ARTICLES

California DREAMIN'
Many people dream of owning a vineyard, particularly after visiting one. The symmetrical beauty of row after row of vines on the trellis, the headiness of the earth, the challenge of handcrafting a world-class product from nature's bounty, all contribute to the dream.

For most people, the dream remains just that. But not for Susan and Barry Collier. The former Sarasota residents have a way of making their dreams come true.
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First Vintage Earns Accolades
from Wine Critics.
In 1992, Barry Collier spent his 50th birthday in Napa at Auberge du Soleil and he and his wife Susan sat on the balcony overlooking the valley. Crush and fermentation were in the air, and that's when the romance of winemaking set in.
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Vintage Dreamer Spurned the Glitz of Hollywood for the Satisfaction of being a Small-time Vintner
After you try to get America to buy a Buttoneer or an Egg Scrambler, how hard could it be to sell a zinfandel or a cabernet? Just ask Barry Collier.
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Those Grape Growers of Collier Falls
Here's pretty much the way Barry Collier's life was unrolling before the fateful September day in 1992 when his wife, Susan, asked him where he would like to spend his birthday.
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Family Wineries - Dry Creek Valley, Kenwood
When vintner Barry Collier opened the doors of the first Family Wineries facility in the spring of 2005, he launched an innovative way to introduce wine tourers to not one, but, several previously undiscovered local wineries under one roof. As the owner of Collier Falls Vineyards, Barry knew firsthand that running a tasting room took money, staff, and management—commodities not easy to come by for a small family business. But he also knew the solution: a cooperative tasting room. He developed the concept, approached several fellow vintners and winemakers, and Family Wineries was born.
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Collier Falls Vineyards
Barry Collier has created a paradise for his grapes above the Dry Creek Valley. If you were a grape, you would want to be planted under his care. The hillside vineyards are steep and the views are incredible. The highest points are above the fog line, where the grapes benefit from a bigger bath of sunshine than their brothers further down Dry Creek, on the valley floor.
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Collier Falls Vineyards - 2005 Petite Sirah
Collier Falls Vineyards is a Family owned property. The Collier family bought the vineyard in 1997. Their focus is on Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Primitivo and Petite Sirah. Their portfolio includes a couple of dessert wines. The 2005 Hillside Estate Petite Sirah is 100% varietal. This wine was aged in a combination of French and American oak for 20 months; 33% of it was new. A mere 93 cases of this wine were produced and the suggested retail price is $36.
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Collier Falls Vineyard - 2006 Primitivo
This vintage is 100% Primitivo. Alcohol is 16.5%, Aged for 15 months in oak - 33% new American oak and the balance in used French and American. 275 cases were produced and the suggested retail price is $32.00. Collier Falls Vineyard is a 100-acre hillside property, located in the northwest corner of Dry Creek Valley. A sixty-foot waterfall on the property gives this winery its name.
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