Makers' Stories
DLynn Proctor
— Travel is Life is Love
What does "cultivating excellence" as a Napa Valley vintner mean to you?
Cultivating excellence is living it, breathing it and doing the actual work.
What's one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
There are sincerely more than a few things.
What’s the strangest word you’ve used to describe the smell or taste of wine?
I honestly still think cat pee is pretty weird.
How did you get started in the wine business?
My entry was bussing tables in the mid 90's and cellar work in the early 00's in Valpolicella.
Name a Napa Valley vintner who has influenced you and briefly explain why.
More than one.
The Matthiassons, Staglin-Johnsons, Beers, Emersons and Victoria Coleman.
What's your all-time favorite food and wine pairing?
Cacio e Pepe e Barolo
If you could open a bottle of your wine and share it with any three people (living or not), who would they be?
I've actually had wine with everyone living that I've wanted to. Not living - I'd say Napoleon III, Bartolo Mascarello and Max Schubert.
What is your favorite memory as a vintner working in Napa Valley?
At Grace in 2004 picking on the hillside.
If you weren't a Napa Valley vintner, what would you be doing?
An Italian Vintner!
I kind of am.
What is your winemaking philosophy?
Of the year and of the place, always.
Est. 2014
Pensman
03
The Winemakers