Summer of 2006 I dropped everything, quit my job and moved out to California to begin a lowly harvest internship with Kosta-Browne Winery. To most it seemed like a crazy thing to do, but for the first time in my life it felt like I was making the right choice. I was fortunate to be involved with all aspects of the winemaking during that first harvest, and worked with a wealth of talented individuals. From that moment I worked tirelessly for three years to bring the first vintage of DeBiase Wines to fruition, moonlighting nearly every night in restaurants to save enough money to craft our first commercial vintage in 2009.
I knew right away that I had a strong point of view to express about wines from the Russian River Valley; a point of view that places emphasis on somewhere and not someone. Our mission is to craft balanced wines with moderate alcohols, retaining the natural acidity of the grapes and structure from the stems that will improve with age and reward cellaring. I feel that the greatest wines combine a sense of power with an unmistakable elegance, and it is with humility that I strive for that marriage with each vintage.
In the vineyards we adhere to sustainable farming practices, and work with each site specifically to best express the individual vineyard characteristics. Much care has gone into selecting the steep, well-positioned hillside vineyards we work with, as there is no substitute for low yields and careful vine management. We farm each site without the use of inorganic fertilizers, and manage each site with the stewardship of organic and biodynamic farming. The hands-on approach in the vineyard allows me to be hands-off in the winery, and craft a completely natural product for your enjoyment.
Drink Well My Friends!
Thomas DeBiase