Resource Overview
Wine writer + expert Elaine Chukan Brown speaks with Rory Williams, Director of Viticulture and Winemaking at Frog’s Leap Winery; Owner and Winemaker at Calder Wine Company; and Vineyard Manger at Tres Sabores.
Rory grew up on his family’s ranch in west Rutherford, Napa Valley, which was the first ranch farmed entirely by the family winery, Frog’s Leap. Following university and several harvests abroad in Italy, France, and Argentina, he returned home to Napa to immerse himself in the family business. Rory started his own winery, Calder Wine Company, before joining the vineyard team at Frog’s Leap in 2012. Since 2015, he has been involved with the winemaking side of Frog’s Leap as well, looking to tailor the way Frog’s Leap makes wine on a block-by-block, and sometime vine-by-vine, basis. Today, Rory also farms the vines next to the original family ranch (now Tres Sabores Winery).
Elaine and Rory discuss working with heritage grape varieties, including Zinfandel, Carignane and Petite Sirah, as well as the all-important role of vineyard work in quality winemaking.
Featured wines:
2017 Tres Sabores Estate Zinfandel, Napa Valley (100% Zinfandel)
2018 Frog’s Leap Zinfandel, Napa Valley
2016 Calder Carignane, Mendocino
Learn more about California Wines, including information about California's diverse winemaking regions here: https://discovercaliforniawines.com/
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