ZD Wines Winery

Producing world-class wines was the vision of two former aerospace engineers who in pursuit of their dream launched ZD Wines. The plan was to produce wines similar to those from the renowned Burgundy region of France using the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay winegrape varieties. In 1968, Norman deLeuze and Gino Zepponi pooled their resources of $3,000 apiece and applied for a winery permit. At that time, there had not been a winery permit issued in Sonoma County for nearly 20 years. The permit was issued in 1969. Norman and Gino rented a small farm building in the Carneros region of Sonoma County. They purchased winegrapes, some 50-gallon oak barrels and a redwood vat. Three hundred cases of Pinot Noir and a small amount of White Riesling represented ZD's first commercial vintage in 1969. The grapes were purchased from the Winery Lake Vineyard, which had been planted a few years earlier by René di Rosa. ZD's 1969 Pinot Noir carries the historical significance of being the first wine to have a Carneros designation on the label. It states, "Made in Sonoma from grapes grown in the Carneros region of Napa." The Chardonnay winegrapes from Winery Lake Vineyard were not in production until 1971, which is the first vintage of ZD Chardonnay.

 



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