In this episode of The Good Stuff presented by the Sonoma County Winegrowers, hosts Virginie Boone and Karissa Kruse talk with Glenn & Laurie Proctor, owners of Puccioni Vineyards.
Puccioni Vineyards, located in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, has been family-owned since 1904, when Angelo Puccioni, an Italian immigrant, purchased the land. After arriving in the United States aboard the boat Roma in 1889, Angelo worked at Italian Swiss Colony before eventually settling in Dry Creek Valley. He bought Puccioni Ranch and planted the first vines that same year. By 1911, the family had cleared and planted forty acres using a mule, completing seven years of hard work. In 1919, Angelo established the original Puccioni Winery, which operated through Prohibition under a government license to produce sacramental wine. The family also sold grapes to Italian families in San Francisco for home winemaking. Zinfandel has been grown on the property since its first planting in 1904, and today the vineyard is farmed by the 3rd and 4th generations of the family.
The vineyard’s legacy includes the use of a mule for plowing until 1968, making the Puccionis the last farmers in Dry Creek to use one commercially. Glenn Proctor, Angelo's great-grandson, learned to work the vineyard with a mule at just four years old. When the family transitioned to a tractor, Glenn’s grandfather attached the old walking plow to the new John Deere tractor to maintain tradition.
Today, Glenn farms old vine Zinfandel and other varieties, produces Puccioni Vineyards wines, and is a partner at the Ciatti Company, the world’s largest broker of bulk wine and grapes. Puccioni Vineyards focuses on crafting distinctive Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from their historic vines, reflecting the land’s history and character in every bottle.
Ciatti Company, founded in 1971, is the world’s largest international bulk wine broker, connecting buyers and sellers of bulk wine, grapes, juice concentrate, and spirits. Leveraging deep market expertise and a vast network, Ciatti provides clients with market intelligence, inventory management, and ethical service to help navigate the global wine industry and make informed decisions. Glenn Proctor is a partner and broker at the Ciatti Company. He plays a key role in managing client relationships, providing market insights, and helping buyers and sellers navigate the bulk wine and grape markets.
And finally, Virginie and Karissa share their Tuesday Night wine picks!
