Diane and Ken Wilson, owners of 6,000-case Wilson Winery & Vineyards in Healdsburg and other small specialty producers in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, just added Pezzi King Vineyards to their growing empire.
The Wilsons bought the 137-acre vineyard property and production facility on West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, from Jim and Cynthia Rowe, who founded the remote, rustic winery in 1993. It currently produces some 8,000 cases per year.
Reportedly, the Rowes are ready to retire from the wine business. In addition to their self-named winery, in recent years the Wilsons have acquired a handful of nearby boutique producers, including 15,000-case Mazzocco Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley; 3,000-case Matrix Winery, Russian River Valley; 10,000-case De Lorimier Vineyards and Winery and 2,000-case Soda Rock Winery, Alexander Valley and 5,000-case Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery Hopland, Mendocino County. The Wilsons also own extensive mountain vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
Reportedly, the Rowes are ready to retire from the wine business. In addition to their self-named winery, in recent years the Wilsons have acquired a handful of nearby boutique producers, including 15,000-case Mazzocco Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley; 3,000-case Matrix Winery, Russian River Valley; 10,000-case De Lorimier Vineyards and Winery and 2,000-case Soda Rock Winery, Alexander Valley and 5,000-case Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery Hopland, Mendocino County. The Wilsons also own extensive mountain vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
Do the Wilsons plan to emulate Bill Foley’s empire, which in less than a decade has grown to include Chalk Hill, Firestone, Kuleto, Lincourt, Merus, Sebastiani and Three Rivers Winery, in addition to Foley Estates Vineyard and Winery? Not really, according to Dawn Dolan, who handles wholesale for Wilson Winery and its allied enterprises. “It’s more that opportunities have presented themselves,” she told Wines & Vines today. “Ken Wilson is quite a forward-thinker. He saw that Zinfandel was going to be a premier grape here,” and began acquiring suitable sites. The Wilsons are not planning any changes at Pezzi King, Dolan said. There is no tasting room on the winery site, which is up a narrow, twisting, redwood-lined mountain lane in the Dry Creek AVA. The Pezzi King tasting room and offices are now housed in the historic Old Roma Station in downtown Healdsburg. Winemaker Chris Barrett is expected to remain at his station.
source : winesandvines.com
