“Harvest” is a relative term for winemaker Guy Davis; he’s up to something every season of the year.
Guy Davis of Davis Family Vineyards in Healdsburg describes “crush,” the time when the grapes are picked and brought into the winery for pressing, as “an adrenaline-filled episode—a winemaker’s yearly shot at greatness.” So, by his own definition, he could be described as an adrenaline junkie.
Davis loves to create, and makes wines in both the Sonoma’s Russian River Valley and in Marlborough, New Zealand, along with an apple brandy and some olive oil. When he’s not busy picking, pressing, blending or bottling one of his creations, he’s tending his vines or traveling to accounts and distributors to fulfill his marketing and sales responsibilities. It might sound like a lot, but Davis wouldn’t have it any other way. “For me, it’s not so much about trying to do everything as it is not being able to resist doing something with a special product,” he says.
Davis developed a passion for wine in college. While he was earning his degree in economics, he worked at a French restaurant in the evenings. After he graduated, working on a few finance projects for wineries opened the door for him to also work harvest in varied wine regions, but it was at Sky Vineyards in the Mayacamas Mountains that he truly found his calling. Davis says that, at Sky, everything was done by hand—not only by choice, but by necessity. “There wasn’t even PG&E up there when I first started, just a solar panel,” he says.
The opportunity to get intimately involved in all aspects of winemaking was the hook for Davis. “At that point, I just fell in love with this process, the old traditions that come with it and how it can really be handcrafted.”
His career in wine began with Davis working as a wine broker—but he also decided to make small lots of his own wine. In 1996, he purchased property in the Russian River Valley—where he makes his home—and also planted his estate vineyard. The site was a vineyard that had been abandoned for nearly 20 years, but Davis was able to save a 2.5-acre block that dates back to 1896. He uses grapes from this original block to make what he describes as his “Ancient Vine” Zinfandel. The yield from these “old-timers,” as Davis calls them, is incredibly low. They only produce about 250 cases of wine per year.
Two more one-acre blocks were planted with Syrah, and the rest of the estate was planted with six acres of Pinot Noir. From the very beginning, Pinot Noir was a major focus for Davis. “During the 1990s, I decided Russian River Pinot Noir, for me, was a grape from a place that could compete globally. It could be as good as anything that was being done anywhere in the world.”
Balancing act
As both a grapegrower and winemaker Davis has a predictably balanced winemaking philosophy. He certainly believes great wine is made in the vineyard and is an expression of a unique place, but he also realizes the constant decisions he makes in the vineyard and the winery have a huge impact on the finished product. “Wine should be a natural expression of a specific place—the personality of a single, carefully tended plot of earth that reveals the mood of Mother Nature in a particular year,” says Davis. It’s not entirely up to the whims of nature though; Davis also has a clear vision. “I would say, stylistically, to create wine every year you need a target, a bull’s-eye you’re shooting at—and, for me, that’s balance and complexity.”
When it comes to talking about and describing wine, Davis is the type that waxes poetic, using romantic, descriptive words and phrases. There’s nothing the least bit cloying about his style though; he comes across simply as someone who’s passionate about wine, who’s labored over every aroma and flavor and who’s excited to share it with you. He also talks about wines from other producers he admires like Radio-Coteau, McPhail, Holdridge, Dutton-Goldfield and Dutton Estate with the same level of enthusiasm.
Because he works with Chardonnay, Cabernet, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc from areas in Napa, Sonoma and even New Zealand, defining the style of Davis Family Vineyards is a little challenging, but Davis feels his winemaking philosophy creates some shared characteristics. “I want as many layers of aromas and perfume as I can possibly get. I want the balance between acidity, tannin and alcohol, and all of the flavors and textures, to be as multifaceted as possible. That would be, I hope, the thread that runs through all of the wines I make.”
Man of the year
For most winemakers “the season” really starts in the fall, and for grapegrowers, probably in the spring at bud break. But because of his diverse projects, every season is “the season” for Davis and his family. “I don’t know where the year actually starts, it just really never ends,” says Davis. This feeling is echoed by Davis’ 29-year-old son, Cole, who helps him in every aspect of the business but is specifically responsible for cellar work.
In September, the Pinot Noir harvest begins. The Syrah is usually picked-out by the end of November. At the same time, they’re keeping watch over the apple orchards at Dutton Ranch and selectively picking as the apples achieve ripeness. After the wines are fermented and pressed-out, around the beginning of December, they finish the apple harvest and start the fermentation of the brandy. In January, they prune the grapevines and pick and press the last of the olives from the Sierra Foothills (which they’ve been harvesting simultaneously along with the grapes and apples). In February, Guy Davis heads to New Zealand and stays about a month to make his Gusto label Sauvignon Blanc.
When he returns home, bud break is usually taking place at his vineyard, and it’s time to bottle the Cabernet Sauvignon from two years prior and the previous year’s Chardonnay. In May, Davis puts on his sales and marketing hat and releases the first of his new vintages. Then he hits the road to, as he says, “give a little personality to the brand,” by making sales calls, distributor presentations and hosting winemaker dinners.
On those sales trips, Davis has a lot to talk about. In addition to his wines, Apple-ation, the apple brandy he makes from 100-year-old organic apple trees at Dutton Ranch, has gained quite a following. When Davis saw the last apple-processing plant close in the area, he felt something unique was fading away. “Gravensteins are such an incredible product that most of the world doesn’t know about, and I wanted to do something special with them,” he says.
Determined to save a small piece of Sonoma’s heritage, one snifter at a time, Davis created a special process that draws on his winemaking experience to create Apple-ation. Using a method very similar to making red wine, instead of pressing the apples and fermenting the juice, Davis chops the apples and ferments the liquid with the solids, which gives the brandy a deep, intense flavor. Apple-ation is bright and juicy but, at the same time, warm and rich. It’s the very essence of fall and instantly brings to mind cooler days, fireplaces and Thanksgiving.
Win friends and influence people
The official motto of Davis Family Vineyards, which graces the back label of every bottle, is “We’re not just out to make great wines, we’re out to make great friends.” And Davis believes that sharing a bottle of wine with a great meal is one of the best ways for people to connect. To that end, great wine is almost always accompanied by great food, and Davis also crafts an artisan olive oil from an organic orchard in the Sierra Foothills. (Only 60 cases are produced, so you basically need to be on the mailing list to get a bottle.)
Exceptions can always be made for friends though, like Jason Schneider, store manager at Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa. Schneider has been able to get a few bottles of Davis’ olive oil to offer customers, and is a big supporter of Davis’ wines and Apple-ation as well. Schneider says he’s very impressed with Davis as a winemaker and distiller, but also likes working with him on a personal level. “I love supporting the good people in the business, and he’s one of the best guys out there,” says Schneider.
When Schneider first met Davis at his winery, he says Davis, who didn’t know he was a wine buyer, treated him instantly like a special guest. When asked how he feels about all of the various products Davis makes, Schneider is particularly keen on the idea of making wine in different appellations and countries. “All of those varied experiences are only going to improve the wine when you get back home. I’m surprised more winemakers don’t do it.” As for the apple brandy, Schneider had his doubts at first. “I was a little leery of it because winemaking and distilling are two very different arts.” However, Schneider says that, with the first sip, he was convinced—and it instantly took off in the store. “It was refreshing to taste something that really was what it said it was. You could taste the terroir of the Russian River Valley.”
Duskie Estes, co-chef and co-owner of Zazu and Bovolo restaurants with her husband John Stewart, instantly bonded with Davis over a glass of his wine and a shared devotion to showcasing local products. “So many winemakers have one varietal they do really, really well—and the rest are good. But I pretty much like anything Guy puts his hands on,” says Estes. Estes says that, while she’s usually quite loyal to Sonoma County grapes, she really enjoys the Davis Napa Cabernet. She also says she’s a fan of the Davis Rosé, which is co-fermented with Viognier.
Aside from featuring Davis wines and apple brandy at her restaurants, Estes works on several special events with Davis throughout the year and really enjoys their projects. “He has endless energy and is so positive,” says Estes, who—cooking at two restaurants—is constantly on the go herself. Estes says she looks forward to catering for Davis. “He wants an event to go well and he’s not worried about the penny, which is different. It’s unique. In my business, there’s a lot of negotiation, and Guy just says, ‘Do whatever it takes, I want it to be awesome.’ I love working with that, because it makes us shine.”
At Zazu and Bovolo, pork is always on the menu. Davis says that when he visits, he almost always orders the “pig du jour,” which he pairs with a glass of Pinot Noir or Syrah. Estes says the Davis Zinfandel and Syrah both pair beautifully with pork, especially the pulled pork sandwich, which is a regular feature on the menu.
Estes is also a huge fan of Apple-ation and has found several ways to incorporate it into her menu. As a Christmas present, she made a duck liver flan with Apple-ation jelly for Davis and also gave him a wheel of Pt. Reyes blue cheese that she’d soaked in the apple brandy for three months. With the help of these delicious bribes, Estes has convinced Davis to take on yet another project. “Because he’s so willing to do whatever you throw his way, he’s going to make grappa for us this year,” says Estes. When Estes moved in to her home, she discovered it was planted with a rare red Italian varietal, Schioppettino, and she thinks her vines are possibly the only plantings of the grape outside of Italy. With a story like that, of course, Davis couldn’t refuse. So be on the lookout for bottles of this unique offering sometime next year.
As for the future of his winery, Davis says no other new projects are currently in the works, but that even he can’t be sure. He is sure, though, that he needs to stay small. He currently produces around 4,000 cases of wine, and the majority is sold through the wine club and tasting room. A high percentage of direct sales is what lets Davis be profitable, despite his small size. But distribution is also very important. “The other 30 percent we need for exposure, we need to be on wine lists across the country. Those waitstaff are the unpaid sales force who are spreading the word.”
The word, at the moment, is all about his two new releases: the 2004 Cabernet and the 2005 Pinot Noir. The Cabernet is a blend of two Napa vineyards: one on the valley floor on the border of Rutherford and St. Helena; and the Stagecoach vineyard, which is at a higher elevation. The wine, Davis says, gets red fruit, exotic spice and Rutherford dust character from one vineyard and black fruit, cocoa and coffee from the other. As for the 2005 Russian River Pinot Noir, Davis describes it as the “epitome of pretty,” incredibly aromatic with notes of everything from flowers and fruit to earthy aromas.
Those are the next wines Davis has in store for us, but you never know what’s on the horizon. Asked if there’s anything he’d like to make that he hasn’t tried yet, he has an answer right at the tip of his tongue—Riesling. “It’s the one thing I don’t make now that I’m incredibly fond of,” says Davis. “But it would require finding the absolute best fruit source. I only want to make it if it’s as good as it gets.” Considering he can get his hands on the only Schioppettino outside of Italy, it seems like it’s not a question of if, but when, a Davis Riesling will make its debut. In the meantime, there’s plenty more of his wine, brandy and olive oil to enjoy.
