Unti Vineyards

Mick Unti co-founded Unti Vineyards with his father George in 1997 and oversees winemaking, sales, and marketing for the small, family-owned Dry Creek Valley estate. Convinced that the valley's Mediterranean climate suits Italian and Rhône varieties far better than the Zinfandel that made the region famous, the Untis planted 60 organically farmed acres to Sangiovese, Barbera, Montepulciano, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Vermentino, and more, fermenting 45 to 60 small lots a year across stainless, concrete, and large French oak. Mick, a lifelong wine enthusiast who has worked nearly every side of the business since the mid-1980s, works alongside hands-on winemaker Jason Valenti while his parents George and Linda farm the vineyards.

George Unti is the co-founder whose vision shaped this distinctive Dry Creek estate. After a long career, he bought the property in 1990, wanting to reconnect with the land of his farming childhood, and planted vines in a valley synonymous with Zinfandel. A devoted lover of Italian, French, and Spanish wines, he steered the family toward Mediterranean grapes rarely grown in California: Sangiovese, Barbera, Montepulciano, Grenache, Syrah. He co-founded the winery in 1997 with his son Mick, and with his wife Linda farms sixty organic acres. Their boldness gave Unti a personality all its own.