by Fred McMillin for June 27, 1997 Winery of the Week Come Up and Simi Sometime Prologue: Over 150 years ago, Pietro and Giuseppe Simi were born in Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy. Who could have guessed that they would someday found a winery in far away Sonoma County that today produces over 150,000 cases annually of critically-acclaimed wines. Here's how it happened. Simi Milestones 1848—The Simi brothers leave Tuscany, settle on Green Street in San Francisco's North Beach (Little Italy), bring in Sonoma grapes, and make wine for restaurants. 1876—The brothers move to Sonoma and found a formal winery, which they name Montepulciano; pronunciation problems lead to the label being changed to Hotel Del Monte wines. 1904—The founders have passed away. Giuseppe's son Louis and daughter Isabelle assume control. Isabelle plays an active role in the winery even in her 90's. 1973—America's first woman college-trained head winemaker, Mary Ann Graf, and the legendary Andre Tchelistcheff are now the winemakers, and Simi abruptly starts winning awards. 1979—Another UC-Davis trained woman takes over winemaking. She will become one of the most honored female enologists on the planet. Quality reaches a new zone; her Chardonnays are world class. Her name is Zelma Long. 1997—Zelma has become president and more. Somewhere Pietro and Giuseppe must be smiling. Their winery couldn't be in better hands. Just the Facts Name Simi Winery Location Healdsburg, Sonoma County, CA Founding Family   When the founding Simi brothers passed away, 14-year-old Isabelle Simi became a major force in the winery for the next six decades. Founding Date 1876 Wines to Try Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and a white blend called Sendal. Contact Nancy Gilbert, (707) 433-6981 Postscript: For more about Zelma Long, see the February 12 issue of WineDay titled "The Queen of Chardonnay." About the Writer Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He currently teaches wine courses at San Francisco State and San Francisco City College and is Northern California Editor for American Wine on the Web. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with one of only 22 Certificates of Commendation awarded to American wine writers.

Read more articles by Fred McMillin in the eGGsf Welcome to WineDay, the electronic Gourmet Guide's daily update. Monday through Thursday, WineDay presents a wine profile. Then on Fridays we present the Winery of the Week to take you through the weekend Current WineDay January WineDays February WineDays March WineDays April WineDays May WineDays 06/26/97 Franc Talk 06/25/97 Where the Rhones Roam 06/24/97 Don't Duck This Merlot 06/23/97 Make Mine Merlot 06/20/97 Winery of the Week Weibel Vineyards 06/19/97 Gold and Grapes 06/18/97 California's Best Buy Grape 06/17/97 Fetzer Is OAK with Me 06/16/97 Do the Mendoza Cha-Cha 06/13/97 Winery of the Week Barefoot Cellars 06/12/97 Kloeckera and Friends 06/11/97 The Day Pegase Beat the French 06/10/97 The Wine That Pleased Pliny 06/09/97 King of Cabs 06/06/97 Winery of the Week Gary Farrell Wines 06/05/97 Greeks, Romans and Vichon 06/04/97 A Chardonnay Shootout 06/03/97 Now Available at the Library 06/02/97 The Saint and the Pope

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