Our Winemaker

Rick Davis has more than 18 years of experience in every phase of the wine making business. He explains what drove him to this complex career choice: “I’ve always had a natural inclination for the equal division of hands and brain work.” What better way to achieve that perfect balance than the nurturing of the grapes from planting to harvest and the complex planning that supports any vineyard’s success.

Rick has a BA in Environmental Sciences from Hampshire College and studied Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania. His wine industry experience began in 1988 at New York's Rivendell Winery. Starting as a barrel washer and then working his way up to laboratory technician, Rick was determined to learn every micro-facet of the grape to wine process. Rick made his move to Northern California, the nation’s small vineyard mecca, in 1992. By 1998 he had become Assistant Winemaker at Flowers Vineyard & Winery in Cazadero, moved on to Gainey Vineyards in Santa Inez in 2000, and landed at Tandem Winery in Sebastopol by 2001. Analyzing the very different climates and soil conditions for each vineyard has given Rick a distinct advantage when it comes to the fine art of vineyard troubleshooting.

At present, Rick’s client list includes Londer Vineyards, Alcina Cellars, and Halleck Vineyards. As Winemaker at LaCzar, Rick loves the vineyard challenges that come naturally with the quest of creating unique taste sensations. He also respects the standards that Mike and Jeanne have set. Rick forsees that the LaCzar acreage will yield “very distinctive tasting grapes, and those grapes will be able to produce wines that will compare very favorably to ultra-premiums in the coming years.”