Simi (winery)

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Simi is a winery in California .

history

The winery was founded in San Francisco in 1876 by brothers Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, who emigrated from Italy during the California gold rush . In 1881 the company moved to Healdsburg and bought a Front Street winery for $ 2,250 in gold coins.

From 1904 the winery was managed by Giuseppe's daughter Isabel. After marrying a local banker, Isabel Simi continued wine production during Prohibition from 1920 to 1933 and stored the wines in the cellar. To be one of the few California wineries to survive Prohibition, Simi had to sell most of his vineyards. This made Simi one of the few companies that had wine available for sale at the end of Prohibition. Simi opened its first tasting and sales room in 1934.

In 1970 Isabel Simi sold the winery to the winemaker Russell Green, but stayed with the company. In 1973 Maryann Graf joined Simi, the first woman to graduate from an American university with an oenology degree. In 1979 Zelma Long, one of the most prominent Californian winemakers, took over the management of the wine cellar. She modernized the winery and made it internationally known. In 1981 the winery on Moët-Hennessy was sold and later in the French luxury - group LVMH integrated. From 1982 the winery began to buy back what was once its own vineyards. Zelma Long, who stayed with the company after it was sold to Hennessy, later became chairman and managing director .

LVMH sold the winery to Canandaigua Brands , a subsidiary of Constellation Brands, in 1999 for approximately $ 50 million . Today it operates under the umbrella of Icon Estates , Constellation's luxury wine subsidiary.

production

Simi owns 240 hectares of vineyards in the Alexander Valley , which are planted with Bordeaux grape varieties, and the 50 hectare Goldfields vineyard in the Russian River Valley , which is planted with Chardonnay clones.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Simi Winery
  2. ↑ a b c d History . Simi Winery. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  3. ^ Howard G. Goldberg: Wine Talk , New York Times. June 17, 1987. 
  4. ↑ Women Spur New Trend In Wine Marketing , Wine Institute. 
  5. ^ Nika Hazleton: Zelma of Simi - Zelma Long of Simi Winery , National Review. February 13, 1987. 
  6. ^ Simi Winery . Atlas of Wineries. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  7. ^ Large Winemaker Near an Acquisition , New York Times. March 11, 1999. 
  8. ↑ Vineyards . Simi Winery. Retrieved February 14, 2011.