We sat down with the mind behind the vine, Tony Chapman — naturally over a glass of the ‘24 Vannucci — as he shed some light on his past vineyard experiences, wine philosophy, and vision for the Vannucci estate.
Tony, who heads both the wine production and vineyard management at Vannucci, had an upbringing that brought him to wine far before it became his profession.
“I don’t think it was one moment that brought me to wine… My family would drink wine at dinner. It was something that always accompanied and enhanced our meals. I don’t come from an agriculture background, but I liked the thought of working closely with nature. Wine found me and I can’t imagine being happier working in any other industry.”
Background & Inspirations
Where have you worked in the past, and how did those experiences shape your approach to wine growing and winemaking? I’ve been fortunate and have worked all over the world. Following my time in the Cal Poly Wine & Viticulture program, my first job in the industry was working at Tablas Creek Vineyards in Paso Robles. They really ignited my passion for organic viticulture and making wines that express a sense of place. From there I worked at Bell Hill Vineyards in New Zealand, Mac Forbes Winery in Australia, Moric in Austria, Bedrock Wine Co. in Sonoma, as well as some other California producers. I’ve always been attracted to producers who work with unique vineyards, farm in a responsible way, and make wines with a terroir-driven profile.
What’s your personal favorite style to drink? I like drinking (and making) wines that have energy. Wines that are meant to be drunk with food, that keep you coming back to the bottle for more. There are some wines that bring out more interesting conversations, wines that can transport you to a region or time. Those are the wines that I like to enjoy.
What’s a wine region (outside of where you work) that really inspires you? There’s so many incredible wine regions throughout the world. I’m partial to Tuscany. I like the wines and there are parts of it that are very similar to California. I like most winemakers, am inspired by Burgundy. Beautiful wines and I love the culture. I try to drink wine from all over the world. It’s a great way to have an international experience on a budget.
Is there a winemaker you look up to or who has influenced you the most? Mac Forbes, who I worked with in Australia comes to mind. He makes wine he believes in from vineyards that speak to him. I’m biased, but I think his wines are incredible. He’s influenced me to make wine instinctively and intuitively.
Grape Growing Philosophies
Is there a vineyard you’ve worked with that completely changed the way you think about winemaking? Working with the vineyards in Burgenland, Austria particularly in Lutzmannsburg really challenged my understanding of making wines with a sense of place and to honor the legacy of old vines.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about grape growing over the years? That you’re going to continually be surprised. Healthy vineyards are always evolving.
What’s the role of terroir in your wines? I try to put the terroir of unique vineyards at the center of the wine. I put a lot of thought into capturing biotic and abiotic components of terroir.
Can you talk a bit about your philosophy behind regenerative viticulture? My philosophy of regenerative viticulture is to allow soil health to positively influence vine health, longevity, and fruit quality. I want the wines to contain energy from the land and to be a voice of the vintage and site.
What’s one vineyard practice you swear by? Cover cropping
What’s one vineyard-related challenge you love solving every year? I take a lot of pride in working to learn each growing season as it’s developing and unfolding. Staying ahead of potential issues is key.
Winemaking Style & Approach
How much of your winemaking philosophy is driven by the vineyard vs. what happens in the cellar? The quality is going to come from the vineyard. In the cellar it’s more about managing the fermentation and looking for the right amount of extraction. Trying to harness what the vineyard produced instead of influencing it is the goal.
Is there a wine you’ve made that you’re most proud of? Why? Probably my 2017 Traverse Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon from Waterhorse Ridge, an incredible vineyard on the Sonoma Coast. It was a tough vintage, but a beautiful wine was born from it. That wine gave me a lot of confidence and it solidified my belief in working with vineyards that I have a gut feeling about.
What’s a wine trend you love? What’s one you wish would go away? The trend of using lighter glass is great for the industry and really fits into the goal of making wine a more sustainable product. I wish that the trend of popular “natural” wines made from chemically intensive farming vineyards would stop.
Have you ever had a major winemaking mishap? What happened? I’ve been pretty fortunate and haven’t had anything go too far off the rails. I try to stay ahead of the problems whether they be biological, chemical, or physical.
Vannucci: Glass & Vine
What attracted you to the Vannucci Vineyards property? The vineyard is a gem. Due north facing, steep slopes, alluvial deposits. It’s a site that has tremendous potential to produce some really profound wines.
Can you speak a bit about what makes these Cabernet vines unique? This site offers a unique characteristic. It’s Alexander Valley, but it’s on a hillside shelf. So you get the benefits of being on the valley floor (being protected by the wind, being below the fog line) while also getting the benefits from having a serious aspect (soil drainage, strong air movement, hillside tannin development).
Can you give us a preview of the upcoming release? The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc is a ripper. There’s a balanced acidity to frame the wine, paired with plenty of flavor to coat the entire palette. We’re really excited to have sourced grapes from Hopkins River Ranch, home to some of the oldest Sauvignon Blanc grapes in the region. The 2024 Red Blend is very exciting to me. It’s a wine we talked about producing to share amongst a younger generation of wine drinkers. It’s a blend of old vine Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate. Fresh, absolutely crushable, packed with concentrated flavor, bright acidity, for a price point that won’t break the bank. It truly is a fun wine to drink. The Zin provides a lot of juicy flavor, while the Cab adds a tannin tension to it.
What’s your approach to the wines under the Vannucci portfolio? I want to make the kind of wines that inspired the Heffernan’s to start this project. Wines that belong at the lunch and dinner table. Wines that bring people together. My approach is to work with exciting vineyards and to showcase them in the finished wines. The Vannucci wines have stories that are worth telling.
Any future vineyard plans? We are undergoing a large replant project on the estate. That’s a lot of work. Other than that I guess we’re always on the lookout for the next great vineyard find.
Any future varietals we may see under the Vannucci brand down the road? I think doing a California Syrah for Vannucci would be very cool.
Wine Dreams
What’s a dream bottle or brand that you’d love to have in your wine collection? Any wines from the 1976 Judgement of Paris would be fascinating. There’s some Burgundy producers I’d love to have in my cellar. Probably some birth year wines from Bordeaux and Barolo.
Is there a varietal you have you yet to work with that you hope to most? I’d really like to work with Trebbiano. It’s an Italian white grape variety that I think would do really well in parts of California.
If you could grow grapes anywhere in the world, where would it be? I’d really like to grow grapes in West Marin. I think the climate and the soil would produce some exciting wines.
What excites you most about the future of winemaking? What excites me most about the future of winemaking is to get younger consumers involved in the wine community. It has so much history and culture. Forget the pretentiousness and the dogma. Tie that with regenerative farming and wines made with intention, I think young people can really resonate with it.
Listen to Tony talk on Regenerative Practices & His Philosophy:
Oxford Wine & Spirits Podcast
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