Williams Selyem Announces Opening of New Winery

HEALDSBURG, Calif., Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Williams Selyem, known for three decades as a producer of iconic Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel announces the opening of a new winery, located at the Williams Selyem Estate Vineyard, 7227 Westside Road, Healdsburg, CA. The new facility will give the winemaking team more control over all aspects of production and provide an unparalleled visitors' experience for members of the coveted Williams Selyem List. The spectacular new 28,000 square foot winery will house barrel storage, the bottling line, hospitality spaces and wine tasting areas, three outdoor picnic areas, the laboratory and administrative offices. Other winemaking functions will continue to be done at the nearby original winery, also on Westside Road.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100830/AQ56526)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100830/AQ56526)

Architectural Highlights

Created by the D'Arc Group, the new winery reflects Williams Selyem's minimalist approach to winemaking and respect for the environment. The building is organic to the site, reflecting the natural resources of the area. It is also in sync with the style of the wines produced. The overall design theme is based on the image of a barrel. The front exterior of the building showcases an arching barrel wall, large windows that provide dramatic, sweeping views of the Russian River Valley and repurposed 50 year-old heartwood redwood for walls, ceilings and doors. Once inside, visitors find themselves in a glass and metal atrium area that looks up into the barrel vault, giving the feeling of being truly inside the wine. Every element of the building design is meant to represent the vernacular of wine.

Commitment to Quality

Owner John Dyson says, "More of the same, only better," when asked what his intentions were in building the new winery. "As I've said before, I never worked so hard to keep things the same. Williams Selyem will continue to make incredible wine as in the past. We have always believed that Westside Road is one of the most prestigious addresses for Pinot Noir in America. Our new winery underlines our commitment to our region, our style and our customers."

"Every element of the production facility including floor coverings, ceilings and water treatment systems is of the highest scientific standard in the State. It is tailor made for our unfiltered, non-interventionist wines," says Executive Winemaker Bob Cabral.

Environmental Sensitivity

Highlights of the new winery include the preservation of a number of 200 year-old California oak trees, utilization of sustainable design elements such as a "green roof" of native grasses, the repurposing of 50 year-old heartwood redwood fermentation tanks purchased 18 years ago from the old Almaden winery in the Cienaga Valley and the installation of solar panels on the roof of the parking structure and mechanical room resulting in significant savings in electricity and hot water costs. The entrance to the winery is planted to a native heritage fruit orchard with most of the varietals originally developed by Luther Burbank and a colony of bees has been introduced to pollinate the trees. Many of the property's stone walls, paths and roads were made from native rock that had been removed from the vineyard.

Special Features

The atrium area where wine tasting and entertaining will occur features an enormous wall of glass bottles, sourced from Vetreria Etrusca in Italy and designed by Alessandro Belli, an Italian architect who graduated from U.C. Berkeley. Each piece of glass is sealed by a stainless steel champagne crown cap to reinforce the vernacular of wine-design philosophy. In the center of the glass walls are two large frames made of recycled redwood and displaying every Williams Selyem wine from every vintage for the past 28 years.

Williams Selyem's Mailing List

There is a 6-12 month waiting period to be added to Williams Selyem's List. Although the facility is only open to members of the List, wine lovers are welcomed to add their name to the waiting list. In addition to receiving allocations of Williams Selyem's wines at universal wholesale price, List members enjoy additional perks including private tastings, release party invitations, tours, barrel tasting and access to the multiple picnic areas.

About Williams Selyem

Williams Selyem Winery was founded in 1979 by winemaking hobbyists Ed Selyem and Burt Williams in a garage in Forestville, California. In less than two decades, the winery achieved cult-status and garnered international acclaim for their Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and Zinfandels. Today, John and Kathe Dyson, who purchased the winery in 1998, carry on the passion for winemaking without compromise. While nearly all of Williams Selyem's wines are sold through the winery's direct consumer mailing list, a limited number of cases are released each year to a select group of the country's finest restaurants.

SOURCE Williams Selyem Winery

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