Suacci Carciere: winery information
Winemaker: Ryan Zepaltas
Ryan came to California from Wisconsin in 1998 (with no intention whatsoever to join the wine industry.) A temporary harvest cellar job at the noted La Crema winery in the Russian River Valley changed that quickly. It took just days for winemaking to pique Ryan’s interest, and he spent two years at La Crema before heading to New Zealand to work for the famous Sauvignon Blanc producer Villa Maria. Upon his return to the states in 2000, Ryan had developed an abiding passion for Pinot Noir, and interviewed with the tiny Siduri label for a position as a harvest intern. He has spent eight years as part of the Siduri winemaking team, working with more than 30 vineyards from Santa Barbara to Oregon. In 2004, Ryan launched his own label—Zepaltas Wines—specializing in single-vineyard Pinot Noirs from Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. Produced in very limited amounts, the Zepaltas Wines releases continue to earn high scores from the winemaking press. Today, Ryan is a busy guy, continuing his work with the Siduri winemaking team as well as producing the inaugural vintages of Suacci Carciere and his own Zepaltas Wines releases.
Annual Production: 400 cases
Grape Varieties Planted