Alexander Valley Vineyards

A Master of Enology from UC Davis whose training carried him through wineries in California, Germany, and New Zealand before he joined AVV. Six months later he was promoted to head winemaker, the role he still holds. His approach is intentionally traditional: classic vinification, long barrel aging in the estate's 48,000-square-foot underground cave system, and a focus on letting Alexander Valley terroir speak through Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Merlot. The estate is among only 14 Sonoma County wineries certified as official Green Business operations and also farms organically. Hall has built CYRUS, the estate's Bordeaux-style flagship first produced by Hank Wetzel in 1995, into one of the most decorated red blends in California, a four-time top honoree at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo's International Wine Competition.

Hank Wetzel is the founder of Alexander Valley Vineyards and a living link to the valley’s namesake. In 1962 his parents, Harry and Maggie Wetzel, bought the historic Cyrus Alexander homestead, then mostly prune orchards, and began planting vines. Hank earned a fermentation science degree at UC Davis and, with his wife Linda, bonded the winery in 1975, producing its first estate wines. He went on to champion the 1984 establishment of the Alexander Valley AVA and was named a Sonoma County Icon in 2025. Today his sons Harry IV and Robert carry the family tradition forward.