Vineyard Rescue; Saving Grapes

Over the last few years, Bill has devoted some money and many hours to bringing some neglected Sonoma County vineyards back from the brink.

It started in 2008 when he took over the management of Mercedes Soto's one acre of Merlot in Dry Creek Valley.

In 2009, Bill began a rehab project on six acres of Chasselas owned by the Raffaini family on Eastside Road and started helping Ray Davilla with his small mixed vineyard near Chianti Road.

2010 saw the addition of two more projects; a tiny Dry Creek Zinfandel vineyard and an old patch of French Colombard in the Chalk Hill district of the Russian River Valley.

This year Bill will personally farm about half the grapes that he will eventually turn into wine. In a world filled with highly processed products, these are wines that receive the personal touch of one person from pruning the vines through filling and labeling the bottles.