Gary Farrell

Gary Farrell moved to Sonoma County to continue his education in Political Science at Sonoma State University. He soon became fascinated with wine, and began a wine–tasting group, which met periodically to experience wines produced from the unique Russian River Valley. As his passion for wine grew, he began experimenting with home fermentations, producing small lots of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel wines.

Gary decided to give up law to pursue a career in the wine industry. In the mid–1970s, Gary learned from several early pioneers of the region, such as Tom Dehlinger, Bob Stemmler, Davis Bynum and Joe Rochioli. Gary was offered his first winemaking position at the Davis Bynum Winery in 1978.

In 1982, Gary decided to make his own wine and exchanged winemaking for grapes with Joe Rochioli. He released 50 cases of 1982 Pinot Noir, from the now famous Allen and Rochioli vineyards. Little did he know the fame that would eventually come to this vineyard and to the Russian River Valley region.

Pinot Noir is Gary's varietal of choice, both as a producer and a consumer. He selects vineyards where the families are passionate about their fruit and where cool breezes and nighttime fog from the Pacific provide significant cooling during late Spring and Summer and moderate temperatures to provide for a slow, even ripening of fruit while preserving natural acidity.