Vision - Hanzell Vineyards - Established 1957

“He worried me a little in that he easily accepted my plan to overcome my lack of knowledge of fine French or Italian winemaking by using the experimental method.

I would make many trials of various techniques and he would use his palate to tell me which way to go. He finally became a little annoyed and said, “Mr. Webb, I employ many chemists in my various paper plants and I know exactly how they work. Let me assure you once and for all that is exactly how I am approaching the problem of making California wine as good as the best of Europe.”

Brad Webb

Founding Winemaker

In 1948, Captain of Industry, James David Zellerbach began a combined journey of passions that would last through the end of his life.

Not only involved in the design of the Marshall Plan, President Truman tasked J.D. Zellerbach to travel to Europe to implement the plan. While leading this forward-thinking and compassionate effort, Zellerbach was also at the helm of his highly successful business, Crown Zellerbach. It was during this time that J.D. Zellerbach discovered and purchased his first fourteen acres of private oak woodland on the steep hillside of the Mayacamas Range overlooking the town of Sonoma.

“We are interested in carrying on the philosophy of Mr. Zellerbach. We anticipate the good years and the poor years and the smile or tears that come with each. We want to do this for the fun and do not want to spoil it by trying for great volume and profit.”

Mary Day

Proprietor 1965-1975

The next ten years of Zellerbach’s life would find him breaking ground at One Bush Plaza--the first major construction in San Francisco in the thirty years after the start of the great depression, adding additional acreage to his oak woodland in Sonoma, and accepting the appointment by President Eisenhower as the Ambassador to Italy.

“Some of my friends appear to believe that this winery is just a pastime business with me,” said Zellerbach, “but in actuality it is a serious business enterprise.”

Ambassador Zellerbach

Founding Proprietor

Ambassador’s passion for wine had been forged in his European travels and while living in Rome.

This allowed him opportunity to explore Burgundy’s Domaines in depth. It was during these scholarly and passionate visits that Ambassador Zellerbach committed to “produce wines equal to the best in the world” at his Sonoma property. Once decided, he changed the name of his now 200 acres on hillside land to Hanzell Vineyards. Combining his wife’s first name, Hana, with his family name Zellerbach, Hanzell became the first and only business to ever bear their personal mark.

This idea of a “hobby winery” was an anathema to Ambassador Zellerbach. Not only was he committed to knowing and producing great wine, he was also a consummate business man and knew how to run a profitable venture. His knowledge of great wine ran deep in his veins.

As a member of the Chevaliers du Tastevin, Ambassador was a frequent visitor at Clos de Vougeot. It was not surprising when his architects in San Francisco, Charles Porter and Robert Steinwedell were handed a picture of Clos de Vougeot and tasked to design Hanzell as a reflection of the famous 12th century press building located in the heart of the Clos.

Ambassador’s dream of producing wines equal to the best in the world was so far reaching he knew from the beginning it could not be managed by one single person.

Zellerbach set out to discover the best individuals with whom to share this dream. He found Ivan Schoch, Napa Viticulturist, who planted the original six acres of vineyards. And then Ralph Bradford Webb, Winemaker/Scientist joined to work hand in hand with Ambassador Zellerbach and Ivan Schoch.

“The work of Hanzell Vineyards can only be understood and experienced with time. In the Hanzell Way, even time itself is not measured by vintage or by year. It is measured by the individuals, past, present, and future, that continue to embrace this original dream.”

Jean Arnold Sessions

Hanzell President

It took the tremendous vision of these three dedicated, knowledgeable and powerful individuals to bring Hanzell Vineyards to life. This dynamic fusion of skill, talent and vision catapulted the art and science of great winemaking in California and resulted in California wines achieving world-class recognition in less than two decades.

It is with their finely honed vision that we continue Hanzell Vineyards today. It is as relevant and inspiring now as it was in 1957.