Winery Profile April 25, 2004 SEBASTIANI: A CENTURY OF WINEMAKING IN SONOMA
		For 100 years, the Sebastiani family has grown grapes and made wine in Sonoma County.   Samuele Sebastiani emigrated from the Tuscany region of Italy in 1895 and started the winery nine years later.  He ran it until his death in 1944 when his son August took over.  August expanded the winery’s production and the varietals produced.  Like most wineries in prime California locations, the winery grew as the industry expanded.
				Sebastiani:  One hundred years of growth and now a focus on small lots of quality wines.
		Despite the large growth, the family chose to get out of the bulk wine business and focus on its quality wines under the Sebastiani brand.  The family sold the Turner Road Vintners brands and winemaking facilities in 2001 to industry giant Constellation Brands. When that sale was completed, Don Sebastiani left to devote full attention to Cecchetti Sebastiani Cellars (now Sebastiani & Sons). Mary Ann Sebastiani Cuneo assumed the role of president and CEO and has led the company’s new focus smaller production and higher quality. Today the winery encompasses 700 acres of vineyard and production has been slashed to just 200,000 cases annually.  The winery’s current offerings are consistently of high quality and are in high demand.  Many of Sebastiani’s wines sell out upon release.   Winemaker Mark Lyon has been with the winery for 25 years and oversees a broad range of wines including appellation-specific bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the Alexander Valley and Zinfandel and Barbera from Sonoma County.  These wines are typically available for around $22. The Cherry Block Cabernet Sauvignon is the winery’s flagship ultra-premium wine.  It's a Bordeaux-inspired blend that includes Merlot and Malbec.  It consistently receives 90+ ratings from the industry publications, typically showing intense and jammy blackberry flavors and subtle oak notes from the French barrels.  Of course at $100+, it’s not a wine for everyday drinking.
						Above:  Winemaker Mark Lyon joined Sebastiani in 1979. Below:  The new tasting room and visitors' center.
		Don’t fret, there are plenty of delicious wines available at prices less than $20.  The Zinfandel is always a winner and the wines offer good value across the board. A newly remodeled multi-million-dollar tasting room and hospitality center offers unique cultural and historic programs for visitors.   With 100 years of history and a new emphasis on quality wines, Sebastiani is a winery of the past with a bright future.
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When August died in 1980, wife Sylvia and their children, Sam, Don and Mary Ann,
assumed management of the company. Sam stayed until 1986, when he left
Sebastiani to start his own winery, Viansa, south of the city of Sonoma.  The Sebastiani
company’s biggest growth spurt came during the 1980s and '90s.  The family built a
large-volume, Central Valley-based portfolio of value brands, collectively called Turner
Road Vintners, while continuing to produce its Sebastiani-labeled wines. Production of
Turner Road Vintners brands eventually reached 8 million cases a year.