Purple Dragon Cellars
Get the Dirt from William Gallagher
“We can skip a vintage, get in another grape, sell a barrel, buy a barrel of wine and easily make changes. When we stop having fun we will stop making wine.”
What was your first vintage year? 2016
How many cases do you make per vintage? 200 -300
Do you have a Tasting Room? We can pour for people by appointment only.
What wine made you want to become a winemaker/start your own winery?
Been helping other wineries for over 20 years and finally decided to buy the first ton.
What varietals do you work with? Which varietal/wine is your favorite to make?
Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc, Petit Syrah, and now Roussanne. Zinfandel because this is one of the first varietals that my Wife Sheila and I liked to drink back in the day. We pick early and use new oak on the wine.
What vineyards do you source from? Why? If Estate, why do you choose your location?
Tres Ninos (Arroyo Grande) for Zinfandel because I have worked with this vineyard with other wineries for over 10 years. Jurassic Vineyard (Santa Ynez Valley) because the old vine Chenin Blanc is what I was looking for in a white wine.
What type of oak treatment do you use? Why?
American Oak on our Zinfandel because it works well with this high acid vineyard. French Oak on the Chenin Blanc because it integrates great on this lean wine.
What do you love about your winemaking region? What makes it different special?
It is such a diverse climate areas. Just when you think you have the brix figured out it changes. It is not an area that you can just figure you will get the grapes in the same time every year. It makes you work!
What’s the story behind your winery name / label?
Sheila my wife loves the color Purple and my Daughter was always into Dragons. This was the easiest part of this business. A young designer was given an idea and he did not listen to us and created the graphic. We let him do what ever he wants now.
What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about the wine business before you started your own winery?
LOL, how much you are taxed on everything. Stress, I see other small producers dealing with all the stress.
Most importantly, what's so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker, that wouldn't be possible for larger wineries?
Each barrel gets personal attention. Blending is easy and each year the wines will be different. This does not happen in the larger wineries. We can have fun at this business at this level. We can skip a vintage, get in another grape, sell a barrel, buy a barrel of wine and we can keep having fun and make changes. When we stop having fun we will stop making wine.
How do you view the future in the wine industry for small-lot winemakers?
Bleak, we have already lost one vineyard due to a large corporation purchased and will no longer share grapes.
If you could choose another wine region to work in what would it be? Why?
Oregon is our next stop. Great wines and the costs are within our price point.
For more information about Purple Dragon Cellars, please visit their website.