Detailed information about each of the individual wines, availability, and current vintages can be found in our online store.

A limited selection of our wines can always be tasted at Downtown Wine off the Healdsburg Plaza at 132 Plaza Street in Healdsburg, California. If you need more information or directions, please call Downtown Wine at 707-473-0337. For more comprehensive tastings, please schedule an appointment with us by calling 707-887-0833.

The Hobo Wine Company has always been my outlet for producing red wines from Sonoma County though I do admit to two Mendocino County Petite Sirahs, 2003 & 2004.

My ideas and preferences about wine may have changed over the years, but I believe that the core and the root of what excites me about wine is still intact. The possibility for wine to create community, to be history, to tell a story, and to transcend time and place still enchants, captivates, and inspires me. In my opinion, the wines that achieve these ethereal qualities are produced by craftsmen/women with an artisan approach to growing grapes and making wine, Vignerons who raise their vines and wines with great thought and patience and understanding and are able to instill their wines with personality and character and a sense of place.

The majority of our fruit is contracted through long-term relationships with small vineyards and growers and a mutual commitment to sustain the land and grow the best grapes we can. We do however farm a few small pieces ourselves. In all cases, we go to great lengths to work with our growers and be in the vineyards whether we own the ground or not.

Though our technique varies somewhat from wine to wine, vineyard to vineyard, and vintage to vintage, our basic approach is consistent. We believe in unforced wines. We believe in making the best wine possible, but there are lines we are not willing to cross. We believe in minimal processing as a goal, but modern winemaking techniques as an option. Stylistically we strive for balance above all else, but varietal and geographical distinction are also goals.

Typically our fruit is picked by hand between 23.0 and 25.0 brix, destemmed, but not crushed, and fermented in open-top fermentors of varying size and capacity. Some fermentations are uninoculated and allowed to proceed naturally while others are inoculated with commercial strains of yeast. Punchdowns are generally done 3-4x per day. A light pressing occurs at or near dryness. Pressed wine is settled for 24 hours and racked off the gross lees to barrel. Barrel aging lasts 12-30 months with intermittent rackings. The wines are generally left on the lees for as long as possible, but early blending to encourage better integration is also a consideration. We incorporate a combination of new and older barrels, French and American oak, primarily Appalachian American oak, but a sampling of most of the French forests.

The following wines comprise our standard line-up. Most years there are also additional small-lot productions and/or vineyard designates.

Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
Rockpile Zinfandel
Sonoma County Frank & Icy’s Place Zinfandel
Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Russian River Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The following is a list of vineyards and growers that we typically work with.

Dry Creek Valley

Beasley Vineyard – Zinfandel and Petite Sirah

Owned and managed by Virgil and Carol Beasley. Farmed organically and biodynamically and certified by Demeter USA. Planted in 1999 to the Saini Clone of Zinfandel on 110R with a few rows of Petite Sirah. Off of Chiquita Road in the Lytton Springs area of Dry Creek Valley. 3 acres planted.

Larrick Vineyard – Zinfandel and Petite Sirah

Owned by Rod and Pat Larrick and managed by Rod Larrick. Larrick Vineyard is more or less in the middle of the Dry Creek Valley appellation just off the valley floor on West Dry Creek Road. The Zin block was planted in 1999, but Rod also farms Sauvignon Blanc for the Folk Machine and Cabernet Sauvignon for Moshin Vineyards. This block is all of seven rows of Zinfandel and two of Petite Sirah. It is a somewhat cool site given the location and usually a component of spice and acid for our wines. Less than 1/2 acre planted.

Treborce Vineyard - Zinfandel

Owned by Bob and Joyce Littell and managed by the Littells and Bob Mauritson. The Treborce site is located somewhat on the Southern end of the Dry Creek Valley. It is part of the high benchlands that are a result of an uplifting of ancient riverbed and consequently mostly a red clay, rocky loam type of soil. The site was originally a kiwi farm, but planted in 1999 to the Buchignani Clone of Zinfandel on St. George and then inter-planted with more of the Buchignani Clone on St. George in 2001. All of the vines are cordon trained on VSP with drip irrigation. The vineyard is divided into 4 blocks and Block 4, the more southwesterly block on a slight hillside that slopes down to their pond is the Hobo block. This vineyard more than any other that we work with is picture perfect. The Littells are perfectionists and the vineyard is clearly their baby. 10 acres planted.

Voigt Vineyard - Zinfandel

Owned by Al and Judy Voigt and managed by Jim Ricard and Juan Favela. The Voigt Vineyard is a very steep terraced site with a southern exposure near the Northeast corner of the Dry Creek Valley Appellation. The Pelanconi family originally homesteaded and grew vines on the site in the early 1900s. The Voigts planted the modern vineyard in 1998 to the Costa Magna Clone of Zinfandel on 110R rootstock. The vines are head-trained with an umbrella-like canopy that is about 4 feet from the ground and intended to capture the maximum amount of sunlight. 3 acres planted.

Rockpile

Branham Rockpile Vineyard – Zinfandel and Petite Sirah

Owned and managed by Gary Branham. This is the vineyard I literally begged my way into. Gary Branham is a nice guy and apparently doesn’t like to see someone begging. The Branham Rockpile Vineyard is divided into three separate blocks, each at about the 1500 foot elevation. The original block was planted in 1994 to a mix of now hard to identify clones of Zinfandel on various rootstocks. The vines are head-trained and dry-farmed. The other two blocks were planted at the same time in 2001, one to three clones of Zinfandel, Dupratt, Primitivo, and Dempel, and the other smaller block to Petite Sirah. These later two blocks are cordon trained on VSP with drip irritation. 8 acres planted.

Russian River Valley

Wellstone Vineyard - Zinfandel

Owned by George and Shea Wells and managed by George. All farming is strictly organic and by hand. The Wells’ purchased the property along with their house in 2001. The Vineyard was planted by Gene Domenichelli some 30+ years ago as a traditional Italian family vineyard for home wine production of Zinfandel, Chasselas, and Riesling. The Chasselas and Riesling vines have been largely replanted to Zinfandel though there are still a few Riesling vines that we generally pick with the Zinfandel and co-ferment. This vineyard is on a terraced hillside with a southwest exposure on the Northeast side of the Russian River Valley Appellation. 3/4 acre planted.

DSG Estate Vineyard – Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

Owned by Domaine St. George Winery, but our micro-block is farmed by The Hobo Wine Company. 3 rows on the steepest hillside of a 25 acre block. A relatively cool site for Cabernet, but the long growing season combined with the hillside and pretty rocky soil lend this vineyard to making a wine that really epitomizes what I am always trying to do…make something that lies somewhere between typical California and typical Europe. In other words, a wine that has the fruit and sexiness of a California wine, but the structure and ageability of a European wine. All VSP trellising with East/West row orientation on a West facing hillside.

Patin’s Lloyd Vineyard – Cabernet Sauvignon

Owned and Managed by Mitch Patin. Mitch Patin is a well known vineyard manager and contractor in Sonoma County. He is responsible for more than 800 acres of vines, but the Lloyd vineyard is his personal project that he owns. Near the end of West Soda Rock Road and somewhat in the middle of the Alexander Valley, this vineyard was planted in 1999 to Cabernet Sauvignon clones 7 on 3309 rootstock and 337 on SO4 rootstock. The vineyard lies very close to the Russian River and has very sandy thin soils which allows us to get developed flavors at low sugars relatively early in the season. 12.5 acres planted.

Ash Creek Vineyard – Zinfandel

Owned and Managed by John Statzer. At 2100 feet, this vineyard is the most “mountainous” of all of the vineyards that we source grapes from and the highest elevation Zinfandel in Sonoma County. Planted in 1985 on AXR –1 roostock with a more traditional 7x12 spacing. This site is one of those places that was so breathtakingly amazing when I saw it that I knew the wine would be too. John is a dedicated committed farmer, but Ash Creek is the kind of place where the “terroir” is really growing the grapes and making the wine. 4 acres planted.

Frank & Icy’s Place- Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, Barbera, and Freisa as well as table grapes and other odds and ends

Owned by Isolene Sangiacomo and managed by Jim Stephens and The Hobo Wine Company. This vineyard has been a test of faith and persistence and patience. We have been resuscitating near dead vines and planting new ones and making due with no water and fighting mildew. Farmed organically and by hand with no mechanical equipment. Most of the bearing vines are still only Zinfandel, but with time, we plan to have more of a field blend with a little South of France/ Cal-Ital flavor thrown in. The end blend should still be predominantly Zinfandel. 1 acre planted.