MacPhail's goal is to hit 5,000 cases this year.
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MacPhail works with up to 10 vineyards, visiting each two or three times a week and exercising full control over farming decisions and environmental standards, "whether that's supporting a local hawk, owl or bat habitat, running their tractors on biodiesel or utilizing hand work whenever possible." The gray water irrigates the property's landscape of native grasses and olive trees. A solar roof is set to be installed in the next year, and there's a wastewater treatment garden blooming with wetland plants.
The winery is green enough to qualify, MacPhail says, for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. His childhood Radio Flyer wagon, now his winery's icon, will soon hang from the ceiling in a salute to what MacPhail feels is his "fun and lively" approach. "I realized the amount I was spending (on custom crush) was about what my mortgage would be, so why not build a little barn?"Ī $2.5 million loan later, MacPhail says he's living a dream come true, with a 5,000-case-capacity winery complete with a 300-count barrel room just 50 feet from his home's back door. MacPhail purchased a 1-acre residential property near Highway 101 and Westside Road in Healdsburg, and as he renovated the home, he began tossing around ideas with an architect friend, Ron Verdier of Verdier Architects in Boonville (Mendocino County). are pretty reasonable compared to peers." Expansion plans "They're not inexpensive, but for their critical recognition, quality and perfect fit in the very popular 'full bodied and rich' Pinot camp, the prices. "They're always very complex, and deeply nuanced, never thin or lacking Pinot-nicity."įor Jim Rollston, until recently the sommelier of Cyrus, MacPhail's appeal is common sense. There's a completeness of flavor across the board," Becker says. Ian Becker, manager and buyer for San Francisco's Arlequin Wine Merchant, reflects on "how well his wines stand up over time. Six years ago, he made the leap, making 325 cases at a custom-crush facility. He also had a goal: to work only with growers who share his beliefs about sustainable farming and understand the significance of primarily vineyard-designated wine that shows a sense of place. Specifically, he was fascinated with Pinot Noir grown in the cooler regions of the Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley. "I worked seven or eight years in the industry making Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet and Chardonnay, then realized I was coming home and drinking Pinot Noir." "I got that first harvest job, and by the first day, I knew it was for me," he says. But he began exploring wine with a 1995 internship at Quivira. When he swam the Golden Gate in 1983, he became the youngest person to complete the crossing.įor a while, a career in business and hotel administration appealed, including a management position with the Ritz-Carlton. Bagpipes were just one hobby - MacPhail also competed in water polo and was a nationally ranked masters swimmer. His father, owner of a successful chain of appliance stores, felt that wine was an intrinsic part of any meal. The Marin native initially had little interest in winemaking beyond family dinners.
Last year, MacPhail opened his own winery, with a debut production of 3,200 cases of his characteristically bold, layered and generally high-alcohol Pinots that average around 14.5 percent, a level that MacPhail considers to be "Mother Nature's balanced spot" for this part of the world. MacPhail is also garnering attention for his success in using interesting, little-known vineyards, crafting sizable wines with distinct expressions and keeping his prices relatively approachable, starting around $40. Among MacPhail's fans are heavy-hitter restaurants such as Boulevard, Cyrus and Gary Danko. The Chronicle named MacPhail's 2006 Wightman House Vineyard Pinot a Top 100 Wine of 2008.
MacPhail Family Wines have been gaining accolades since the first vintage in 2002. "Yet everything happens for a reason, and I think what I'm doing now fulfills a destiny." "Wine was the farthest thing from my mind then," MacPhail, now 43, recalls of his injury, standing in front of the contemporary stucco and steel barn-style winery dominating the backyard of his Dry Creek Valley home.
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