. “We’re proud to have Dry Creek Vineyard as our official wine sponsor,” says Bernstein.  “Their wines will be a wonderful addition to our Saturday night program as well as the various venues throughout the tour.  We’re grateful for their support.”

More than 1,500 riders, all of whom have raised $350 or more for MS, will cruise scenic roads from San Francisco to Healdsburg.  Winding through the heart of the wine country, the route will culminate at Lake Sonoma at the end of Dry Creek Road.  As riders cross the finish line, they will receive a hero’s welcome complete with a celebratory feast, entertainment and prizes.

“Dry Creek Vineyard is committed to help fight MS,” says winery owner, Kim Stare Wallace.  “My sister was afflicted with the disease at the age of 30, so I have first hand experience with the debilitating effects of MS.  We’re doing everything we can to support the MS Society in their efforts to find a cure.

Kim Wallace elected chairman of the Meritage Association

 
July 29, 2008 — The Meritage Association, a wine industry organization dedicated to promoting wines blended in the tradition of Bordeaux, announced today the election of a new slate of officers. Assuming the role of Chairman through April 2009 is Kim Stare Wallace, Vice President of Dry Creek Vineyard. Also elected was Lee Nordland, Estate Manager at Icon Estates, as Treasurer. Stephanie Trotter-Zacharia, General Manager of Casa Nuestra Winery, was named Secretary.
  

Now entering its 20th year, The Meritage Association is reshaping its marketing and public relations initiatives through the development of a marketing task force committee. "This committee was put in place to review the association's marketing and PR efforts in the hopes of developing fresh, creative ideas that will drive our organization forward," says newly elected Chairman, Kim Stare Wallace. "Our hope is to grow the Meritage concept through consumer tastings and increased awareness in both the trade and press. We want Meritage to be a household name."

The Meritage Association was formed in 1988 to promote wines blended in the tradition of Bordeaux. David Stare, Wallace’s father and the founder of Dry Creek Vineyard, was instrumental in organizing the association and his winery was one of the first to release a Meritage wine (from the 1985 vintage).   With the Meritage concept gaining international acceptance, the organization has grown to more than 200 members in the United States, Canada, Australia, Israel, Argentina, France and Mexico.

For more information on The Meritage Association, please visit www.meritagewine.org.

Is Fumé Blanc Age-Worthy?
 

July 2008 — To help answer the question, a panel was assembled that included some of the wine industry’s most respected writers, authors, and educators.  On hand were Dan Berger, Vintage Experiences, Leslie Sbrocco, internationally acclaimed author, consultant and speaker, Sara Schneider, Wine Editor at Sunset Magazine, Linda Murphy, Decanter Magazine, Virginie Boone, wine writer at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, and Ziggy “The Wine Gal” Eschliman, wine radio personality and consultant. 
  

Moderated by second generation winery owners, Don and Kim Wallace, along with winemaker, Lisa Bishop Forbes a total of 19 wines were tasted in two separate flights.  The first flight consisted of the winery’s Sonoma County Fumé Blancs from the past three decades: 1973, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1989, 1992, 1998, 2002, and 2007.  The second flight consisted of a 10-year vertical of the winery’s acclaimed Estate Fumé Blanc DCV3, a wine which author Paul Lukacs called one of the “great Sauvignon Blancs in America” in his book, The Great Wines of America: The Top Forty Vintners, Vineyards, and Vintages. While developing a consensus was tricky, the overall notion was that Dry Creek Vineyard Fumé Blanc is an age-worthy wine.  “When made with the proper pH and balance, Sauvignon Blanc (Fumé Blanc) can age extremely well,” noted Dan Berger.  
 

Perhaps it was Linda Murphy who summed it up best.  “When wines are made like these, there’s no doubt in my mind that Fumé Blanc can age extremely well.  It’s a testament to the winemaking skill at Dry Creek Vineyard over the years – I mean, how often can you taste a 30-year-old white wine, made in California, that still has several years of life left in it?” 
 

Winemaker's art form reaches a new milestone
 

January 2008 — Since our founding in 1972, blending varietals to achieve depth and richness in our red wines has been at the heart of our winery.  Starting in the 1980s, winery founder David Stare joined together with a group of American vintners in an effort to give definition to these “New World” Bordeaux style blends.
  

From this initial concept, the term Meritage was born.  Since the 1985 vintage, we have used the phrase Meritage to describe our premier Bordeaux style blends, incorporating the noble Bordeaux varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. 

In January 2008, the Meritage Association began a year-long celebration of the phenomenal growth of Meritage during the past two decades.   As part of the celebration, the association has launched a global campaign to get the word out about Meritage, creating educational materials, tools and opportunities intended to help broaden awareness of these exceptional wines.

Hollywood’s A-List enjoys some of Sonoma County’s finest wines
 

January 2008 — For the eighth consecutive year, Dry Creek Vineyard wines were chosen as the official wines of the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®   The 2008 SAG Awards show was simulcast live on TNT and TBS from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center on Sunday, January 27, 2008 at 8 p.m. EST/PST, 7 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. Mountain.  In addition, this was the 75th Anniversary of the Screen Actors Guild, the nation’s largest union representing working actors.
 

This year’s show featured several of the winery’s top wines, including the 2003 Endeavour Cabernet Sauvignon, which recently received 90 points in Wine Spectator Magazine.  More than 1,100 guests enjoyed Dry Creek Vineyard wines throughout the evening, including 86 tables for dinner and two fully stocked wine tasting bars.  Over 500 bottles of wine were served, featuring the 2006 Fumé Blanc - Sonoma County, 2005 Chardonnay - Russian River Valley, 2005 Merlot - Dry Creek Valley and 2003 Endeavour Cabernet Sauvignon - Dry Creek Valley.

Hob-nobbing with the Hollywood A-list was second generation winery proprietor, Kim Stare Wallace.  “People really enjoyed our wines during the show and we had some nice media coverage for the winery.  It was a win-win for everyone – and besides, it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!”

A great time was had by all
 

December 2007 – On Saturday, November 24, 2007, we held our annual Holiday Open House. What a turnout! Over 650 people joined us for delicious wines, fabulous food and artisan cheeses by local "cheesemonger," John Raymond. Our tasting room and cellar was beautifully decorated for the holiday season and a live jazz trio contributed to the cheerful nature of the day.
  

Families and friends from the Bay Area, as well as other relatives from across the country, sipped and shopped the afternoon away. Kids had juice and cookies and enjoyed a surprise visit by our special Santa, none other than winery founder, David Stare! Kim Stare Wallace and daughter, Taylor, greeted guests with a warm smile and a glass of our Dry Chenin Blanc.

Even if you missed our Holiday Open House, we invite you to join us this holiday season for some sipping and shopping. We have a wonderful array of gift giving ideas including wine gift sets, holiday table decorations, clothing, wine jewelry and much, much more! What better way to shop than with a glass of wine in hand? Tasting room hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

A fast start leads to a long finish
 

October 2007 – A fast and furious start – that was the beginning to the 2007 Harvest season. As winemaker Bill Knuttel put it, "by the time Labor Day weekend had ended, our entire crop of Chenin Blanc along with 2/3 of our Sauvignon Blanc was already in the barn!"
  

Harvest time in wine country is an exciting time for everyone in the wine industry. The future prospects of a great vintage keep people buzzing and add extra energy to the Dry Creek Valley. Grape trucks, harvest equipment, and round the clock activity add to the organized chaos.

This season, the fast start to harvest was not necessarily a bad thing. For our Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, the fruit was excellent with superb flavors and ample sugar levels. Each of these varietals should be terrific this year with tremendous acidity and balance. During this warm period, we also had some bits and pieces of Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Merlot arrive at the winery, which was slightly early. However, as more temperate weather arrived many varieties slowed their ripening pace and came back to a more normal schedule.

Read more

Introducing our new proprietary blend
 

September 2007 – It’s an exciting time at Dry Creek Vineyard. For 35 years, we have dedicated ourselves to producing high quality wines that define their varietal category.

Five years ago, Dry Creek Vineyard reached a crossroad. Competition in the wine industry had exploded with new brands, from all parts of the globe, entering the American market almost daily. It was evident that we needed to restructure our business to meet this new reality. Fortunately, we were able to recruit a highly skilled winemaking team that would allow us to produce the kind of wines we wanted to make. One objective that came forth from our planning sessions with winemaking was our desire to create a new Meritage blend and give it a proprietary name. Perhaps one of our biggest strengths is our knowledge of the unique terroir of the Dry Creek Valley. That is, our experience with Dry Creek Valley’s soil, climate, and vineyard diversity allows us to choose the best fruit from the best vineyards. The essence of that knowledge is how The Mariner came to fruition.

As our (then new) winemaking team got to know our winery, it was apparent that a new blend could be realized with some changes in our cellar and vineyards.

Read more

Growing in Harmony with Nature
 

July 2007 – These days, "sustainability" is a common buzzword in Dry Creek Valley, and beyond.  For growers and consumers alike, this is a good thing. By adopting more environmentally responsible farming and business practices, we up the odds of survival for our irreplaceable Planet Earth.
  

The essence of the growing sustainability movement rests on the principle that we must find new ways to satisfy our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Our desire is to leave the land to our children in better shape than how we found it.
 
To that end, our winery embraces a more earth-friendly approach to vineyard management called integrated crop management. This style of farming employs numerous nature-based strategies to deal with pests and other viticultural issues. To find out more about our sustainable farming practices and specific techniques that we are currently utilizing, please click here.

Read more

Dry Creek Vineyard tops the "bliss factor" list
 

May 2, 2007 – For the 6th year in a row, and now 8 out of 13 competitions, Dry Creek Vineyard’s Dry Chenin Blanc (2006 vintage) has once again tickled the fancy of 37 oyster-loving food and wine writers, restaurateurs, oyster growers, and oyster lovers at large, at the 2007 Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition. In addition, the winery’s 2005 Fumé Blanc was also selected as a Top 10 wine, making an appearance for the first time in this illustrious group of wines. "We’re thrilled to have two wines make the Top 10 this year," said winery proprietor Kim Stare Wallace. "Being recognized as an oyster award winner will result in immediate and substantial sales benefits. I couldn’t be happier."
  

The process to find the right match is a rigorous one. First, 185 wines are tasted in a preliminary judging to narrow the contenders to 35 semifinalists and then 20 finalists. Panels of 12 to 13 judges in three cities – Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, then taste the 20 finalists. Each wine is tasted blind with a Kumamoto oyster and judges are asked to rate the "bliss factor," the wine’s affinity for the oyster. In the end, 10 equal winners are selected in the only wine competition to judge a wine by how it goes with food.

Since 1972, Dry Creek Vineyard has produced Fumé Blanc as part of founder David Stare’s vision to bring "a little bit of the Loire Valley" to the Dry Creek Valley.  As the

first producer to plant Sauvignon Blanc vines in the Dry Creek Valley, Dave was instrumental in establishing the Dry Creek Valley as a recognized AVA in 1983. Over the years, grapes for the winery’s Chenin Blanc have come from many different locations around California. However, in 1992, the family finally found a permanent source for its Chenin Blanc – the Clarksburg region of the Sacramento Delta. With fertile soils and the proper heating and cooling cycles, Clarksburg is quickly becoming a recognized and well respected winegrowing region.

Dry Creek Vineyard Featured at the
2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards®

Seventh year as the official wine of the SAG Awards®

Dry Creek Vineyard Scores Big in Wine Enthusiast!
 

November, 2006.  In the November 15, 2006 issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Dry Creek Vineyard’s 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2003 Old Vine Zinfandel received glowing reviews.  California wine editor, Steve Heimoff, had this to say about these wines:
 

2003 Old Vine Zinfandel,  Sonoma County - "The primary source of this Zin is from Dry Creek Valley. It’s rare to find this quality and quantity of upfront fruit in a Zin that’s so balanced, but here it is. Just delicious."

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley - "Dry Creek Vineyard keeps turning out the most drinkable, delicious Cabernets, at such a good price, and hardly anyone notices. Why? Because it’s not from Napa. A sophisticated wine."