Simi Winery

Infobox Winery
winery_name = Simi Winery
winery_
location_city = Healdsburg, California
location_country = USA
appellation = Sonoma County AVA
former_name =
other_labels=
year_founded = 1876
first_vintage =
key_people =
parent_company = Constellation Brands
cases_per_year = 150,000 (1998)
signature_wine =
varietal1 = Cabernet Sauvignon
varietal2 = Chardonnay
varietal3 = Sauvignon Blanc
varietal4 = Merlot
varietal5 =
varietal6 =
varietal7 =
varietal8 =
varietal9 =
varietal10 =
other_product1=
other_product2=
other_product3=
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other_product5=
homepage= [http://www.simiwinery.com www.simiwinery.com]
distribution national
tasting=

Simi Winery is one of the oldest and largest superpremium-class boutique wineries in California.

History

The winery was founded in San Francisco, California in 1876 by two Italian brothers, Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, who had immigrated to the United States during the California Gold Rush.cite web|publisher=Epicurious|title=Simi Winery|url=http://www.epicurious.com/tools/winedictionary/entry?id=8011] They moved operations to Healdsburg, California in 1881,cite web|publisher=Simi Winery|title=History|url=http://www.simiwinery.com/about/history.asp] paying $2,250 in gold coins to buy a winery on Front Street. [cite news|publisher=New York Times|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3DA1439F934A25755C0A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|date=June 17, 1987| title=Wine Talk|author=Howard G. Goldberg|publisher=New York Times]

The winery was run by Giuseppe Simi's daughter, Isabel, beginning 1904. After marrying a local banker, Isabel Simi continued to make wine during Prohibition from 1920 until 1933, which she stored in the winery's stone cellars. One of the few California wineries to survive Prohibition, Simi was forced to sell most of its vineyards to survive, but was also one of the few companies to have wine available when sales were again legal. Simi opened its first tasting room in 1934. Isabel Simi sold the winery to grower Russell Green in 1970 but continued working there.

In 1973 Maryann Graf, the first woman to graduate from an American university with a degree in oenology, joined Simi. [cite news|url=http://www.wineinstitute.org/resources/consumerfeaturedstories/article334|publisher=Wine Institute|title=Women Spur New Trend In Wine Marketing] In 1979 winemaking was taken over by Zelma Long, one of California's most prominent winemakers, who modernized and brought the winery to national prominence. [cite news|title=Zelma of Simi - Zelma Long of Simi Winery|publisher=National Review|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_v39/ai_4665103?tag=rel.res5|date= Feb 13, 1987|author=Nika Hazleton] The winery was sold in 1981 to Moët-Hennessy, which in turn became part of LVMH Moët Hennessy. Beginning 1982 the winery began to re-acquire its own vineyards. Long, who continued after the Hennessy sale, eventually became President and CEO. [cite web|url=http://www.atlasofwineries.com/wineries/simi.html|title=Simi Winery|publisher=Atlas of Wineries]

LMVH sold the winery for approximately US$50 million in 1999 to Canandaigua Brands, a division of Constellation Brands. [cite news|publisher=New York Times|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E0D6163EF932A25750C0A96F958260|title=Large Winemaker Near an Acquisition|date=March 11, 1999] It is now owned by Icon Estates, Constellation's luxury wine subsidiary.

Production

Simi owns convert|600|acre|km2|1 of vineyards in Alexander Valley, planted in Bordeaux varietal wines, and the convert|120|acre|km2|1|adj=on "Goldfields Vineyard" in Russian River Valley, planted to Chardonnay clones. [cite web|url=http://www.simiwinery.com/about/vineyards.asp|publisher=Simi Winery|title=Vineyards]

ee also

* California wine
* Sonoma County wine

References