About Williams-Selyem Winery
Production of California 'cult' Pinot Noirs started right here, at this Russian River winery. Burt Williams, a publisher for the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner, and Ed Selyem, an accountant and wine buyer in Forestville, started to make wine together in a garage in 1979. Two years later they released their first commercial vintage; a limited supply went mostly to friends on their mailing list. Everything changed, however, in 1987, when Burt and Ed's Pinot Noir won first prize at the California State Fair. A little limelight was all they needed. Burt and Ed subsequently sold the winery to John Dyson in 1998, but the change in ownership has had no effect on quality or demand. In fact, the array of wines here is now broader than ever. These are lush, extroverted Pinot Noirs, with sappy cherry, raspberry and spicy oak flavors, showcasing some of the best sites in the Russian River Valley and cooler Sonoma Coast appellations.
