New Wine Brand Showcases Mendocino Sub-Appellations
Redwood Valley, Calif. (Nov. 11, 2019) – Third-generation vintners Ben and Jake Fetzer have expanded their wine business with the launch this fall of Rural Wine Company, a new wine brand that focuses on sub-appellations in Mendocino County. The Fetzer brothers have a long history in Mendocino, as they grew up in the wine industry and launched their own Masút Vineyard & Winery a decade ago. Their latest venture, Rural, debuts with a Pinot Noir, which is being sold nationally by MISA Imports.
The first release from Rural is a 2018 Pinot Noir ($25) from the Eagle Peak appellation in Mendocino County, a relatively cool AVA north of Redwood Valley at the headwaters of the Russian River. A Chardonnay will be introduced in the first half of 2020, followed by a Cabernet Sauvignon. The Fetzer brothers are using only Mendocino fruit that is from vineyards certified organic or sustainable. Rural is targeted primarily for off-premise distribution.
“With Rural, we want to highlight the lesser-known appellations in Mendocino County. Mendocino is a large region with wide diversity in its sub-appellations,” said Jake Fetzer. “In addition to our own vineyard, we have a lot of experience with other vineyards around Mendocino, and the Rural wines demonstrate what can be achieved working with this top-quality fruit.”
Ben and Jake Fetzer are making the Rural wines at their Masút winery, which boasts a new winemaking facility that the Fetzer brothers recently completed. The Masút property was acquired by their father Bobby Fetzer in 1994, and the brothers worked with him to plant the vineyard in the late 1990s. Ben and Jake founded Masút in 2009 to honor their father, who passed away suddenly in 2006, and they have built Masút into a nationally-distributed, high-end winery focusing on estate-grown Pinot Noir from their vineyard. The Masút Pinot Noir is targeted primarily toward on-premise distribution.
Barney Fetzer, Ben and Jake’s grandfather, settled in Mendocino in the 1950s and went on to establish a farming and winemaking legacy with Fetzer Vineyards, which he founded in 1968. The family sold the winery in 1991, but Barney’s son Bobby Fetzer, who headed up vineyards and grape purchasing, remained in the business. When he acquired what would become the Masút property, he had a vision for making fine Pinot Noir from the site, a vision that was realized by his sons, Ben and Jake.
Rural Wine Company builds on the family legacy in the wine business and the Fetzer brothers’ expertise with Mendocino vineyards and winemaking. Additional information is available at www.ruralwine.com.
