More of the Personalities Behind The Wines

Winter Wine Producer Tour Highlights Wineries and Winemakers

Continuing with my personal impressions and notes from meeting some of the finest minds and biggest names behind wines. If you missed the first installment, you can catch up and read about meeting the people behind the wines.

The Cult of Wine; Meeting Greg Brewer Master Winemaker

In 1989, Melville Vineyards was founded in Sonoma County’s Knights Valley. The Melville Estate, with winemaker Greg Brewer, at the helm achieves quality through the integrity of its farming practice and its respect to the microclimate, allowing the true terroir of the vineyard to shine through in the wines.  Born of an obsession with Santa Barbara County terroir, Brewer-Clifton was formed in the early 1990′s by Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton.  Both men previously worked for the other area producers, and had expressed a desire to fully integrate their tireless work ethics with the cutting edge wine making techniques they were beginning to employ in their various projects. 

Greg Brewer

At first glance, I assumed the man I just meet was the CEO of Melville/Brewer-Clifton.  I would never have guessed it was Greg Brewer the wine maker.  He was dressed in what looked like European business attire, very stylish!  He looked just great.  Now, I don’t want you to think that I *think* that all winemakers  are poorly dressed and monotone, because that is untrue.  I was just pleasantly surprised when I meant him. He was super up beat and had a great personality as well.

Patz & Hall’s Donald Patz & the Buffalo Coat!

Patz & Hall began producing wines in 1988 in order to fulfill a life long dream of making elegant Pinot Noir and chardonnay.  Partners James Hall, Anne Moses, and Donald and Heather Patz created their first vintage after years of experience working for other wineries in the Napa Valley.   Now into their third decade of fine winemaking, Patz & Hall has refined their focus to include small production, single vineyard wines, while expanding their portfolio to include over ten different bottling of elegant Chardonnays and enthralling Patz & Hall Pinot Noirs. 

Donald Patz

When I meet Donald, I felt his happiness.  He greeted me with a huge smile and firm handshake.  He is one of those cool ones.  He had a slideshow of pictures on his laptop that he showed me.  One picture I will never forget. It is a picture of him in a buffalo jacket.  He told me that the jacket weighed 20 pounds.  It was coolest looking jacket I have ever seen!  Thank God, PETA was not around! Donald is scheduled to come back to Orlando to have a wine dinner with us.  Well, actually,  it will be with Adam and the board meeting.  No girls allowed, but that’s OK;  I have a bottle of the Patz & Hall 2007 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay!