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WINEMAKING TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT 44 WINES&VINES August 2018 W alking through Zialena Winery is a study in old-world wines made with modernity in mind. The 7,000-square-foot, custom-built winery completed in 2016 sits among 120 acres of vines owned and tended by the Mazzoni family since 1931. But the family's grape-growing roots go even deeper than that. Giuseppe Mazzoni, who settled in the Alexander Valley in 1897, began making wine alongside other immigrants. Later, he and his two sons, Fred and Jim, con- tinued to make jug wine ("The Mazzoni Spe- cial") in what has become an iconic sight along a stretch of Highway 101 running through Sonoma County — a weathered old barn ad- vertising "Dr. Pierce's Medical Discovery." In 1931, younger son Jim purchased the 120-acre ranch that Zialena Winery sits on today, building a home on the outskirts of the property. Though the ramshackle barn-winery closed in 1977 and the family's winemaking fizzled to a halt when eldest son Fred died, Jim's son, Mike, established Mazzoni Vineyards, a sole-propri- etorship company, around that same time, expanding the fami- ly's grape-growing business. Today, Mazzoni Vineyards is home to 70 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 acres of Zinfandel (nine of which are the "Mazzoni clone"), 6 acres of Sangiovese, and a recently planted 3 acres of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Mazzoni Vineyards sells about 95% of its es- tate fruit to big-name wineries such as Jordan Vineyard & Winery, Jackson Family Wines and Alexander Valley Vineyards. It wasn't until 2011 that the Mazzoni family returned to winemaking. Lisa Mazzoni, fourth- generation owner and general manager of Zialena Winery, said her brother Mark made wine as a side project early in his winemaking career. After nearly 20 years of professional winemaking experience at various wineries, Mark was ready to make wines bearing a Maz- zoni label — but he knew there was more to starting a business than just making wines. "My brother said to me, 'I want to make wine under a family label, and I'm not doing it unless you do it with me,'" said Lisa Maz- zoni, who has a background in hospitality and business management. "At the end of the day, we're going to run the vineyards anyway, and we thought 'Why not try to do something with it? Why not put our generation's mark on the family business?' " she said. Cementing the winery's foundation The first two Zialena vintages, released in 2014 and 2015, were created at a custom-crush facil- ity. "Those facilities have a protocol, a barrel regimen, and you sign up for all of that at the KEY POINTS New winery provides modern equipment to support 40-year tradition. All red wines are fermented only in concrete tanks. The winery's white wine program ferments exclusively in French oak. Zialena Winery Mazzoni Vineyards' fourth-generation owners bring back winemaking in state-of-the art Sonoma County facility By Stacy Briscoe TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT The exterior of the Zialena tasting room features metal corten, a natural rusting material. The first wine under the Mazzoni name was a jug wine called "The Mazzoni Special."