Twomey Cellars

{{Short description|Winery in Calistoga, California, U.S.}} {{Promotional|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox Winery | winery_name = Twomey Cellars | winery_logo =[[Image:Twomey Cellars.jpg|200px]] [[File:Twomey-Calistoga.jpg|200px]] | location_city = [[Calistoga, California]] [[Healdsburg, California]] [[Philo, California]] [[Dundee, Oregon]] | location_country = USA | appellation = Napa Valley AVA | appellation2 = [[Russian River Valley AVA]] [[Dundee Hills AVA]] [[Anderson Valley AVA]] | former_name = | other_labels=  | year_founded = 1999 | first_vintage = | key_people = [[Ray Duncan (vintner)|Ray Duncan]] [[David Duncan (vintner)|David Duncan]], Proprietor/Chairman & CEO, [[Tim Duncan (wine)|Tim Duncan]], Proprietor/Chief Revenue Officer Nate Weis, Vice President of Winegrowing Justin Hirigoyen, Director of Winemaking Dominic Orsini, winery chef | parent_company = | cases_per_year = | signature_wine = | varietal1 = Pinot noir | varietal2 = Sauvignon blanc | varietal3 = | varietal4 = | varietal5 = | varietal6 = | varietal7 = | varietal8 = | varietal9 = | varietal10 = | other_product1= | other_product2= | other_product3= | other_product4= | other_product5= | homepage= https://www.twomey.com/ }} '''Twomey Cellars''' (pronounced too-me) is a [[California]] winery. It was established in 1999 by the Duncan Family, who have operated the successful [[Silver Oak Cellars]] in California since 1972.<ref name="CB0907">{{cite web |date=1 September 2007 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-169026093.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611091331/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-169026093.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 June 2014 |title=The cult of Cabernet: Silver Oak Cellars soars with single-minded niche.(Silver Oak Wine Cellars)(Company overview) |publisher=[[ColoradoBiz]] |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> The Duncan Family started Twomey Cellars to pursue varietals other than [[Cabernet Sauvignon]]. Twomey has three wineries: one in [[Calistoga, California|Calistoga]] in the [[Napa Valley]]; one in [[Healdsburg, California|Healdsburg]] in the [[Russian River Valley]]; one in [[Philo, California|Philo]] in [[Anderson Valley]], and produces mainly [[Pinot noir]] and [[Sauvignon blanc]].<ref name="Parker2008">{{cite book |last=Parker |first=Robert M |date=7 October 2008 |title=Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide, 7th Edition: The Complete, Easy-to-Use Reference on Recent Vintages, Prices, and Ratings for More than 8,000 Wines from All the Major Wine Regions |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bHp1GJk8IMcC&pg=PA1276 |accessdate=6 March 2013 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-4391-3997-4 |page=1276}}</ref> Twomey’s Sauvignon blanc is a blend of Sauvignon blanc grapes from their estate vineyards at their wineries in Napa Valley, Anderson Valley, and Russian River Valley.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.twomey.com/#!/wines/ |title=Wines |publisher=Twomey Cellars |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref>

Twomey is named after [[Ray Duncan (vintner)|Ray Duncan]]'s mother, Velma Marie Twomey Duncan.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.twomey.com/#!/club |title=Club Twomey |publisher=Twomey Cellars |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> Nate Weis is Director of Winemaking for both Twomey and Silver Oak. In 2007, Twomey hired [[Ben Cane]], a [[Pinot noir]] specialist who became Twomey’s Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc Winemaker in 2008. Twomey's 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot noir was awarded first place in the [[American wine|American Wine]] Society's National Tasting Project in 2012.<ref name="Review">{{cite web |url=https://www.silveroak.com/life-is-a-cabernet/wine-review |title=Wine Review |publisher=Silver Oak Cellars |accessdate=6 March 2013 |archive-date=29 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129022754/http://www.silveroak.com/life-is-a-cabernet/wine-review |url-status=dead }}</ref> As of 2017 Twomey produces about 20,000 cases a year.

==History== [[File:Daniel Baron.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Daniel Baron]]]] Twomey began with the Soda Canyon Ranch Vineyard located in southeastern Napa Valley. Ray Duncan and the Duncan family purchased Soda Canyon Ranch Vineyard in 1999 for Silver Oak’s Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, but [[Daniel Baron]], former Director of Winemaking for Silver Oak, discovered it was planted with high class French Merlot clones, and persuaded the Duncans to venture into producing it and establish a new company.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.twomey.com/#!/inside/story |title=Our Story |publisher=Twomey Cellars |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=14 April 2010 |url=http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story_golf/7067445/article-Uncorked--Wines-from-Silver-Oak-and-Twomey-are-top-notch- |title=Uncorked: Wines from Silver Oak and Twomey are top-notch |newspaper=Anniston Star |accessdate=13 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140315155320/http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story_golf/7067445/article-Uncorked--Wines-from-Silver-Oak-and-Twomey-are-top-notch- |archivedate=15 March 2014 }}</ref>

Twomey’s Merlot was a single vineyard wine made with grapes grown at Soda Canyon Ranch Vineyard.<ref name="Winemakers">{{cite web |url=https://www.twomey.com/#!/wines/winemakers |title=Winemakers |publisher=Twomey Cellars |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> In 2000 Twomey acquired the West Pin Vineyard in the Russian River Valley to begin making Russian River Valley Pinot noir in addition to the single vineyard Napa Valley Merlot.<ref name="POP">{{cite web |url=http://www.princeofpinot.com/winery/69/ |title=Twomey Cellars |publisher=Prince of Pinot |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> As production of Twomey wines continued to increase, the Duncan family believed that Twomey needed a winery of its own.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Silver-Oak-Owner-Buys-Winery-for-New-Twomey-Merlot_21632 |title=Silver Oak Owner Buys Winery for New Twomey Merlot |publisher=[[Wine Spectator]] |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> In 2003, the Duncans purchased Stonegate Winery in Calistoga to become the home of Twomey.<ref name="WV0803">{{cite web |date=1 August 2003 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-107122415.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611091335/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-107122415.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 June 2014 |title=Stonegate sells Winery to Silver Oak owner. (Ray Duncan) |publisher=[[Wines & Vines]] |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref><ref name="Quarterly Review of Wines">{{cite book |year=2003 |title=Quarterly Review of Wines |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R0YsAQAAMAAJ |accessdate=6 March 2013 |publisher=Richard L. Elia |page=10}}</ref> Twomey’s Calistoga winery, which is surrounded by a Sauvignon blanc vineyard, is situated in a palatial farmhouse-like building, featuring an open tasting room with sleek slate floors and a black, polished bar.<ref name="SFG">{{cite news |date=18 December 2012 |url=http://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Calistoga-Twomey-Cellars-lets-wines-do-the-2411116.php#ixzz2MNuui28z |title=Calistoga: Twomey Cellars lets wines do the talking |newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> [[File:Twomey Cellars, Calistoga2.jpg|thumb|right|Winery interior, Calistoga]]

In 2006, the Duncan family purchased Roshambo Winery in [[Healdsburg, California|Healdsburg]] to establish a second winery for Twomey.<ref>{{cite web |date=20 December 2006 |url=http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20061220/NEWS/612200302?p=3&tc=pg |title=Silver Oak buying Roshambo Winery |publisher=Pressdemocrat.com |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> This winery, dedicated to the production of Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc, has glass walls and curving roofs shaped like the contours of the nearby hills.<ref name="SFG"/> The winery was overhauled for a period of about 2 years to convert it into a Pinot noir production facility, introducing small (2- and 5-ton) open top fermentors, with temperature closely controlled by separate heating and chilling plates.<ref name="FWN0710"/>

In 2007, [[Ben Cane]] was hired to oversee the production of Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc. In May 2012, noted winemaker [[Jean-Claude Berrouet]] joined Twomey as winemaking consultant, working closely with Director of Winemaking Daniel Baron in the production of Twomey's Napa Valley Merlot.<ref>{{cite web |date=29 May 2012 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-291088787.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611091325/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-291088787.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 June 2014 |title=Jean-Claude Berrouet Joins Twomey Cellars as Winemaking Consultant |publisher=China Weekly News |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> Jean-Claude Berrouet served as the winemaker and technical director at [[Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix]] for 44 vintages. During his tenure at Etablissement Jean-Pierre Moueix, he was responsible for the production of their line-up of wines from [[Pomerol]] and [[St. Emilion]], including the [[Chateau Petrus]].<ref name="Winemakers"/> In July 2014, Cane departed Twomey for Westwood Wines, and was replaced by Erin Miller, a winemaker with considerable previous experience working for Provingage Wine Associates, Evening Land Vineyards, the Hartford Family Winery and Kendall-Jackson’s Vinwood Cellars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2014/06/silver-oak-twomey-winemakers/|title=New winemakers for Silver Oak and Twomey|publisher=Thedrinksbusiness.com|date=23 June 2014|accessdate=5 November 2014}}</ref> Nate Weis joined the same year and then replaced Daniel Baron in 2017 when Baron retired.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.silveroak.com/Content/downloads/bio-pdfs/NateWeisBio.pdf|title=Nate Weis|publisher=Silveroak.com|accessdate=15 November 2018}}</ref> Miller has since been succeeded by Justin Hirigoyen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twomey.com/about/team/justin-hirigoyen/|title=Justin Hirigoyen|publisher=Twomey.com|accessdate=2 September 2021}}</ref> In 2017, Twomey and Silver Oak signed an agreement with the [[San Francisco Giants]], becoming their first official wine partner.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2017/04/09/silver-oak-signs-to-become-official-wine-partner-of-san-francisco-giants/#f2638403176c|title=Silver Oak Signs To Become Official Wine Partner Of San Francisco Giants|magazine=Forbes|date=9 April 2017|accessdate=15 November 2018}}</ref> As of 2017 Twomey produces about 20,000 cases a year.<ref name="WS17"/>

==Vineyards== {{multiple image |direction = vertical |align = right |width = 200 |footer = |image1 = Twomey Cellars, Calistoga.jpg |alt1 = |caption1 =Twomey Cellars, Calistoga |image2 = Twomey Healdsburg.jpg |alt2 = |caption2 =Twomey Cellars, Healdsburg }}

Twomey’s Calistoga Estate Vineyard, surrounding the Calistoga Winery, and Healdsburg Estate Vineyard, on the Healdsburg winery property, are planted with Sauvignon Blanc. Their sources of fruit for their Merlot, Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc wines come from estate-owned vineyards in the Napa, Russian River and Anderson Valleys, and from independent partner growers who have a contract with Twomey to grow grapes for them. The Duncan family’s purchase of the Soda Canyon Ranch vineyard in 1999 in southeastern Napa Valley was the impetus for Twomey’s creation. They originally purchased Soda Canyon Ranch Vineyard to produce Cabernet Sauvignon for Silver Oak. Soda Canyon Ranch Vineyard is located in the rolling hills of southeastern Napa Valley and its volcanic soils are tightly planted with French Merlot clones.<ref name="Merlot">{{cite web |url=https://www.twomey.com/#!/wines/merlot |title=Merlot |publisher=Twomey Cellars |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref>

In 2000, Twomey acquired West Pin Vineyard in the Russian River Valley to begin making Russian River Valley Pinot noir. In 2010, the Duncan family purchased the 17-acre Monument Tree Vineyard, one of the most sought-after vineyards for Pinot noir production in the Anderson Valley.<ref name="FWN0710">{{cite web |date=8 July 2010 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-230310307.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611091327/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-230310307.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 June 2014 |title=Twomey Cellars Buys Acclaimed Monument Tree Vineyard |publisher=[[Food Weekly News]]|accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> The vineyard, located at the top of the Anderson Valley, is named after an imposing redwood tree which towers above the hillside vineyard which was struck by lightning.<ref name="FWN0710"/> In 2017, the Duncan family purchased Prince Hill Vineyard, a 40 acre vineyard in the Dundee Hills of the [[Willamette Valley]], from [[Dick Erath]]. The vineyard produces Pinot Noir for Twomey exclusively.<ref name="WS17">{{cite web|url=https://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Silver-Oak-Owners-Buy-Oregon-Vineyard|title=Exclusive: Silver Oak Owners Buy Oregon Vineyard from Dick Erath|publisher=Wine Spectator|date=14 September 2017|accessdate=15 November 2018}}</ref>

Twomey produces three appellation Pinot noirs, a single vineyard Pinot noir and a Sauvignon blanc estate. The grapes for the appellation Pinot noirs are from the Russian River Valley, [[Anderson Valley]] and [[Sonoma Coast]] appellations. The fruit for the single vineyard Pinot noir comes from the famed [[Bien Nacido Vineyard]] in the [[Santa Maria Valley]].<ref name="POP"/>

==Methods== ===Soutirage Traditionnel=== [[File:Soutirage2.jpg|thumb|right|Soutirage of Twomey's Merlot]] Twomey was one of two Northern California wineries to use the labor-intensive technique of soutirage traditionnel to produce its Merlot.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://101things.com/winecountry/twomey-cellars-soutirage-traditionnel/ |title=Twomey Cellars… Soutirage Traditionnel |publisher=101things.com |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> Twomey’s Merlot was typically aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, and during the aging process the wine is racked from barrel to barrel, something known as [[soutirage traditionnel]]. Soutirage is the method of moving the wine from one barrel to another using gravity rather than a pump, which can be disruptive to a wine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.napavintners.com/wineries/winery_profile.asp?weblogin=twomey |title=Twomey Cellars |publisher=Napavintners.com |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> This process softens tannins and clarifies and enhances the aromatic qualities of this wine.<ref name="Merlot"/>

===Dry cork sensory screening=== [[File:Soutirage.jpg|thumb|left|Soutirage process]] In 2009, Silver Oak and Twomey’s Associate Winemaker Christiane Schleussner, working with Carlos Macku, Lesa Gonzalez, Ana Cristina Mesquita and Leonard C. Kirch at Cork Supply USA and Cork Supply Portugal, pioneered the commercial sensory evaluation method known as "[[dry cork sensory screening]]" for detecting the chemical compound TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisol), which is responsible for [[cork taint]].<ref name="AW0410">{{cite web |date=1 April 2010 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-222115846.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611091324/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-222115846.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 June 2014 |title=Silver Oak Cellars and Cork Supply USA Pioneer Use of Technique to Detect TCA in Large Format Corks. |publisher=[[Agriculture Week]]|accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> The breakthrough process was described in the ''Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry'', Vol. 57, Issue 17 in 2009 and is also used by Twomey.

===Sustainability=== Like Silver Oak Cellars, Twomey is committed to sustainability and state-of-the-art farming practices. The Duncan family states that their livelihood and future livelihood depend upon the "ecological viability of the land" and contribute to a better quality grape and wine.<ref name="Sustainability">{{cite web |url=https://www.silveroak.com/life-is-a-cabernet/sustainability |title=Sustainability |publisher=Silver Oak Cellars |accessdate=6 March 2013 |archive-date=3 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203181634/http://www.silveroak.com/life-is-a-cabernet/sustainability |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Reception== ''Sonoma Wine'' said that Twomey's wines are a "marriage of classical French technique and an extraordinary California vineyard, [which] results in Twomey’s distinctive, complex, and rich expression of luscious fruit." ''[[Wine & Spirits]]'' states that their Russian Valley wines are "A simple, sweet [[syrah]] with a gamey edge", and well-balanced.<ref name="Wine & Spirits">{{cite book |year=2009 |title=Wine & Spirits |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OVssAQAAMAAJ |accessdate=6 March 2013 |publisher=Winestate Publications |page=211}}</ref> ''[[Wine Enthusiast]]'' said of their 2008 Twomey Merlot: "made with a drop of [[Cabernet Franc]], this Merlot is rich, smooth and bone dry. With modest alcohol, it brims with flavors of black and red currant, licorice, anise and white pepper, as well as a subtle touch of sweet, smoky new oak. The grapes come from the cool Soda Canyon area of Napa Valley, at the base of Atlas Peak."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wine.com/V6/Twomey-Cellars-by-Silver-Oak-Merlot-2008/wine/121013/detail.aspx?state=CA |title=Twomey Cellars by Silver Oak Merlot 2008 |publisher=Wine.com |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> In 2004, the Cheers/Beverage Dynamics National Wine Panel, consisting of respected restaurant, hotel and retail beverage professionals, voted their 2000 Merlot as one of their five-star wines, remarking that the wine was "full-bodied with great cherry and chocolate flavors."<ref>{{cite web |date=1 March 2004 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-115036818.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611091329/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-115036818.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 June 2014 |title=Retailer wine selections: the Cheers National Wine Panel recommends a lineup of top quality/value merlots. (Wine Selections) |publisher=Cheers|accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref>

Of Twomey’s Pinot noir wines, the Prince of Pinot, William Gaffney of PinotFile said, "Clearly, there is a serious commitment at Twomey Cellars to produce Pinot noirs to rival their lofty and iconic neighboring wineries on Westside Road."<ref name="POP"/> Twomey's 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot noir was awarded first place in the American Wine Society's National Tasting Project in 2012.<ref name="Review"/> [[Eric Asimov]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' cited Twomey's 2009 Anderson Valley Pinot noir as "one of our favorites, bigger and softer but with both finesse and intensity."<ref>{{cite news |date=14 September 2012 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/dining/reviews/a-pinot-noir-hunt-in-the-anderson-valley.html?_r=4&pagewanted=all& |title=Pinot Hunting in the Anderson Valley |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref>

He also stated that the 2009 Twomey was his number two selection, describing it as "fresh and pungent, yet somewhat restrained as well. It was harmonious, a quality that we didn’t find often enough."<ref>{{cite news |date=19 July 2011 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/dining/reviews/sauvignon-blanc-from-northern-california-wine-review.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 |title=A Stepchild Lacks Identity |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> According to the ''[[Washington Examiner]]'', Twomey's Bien Nacido Pinot noir from the Santa Maria Valley is their first vineyard-designated Pinot noir bottling and the wines are noted for their "silky finish".<ref name="WE0711">{{cite web |date=7 July 2011 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-29178074.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611091333/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-29178074.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 June 2014 |title=Napa Valley values |publisher=[[Washington Examiner]] |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> They say of it: "Made from organically farmed fruit, the wine is crafted in a forward style, featuring aromas of sweet strawberry and wild raspberries on the nose and repeated on the palate where they are joined by lush, ripe berries and undercurrents of red currants and violets, all built on a graceful framework with a fine balance between tannins and acidity."<ref name="WE0711"/>

Twomey's 2010 Bien Nacido Vineyard and Santa Maria Valley Pinot noir went on sale on September 29, 2012 and was produced in 1100 cases. Twomey describe it as being of a "red-ruby color and an expressive, [with a] complex nose of fresh rose petals, fresh crushed cranberries and wild strawberries with a subtle hint of rose."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.twomey.com/docs/fact-sheets/2010.bien.nacido.productsheet.pdf |title=2010 Single Vineyard Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir |publisher=Twomey Cellars |accessdate=6 March 2013}}</ref> The ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' notes the quiet ambiance of Twomey's wineries, describing them as "an elegant escape from the typical, crowded tourist destinations nearby."<ref name="SFG"/> In 2015, ''[[Wine & Spirits]]'' named Twomey in its annual list of "Top 100 Wineries".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com/top100/wineries/P3|title=Top 100 Wineries|publisher=Wine & Spirits|date=2015|accessdate=15 November 2018}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== {{commons category}} * [https://www.twomey.com/ Official site]

[[Category:Wineries in Napa Valley]] [[Category:American companies established in 1999]] [[Category:Companies based in Napa County, California]] [[Category:1999 establishments in California]]