| | ||
|
| |||
| |||
 Bill soon had the desire to bring his work in viticulture full circle, and in 1978 he founded the William Hill Winery in Napa California. There Bill had his first taste of winemaking and he focused on producing the star varietals of Napa Valley in the 1970’s and 80’s: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. William Hill Winery quickly became known for producing award winning wines, and in 1991, Bill’s 1987 William Hill Cabernet Sauvignon was ranked 13th of the 100 Best Wines of the World by “Wine Spectator.”  It was while he was with William Hill Winery that Bill first became acquainted with Don Baker. In 1988, Don was hired to work in the cellar at William Hill Winery and the two became fast friends. They share the same philosophy about winemaking. They both believe that exceptional wines are born in exceptional vineyards, and both seek to produce wines in a non-interventionist fashion; the ultimate goal of which is to craft balanced, elegant wines that are honest expressions of their vineyard site. Before long the pair began to collaborate on winemaking ventures. Don Baker took over as head winemaker at William Hill Winery in 1992 and the two worked together to design and build a new home for the rapidly growing winery. At the time the winery was sold, the production of William Hill Winery had grown to over 100,000 cases per year and Bill’s reputation for developing premium hillside vineyards and award winning, highly acclaimed wines drew him to the forefront of the California wine industry. By 1996, “Wine Spectator” recognized Bill as one of 50 most influential wine industry players in the world. The list included “wine producers who innovated, perfected, promoted and led the international campaign for higher quality wine.” William Hill and Bighorn Cellars American ‘Grand Cru’ Vineyards Handcrafting Wines from Exceptional Vineyards |
Join Our Mailing List  |