My guest this week is John Duckett, winemaker extraordinare at the beautiful Trione Vineyards and Winery in Geyserville California.
At Trione they farm more than 600 vineyard acres across Sonoma County’s most renowned appellations: Alexander Valley, Russian River and Sonoma Coast. Winemaker, John Duckett, celebrates nature’s bounty by gently elevating the natural aromas and flavors that come directly from the terroir. He approaches winemaking with a with a delicate touch, ensuring varietals remain true to their origin. Collaborating with Vineyard Manager Kris Hicks, John aligns with the family’s belief that truly memorable wines can only be made from the highest quality grapes. www.trionewinery.com
“Our vision was to look at the grapes that we had; all of the varieties from the several ranches and appellations and take the top three percent to make Trione wines. We’d select the varieties from locations where we thought the soil was the best and the clones were the finest and bring those into our winery. We wanted to do something that set us apart from many other wineries. With the technology in the wine industry being so shared, the difference is the vineyards.” –Mark Trione Follow Trione Wnery on Facebook
“Growing up in Sonoma County, the wine industry was always around me, but I never pictured myself making wine. Looking at it now, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Wine is one of those things where you can never truly know everything, and this is precisely why I love being a winemaker. “–John Duckett
John is a native to Sonoma County and turned a passion for gardening and science into a career in winemaking. A competitive swimmer, John went to UC Davis to be on the swim team but he soon decided to shift gears and focus on academics. He explored enology and viticulture and after just one class he was hooked.
Seeking experience, John interned at J Winery and Korbel Winery during the summers and headed to Delegat Wine Estate in New Zealand after graduation. Returning home, John was offered the position of enologist at Jordan Winery, further increasing his knowledge of fermentation science and soil mapping. In 2016, John was named assistant winemaker for Jordan where he expanded his winemaking repertoire making Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2023 Trione River Road Ranch Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley
This Sauvignon Blanc displays bright aromas of Honeycrisp apple, lime, and orange blossom. The crisp, fruit driven palate explodes with
layers of pineapple, passion fruit and peach, then finishing with a savory wet stone minerality. ABV 13.4%
This is one of Good Life Guy’s favorite Sauvignon Blancs 🙂 Get some at Jacob Liquor NOW!
Learn more about this wine here!
GOLD MEDAL
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, January 2025
GOLD MEDAL
2024 Oyster Riot, Old Ebbitt Grill, November 2024
91 POINTS
“Vibrant nose of crushed herbs, lime peel, sliced apples and guavas. Some floral notes. Crisp and crunchy with vivid acidity and a medium body. A refreshing and tense sauvignon. Drink now.” –James Suckling, May 2024
90 POINTS
“Pale, youthful appearance with a slight green tinge. Exuberant and bright, with lively aromatics of citrus, passionfruit, guava, dill, and tarragon. Lifted and refreshing on the palate, with fine acidity. Excellent precision with pure primary fruit notes, crisp acidity, bolstered by nice length on the finish. Cool fermented in stainless steel to maintain the vibrant character. ” –The Tasting Panel, September/October 2024