From South American Roots to Sonoma Success: The Denier-Handal Journey of Crafting Award-Winning Wines

We began our winemaking adventure in 2004 and released our first vintage in 2009. For over twenty years before that, we were dedicated grape growers, supplying premium grapes to some of the most prestigious wineries in Sonoma and Napa counties. One notable client was Wellington Vineyards in Glen Ellen, where owner-winemaker Peter Wellington crafted several award-winning, vineyard-specific Cabernet Sauvignons, including one from our Dry Creek Vineyard. Under Peter’s guidance, we started producing small batches of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Sagrantino, and Zinfandel at the Wellington facility. Today, we produce our wines at the Meeker custom crush facility in Healdsburg, with ongoing consulting support from Peter Wellington and David Noyes.

Napa and Sonoma counties are home to renowned winemakers, but the region’s true strength lies in its grape-growing conditions. The ideal terroir provides the foundation for producing some of the world’s finest wines.

Our journey started in South America, where Dick Handal and Lisa Denier spent forty years farming in Chile and Ecuador. A chance encounter with Don Angel Duran in Ecuador led to our first ventures in grape growing and winemaking. Don Angel, trained in viticulture and Pisco production in Argentina, maintained several vines on his hacienda, which became the starting point for Dick’s grape-growing career. With Angel’s help, Dick propagated plants cloned from these ancient vines, which ultimately led to the foundation of our winemaking efforts.

Dick’s frequent trips to UC Davis over the next twenty years provided invaluable knowledge and mentorship from experts like Dr. Carol Meredith, who helped identify the white grape varietal from Ecuador as Palomino, used in Spanish sherry. Dick also met Dr. Harold Olmo, who shared his experiences working with grape growers near the Equator. With their guidance, Dick and Lisa continued experimenting, importing thirty-two grape varieties for trials and eventually establishing a successful winery outside Quito, Ecuador, called Chaupi Estancia.

Encouraged by friends to explore California, Dick and Lisa purchased vineyards in Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley, partnering with Ulises Valdez’s vineyard management team to produce high-quality grapes. Initially, they sold grapes to renowned wineries like Robert Mondavi, Constellation Brands, Kendall Jackson, and Ferrari Carano. Eventually, they decided to produce their own wines from these grapes, creating red wines that showcase fruit-forward aromas and flavors of stone fruits and berries, aged in American and French oak barrels. Their wines—including Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Sagrantino, and Zinfandel—have consistently earned high ratings and awards in Northern California wine competitions.

In 2018, Dick and Lisa decided to pivot their brand, selling their vineyards and sourcing a variety of grapes from colleagues and friends to make small-lot wines that highlight the unique qualities of other vineyards. That same year, Dick’s daughter, Doralice Handal, joined the family business, adding a new generation to the brand.

We are fortunate to work closely with family-owned vineyards, such as Larry Venturi’s Venturi Family Vineyards in Mendocino, which grows our Sangiovese and Petite Sirah. Sourcing from small, organic, and sustainably managed vineyards allows us to maintain high standards and continue producing award-winning wines.

In 2022, we acquired Locals Tasting Room in Geyserville, California, from founders Carolyn Lewis and Tim Hylas. At Locals, we showcase our Denier-Handal vintages alongside the wines of our winemaking colleagues. Guests can visit the tasting room to enjoy our current wines, order library selections, or arrange shipping throughout the USA and, in some cases, internationally.