|
Guy Davis (Page
2)
 Working
with these boutique wineries enabled him to meet creative,
artisan wine makers, many of whom possessed the passion of great
artists.
These small, hands-on winemakers
became a real inspiration, and due to meeting so many of these
winemakers, Davis determined to learn and master the craft of
making wine himself, signed on to work the 1989 harvest at Sky
Vineyards, a little winery atop Mount Veeder in Napa Valley.
“This was my revelation—things
came into clear focus,” says Davis. “I cut clusters of grapes
from vines and felt them drop into my hands, noticing the
texture of the skins, the different levels of ripeness and
expression of flavors. I punched down grapes in the fermentation
tanks, and was always surrounded by the aromas and lifestyle of
wine. I was hooked, and it wasn’t long before I made the a total
commitment to become a winemaker and grape grower on my own
property.”
On the weekends Davis laboring and
learning his craft, whether it was, bottling, labeling, pruning
or harvesting. He took every viticulture and Enology class
offered at the college in Santa Rosa and pursued night and
weekend courses in the winemaking program at the University of
California at Davis.
“The best part was that I was in
the vineyards,” says Davis. “I was involved in the creative
process and making grapes into wine. And it was this hands-on
involvement that really ignited the passion within me.”
From that point, he never missed
another harvest.
It was after a stint as director
of marketing at Kendall Jackson that he started Passport Wine
Club in 1994: a mail order company that connected tiny wineries
from all over the United States to consumers seeking rare, small
production wines.
Passport helped Davis meet
winemakers from all over the world as he imported their wines
and introduced them to the U.S. market. At the same time, he was
gaining a worldwide perspective of winemaking knowledge and
techniques.
In 1995, Davis produced his first
commercial vintage: 250 cases of old vine zinfandel from the
Russian River Valley. In 1996, he bought his own vineyard in
Russian River Valley comprised of 100-year-old zinfandel vines
and, in 1997, crushed his first vintage under the Davis Family
Vineyards label.
Passport Wine Club's growth and
success resulted in Davis and his business partner being
approached by Geerlings & Wade, a national wine retailer, with
an offer to buy the company. They readily agreed. "This was the
situation I needed to enable me to focus exclusively on Davis
Family Vineyards," says Davis.
Soon he planted new Pinot Noir and
Syrah vineyards in Russian River Valley.
"In over two decades of learning
about, enjoying and making wine, I now believe the winemaker's
craft is no different than any other art form, it is a work of
patience, of passion, and a piece of yourself for others to
enjoy!” says Davis.
Back to Home Page Davis Family Vineyards:
52 Front Street, Healdsburg CA 95448
Phone: 707-569-0171 Fax: 707-569-0181 Toll Free
1-866-338-9463
Questions about your order? Email
sales@daviswines.com
Web-related inquiries:
webmaster@daviswines.com
©Davis Family Vineyards
Ordering Online? Click Here |
