Sbragia Family Vineyards

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Perched on a hilltop, bordering Healdsburg and Geyserville, Sbragia Family Vineyards boasts panoramic views of rolling hills blanketed by vineyards. Though the winery was established in 2001, the Sbragia family has called the Dry Creek Valley home for more than a century. “We’ve been around for a long time, and we’re not going anywhere,” says Adam Sbragia, winemaker and director of operations.

The Sbragia story begins in the 1920s, when Sbragia’s grandfather, Gino, and his five brothers emigrated to the U.S. from Italy. Many Italians settled in Dry Creek, Sbragia says, because the landscape is similar to the grapegrowing region of Tuscany.

The Sbragia brothers dreamed of starting a winery, but Prohibition and the Great Depression made it impossible. Despite these setbacks, Sbragia’s grandfather worked hard, and with a little bit of luck, he was able to buy 40 acres of land in Dry Creek Valley and planted Zinfandel and Merlot. “With that came the family house, [which was] built in 1885,” says Sbragia. “That’s where he raised my father and where my father raised me, and now I’m raising my kids there.” As a child, Sbragia recalls walking the vineyards with his grandfather, riding the tractor and making wine in the back of the barn.

Sbragia’s father, Ed, stayed in the wine industry, and was head winemaker at Beringer Winery for 35 years. Sbragia had other ideas, and pursued a career in acting. However, he soon realized that Hollywood wasn’t like the family business he had grown up in. He moved back home and took an internship at a local winery, eventually joining his father at Beringer as assistant winemaker.

From left, father-son team Ed and Adam Sbragia

Then, when Gary Heck, owner of Korbel Winery, put his other property, Lake Sonoma Winery, on the market, the Sbragias purchased the estate. “We knew that we wanted to start Sbragia [Family Vineyards] in our own home, in the valley that we’ve always lived in,” says Sbragia.

When I arrive on a warm summer day, Adam leads me into the wine library, a sophisticated room made of paneled redwood, the walls lined with bottles. We begin with the 2021 Redwood Ranch Sauvignon Blanc, a single-vineyard wine from the Russian River appellation. “Sauv Blanc is a great wine for a hot day in the summer,” says Sbragia, adding that it pairs well with spicy foods, like curry. The wine is crisp and light, with notes of pear, green apple and Meyer lemon.

Next, we try the 2020 Russian River Chardonnay, which is barrel fermented for 10 months in 10% new French Oak, and stirred monthly. While the winery has another Chardonnay made in the traditional heavily oaked style, “With this one, I wanted to make a wine that’s in between,” says Sbragia. He adds that one contention of Chardonnay is the amount of malolactic acid in the wine, which determines its sharpness. “This is a middle ground,” he says. The wine is soft on the palate, with a light buttery base. It’s fruit-forward, with notes of baked apple, pear and a hint of barrel spices.

Next, we move into reds and begin with the 2018 Carignane. This is an old Italian grape that is typically only used in blends. This wine is 95% Carignane and 5% Petit Syrah, which adds some structure. Smooth and velvety, it boasts notes of cherry and strawberry, balanced by aromas of clove and nutmeg. A wine club exclusive, only 200 cases are made.

This is followed with the 2018 Nonno’s Reserve Zinfandel. “Nonno is the Italian word for grandfather,” Sbragia says, and this wine, sourced from his grandfather’s vineyards, was named in his honor. The wine is a blend of 85% Zinfandel, 10% Carignane and 5% Petit Sirah. “We pick [the grapes] together, crush them together and ferment them together,” says Sbragia, so the grapes are blended together at the beginning of the process, rather than the end. This wine is fruit-forward, with notes of raspberry, cranberry and cherry. The tannins are rich, yet plush and giving. “This wine is very special to us,” Sbragia says, because it represents his grandfather’s dream coming to fruition.

Lastly, we try the 2013 Neil Vineyard Cabernet. Sourced from Howell Mountain in Napa Valley, Sbragia regards the region as one of the best for growing Cabernet because the elevation of the appellation and the natural stress that the grapes are exposed to brings a level of intensity to the wine. The Cab features layers of rich spice—vanilla, licorice and cracked black pepper, followed by notes of cherry, currant and raspberry.

When asked what he loves most about his work, Sbragia says that wine is a family and friends business, and he loves the strong relationships between winemakers and growers. “There aren’t too many secrets,” he says. He can ask a winemaker for tips on what yeasts they use for a certain wine, or where a winery sources their grapes. “I love that [this industry] is still based on agriculture. We only get one chance a year to make wine.”

Most of all, though, Adam regards winemaking as a chance to build a legacy. “It’s the reason we do what we do and have what we have,” says Sbragia. “This winery is an accumulation of three generations of dreams starting with my grandfather.”

 

[Photos courtesy of Sbragia Family Vineyards]

 

Did You Know?

Winemaker Adam Sbragia’s great-grandfather, Julio Sbragia, moved to the Dry Creek Valley from a small village in the Tuscany area of Italy in the 1800s. He worked as a cellar technician at Asti Winery for six years. “We have stories of him up on a ladder topping the tank, and yelling to the guy below him to ‘quit shaking the ladder,’” says Sbragia. “It was the 1906 earthquake.” He eventually moved back to Italy, where he married and raised five sons and one daughter.

 

At a Glance

Sbragia Family Vineyards

9990 Dry Creek Rd.

Geyserville, Calif. 95441

sbragia.com

Hours: Open Thurs. to Mon., 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Tasting Fee: $25–$30 per person

Wines: 2021 Redwood Ranch Sauvignon Blanc, 2020 Russian River Chardonnay, 2018 Carignane, 2018 Nonno’s Reserve Zinfandel, 2013 Neil Vineyard Cabernet

Reservations: Required

Picnics: No

Pets: No.

 

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