Acorn Winery / Alegria Vineyards

When we purchased Alegría Vineyards in 1990, we became

stewards of property first cultivated in the 1850s. We

began by reviving the Zinfandel field-blend vineyard that

was established in the 1890's. Then we planted 18 acres

of new vines that should be productive through the 21st

century. Alegría Vineyards now includes 27 acres, planted

with Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese,

Dolcetto, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, and several

lesser-known varieties. In 1996, we established Acorn

Winery and released our first wine, an estate-grown

Sangiovese.

Bill Nachbaur's Sonoma County roots run as deep as our

Zinfandel's. In 1868, his maternal great-great-

grandparents lived less than three miles from Alegría

Vineyards. His father's ancestors settled in Petaluma about

the same time. One of Bill's grandfathers worked in Napa

Valley vineyards in the 1890s. Bill, a past president of the

Sonoma County Grape Growers, manages the vineyard

operations and winemaking. Before becoming a

winegrower, Bill practiced law in Washington, D.C. and San

Francisco.

Betsy is from the East Coast and grew up mostly in

Connecticut. Her ancestors may not have been farmers,

but they appreciated and drank good wine. With degrees

in political science and public administration, Betsy had a

career in public policy and banking before turning her full

attention to what has become the family business. She

manages administration and marketing for the winery.

Acorn Winery is named to honor the many old oak trees in

our vineyards, for the oak used in the barrels where our

wines mature, and in recognition of our very small size.

The vineyard's name, Alegría, means joy. Working in the

vineyards makes us happy, and we hope that drinking

wines made from our grapes will bring alegría to your life.

Alegría Vineyards and Acorn Winery

Russian River Valley

In the Russian River Valley appellation, near the town of

Healdsburg in Sonoma County, Alegría Vineyards has been

producing superlative wine grapes for more than a

century. In ancient times the meandering Russian River

formed the vineyards' rolling landscape and deposited the

gravelly clay-loam soils that nourish our vines. Fog and

cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean reach up the Russian

River Valley to the vineyard, producing cool nights and

foggy mornings that give us the long growing season ideal

for premium quality grapes. The particular climate, soil,

and topography of Alegría Vineyards, and our unique mix of

grape varieties, combine to produce award-winning wines

with luscious fruit, surprising complexity, and balance.

Our vineyards provide a consistent source of the highest

quality estate-grown grapes for our winery, nestled under

tall old oak trees in the middle of Alegría Vineyards. Each

year, we select about 20% of the crop for our Acorn

wines. We sell the rest of our grapes to other premium

wineries. All of our wines are made from our own estate-

grown grapes.

At Acorn Winery, we strive to make wine that emphasizes

the fruit flavors and aromas of the individual grape

varieties and exhibits the subtle influence of our vineyards'

special terroir. We do this through gentle handling of the

grapes and wine.

To highlight fruitiness, for example, we try to maximize the

number of whole grapes going into the fermenter from the

crusher. When we put the wine in barrels, we use a mix of

old and new barrels to add subtle oak flavors that do not

overpower the fruit. We make all our wines to enhance

food. They complement food flavors, and they evolve over

the course of a meal.

Like an acorn, our winery is tiny, producing less than 3000

cases annually. Acorn varietal wines include Zinfandel,

Dolcetto, Sangiovese, and Syrah.

Acorn's Heritage Vines Zinfandel is a field blend of

Zinfandel and other varieties interplanted in an old

vineyard that dates back to the 1890s. Petite Sirah,

Alicante Bouschet, and other varieties in the old vineyard's

field blend add complexity to the Zinfandel flavors. The

mixed varieties are harvested and fermented together.

This seductive wine is filled with rich aromas and flavors of

berries, spice, and chocolate.

In keeping with the tradition of the pioneers who planted

our old field-blend Zinfandel, we planted small amounts of

two other Tuscan varieties, Canaiolo Nero and Mammolo

Toscano, and our Dolcetto includes small amounts of two

other Piedmont varieties, Barbera and Freisa. Our "Axiom"

is 76% Syrah blended with other varieties including the

Rhone grapes Cinsaut and Viognier.

Made in the traditional Tuscan style, our Sangiovese has

aromas of rose petals and violets, with soft tannins that

frame flavors of cherry, vanilla, spice, and chocolate.

Our Dolcetto is a dry robust wine with aromas of plum,

black cherry, and anise with rich, jammy flavors of

raspberry, boysenberry, and blueberry blended with bright

cherries and cassis to create a delicious full-bodied wine.

Axiom, our Syrah blend, has a fruit-filled nose and lush

flavors of strawberries, spiced cherries, and sweet vanilla,

with a long finish of spicy berries and oak.

Because we pick our grapes at peak ripeness, Acorn's

wines have full and complex fruit flavors that linger on the

palate. The wines demonstrate that the microclimate of

Alegría Vineyards brings out the essence of the grapes'

varietal character.

In our winemaking, we are fortunate to be able to work

with leading winemakers. For example, because we sell

Zinfandel grapes to Rosenblum Cellars, we are able to

make Acorn's Zinfandel there under the supervision of Kent

Rosenblum, and Jeff Cohn who are recognized for their

success with Zinfandel. In his own winemaking, Bill

consults with winemakers who have purchased our grapes

and other experts such as Alison Duran at Lewis Cellars in

the Napa Valley. This blending of experience produces

outstanding and unique wines.

Vineyard Philosophy

We believe that wine is made in the vineyard. Our

conscientious vineyard practices assure the quality grapes

we need to make wines that express the essence of their

grape varieties and vineyard terroir.

In the vineyard, our underlying goal is sustainable

agriculture. We avoid insecticides and limit other artificial

inputs through a labor-intensive process that requires

paying individual attention to each vine. We remove leaves

to expose the grapes to the sun to keep them healthy and

to maximize color and flavor development. We thin the

crop to keep the vines in balance. We allow grass and

weeds to grow between the vines to provide habitat for

beneficial insects and prevent erosion. Bill's intimate

knowledge of each variety's characteristics and

requirements ensures the production of excellent fruit.

Special Vineyards, Special Wines

Our grapes and wines continue an enduring, deeply rooted

heritage in the Russian River Valley. We hope you will

enjoy our wines and that you will be able to visit us at

Alegría Vineyards and Acorn Winery.

Key People
Bill & Betsey Nachbaur