Simi Winery

Simi is under the exclusive smaller wineries in California ( boutique wineries ) one of the oldest and largest.

History

The winery was founded in 1876 in San Francisco by the brothers Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, who had emigrated from Italy during the California Gold Rush. 1881, the company moved to Healdsburg, and bought for $ 2,250 in gold coins a winery on Front Street.

In 1904 the estate of Giuseppe's daughter Isabel was farmed. After marriage with a local banker sat Isabel Simi wine production during the Prohibition 1920-1933 continues and stored the wines in the cellar. To survive as one of the few California wineries Prohibition, Simi had to sell most of its vineyards. This Simi was one of the few companies that had wine at the end of the Prohibition of the sale. His first tasting and sales room opened Simi 1934.

1970 sold Isabel Simi Winery on the wine growers Russell Green, but remained at the company. 1973 came Maryann Graf Simi, the first woman with a oenology degree from an American university. In 1979 Zelma Long line in the wine cellar, one of the most prominent Californian winemakers. They modernized the winery and brought it to international prominence. In 1981, the winery was sold to Moët -Hennessy and later integrated into the French luxury group LVMH. Starting in 1982, the winery began to buy back the formerly own vineyards. Zelma Long, who remained in the company after the sale to Hennessy, later became chairman and managing director.

LVMH sold the estate in 1999 for about $ 50 million in Canandaigua Brands, a subsidiary of Constellation Brands. It now operates under the umbrella of Icon Estates, the luxury wine subsidiary of Constellation.

Production

Simi has 240 hectares of vineyards in the Alexander Valley, planted with Bordeaux varietals, and the 50 -acre Goldfields vineyard in Russian River Valley, which is planted with Chardonnay clones.