Peterson Dry Creek Zinfandel 1996

Peterson Winery grew out of the vineyards that now supply us with grapes. That may seem unusual, but my background is not just in winemaking but it is also in grape growing, otherwise known as viticulture. That is why I refer to myself as a winegrower. For me making great wine is about the grapes -- where and how they were grown, what the weather conditions were and how the vineyards were managed during the growing season. Before I digress too much, let me give you a quick overview of how Peterson Winery came to be.

I came to Dry Creek Valley in 1983, working with my partner, Bill Hambrecht, to find and develop world-class vineyard properties. It was exciting to be able to select ideal vineyard locations and then plant the appropriate grape variety and clone for that growing region. Once the vineyards came into production, we had amazing fruit being produced in our Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County) vineyards and our Mendocino County Floodgate Vineyard. The next step was a natural one. I wanted to make wine from the fruits of my labor. (Sorry about the pun, it was too good to pass up.)

In 1987, all the pieces fell into place and Peterson Winery was born. We now produce 5000 cases annually, mostly in small lots.