North Bay Business Journal

Pezzi King winery and vines in Dry Creek Valley

DRY CREEK VALLEY — Ken and Diane Wilson have added a seventh winery to their growing portfolio with the announcement today of the acquisition of Dry Creek Valley zinfandel specialist Pezzi King Vineyards from Jim Rowe Sr. and his wife, Cynthia.

On the market for sale since 2009, 8,000-case-a-year Pezzi King is a 137-acre property at 3225 W. Dry Creek Road with 65 acres of zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon vines. The Wilsons’ portfolio, called Wilson Artisan Wineries, will retain Pezzi King winemaker Chris Barrett, employees and the Healdsburg tasting room on Hudson Street.

The purchase price in the sale, completed Tuesday, wasn’t disclosed.

“I’ve always admired Jim Rowe and the Pezzi King wines, especially the estate zinfandels,” Ken Wilson said in a statement. “Pezzi King changed the way we looked at zinfandel and turned the local winemaking world upside down with its 1995 zin. Its rich, jammy, and fruit-forward style became the new standard of excellence in zins.”

Jim and Cynthia Rowe started Pezzi King (www.pezziking.com) in 1993.

Wilson Artisan Wineries now includes seven wineries: Wilson Winery, Mazzocco-Sonoma and Pezzi King in Dry Creek Valley, Matrix in Russian River Valley, deLorimier and Soda Rock in Alexander Valley, and Jaxon Keys in Mendocino County. Total case production exceeds 50,000 cases a year, according to a spokeswoman. The Wilsons own 500 acres of mountain vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties.