George Wine Company Martaella Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007

George Wine Company has one employee, who happens to be named George. He's the person who works in the vineyard, sorts the fruit, ferments the grapes, bottles the wine, cleans the equipment and floor, writes the letters, signs the checks, among other things.

The journey that took George to Sonoma County, California began on a small island in Southern New York State commonly referred to as The Big Apple. After growing up in NYC, George went on to Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, and the University of Houston Law Center. Following nine years in academia, and significant financial debt, George moved to Los Angeles and became a United States Government Bond trader. During a fourteen year career as a bond trader, George arrived at work five days a week at five in the morning. In 1994, about ten years into his trading career, George had some Williams Selyem Rochioli Vineyard Pinot Noir with his seared ahi dinner. That night, George had an epiphany, as wine became an equal partner with food in the dining experience, and decided that one day he would move to Sonoma County to make Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

Four years later, George sold his house in Manhattan Beach, quit a fourteen year career, and moved to Healdsburg, California to make Pinot Noir.

George arrived in wine country in 1998 with an enthusiastic desire to learn as much as possible about grape growing and winemaking. Accordingly, George signed up for courses at Santa Rosa Junior College as well as the University of California (Berkeley and Davis). All of a sudden, George was studying vineyard management instead of business management, canopy management instead of financial management, and the laws of nature instead of the laws of man.

As George had learned numerous times in the past, while academia is helpful, hands-on experience is crucial. George was able to convince Bob Cabral, the handpicked successor of the original winemaker Burt Williams, to let him work the harvest of 1999 at Williams Selyem Winery. In exchange for an enthusiastic worker, Bob would answer countless questions from Curious George. The relationship was mutually beneficial, and George was permitted to be involved in virtually every aspect of the winemaking process at Williams Selyem in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002.

Prior to moving to Healdsburg, George made numerous trips to Williams Selyem and was always greeted by Burt's daughter, Margi. Through Margi, George was able to barrel taste with Burt at her winrey (Brogan), as well as Burt's son Fred's winery (Seven Lions), and Burt's common law Russian son Nikolai's winery (Woodenhead). Conversations with Burt were initially confined to esoteric subjects like hose diameter and fermentation temperature, but have enveloped over the decade into subjects like the virtues of the Mediterranean Diet and San Francisco culture in the late 1960s. Bob, Burt and Burt's children have been very generous with their encouragement, friendship, knowledge, wine and wisdom.

The first vintage of George Pinot Noir in 2003 was a little over one hundred cases, and was made at Hirsch Vineyards in Cazadero, as was the 2004 vintage. The subsequent vintages were all made at the brand new Moshin Vineyards Russian River Valley facility on Westside Road in Healdsburg.

George had been a customer of Martinelli wine for a decade prior to starting his own label, and approached Carolyn Martinelli after the 2003 harvest about the possibility of purchasing fruit. She mentioned there was a new vineyard planted in 2000 across the road in an organic apple orchard to the specifications of their winemaker Helen Turley. Carolyn said she would check with her husband about the availability of grapes from this vineyard. Lee Martinelli appeared a few minutes later, and agreed to provide George with his first Russian River Valley fruit in 2004. Russian River Valley fruit from Nick Leras in 2006 and Fred Hansen in 2007 followed. Although George is the only full-time employee at George Wine Company, dozens of people have assisted in return for the fruits of their labor. JJ and Joey have helped with everything from bottling to graphic design for over a decade, since George made a hundred bottles of garage wine at the turn of the century. They both enjoy Pinot Noir, though Joey gave up drinking years ago. Fortunately, Joey's wife Jan still enjoys drinking George Pinot Noir.

The goal of the second decade for George will be to continue to improve quality through grape grower cooperation and through a maturing winemaker.