Breaking News from Don Sebastiani & Sons: New House Vintners Unveiled
02 Dec 2014 --- Fourth-Generation Sonoma Valley winemaker and CEO Donny Sebastiani revealed plans to launch a new entity, New House Vintners.
New House Vintners will focus on the family's craft-winemaking efforts in Sonoma and Napa Valley. The organization will be vertically integrated with winemaking, marketing, sales, and distribution aligned from grape to barrel to bottle.
To create this next-generation portfolio, the family company has added some fast-growing current releases as well as innovative new wines. Don & Sons Sonoma Signature Series Pinot Noir will lead the collection that includes Sivas-Sonoma, The Crusher (Clarksburg), Il Donato (Italy), Gunsight Rock (Paso Robles), Simple Life (Clarksburg), and Americano, along with new 2014 releases Delish Sauvignon Blanc, Queens Peak Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, and Custard Sonoma Valley Chardonnay, to be released in early 2015.
"This is an opportunity for us to make an unqualified effort to promote our small-lot appellation-driven winemaking. We are making award-winning, flavorful wines, uniquely expressive of the terroir from which they come. Our Don & Sons Sonoma Signature Series 2011 Pinot Noir won three double gold medals!" Donny Sebastiani points out. "The Crusher was named a Hot Prospect by Impact Magazine in 2013, successful in large part due to the 2012 vintage Petite Sirah that won four gold medals. I want my team to be fanatically obsessed with spreading this message."
Sebastiani added, "We know we need to make continuous improvements on how we grow grapes and make wine, how we market ourselves, how we are distributed in the marketplace; we need to better communicate to our customers how and why we are making these wines special." New House Vintners will deploy nine regional wine specialists in the US – all of whom will have earned their Certified Specialist of Wine – a move by the company to add value to customers.
Sebastiani finished by saying, "We are creating something for the next generation of Sebastiani winemakers, it is like building a brand new house. We still have a lot of work to do, but the good news, is that fifth generation is still in elementary school…"
