Duff Bevill oversees hundreds of vineyard acres with a sharp eye and a steady hand.
“This man is the salt of the earth, a straight shooter who knows his stuff,” says Bill Knuttel, winemaker at Dry Creek Vineyard. “He’s the sort of person who never diplomatically or politically ‘handled’ something. He is sincere and straightforward. He’s a blue collar guy who learned things the hard way, and there’s a real value to that these days.”
Knuttel’s speaking about Dry Creek’s vineyard manager, Duff Bevill (rhymes with “level,” fittingly enough). And, with all that, Knuttel is just getting warmed up to his subject.
“It’s a pleasure to work with Duff,” he continues, hardly pausing to take a breath. “He’s a very effective manager. He knows what his people have to do and he has a crack crew of supervisors. Like him, when they say they’re going to do something, you can almost mark it up as having been done; that’s how precise and reliable he is. He manages all of our estate vineyards—that’s 200 acres—and he has other vineyard contracts, including more than 80 acres of his own vines.
“You have to understand that, especially during harvest, there’s a lot to be done. He keeps me informed, and I keep him informed. That’s what makes him easy to work with: easy communication that’s open and often. Duff is very direct. He’ll tell me what my options are, what can be done and what can’t. He’s very organized, and he stands by his word. Working with Duff is as easy as easy can be. I used to be at Chalk Hill, where we controlled everything on-site. Working with Duff is just as easy.”
Knuttel points to Dry Creek’s renowned Fumé Blanc as a wine to which Bevill’s influence has made a palpable, direct difference in quality. (Dry Creek’s Fumé has long been a standard for the varietal, with its signature fresh-grass aromatics and wonderful textural oiliness that develops with a bit of bottle age.) “Duff has a wealth of experience, and he’s ready and willing to share that with us. He has a particularly sound sense of canopy management with regard to Sauvignon Blanc grapes [those used to make the Fumé]. I’m wary of cordon training or vertical shoot positioning, either of which tends to let too much light into the canopy because the fruit can get fried by the middle of summer—the result being you lose that wonderful, fresh grass and citrus fruit character. Duff has a great sense of the ‘middle.’
“Last year was a damp year, and rot was a problem in a lot of vineyards. But not in ours. This year, with our less-than-normal rainfall, Duff is leading the way in minimizing our water needs and usage. We’ve husbanded what we have and managed crop levels smartly. That’s Duff: always thinking ahead to stay on top of things. Things don’t get away from him.”
Taking root
Born in 1950, Bevill grew up in the San Fernando Valley, then moved to Redding with his family at age 20. “I’ve always wanted to be involved with agriculture,” he says almost dismissively. “I never really considered anything else. Figured I’d have an orchard—you know, be part of the ‘greening of America.’ I had no illusions about living off the land out in the wilds, but I did want to get out of Southern California and away from urban living. I initially thought about Canada. I looked at the Okanagan Valley, which is a good place to grow peaches, cherries, apples and even grapes for wine. I ended up coming to Sonoma County in 1972 when my Shasta College agriculture instructor introduced me to one of his old college friends, Joe Vogensen, who offered me a job on his 40-acre vineyard and new vineyard management company in Healdsburg. Funny how things work out; Joe’s son Matt works for me now!”
A few years after signing-on with Vogensen, Bevill was hired by Dry Creek Vineyards founder David Stare. “I worked a couple years as an employee, then we worked out a deal where I’d become an independent contractor, managing his vineyards for a per-acre fee. Our contract was just a one-page deal. Dave had 45 acres then and was getting ready to expand his vineyard holdings; now we’re up to 200.”
Bevill remembers starting out with a single tractor. “I did custom disking and cultivation. I was a supervisor doubling as a tractor driver. I studied for and earned my State of California pest control operator’s license so I could do work that others couldn’t do to help build my client base and pay the bills. In 1980, I married Nancy. She’s been instrumental in helping me build the business; I couldn’t have done it without her.”
Born and raised near Cleveland, Ohio, Nancy earned her teaching credential at Ohio State University before relocating to California. “We met through a mutual friend, Jan Mettler, who’s now a wine industry public relations consultant. Jan invited us both to a ‘pig in the pit’ barbecue, and we’ve been together ever since.”
Staying balanced
Bevill says his fees are pretty much in the middle of the pack, though defining “average” can be a bit tricky, since the needs of each vineyard varies and so fees also vary depending on how much (or how little) is required.
“In business, we’ve always been driven by a strict sense of financial accountability. We provide clear budgets for all of our clients, with exacting updates monthly and annually. We find our clients consider that a valuable asset. That’s probably why we’ve had some of our clients for more than 25 years! We’re quite proud of those long-term relationships. These relationships convince us we’re doing something right.”
Bevill, who comes by his accounting focus honestly, as his father was a comptroller for a company called Rocketdyne in the aerospace industry [it was later owned by Rockwell], stresses that it’s equally important for he and Nancy to provide marketing assistance to their clients. “We’re one of the few management firms that gladly helps clients to sell their grapes,” he says. “It’s a better service if we do the marketing, because we know the marketplace. It used to be you needed a buyer for your grapes before you ever put a plant in the ground. I think that’s still a good idea. In fact, over the last five years, if a grower didn’t have a long-term planting contract for their grapes, it was nearly impossible to get a bank loan for that development project. Right now there’s something of a new optimism, though, and people are planting grapes again.
“Appellation comes first; that’s what sells wine,” he continues. “If you’re planting Pinot Noir or Chardonnay in the Russian River Valley or Sonoma Coast appellations, wineries are interested in buying your grapes, especially Pinot Noir. If you’re planting in Dry Creek Valley, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc are probably the best options, because the reputation is clearly established. Syrah is the up-and-coming variety for the Dry Creek Valley region. It’s high on consumer radar screens right now. Cabernet Sauvignon in Alexander Valley is a sure thing; it’s one of Sonoma County’s sweetheart variety-appellation matchups. One big surprise is Sauvignon Blanc in the Russian River Valley. Merry Edwards, who’s a client, has a Sauvignon Blanc that sells out very quickly—and at a bottle price that’s envious to other winery owners.”
When Bevill says, “Appellation comes first,” there’s more to it than that. “I believe the appellation is more important than chasing a varietal just because it’s hot. Pinot Noir is a case in point,” he cautions.
“The Pinot Noir market has grown suddenly and dramatically, but it’s been from a relatively small base. So there was plenty of room to expand its sales and absorb any excess fruit. Though I don’t know where the breaking point is. The good news is, 90 percent of the Pinot being made in Sonoma County’s Russian River is pretty darned good. Nevertheless, growers are chasing that golden egg. Will Pinot become the next major varietal? No one knows. There’s a lot of Merlot being grafted over to both Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc right now.”
Standing tall
Bevill was recently one of 20 to be honored at the sixth annual Spirit of Sonoma County awards, recognized primarily for his work helping to create the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, which currently represents 1,800 growers in Sonoma County. “That’s been a lot of work,” he says with a sigh. “The commission is mainly a marketing effort—an opportunity to tell the Sonoma County story.
“Too may consumers are confused, and continue to think Sonoma County is part of Napa Valley. The commission raised $1.2 million from the 2006 crop. Nick Frey is our commission president. He and I have spent a great deal of time with each of the separate appellations boards planning how to financially cooperate with them in their marketing effort. There’s one thing we’re pretty sure of: If you put ‘Sonoma County’ on the label in addition to the more specific appellation, the wine region of identification is better and our grapes will ultimately sell better. There’s name recognition here.”
One recent study showed that ‘Napa Valley’ has a 91 percent name recognition factor, and ‘Sonoma County’ is right up there at 85 percent. We have the name equity, now we have to keep driving forward by telling the appellation stories within the context of Sonoma County as a whole region.”
“The fact is, Australia, Chile and Argentina are making serious inroads into our markets here in the United States. They recognize that the United States is the largest growing market in the world, so they’re here seriously promoting their products. They see the potential. We realized we were going to be caught asleep at the wheel if we didn’t get going, so I dragged Nick out to meetings and he dragged me. We were able to convince Sonoma County growers they have something to gain.”
“I first met Duff when I interviewed for the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association executive director position in March 1999,” recalls Nick Frey. “My interview was conducted in a Suburban with four SCGGA board members while driving to vineyards in the major AVAs in the county. Duff was asked to show me a vineyard in Dry Creek Valley.
“Duff joined that board in 2000 or 2001 and was president in 2004 and 2005. He really led the effort to create the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, committing untold hours to build grower support, and he’s now chairman of that organization. As chairman, he’s provided excellent leadership and is always accessible when I need his advice. This is a person who’s very organized in his business and is among the larger vineyard managers in the county. He’s thoughtful, engages on issues and always makes what’s best for the grape growing community the focus of his efforts. While very practical, he also envisions future challenges and opportunities.”
Bevill has also been a longtime advocate of participation in the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing in Sonoma County. “In a way, sustainable farming goes more to the big picture. Both organic and biodynamic farming are easily attainable in the context of sustainable winegrowing, but they’re really somewhat incomplete when compared to sustainability as a philosophy. What sustainable does is, it holds you accountable for much more than just the elimination of certain pesticides. It not only addresses pesticide use, but also erosion control, waterway and wildlife protection, and energy usage.
“There’s also a powerful social component to the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing that includes evaluating how you treat your employees. Do you provide health insurance? Is there a retirement package? Do you provide a safe working environment? What about continuing education for all employees? These are critical questions every employer should be asking if he or she expects to have a sustainable and successful workforce.
“Every decision each of us makes has an impact. I believe if you treat your employees well, you’re likely to treat the land well. In early 2007, we switched our entire fleet of diesel trucks and tractors to biodiesel fuel. We’re the first vineyard management company in Sonoma County to do so. It’s not cheaper, but it’s definitely better for our equipment, the environment—our engines are now virtually smoke-free—and geo-politically, since we’re less dependent on foreign oil. Ha! Some soybean farmer in Texas is benefiting from me!”
Duff remembers the days sitting up on spring nights to monitor vineyard temperatures for frost. “Now we have computers that monitor with field sensors and automatically phone our beepers or cell phones to alert us when temperatures get too low.”
Bevill looks forward to cutting back on his workload a bit and traveling with Nancy. “After 30 years of six- and seven-day weeks, I’m trying to cut back to five days a week of work. I went to Europe some years ago with a friend, and I want to go back. I want to see Paris with Nancy. Walking through a cathedral that’s more than 1,000 years old is a wonderful experience. I’m an old rock and roll fan—I play some guitar, a little rock and a little bluegrass. Last year I took my daughter to see the Rolling Stones in San Francisco. Nancy and I garden, and I try to spend a little time working on an old sports car habit, but that’s been on the back burner ever since I got involved with the Winegrape Commission. That takes up a lot of my time.”
That may be true, but it’s clearly time well—and sincerely—spent.
