In 1989, longtime friends and winery partners Tim Meinken, Anne Giere, John Hall, and Denice Engstrom searched Sonoma County for the perfect site to grow the cool-climate varietals of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the tradition of the great Burgundian vintners. The Sapphire Hill Vineyard, located in the Middle Reach of the Russian River Valley appellation and named for the cool, sapphire-blue nights of the area, was the perfect choice.
