585 Wine Partners was formed by Dan and Katy Leese and Doug and Becky Walker in December, 2005 with the purchase of the Red Truck Wines from Fred and Nancy Cline of Cline Cellars.  These wine industry veterans have since led the dynamic wine company through a period of sustained growth and its portfolio of high quality premium wines includes the expanded Red Truck Wines brand as well as Picket Fence Russian River Valley Vineyards, Bivio Italia Wines and Steelhead Wines of Dry Creek Valley.

Red Truck Wines, made by winemaker Charlie Tsegeletos in Sonoma, California, sources fine wine grapes from the best coastal growing regions of California for its portfolio of single-varietal and blended wines.  The Russian River-based Picket Fence utilizes grapes from Russian River Valley growers who have long term farming agreements with the winery.  Picket Fence Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are made by Sonoma winemaking legend Don Van Staaveren. Bivio Italia, a new line of Italian wines made in partnership with Gruppo Italaino Vini (GIV), combines the tradition of Italian winemaking with their country’s cutting edge style and design. Bivio Italia wines are made by Christian Scrinzi, one of Italy’s up and coming winemakers and includes, a Chianti, Tuscan Red and Pinot Grigio.  Steelhead brand first began as a tribute to restoring the wild trout habitat in Wine Creek which runs through the Quivira estate. The Steelhead wines, produced in partnership with Quivira Vineyards, include a Zinfandel and a Sauvignon Blanc and continue to be made by Quivira winemaker, Steven Cantor.

585 Wine Partners has a national sales force and marketing team and introduced several new Red Truck varietals in 2006 including Red Truck Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Truck Merlot, Red Truck Pinot Noir, White Truck Chardonnay and White Truck Pinot Grigio.  In October of 2006 the company released Pink Truck, a pink wine blend of Zinfandel, Grenache and Mourvedre.  In a move unprecedented for new product introductions in the wine industry, Pink Truck Wine became an official sponsor of NBC Sports’ 2006/07 Figure Skating Season, with ten specials airing nationally on NBC television through January 21, 2007. The company nearly doubled Red Truck wine depletions in 2006 during its first year of operations.

Partners Leese and Walker designed 585 Wine Partners’ distinctive business model which relies on key partnerships to build and sustain existing and developing wine brands.

“Our company is based on an exciting model that is unique to the wine industry, establishing great relationships with strategic business partners who have a long term interest in the success of our brands,” stated President Dan Leese.  “As the company enters its second full year of operation, 585 Wine Partners continues its rapid growth, maintaining the significant role the partnerships play for a strong portfolio.”

“As we continue to expand our business, both with the Red Truck Wine brand and through the development and acquisition of new brands, our aim is to work with partners who have both a drive to produce high quality wine and a personal stake in our success,” comments Chief Operating Officer Doug Walker. 

585 Wine Partners launched Picket Fence Russian River Vineyards in February 2007. Produced in small lots, 2005 Picket Fence Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are sourced from a number of Russian River vineyards with which Picket Fence Winery has developed long term agreements.  The wines were made in a medium-bodied, richly textured style using approximately 50% new French oak for balanced flavor and added structure.  The name Picket Fence was chosen to evoke the graceful, familiar image of picket fences stretching across the American and Sonoma landscape – expressing the significance of place as well as family and friends. 

Bivio Italia Wines was launched by 585 Wine Partners in November 2007 with national distribution expected by January 2008.  These richly textured, elegantly balanced wines elicit full, fresh fruit flavors seamlessly integrating Italy’s old and new world styles.  The wines feature bright, colorful labels in a palette evocative of their country of origin, again with reference to both classic and contemporary Italy. The label depicts both a stylized image of an Italian scooter and an iconic shield suggestive of Italian race cars. Bivio Italia, which translates to “fork in the road”, signifies the adventure and joy of living life to the fullest, includes 2006 Chianti, Tuscan Red and Pinot Grigio.

Steelhead Wines, the newest addition to 585 Wine Partners portfolio, is a partnership with Quivira Vineyards in the production, marketing and distribution of Steelhead Wines.  The name Steelhead honors the steelhead and Coho salmon habitat in Wine Creek, a tributary to the Dry Creek River that runs through the Quivira Estate.  Steelhead Wines is working with the California Fish and Game as well as Trout Unlimited for the continued rebuilding of spawning grounds in Wine Creek, inspiring neighboring landowners to do the same.  Steelhead wines makes a donation to Trout Unlimited for every bottle of Steelhead sold helping to create a better world in our waterways.  The Steelhead Zinfandel is rich with briary blackberry and pepper notes and the Steelhead Sauvignon Blanc displays delicious flavors of citrus, grapefruit zest and earthy mineral characters.    

585 Wine Partners has been a “Top 30” USA wine company in 2006 and 2007 where the partners are invested and committed to the success of our brands.  Our portfolio is strategically differentiated including brands that span multiple price points, varietal categories and appellations. Each brand has a dedicated winemaker, dedicated, long term grape sources and is committed to producing the finest quality wines. We are small in size with a flat organization and have business expertise that allows us to operate quickly and efficiently. With this collective knowledge and proficiency 585 Wine Partners is an exciting newcomer to the wine industry.