Dan and Linda Zaich farm nine acres of Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley that is purchased by Flowers Winery. They enjoy dining on filet mignon with Old Vine Zinfandel.

Grower names

Dan and Linda Zaich

Vineyard/Ranch name

dz Vineyard

Appellation

Russian River

How long have you farmed this property

Nine years

Total acreage managed and grape varieties planted

Nine acres of Pinot Noir. I asked several winemakers to recommend clones and then selected the “top” four clones based on those recommendations.

Why did you become a grape grower

I wanted to grow grapes for ultra-premium wines. I felt that we should go for the highest quality since we had such an excellent location in the Russian River Valley to grow Pinot.

Farming philosophy

My goal is to grow the highest quality and most desirable fruit with the greatest respect for Mother Nature.

What changes in farming practice do you anticipate making in the next 5 years?

I do not anticipate any significant changes; I will continue to work with the winery to be sure that our viticultural practices are in line with producing the highest quality fruit.

What was your worst horror story in grape growing?

I have been very fortunate in not having any “disasters.” I took Rich Thomas’ viticulture classes at Santa Rosa Junior College and he provided extremely valuable information, including that, at the time, it took 50 acres of grapes to provide a “living” for a family.

Is your vineyard designated on any wine labels? Which ones?

No, but we have both a long-term contract and a good relationship with our winery, Flowers Winery.

Other wineries that have designates in the past for our grapes: Simi, Château St. Jean, and Windsor.

What is your favorite food/wine combination?

One of my favorites is filet mignon and old vine Zinfandel.

Greatest length of service or other item of interest about your workforce.

I am the workforce, but I do get help from a vineyard manager on some of the labor. I have my own tractor and spray rig and do that type of work myself.

Any other information that you would like to include about yourself, the ranch, your business, family or history of the area:

We had a vacation home in Sea Ranch and decided to look for other property in western Sonoma County. We bought an aging apple orchard for our vineyard. The late Warren Dutton did the layout for us.