Dry Creek Vineyard

Dry Creek Vineyard was established in 1972 when David S. Stare, a civil engineering graduate of MIT, purchased a 55-acre prune orchard across the street from the Dry Creek General Store in Healdsburg, Sonoma County. Inspired by his travels to France, particularly the Loire Valley, Stare set out to produce elegant, food-friendly wines that reflected the terroir of a valley then largely unknown for wine. He enrolled as a graduate student in winemaking at UC Davis while scouting vineyard land, discovering Dry Creek Valley on one of his weekend searches. As the first new winery in the valley following Prohibition, his arrival catalyzed a broader viticultural revival in the region.

• Winery founded on a former 55-acre prune orchard adjacent to the Dry Creek General Store in Healdsburg
• David Stare trained in winemaking at UC Davis before establishing the winery in 1972
• Inspired by the Loire Valley, Stare planted Sauvignon Blanc against the advice of agricultural advisors
• First new winery in Dry Creek Valley after Prohibition, triggering a regional renaissance in grape growing and winemaking

Dry Creek Vineyard has accumulated an extraordinary list of industry firsts that shaped California wine broadly, not just its home valley. Stare was the first to plant Sauvignon Blanc in Dry Creek Valley and the first to release a Fumé Blanc in Sonoma County. He initiated the formation of the Dry Creek Valley AVA in 1983, becoming the first to label wines with the appellation. The winery was a founding member of the Meritage Alliance and the first to release a wine under the Meritage classification with the 1985 vintage. It was also the first winery to consistently use the term "Old Vine" for Zinfandel, beginning with the 1987 vintage. Wine Enthusiast honored David Stare as its "American Wine Legend" at the 2022 Wine Star Awards.

• Initiated the Dry Creek Valley AVA designation in 1983 and was first to label wines with the appellation
• Founding member of the Meritage Alliance and first winery to release a wine under the Meritage classification (1985 vintage)
• First to consistently use the term "Old Vine" for Zinfandel, beginning with the 1987 vintage
• David Stare honored as Wine Enthusiast "American Wine Legend" in 2022 and received the California State Fair Wine Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023

The winery farms 185 acres (75 hectares) of certified sustainable estate vineyards, which supply roughly 65 percent of production. The remainder is sourced from long-term contract growers within Dry Creek Valley. The Old Vine Zinfandel program draws on some of the valley's most historic parcels, including the Beeson Ranch, planted in the 1890s and dry-farmed under head pruning for over three decades of partnership with the winery. The Heritage Vines program takes a forward-thinking approach: cuttings from a pre-Prohibition era vineyard planted in 1906 were grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock to preserve old-vine genetics on a younger estate block. The winery's Dry Chenin Blanc is the one exception to Sonoma County sourcing, drawing fruit from a multi-generational partnership with the Wilson family in the Clarksburg AVA for more than 40 years.

• 185 acres of certified sustainable estate vineyards provide approximately 65 percent of total production
• Beeson Ranch, planted in the 1890s, is dry-farmed and head-pruned; a cornerstone of the Old Vine Zinfandel program for over 35 years
• Heritage Vines program grafted budwood from a 1906 pre-Prohibition vineyard onto modern rootstock to preserve old-vine genetics
• Dry Chenin Blanc sourced exclusively from the Wilson family in Clarksburg AVA, a partnership spanning more than 40 years

Under Director of Winemaking Tim Bell, who joined the winery in 2011, Dry Creek Vineyard pursues a food-centric style that prioritizes balance and terroir expression. The Zinfandel program centers on two core bottlings: the Old Vine Zinfandel, sourced from vines averaging over 100 years in age, and the Heritage Vines Zinfandel, which blends Zinfandel with Petite Sirah and a small portion of Carignane to add structure and color. The Fumé Blanc, a stainless-steel-fermented expression of Sauvignon Blanc, has been a flagship wine since 1972 and remains modeled after the crisp, food-friendly style of the Loire Valley. The Bordeaux program is led by The Mariner, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc from hillside sites in the valley.

• Tim Bell serves as Director of Winemaking, joining in 2011; known for a textural, balanced approach to Zinfandel
• Old Vine Zinfandel sources from vines averaging over 100 years in age across historic Dry Creek Valley parcels
• Heritage Vines Zinfandel blends Zinfandel with Petite Sirah and Carignane, preserving a link to pre-Prohibition vine genetics
• Fumé Blanc is stainless-steel fermented, modeled after Loire Valley style, and has been produced continuously since 1972

The 2017 Heritage Vines Zinfandel was selected as one of Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2019, ranked number 64. The 2016 Estate Zinfandel Spencer's Hill also appeared on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2020. More recently, the 2023 Dry Chenin Blanc was named to Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2025. The winery's 1991 Reserve Merlot won the prestigious Grand Prix d'Honneur at the Challenge International du Vin in Bordeaux, France. The 1973 Dry Chenin Blanc earned a remarkable cultural landmark when it was served by both Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter at eight White House state dinners. The winery was named one of the Top 100 Wineries of 2015 by Wine and Spirits Magazine and holds 100 percent Certified Sustainable status.

• 2017 Heritage Vines Zinfandel: Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2019, ranked number 64
• 2016 Estate Zinfandel Spencer's Hill: Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2020
• 2023 Dry Chenin Blanc: Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2025
• 1991 Reserve Merlot won the Grand Prix d'Honneur at the Challenge International du Vin in Bordeaux, France

Dry Creek Vineyard has remained continuously family-owned across two generations, a distinction increasingly rare among California wineries of its stature. Founder David Stare continues to be active in the industry and was honored with the Wine Enthusiast American Wine Legend award in 2022 and the California State Fair Wine Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. His daughter Kim Stare Wallace now serves as President, leading with a stated "no compromises" philosophy. Her husband Don Wallace pioneered the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program with the Wine Institute. The winery holds 100 percent Certified Sustainable status across all 185 vineyard acres, incorporating solar energy, water conservation, cover crops, and biodiversity programs. The winery is also part of the so-called "Class of 72," a cohort of wineries founded in 1972 that helped elevate California wine's international standing.

• Family-owned across two generations; Kim Stare Wallace serves as second-generation President
• Don Wallace co-pioneered the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program; the winery is 100 percent Certified Sustainable
• David Stare remains active; honored with Wine Enthusiast American Wine Legend (2022) and California State Fair Lifetime Achievement Award (2023)
• Part of the "Class of 72" alongside mostly Napa Valley wineries that elevated the perception of California wine globally