Andy and Mark team up at Andis in Amador and Sauvignon Blanc Returns!

He's clever, that Andy Friedlander.  He's managed to sell out his yummy Sauvignon Blanc, much of which goes to First-Class flyers on Hawaiin Airlines.  Could be that he lobbied personally when he and wife Janis were on one of their frequent flights from Sutter Creek to Hawaii, but nonetheless his fans here on the mainland have been disappointed.

Well, no more disappointment!  By December there will be a new vintage available, and I will be waiting on line to get some.  It is SO good.

A bit of history on this spectacular Amador winery.  When owners Andy Friedlander and Janis Akuna determined that Amador County was the right spot for Andis Wines, in 2009 they began by purchasing a property in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley planted predominantly with 30-year-old Zinfandel grapes, with about 25 acres already under vine. Immediately they set to work applying a favorite business principle: “surround yourself with the best people you can possibly find, and use their strengths to make everything better.” 

Andy’s keen eye for talent led him to the right team to get the winery underway: forward-thinking winemaker Mark McKenna, a creative architecture firm, and a contractor who truly understood the land. Together they designed and built a striking, modern 17,000-square-foot facility in which to produce great wine.

Andy Friedlander and Mark McKenna

Staying close to growers is a hallmark of the winery. The vineyard doesn’t have the room to grow every varietal that Andis uses in its wines, so Andis purchases much of its fruit. The growers, in nearby Amador and El Dorado counties, are a select group, each specializing in a particular variety. “You can’t make great wine out of bad fruit,” notes Andy, proud to imprint the sourcing vineyard on his labels. 

Today, annual winery production is roughly 7,000 cases. The Andis vineyard is primarily Zinfandel, with a few acres recently replanted to Barbera, Grenache, and Malbec. Wines produced range from Estate Zinfandel to Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, Mourvedre, Primitivo, Semillon, Rose, Chenin Blanc, Petite Sirah, Meritage, and Cabernet Franc.

Andis Wines
11000 Shenandoah Road
Plymouth, CA  95669
     (209) 245-6177
     www.andiswines.com

(You can read more about this winery and meet the family at a special meal that photographer Johan Martin photographed for my forthcoming book...sign up to get updates/alert on publication date ... www.wineriesofthesierrafoothills.com)