Legend has it that the townspeople of Healdsburg actually showed up with buckets to scoop discarded wine out of the water, likely slightly diluted. SIMI winery made its home in the heart of the spectacular Sonoma County over 140 years ago. mega wine corporation, Constellation, but it’s still run pretty autonomously. History   SIMI WINERY - CELEBRATING OUR 140 YEAR ANNIVERSARY . The wine was transported by wagon and boats up and down the Petaluma River after they bought the old Depot Winery on Healdsburg’s Front Street. Courtesy of Simi Winery. Steve Reeder has been the general manager and vice president of winemaking at Simi since 2003. Giuseppe and Pietro Simi founded Simi Winery in 1876. The Wines of Simi. Isabelle, wearing an apron covered with political buttons, uti- lized a sophisticated security system: a pet turkey that fiercely protected the cash register and Isabelle, permit- ting only its mistress to open the drawer. But there are still women making wine at Simi. The winery was founded in San Francisco, California in 1876 by two Italian brothers, Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, who had immigrated to the United States during the California Gold Rush. Lueker’s first winemaking job was at the old and then-small and family-owned Hacienda Winery in Sonoma Valley, where she learned the winemaking process through hands-on experience, top to bottom. During this period Long led major renovations of the winery’s fermentation and barrel rooms with the same hurry- up spirit and personality-infused style that Isabelle Simi had demonstrated until her death at 95 in 1981. See our. To get off the history and into modern times, today Simi is owned by the . The wines quickly graced some of the most elegant wine lists in the country. The novel tasting room attracted visitors from around the world. Isabelle had already been named supervisor of the Healdsburg vineyards and winery. They moved operations to Healdsburg, California in 1881, paying $2,250 in gold coins to buy a winery on Front Street. The door is always open at SIMI… Simi Winery stakes a claim as the oldest continuously operating winery in California because it didn’t close during the Prohibition era, which spanned from 1920 to 1933. Article from Edible Marin & Wine Country at https://ediblemarinandwinecountry.ediblecommunities.com/drink/simi-winery-history-wine-glass. History   SIMI WINERY - CELEBRATING OUR 140 YEAR ANNIVERSARY . Giuseppe and brother Pietro produce their first wines under the Simi … Giuseppe Simi leaves the Tuscan hills to find his fortune in the gold fields of California. She says that, on her first visit to a vineyard with her enology class, she knew that she loved the people and being in the vineyard, nature and the science of it all. From May through September, Simi hosts “Keep on Truckin’ Wednesdays” on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month with easily a dozen food trucks circling the winery’s parking lot, cool as cucumbers under Isabelle Simi’s redwood trees. Nick Goldschmidt followed Hobbs in 2001. [1] They moved operations to Healdsburg, California in 1881,[2] paying $2,250 in gold coins to buy a winery on Front Street. Isabelle Simi. The brothers had traveled from Tuscany, Italy, to California for the Gold Rush and by 1876 started making wine. Eventually Lueker moved on to wine giant Kendall-Jackson, followed by eight years at Dry Creek Vineyard, where she further developed her passion for Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc wines, before moving to Simi. In 1936, Isabelle had one of the winery’s 25,000-gallon redwood wine casks relocated to a streetfront location (Healdsburg Avenue), thereby creating Sonoma County’s first tasting room. Lueker jokes that she “works on the wrong side of the tracks,” referring to the fact that all of the winemaking at Simi happens on the west side of the railroad tracks that run straight through the property. All rights reserved. Giuseppe Simi leaves the Tuscan hills to find his fortune in the gold fields of California. Most wineries were forced to dump their wine at the start of Prohibition, many simply pouring it into local creeks. As early as 1908, Isabelle, then 22, was traveling the country visiting wine distributors and promoting Simi wines, way out ahead of the pack. Isabelle Simi’s father, Giuseppe Simi, and his brother, Pietro, had arrived in San Francisco from Montepulciano in Tuscany, Italy, in 1859, hoping to find gold. Most wineries were forced to dump their wine at the start of Prohibition, many simply pouring it into local creeks. This is not a boutique winery, but on the flip side, … [3], The winery was run by Giuseppe Simi's daughter, Isabelle Simi, beginning 1904. I think she would be proud. Great wine brings people together, which is why SIMI crafts every drop with care. The winery was founded in San Francisco, California in 1876 by two Italian brothers, Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, who had immigrated to the United States during the California Gold Rush. Simi Winery embraced innovation from the beginning with the construction in 1890 of the stone cellar – still being used at the winery today. Constellation Brands, a publicly traded company which, according to its website, owns a portfolio of over 100 wines, beers and spirits, is the current owner of Simi. Explore our range of wines and discover why a bottle of SIMI is at the core of taking your time and enjoying the journey. Meanwhile, Giuseppe’s wife, Isabelle’s mother, apparently never learned English but served as wet nurse to the family of A. P. Giannini, founder of the Bank of Italy (now Bank of America). Our specialized and diverse Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley vineyards allow us to craft a remarkable range of wines. After Fred Haigh passed away in 1954, Isabelle and daughter Vivien ran their retail sales exclusively from the tasting room. This marked one of the first instances of a woman running both the winemaking and business sides of a major winery. To get off the history and into modern times, today Simi is owned by the . They moved operations to Healdsburg, California in 1881, paying $2,250 in gold coins to buy a winery … What would you do as an 18-year-old woman who inherits a winery in 1904? The brothers had traveled from Tuscany, Italy, to California for the Gold Rush and by 1876 started making wine. [2] Simi opened its first tasting room in 1934. Mary Ann Graf, the first woman to graduate with a degree in viticulture and enology from the University of California at Davis (in 1965), joined Simi Winery as winemaker in 1973, an enormous step for women into the wine industry. Isabelle Simi. Kolin Vazzoler, a native of North Vancouver, British Columbia, recently became Simi’s executive chef. Giuseppe and brother Pietro produce their first wines under the Simi name. Simi Winery is a winery in California in the United States. [4] In 1979 winemaking was taken over by Zelma Long, one of California's most prominent winemakers, who modernized and brought the winery to national prominence. Simi Winery: Dripping with History - See 134 traveler reviews, 68 candid photos, and great deals for Healdsburg, CA, at Tripadvisor. Her rose garden can still be enjoyed by visitors today at the south end of the original winery building. [1] After marrying a local banker, Isabelle continued to make wine during Prohibition from 1920 until 1933, which she stored in the winery's stone cellars. During the summer and early fall, Chef Vazzoler and crew open Simi’s Landslide Terrazzo Pizza Kitchen, where they offer thin-crusted wood-fired artisanal pizzas on Fridays from noon to 6pm and Saturdays from noon until 4pm. In celebration of Women’s History Month, Wine Enthusiast caught up with Susan Lueker, Simi Winery’s Director of Winemaking, to talk about the life and times of the dynamic Isabelle. 1876. [2] Long, who continued after the Hennessy sale, eventually became President and CEO.[6]. Isabelle held onto the winery through the. In a financially astute move, Isabelle stockpiled the 500,000 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel wine her team made during the alcohol ban, all of it quickly snapped up when Prohibition was repealed in 1933.