Beyond the Boardroom Hank Wetzel, co-founder of Alexander Valley Vineyards
By Rosie Padilla
What does AVV try to express with its wines? The essence of quality, grape-varietal character enhanced with judicious winemaking techniques. What makes a good wine? High-quality farming techniques. Growing fruit in the right location—the Alexander Valley’s mixture of climate, diverse soil types and varied topography are all important in creating great wine. What is the key to harvesting grapes at the perfect stage? A lot of hands-on work. Frequent visits to the vineyard site, sampling of the fruit, inspection of the vineyard and even individual grapes—seed maturity in the grape— followed up with laboratory analysis. Finally, a good weather app on your mobile phone is important. The biggest myth about drinking wine? That it is complicated. Complex, yes, but not complicated. Simply enjoy the taste of different grape varietals. Gewurztraminer versus cabernet sauvignon—wow, what a difference. What do you find interesting about the wine industry? I first became enhanced by the history of wine, reading about the small family-owned wine estates in France and then visiting them. Each winery is unique with a family history that is always fascinating. Tell me a bit about your duck-hunting adventures. Waterfowl hunting works with a winemaker’s schedule. December and January are the best months for hunting and perhaps the slowest time for winemaking work. Any Labrador retriever can become a great hunting dog if they hunt frequently. Fortunately, I am able to do that and I marvel at the innate ability of this dog breed to bring back the bird. . How does waterfowl hunting give you an appreciation for nature? I love Mother Nature, especially the changing and often violent weather. As a hunter I get to see and participate in the fast-paced life birds lead. Migration, feeding, loafing, breeding and more allow me to marvel at the natural world. Tell me about your recent travels. Linda and I have been very fortunate in that we can afford to travel. Recently we cruised from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile. This was a very comfortable way to see the desolate tip of South America. What has been your favorite travel destination? My favorite travel destination is close to home. Traveling from Bodega Bay, while whale watching and putting a hook in the water on my way to the Point Reyes Light House; of course the weather has to be just right. I have only done this once, but it was a great trip complete with a growling elephant seal at a beautiful, isolated cobblestone beach and calm water that allowed sighting of spouting whales from quite a distance. Wetzel has continued to collect accolades for his contributions to the wine industry. This year he received the Sonoma County Icon Award at the Sonoma County Barrel Auction hosted by Sonoma County Vintners. “It was wonderful to know that 50 years of hard work was being recognized,” Wetzel describes about receiving the news of his award. To learn more about Alexander Valley Vineyards head to avvwine.com . While attending UC Davis in the early 1970s, Hank Wetzel chose as his senior project to develop a plan for a small winery. Little did he know that plan would develop into what is now Alexander Valley Vineyards. Wetzel graduated from Davis with a Bachelor of Science in fermentation in 1974, and his first wine was produced in 1975. In the early days of AVV, Wetzel and his wife Linda would cold-call various clients, have them sample the wine and hope for an order. Then in 1976, the Judgment of Paris tasting put American wines on the map—specifically those grown in the Alexander Valley—and that only furthered AVV’s traction on the wine scene. Then in 1984, Wetzel led the committee that established Alexander Vally as a recognized American Viticultural Area.
[Courtesy of Alexander Valley Vineyards]
Photo by M.J. Wickham
[Courtesy of Alexander Valley Vineyards]
66 NorthBaybiz
May 2025
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