Denis Hoey is a native of Sacramento, where he grew up in a family that appreciated wine and therefore, exposed him to a wide range of quality wines that helped develop his palate from a young age. After graduating from UCSC, he met Jeff Emory of Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, and began an apprenticeship, where he learned old world winemaking practices. In addition, he has traveled to Italy and France twice to gain a broader perspective about European winemaking techniques and varietal fidelity. He maintains a sharp palate for quality and the nuances of wines by tasting, tasting and more tasting.
Denis made his first vintage from the 2005 harvest, and from there, built his limited production Odonata Wines to 1,000 cases per year. His focus is on local, sustainably grown and organic grapes, and works very closely with the growers to ensure the highest quality.

He strives to produce wines that are rich, textured and balanced, that are a mirror of terroir and varietal character. His success is based on careful attention to detail, and the purposeful use of each step in winemaking: the grape sources, fermentation techniques, pressing regimen, barrel selection and aging program. His goal is to make wines that are supple and with subtle complexity, balanced in fruit and acidity, alcohol and fruit, and that have a lengthy finish. The result is this: extraordinarily clean, focused wines.

www.odonatawines.com