Vineyards
The Stories Start
in the Soil
We produce nearly 30 vineyard-designated wines, one block and one season at a time. Each is the product of longstanding grower relationships, careful site selection, and a shared commitment to farming with intention.
Seekers
Unearthing Exceptional Sites
Burt Williams had a rare eye for vineyard potential, a sensibility that Director of Winemaking Jeff Mangahas has carried forward. Over the years, we have sought out coastal hillsides and heritage vineyards across California, guided by character rather than convenience. Many of these far-flung sites require extra travel, more work, and lower yields, but they offer fruit with a depth and clarity that cannot be created in the cellar.
Estate Vineyards
Home is on the Russian River
Burt borrowed equipment from Litton Vineyard, and he produced the first California Pinot Noir to earn a perfect Wine Enthusiast 100-point score from its fruit. Today, that vineyard surrounds our Estate winery, and this stretch of the “Middle Reach” of the Russian River is home. It’s minutes from three more Estate vineyards, as well as our new Fermentation Hall.
Burt Williams knew the value lay in the dirt. We had growers literally throwing fruit over our fence asking Burt to taste it.
In the Vineyard, Values Matter
Shoulder to Shoulder with Growers
We have always treated vineyards as the foundation of our winemaking, a principle that shows up in how we do business. We were among the first wineries in the world to pay farmers up front and in full. Jeff Mangahas continues to collaborate closely with our grower partners on farming decisions that support long-term vineyard health and wine quality.
The Farmers Who Shaped Our Wines
Rochioli, Hirsch, Saitone, Bacigalupi, Heintz, and Allen are the growers who helped us put single-vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir on the map. Next time you visit the Estate on Westside Road, visit the magnolia trees planted in honor of legendary growers who have passed.
Preserving Old Vines for Future Generations
Across California, heritage vineyards are under threat of replacement with higher-yielding varieties. Our purchase of Saitone Vineyard, planted in 1895, underlined our commitment to preserving historically important vines. Our ongoing work with old Zinfandel blocks at Bacigalupi, Belloni, Carlisle, Fanucchi-Wood Road, and Papera Vineyards as well as some old Chardonnay parcels, reinforces our belief that these vines, and the wines they produce, are worth protecting.
Healthier Vines, Homegrown
The six-acre nursery at Vista Verde Vineyard is John Dyson’s pet project, propagating “triple clean” rootstocks and specific clones through rigorous sanitation, virus screening, and air-dried callusing. Working with UC Davis’s Foundation Plant Services, 32 clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Davis’s Protocol 10 project were planted. These hearty, custom-cultivated vines are used to replant Williams Seylem estate vineyards and offered to our grower partners at cost; other wineries can access these materials, as well. Better vine health means better wine quality all-around.
Invitation
The Wines Tell All
We can speak at length about vineyards and farming, but the clearest expression of our work is always in the glass.
The Pursuit of Vineyard Expression
Select a regional vineyard map below to view and download.
Vineyards
Provenance and Partners
For Williams Selyem, viticulture is as much about people as it is about place. We cultivate four Estate vineyards; the remainder of our single-vineyard bottlings come from longtime grower partners whose sites and farming philosophies align with ours. Each relationship is built over years, and grounded in trust, consistency, and a shared vision: grapes that reveal the distinct personality of place.
