Archives

In this episode of The Good Stuff presented by the Sonoma County Winegrowers, hosts Virginie Boone and Karissa Kruse talk with David Milner, Director of Winemaking and Viticulture at Donelan Family Wines.

David was born and raised in Northern California in Fairfield and discovered his passion for wine while studying Wine Business Strategies at Sonoma State University. His interest was sparked by his roommate, who worked at a local winery and often brought home wines to taste. The fermentation bug bit David while he was taking an undergraduate brewing class. He continued to hone his skills over batches of home brewed beer with a few friends, and it left David looking for a new challenge. He had a stint in cheesemaking, but wine would eventually become his real passion.

In 2009, while David was working in a tasting room and completing his bachelor's degree in Wine Business Strategies, he produced his first batch of wine in his carport after convincing a local grower to give him a half ton of grapes. After graduation, he took a full-time job working in the cellar for a small pinot producing winery, who rented out custom crush space to clients.

After some time, David made his way over to Napa County and worked with two of the Valley's most respected estate wineries; the Eisele Vineyard and Groth. David returned to Sonoma County to take a production supervisor role at a family-owned biodynamic winery and then at Benovia, a small estate winery in the heart of the Russian River Valley.

In 2017, David joined Donelan Family Wines as the Cellar Master. Not long after his arrival–and under the guidance of Joe Nielsen, Former Head Winemaker and now Advisor at Donelan Family Wines–David was promoted to Assistant Winemaker. In 2019 David became the Head Winemaker of Donelan Family Wines. Today his title is: Director of Winemaking and Viticulture.

David’s winemaking philosophy of “...trusting your gut in making wines that clearly show where they come from,” will portray just that. He believes the goal is not to change what or how things have been done, but to understand and embrace the process through the lens of a given vintage.

About Donelan: Donelan Family Wines is a boutique winery in Sonoma County, celebrated for crafting exceptional Syrah. Their portfolio also includes Grenache, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Roussanne, and Viognier, reflecting their commitment to producing elegant, small-batch wines. The winery is family-owned and operated by Joe Donelan, the founder, alongside his sons Tripp (Director of Sales) and Cushing (Director of Marketing).

Joe Donelan’s wine journey began in the late 1980s at Toppers Restaurant on Nantucket, where he and his family were introduced to fine wines by the restaurant’s sommelier, Michael Fahey. This sparked a lifelong passion that led him to California, where he started bottling wines in 2000 under the name Pax Wine Cellars. In 2009, Pax evolved into Donelan Family Wines.

Known for their meticulous vineyard sourcing, the Donelan team collaborates with top growers in Sonoma County to ensure each wine expresses the unique character of the region.

The Vineyards: Donelan has vineyards stretching from the Mendocino Coast AVA to Bennett Valley AVA. They have at least 7 Vineyard sites, their most well-known being their Obsidian Vineyard located in the Knights Valley AVA.

And finally, Virginie and Karissa share their Tuesday Night wine picks!