Dry Creek Vineyard

Dry Creek Vineyard is one of the last remaining iconic family wineries, consistently producing internationally acclaimed wines of 90+ points. Already in its second generation of winemakers, the winery is firmly committed to a "no compromise" philosophy, producing world-class wines. Over time, Dry Creek Vineyard has changed its winemaking practices and vineyard management to maximize the potential of the grapes' flavors and region of origin. The Dry Creek story is written over five decades by a dedicated family working day and night to turn what many considered an idealistic dream into a reality that has revolutionized the California wine industry. Founder David S. Stare always had a dream to live abroad, so after earning his degree in Civil Engineering from MIT and his MBA from Northwestern, he moved to Germany. While living there, he visited many wineries and began to develop an interest in wine. He returned to Boston in the spring of 1969, already having a passion for wine, and enrolled in a wine appreciation course. In June 1970, Dave and his family spent two weeks in France, where they fell in love with French wines, particularly those from the Loire Valley and Bordeaux regions. Shortly after he returned, he read an article in the Wall Street Journal about California's bright future for making world-class wines, and after one visit, he decided to move there with his family to build his own way in the wine industry. During one of his weekend trips to the vineyards from Monterey to Mendocino, fate drew him to the Dry Creek Valley area of the Sonoma region where he saw a 55-acre orchard across the street from the Dry Creek General Store and realized instead he found the ideal place to put his wine dream into practice. Dave's daughter, Kim Stare Wallace, was literally raised among the vineyards of Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley, but it wasn't until 1987 that her father convinced her to return to the winery as marketing director. Kim's husband, Don Wallace, joined the winery in 1990. In the mid-nineties, Kim and Don took on increased responsibilities, becoming involved in all decisions affecting the quality of the Dry Creek Vineyard experience and winery operations. In the years leading up to Dave's retirement in 2006, Kim and Don began to implement their vision for the future of the winery and were looking for someone to share their vision, so in 2011 they hired the renowned and acclaimed winemaker Tim Bell.