Ram's Gate in Sonoma Valley has a new director of winemaking

Joe Nielsen has been tapped as director of winemaking for Ram's Gate Winery in Sonoma Valley.

A Michigan native with a bachelor's degree in horticulture, Nielsen also completed the agriculture technology certificate program in enology and viticulture at Michigan State University. He is slated to complete an executive wine MBA from Sonoma State University this fall 2018.

After working at Merryvale Vineyards in Napa, he joined the team at Donelan Family Wines, working his way first to assistant winemaker and then to head winemaker during the past nine years. As head winemaker at Donelan, he received more than 50 90-plus ratings from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, as well as from other leading critics. Nielsen's acute attention to detail recently earned him a rare 100-point wine score from reviewer Jeb Dunnick for a 2013 Knight's Valley syrah.

Opened in the Carneros winemaking region in fall 2011, Ram's Gate focuses on small-lot chardonnay and pinot noir. Ram's Gate is a certified sustainable vineyard and certified under the Fish Friendly Farming program.

Show Comment