Lifetime Achievement, Icon and Innovator Awards to be Presented at the Live Auction May 2
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (February 19, 2025) – Sonoma County Vintners (SCV), in partnership with presenting sponsor American AgCredit, will honor Sonoma Coast winemaking pioneer David Hirsch of Hirsch Vineyards with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the 11th annual Sonoma County Barrel Auction (SoCoBA) at the Landmark Vineyards Hop Kiln Estate on Friday, May 2, 2025. The awards presentation will also honor Hank Wetzel, Founder and Family Partner at Alexander Valley Vineyards, as a Sonoma County Icon, and David Stare, Kim Stare Wallace and Don Wallace of Dry Creek Vineyard, as Sonoma County Innovators. The Sonoma County Barrel Auction is a live auction featuring one-of-a-kind wines crafted specifically for licensed members of the trade. Following the awards presentation, an exclusive collection of “never before, never again” wines will be auctioned to visiting trade buyers from around the world.
L-R: Don Wallace, Partner; Kim Stare Wallace, President; and David S. Stare, Founder Dry Creek Vineyard
“We are thrilled to honor these incredible people and their family legacies that have contributed significantly to the world-class profile of Sonoma County wines at SoCoBA,” said Michael Haney, Executive Director of Sonoma County Vintners. “Their ingenuity and thought leadership have paved the way for so many successful wineries in our region.”
Lifetime Achievement Award
David Hirsch, Founder of Hirsch Vineyards
The SoCoBA Lifetime Achievement Award honors the significant impact of groundbreaking work in the wine community to raise the profile of Sonoma County wines.
Born in New York, David Hirsch traveled extensively and was successful in several different industries before he settled in California. He bought a sheep ranch in 1978 on the extreme Sonoma Coast after a long search for a large and affordable place in a quiet, remote location. It turned out to unexpectedly be a place where amazing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay could be grown. He founded Hirsch Vineyards in 1980 to grow grapes and make site-specific wine. Hirsch quit his day job in 1987 to further develop the vineyards and farm full time. By the early 1990s, the vineyard had become one of the most sought-after sources for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes in California.
In 2002, after 22 years focused on planting and farming, he made the decision to build a winery and start making his own wines. With more than 60 farming parcels, spread out over 72 acres, Hirsch wanted to taste the wine from each individually, to better understand the nature of each parcel’s unique soil and climate, the conditions of the vintage, and the consequences of his farming decisions. In other words, he built a winery to become a better farmer. In 2011 he began the process of converting the vineyards to biodynamic farming practices and by 2014 all 72 acres of vines were fully under biodynamic practice.
Sonoma County Icon
Hank Wetzel, Founder and Family Partner at Alexander Valley Vineyards
The Sonoma County Icon Award recognizes individuals who have helped raise the global perception for the region.
Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley was mostly prune orchards and pastures when Hank Wetzel’s parents purchased a large portion of Cyrus Alexander’s homestead in 1962. The family raised livestock, planted bountiful gardens and restored Alexander’s original home continuing the tradition of family farming begun by the valley namesake in the 1840s. The Wetzel children grew up along with the vines as they developed the estate.
Hank began working in the vineyards at an early age and graduated from the University of California at Davis in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fermentation Science. For his senior project, he developed a plan for a small winery, which became the blueprint for Alexander Valley Vineyards (AVV).
Hank has held almost every position at the winery. Over the years, the winery expanded and their wines are now sold in every state as well as China, Japan, Thailand, Mexico, Canada, Denmark and Korea.
Hank spearheaded the development of Alexander Valley AVA, is a Past Chairman of the Wine Institute, a Past President of Sonoma County Winegrowers and a Past President of Russian River Wine Road.
Sonoma County Innovators
David S. Stare, Founder; Kim Stare Wallace, President; and Don Wallace, Partner
Dry Creek Vineyard
The Sonoma County Innovator Award recognizes visionaries in the industry who have introduced new methods, ideas or products.
David S. Stare is the pioneer behind the first new winery in the Dry Creek Valley following Prohibition, Dry Creek Vineyard. Since its founding in 1972 it has become the standard bearer for Fumé Blanc in Northern Sonoma County. Told repeatedly that he should not plant Sauvignon Blanc on the old prune orchard he had purchased, he did it anyway. It became one of his best decisions, and today, Sauvignon Blanc is the signature white variety of Dry Creek Valley. Dave also initiated Dry Creek Valley’s American Viticultural Area (AVA), was the first to coin the term Old Vine for Zinfandel and the first to use “Meritage” on a label as an early advocate for the Bordeaux tradition of blending for California wines.
Kim Stare Wallace was literally raised among the vines, working in various capacities alongside her father. Joining the winery in 1987 as Director of Marketing, after a career in the fashion industry, one of her first achievements was creating nautical labels for Dry Creek Vineyard’s wines, which has indelibly linked the winery to sailboats. Kim introduced one of California’s first wine clubs, and in the mid-1990s, she became Vice President, involved in all decisions affecting the quality of the winery experience and operations. In 2011, Kim became President of the winery. She launched innovations in packaging, securing a U.S. patent for wine cork closures with sustainable sourcing information and introduced labels with increased transparency about grape origins, winemaking techniques and wellness details. Together with her husband, Don Wallace, their vision is to honor the past while innovating for the future.
Agriculture is a natural way of life for Don Wallace, the product of four generations of a California farming family. Don married Kim Stare and began managing ranch operations at Dry Creek Vineyard in 1990. He became General Manager in 1999 and from 2006-2011 served as President. He has promoted Dry Creek Vineyard and sales programs around the country, and developed the family’s Endeavour Vineyard, transforming pastureland into a closed-loop vineyard ecosystem. His work on sustainability issues as a board member of the California Wine Institute helped forge a new path in farming and led him to take up a variety of important causes including salmon habitat restoration along the Dry Creek as well as water conservation issues in Sonoma County. He has also served as a board member for numerous other wine industry organizations.
All previous Lifetime Achievement, Icon and Innovator honorees are featured online at SoCoBarrelAuction.com. Proceeds raised from the Sonoma County Barrel Auction assist in creating Sonoma County Vintners marketing programs and initiatives that support the wine trade and community.
Trade registration for the 2025 Sonoma County Barrel Auction is by invitation only and open now. This year’s auction lots will be announced in March. To learn more visit SoCoBarrelAuction.com.
About Sonoma County Vintners
Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) connects Sonoma County wine and the global marketplace for the sustainable growth and prosperity of our members and community. SCV represents over 250 wineries throughout the county. The organization actively promotes Sonoma County and its world-class wineries through educational programming and marketing initiatives; advocates for its members at local, state and federal levels; and contributes to the local communities through the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation. Sonoma County Wine Celebration, its annual fundraiser, benefits nonprofit organizations throughout the region. To learn more about Sonoma County Vintners, visit sonomawine.com.
About American AgCredit
American AgCredit was chartered in 1916 as part of the nationwide Farm Credit System and is the nation’s fourth-largest Farm Credit association. American AgCredit specializes in providing financial services to agricultural and rural customers in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, New Mexico, Nevada and Oklahoma and serves capital market customers throughout the United States. Learn more at AgLoan.com.
About Landmark Vineyards
Nestled at the base of the Mayacamas Mountain Range in the Sonoma Valley, Landmark Vineyards epitomizes the rustic grace and beauty of Sonoma County. Since 1974, Landmark has been dedicated to producing handcrafted, ultra-premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sourcing grapes from unique vineyard sites throughout California to create rich, balanced wines. Its Hop Kiln Estate is a registered California Historical Landmark and expands Landmark Vineyards’ presence with two tasting rooms and properties in Sonoma and the Russian River Valley. In 2024, Landmark Vineyards celebrated 50 years of winemaking excellence and unveiled refreshed packaging of the 2022 Damaris Reserve Chardonnay in honor of Founder, Damaris Deere Ford. Landmark wines may be purchased directly from Landmark’s Tasting Rooms, online store, or through membership in the Wine Society. To discover more about Landmark’s remarkable approach to winemaking, visit LandmarkWine.com. To learn more about their Corporate Social Responsibility work, visit https://csr.wonderful.com/.
