Amphora Winery began as a partnership between longtime grape grower Richard Mounts and winemaker Rick Hutchinson, each believing that some of the best wines in the world come from Dry Creek Valley.
Richard was born on the farm where he now lives and has grown it from an old prune farm to 55 acres of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Merlot, and Chardonnay. He sells grapes to many of the area's premier wineries.
In 1986 he began selling Zinfandel grapes to Quivira, where Rick Hutchinson was the assistant winemaker. Rick and Richard struck up a friendship and Rick began buying Syrah, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel from Richard to make his own wines. In 1998, they became partners and dug out the cellar of an old prune barn, which is now the present Amphora Winery.
Rick and Richard agree on the style of wine made from Richard's grapes. Amphora's production is all hillside fruit that is harvested to less than 3 tons per acre. This concentration on farming allows Rick to make a style of wine that reflects the Dry Creek Valley-fruit is the focus and oak only compliments the natural flavors. Each wine is distiguishable and displays distinct varietal characteristics.
Unwavering quality in all aspects of the winemaking process has made Amphora a very successful small winery. In the coming years, the beloved old barn will still cellar wines, but a new winery will be built across the way, a reflection of the honest determination of two friends.
