Heidi Barrett

Last updated
Heidi Barrett
Born
Heidi Peterson

Berkeley, California
Education B.Sc. in Fermentation Science, 1980
Alma mater University of California, Davis
OccupationWinemaker
Years active1983 - present
EmployerBarrett & Barrett
Spouse Bo Barrett
ChildrenRemi and Chelsea [1]
Parent(s)Richard and Diane Petersen

Heidi Peterson Barrett is an American winemaker and entrepreneur who has been responsible for some of California's most notable cult wines. [2] Her career has included stints at Screaming Eagle, [3] Dalla Valle Vineyards, Paradigm Winery, Grace Family Vineyards, [4] Amuse Bouche, Lamborn Family, Showket Vineyards, Revana Family Vineyards, Vineyard 29 and Fantesca Estate & Winery. Barrett is a consultant for Elizabeth Spencer and has her own wine label, La Sirena. [2]

Contents

Early years and education

Barrett was born in Berkeley, California to parents Richard and Diane Peterson. Her father was an influential winemaker who worked for several wineries including E & J Gallo Winery in Modesto, California and Beaulieu Vineyards in St. Helena, California where he worked under Andre Tchelistcheff. [5]

Barrett attended grade school in Modesto before her family moved to the Napa Valley. [6] and graduated from UC Davis in 1980 with a B.Sc. in Fermentation Science. [7] She was one of only four women in her graduating class of 30. [8]

Career

Following internships in both the German and Australian wine industries, Barrett became head winemaker for Buehler Vineyards in 1983 at age 25. [9] [10] In 1988, at age 30, Barrett left Buehler and struck out on her own as a winemaker consultant. [8] Her first consulting client was Dalla Valle, and she worked with her proprietor Gustav Dalla Valle to earn her first two 100-point scores from Wine Advocate's Robert Parker. [8]

After achieving success with Dalla Valle, Barrett began working with Jean Phillips of Screaming Eagle in Napa Valley. [8] Phillips was the realtor for her first client Gustav Dalla Valle, and began working with Barrett on a casual, hourly basis. [8] This brand took off in the early 1990s, and following the 1992 vintage of Screaming Eagle, Barrett became a "winemaking star". [11] [12]

Barrett then began working as winemaker for Ren Harris of Paradigm Winery, and continued to grow her career from there. As Barrett's children grew up, she was able to devote more time to her winemaking career. [8]

Wine critic Robert Parker has awarded her wines 100 points five times and called her "The First Lady of Wine" as well as "the Queen of Cult Cabernet." [7] [9] [13]

Personal life

Barrett is married to Bo Barrett, the winemaker at Chateau Montelena [14] She has two daughters; Remi and Chelsea. [10] She is an avid scuba diver, painter, and helicopter pilot. [15] [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ridge Vineyards</span> Northern California winery

Ridge Vineyards is a California winery specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay wines. Ridge produces wine at two winery locations in northern California. The original winery facilities are located at an elevation of 2,300 feet on Monte Bello Ridge in unincorporated Santa Clara County in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, south of Los Altos, California and west of Cupertino, California. The other Ridge winery facilities are at Lytton Springs in the Dry Creek Valley AVA of Sonoma County. Ridge Vineyard's 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon gained prominence for its fifth-place finish in the 1976 "Judgment of Paris" wine tasting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heitz Wine Cellars</span> Winery in California

Heitz Cellar is a California wine producer located within Napa Valley east of the town of St. Helena. An early modern era Napa Valley presence and pioneering exponent of French oak, the estate enjoys a historical renown with the success of its Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, and has also been described as a "master of Grignolino".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Draper (winemaker)</span> American winemaker

Paul Draper is a California winemaker who has been the chief winemaker at Ridge Vineyards in California since 1969. Without any formal training in winemaking, Draper first gained recognition for his 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon when it placed fifth at the Judgment of Paris wine tasting. Draper has played a significant role in the history of California wine through his pioneering work in popularizing "vineyard-designated" wines as well as instigating the resurgence of old vine Zinfandel. Along with Ravenswood Winery's Joel Peterson, Draper is considered one of the most important figures in the history of Californian Zinfandel, rescuing the grape from obscurity and demonstrating its full potential as a serious wine. Draper was featured in a short film titled Terroir and directed by Christopher McGilvray which was shown at the 2017 Cinequest Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abreu Vineyards</span> Winery in Napa Valley, California

Abreu Vineyards is a winery in Napa Valley, California founded by the viticulturist David Abreu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fantesca Estate & Winery</span>

Fantesca Estate & Winery is a boutique winery in the Spring Mountain District AVA of Napa Valley. The proprietors – Susan Schulze Hoff and Duane Hoff – are former executives of Best Buy Company. Since April 2008, Heidi Barrett has been the estate's winemaker.

Dawnine Sample Dyer is an American winemaker and entrepreneur who pioneered the use of champagne-making methods in California's fledgling sparkling wine industry in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Screaming Eagle Winery and Vineyards</span> Californian vineyard

Screaming Eagle Winery and Vineyards is a California wine estate producing limited amounts of varietal wine; due to the small quantities produced and high prices commanded, their wines are considered cult wines. The winery is located in Oakville, California, north of the town of Napa in the Napa Valley.

Helen Turley is a pioneering American winemaker and wine consultant. She is known for bringing several Californian cult wines to the public awareness, and as the owner of a 20-acre (8.1 ha) boutique winery, Marcassin Vineyard. She is the recipient of several prestigious American wine awards, to include Wine Spectator's Distinguished Service Award and Food & Wine's Achievement Winemaker of the Year.

Araujo Estate Wines is a California winegrowing estate founded by Bart and Daphne Araujo. Located in Calistoga, California within both the Calistoga and Napa Valley AVAs, the estate produces a small portfolio of limited-production wines from the organically and Biodynamically farmed Eisele Vineyard.

The Grace Family Vineyards is a vineyard and winery in Napa, California. It is widely regarded as one of the original cult wineries in the Napa Valley, and was the first American winery to use the word "family" in its name.

Colgin Cellars is a winery in Napa Valley, California, founded in 1992.

Cathy Corison is an American winemaker, entrepreneur and consultant. She specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon. Corison was the San Francisco Chronicle Winemaker of the Year in 2011.

Mia Klein is a Californian winemaker and entrepreneur, founder of Selene Wines in Napa, California. Her career has spanned decades in the food and wine industry in both Northern and Southern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Oak Cellars</span> Winery in California

Silver Oak Cellars is a family-owned, California winery dedicated to producing only Cabernet Sauvignon. Silver Oak was established in 1972 by Ray Duncan and Justin Meyer. It is currently operated by Ray's sons David Duncan, who serves as the President and CEO, and his brother, Tim Duncan, who serves as Executive Vice President. Silver Oak has two wineries; one in Oakville in the Napa Valley and one in Healdsburg in the Alexander Valley. The Duncan Family also established Twomey Cellars in 1999, which has wineries in Calistoga and Healdsburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blankiet Estate</span> Winery in California, United States

Blankiet Estate is a California wine estate owned by Claude and Katherine Blankiet. Located in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains in the Napa Valley, the estate produces a portfolio of wines from their Paradise Hills Vineyard. The tasting room is located in the Renaissance period Castello that was built by a team of regional and international artisans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Force Majeure Vineyards</span>

Force Majeure is a Washington/Oregon wine estate, specializing in Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon as well as other Bordeaux and Rhone-inspired blends. The brand was founded in 2004, and beginning with that vintage began the "Collaboration Series" of wines made by some of Washington's top winemakers, using fruit from Red Mountain's Ciel du Cheval vineyard. Since 2014, the wines have been made by acclaimed winemaker Todd Alexander, who moved from the Napa Valley to the Pacific Northwest at that time. The brand labels also changed in 2014, to signify the winemaking change and the use of their estate vineyards for the wines, going forward. Todd Alexander continues to craft these limited production wines to this day.

Elizabeth Vianna is a female winemaker and businesswoman who has been responsible for some of California's most notable Cabernet wines. She is one of America's few Latina winemakers, known for Bordeaux-style wines at Chimney Rock, a part of Terlato Wine Group.

Ovid Napa Valley is a winery in Pritchard Hill, to the northeast of Oakville in the Napa Valley of California. It was established in 2000. The area, in one of the rockiest parts of the Napa Valley with iron-red and yellow soils, typically produces earthy varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Ovid winery is solar-powered and organically farmed and has been certified "Napa Green" by the Napa County Department of Public Works and the California Green Business Program. In 2017, a majority share of Ovid was sold to the Duncan family, who own Silver Oak Cellars and Twomey Cellars.

Celia Welch is an American winemaker. She is known for developing vintages in Napa Valley for a number of wineries, and the San Francisco Chronicle described her as a member "of an elite order of Napa winemaking consultants." She launched her own label, Corra, in 2004.

References

  1. ↑ "Winemaker Profile". Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Laube, James (October 9, 2003). "Merlot for Your Amusement". Wine Spectator . Archived from the original on March 7, 2012.
  3. ↑ Glynn, Amy (February 21, 2017). "Decanted: A Winemaker's Journey". Paste . Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  4. ↑ Fish, Tim (June 12, 2001). "California Cult Producer Grace Family Vineyards Hires New Winemaker". Wine Spectator.
  5. ↑ "Screaming Eagle: An American masterpiece". Christies Auctions. August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  6. ↑ Intardonato, John (September 16, 2004). "Barrett passion shines from vineyard to studio". Napa Valley Register . Napa, CA: Lee Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Amuse Bouche Wines - Winemaker Heidi Barrett". amusebouchewine.com. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Orbison, Willie (November 3, 2015). "Napa's Most Famous Winemaker Rides a Helicopter to Work". Munchies. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Heidi Peterson Barrett". Calwineries. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  10. 1 2 Lander, Jess. "Heidi Barrett of Calistoga: Napa Valley's queen of cabernet". Napa Valley Register . Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  11. ↑ Laube, James; Sogg, Daniel (March 21, 2006). "Screaming Eagle Sold". Wine Spectator .
  12. ↑ "Heidi Barrett: Napa Valley's queen of cabernet reflects on wine, pirates, helicopters and what 100-point scores really mean". Napa Valley Register . Napa, CA: Lee Enterprises, Inc. March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  13. ↑ Ofenloch, Melanie (May 27, 2018). "DLynn Proctor and Duane Hoff from Fantesca Winery". DallasWineChick.com. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  14. ↑ Franson, Paul (October 2007). "Winemaker Interview: Heidi Peterson Barret". Wines & Vines .
  15. ↑ Smith, Melissa L. (August 2, 2021). "Dream Cellars: Heidi Barrett". enotrias. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Our Team". Aviatrix Wine. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.