About Vineyards

The fruit for the Praxis wines is sourced from parts of California in order to maintain quality at a relatively reasonable price. The vineyards are also located where Bill believes the varietal will best express its own characteristics – the right soils and climates for the vines. Each of the wines are from a single, sustainably-farrmed vineyard; all of them are 100% of the varietal.

Viognier: For those unfamiliar with Viognier, we feel it has the best characteristics of a Chardonnay and a Riesling or Gewürztraminer in one! The wine is fruity but dry with flavors of pears and nectarines. We sourced this fruit from a renowned vineyard on the Russian River.  Bill loved the fruit and we like keeping everything closer to home.

Pinot Noir:  We began the Praxis line of wines in 2000 with a Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir and have been searching for specific clones grown in the Monterey area ever since. Since the 2005 vintage, Bill has had those clones (667 and 777) from the appellation he wanted. The wine is elegant and balanced with aromas of bing cherry, violets, leather and coffee.  The vineyard is in Monterey just south and east of Santa Lucia Highlands.

Merlot: These grapes are grown on a small rise in the heart of the Alexander Valley. Bill feels he can make a merlot that tastes like something from these grapes – not just a generic red wine. 

Lagrein: These grapes come from what we beleive was the first American Lagrein vineyard in the US.  They are over 20 years old at an elevation of 1800 feet near Santa Maria similar to the growing conditions in the Alto Adige of Italy.