601 Cellars
Get the Dirt from Brian Doody
“Without question making wine is an absolute labor of love, and once the bug bites it’s hard to stop. ”
What was your first vintage year? 2015
How many cases do you make per vintage? About 150.
Do you have a Tasting Room?
No official tasting room, but we do offer tastings by private appointment.
What wine made you want to become a winemaker/start your own winery?
Wines made with Sangiovese, especially Super Tuscan blends.
What varietals do you work with? Which varietal/wine is your favorite to make? Why?
Sangiovese and Grenache are our specialty. We like to drink and create off-the-grid varietals made with Napa Valley fruit, proving Napa is much more than just Cabernet and at price points that are very approachable.
What vineyards do you source from?
We source from premier vineyards in Napa Valley such as Solari Family Vineyard, Shadybrook Estate and McGah Family Vineyard.
What type of oak treatment do you use? Why?
We use primarily Hungarian Oak since it is neutral in flavor and allows the personality of the wine to stay true. We sometimes add some time with French Oak depending on the unique characteristics and structure we wish to impart on each vintage.
What do you love about your winemaking region? What makes it different special?
The terroir in Northern California and Napa Valley present the perfect conditions to grow high quality fruit and a wide range of varietals unparalleled in North America. The Napa Valley region is a winemakers’ dream that embodies a sense of community around growing grapes and making wine, where everyone in the business supports one another.
What’s the story behind your winery name / label?
We eloped in Tuscany in June 2001. (6/01). Our holiday-turned-honeymoon evoked our love for Sangiovese and a passion to find and make them “California style.” When we were presented an opportunity to acquire Sangiovese fruit from a premier grower off of Bennett Lane in Napa Valley, our aspiration soon came to life and we launched 601 Cellars.
What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about the wine business before you started your own winery?
How infectious it is. Without question making wine is an absolute labor of love, and once the bug bites it’s hard to stop.
Most importantly, what's so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker, that wouldn't be possible for larger wineries?
We wouldn’t have even started this venture if we thought we would not stay small. Our passion to do this was/is to make approachable wines that we love using old world varietals. As a rule, we want to stay close to our customers by selling direct as much as possible. It has been an intimate project for us and we intend to keep it that way.
How do you view the future in the wine industry for small-lot winemakers?
We believe the consumer market is thirsty for boutique, handcrafted wines and small vintners for the same reason we want to be small. They want to have relationships with the people who make the labels they love- just as we wish to have relationships with our customers.
If you could choose another wine region to work in what would it be? Why?
Italy or Spain. These regions have been producing these varietals for centuries and we know they would have a lot to share.
For more information about 601 Cellars, please visit their website.