Icaria Creek Winery & Vineyards can be found just to the north of Silver Oak in Alexander Valley, Sonoma County. In 1989, Wayne & Barbara Smith purchased a 50 acre parcel and planted one of the first hillside vineyards in Sonoma County to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This fruit is sold to many prestigious wineries. Their youngest son Jeff finished his Business degree at Fresno State and moved back to Sonoma County to start a small boutique winery. Icaria Creek Winery was started in 1998, and the first vintage release, a 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley earned 4 stars from Restaurant Wine Publisher Ronn Weigand. Jeff worked at a small Pinot Noir winery for a couple of years, learning the ropes in the business and production side while crafting his winemaking skills at nights and weekends at Icaria. Jeff oversees multiple picks across the rocky knoll hillside vineyard in order to achieve optimal ripeness and structural foundation. Clone 337 is used on the Cabernet, this produces a loose cluster and small berry which helps create some of the most concentrated and beautiful wines in the world. In the past few years Icaria Winery has purchased fruit from a few other distinct hillside vineyards across Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley. The wine is carefully aged for 12-24 months in select French and Hungarian Oak barrels and 6-12 months in the bottle, this help achieve the renowned elegant and exquisitely balanced style.
We offer private wine tastings "by appointment only". Contact Jeff Smith, Winemaker at 707-486-9623 or Helen Smith, Sales & Marketing at (707) 486-3979.
