Small + Tall Wines

Central Coast AVA

A very small winery striving to craft Burgundian style wines of character and grace

Small + Tall Wines is a boutique winery focused on producing very limited amounts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the cool-climate growing regions of Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley. Headed by owner and winemaker Joanne Duray, Small + Tall started with a dream and a passion for great wine and although still small in size, hopes to grow a little taller over time.

Joanne Duray developed her curiosity for wine as a child while spending time watching her Italian immigrant grandfather tend to his wines in his Michigan basement. When she was a little taller, Joanne studied and earned a Vintage Certificate from UCLA, gained her credential as a Certified Specialist of Wine from the Society of Wine Educators, and studied chemistry at the heralded UC Davis. In 2011, after much imbibing and finishing her studies, Joanne transitioned from an award-winning hobby winemaker to a commercial winemaker.

Along the way, Joanne gained valuable winemaking experience and knowledge while volunteering for award-winning winemaker Peter Hunken at his small Central Coast wineries Hocus Pocus and Holus Bolus. She also had the opportunity to intern for Wes Hagen of Clos Pepe Vineyards, and after two growing seasons and long nights of harvests, Joanne started making wine on her own. Small + Tall Wines became a reality with an extremely limited release of 2011 Huber Vineyard Pinot Noir and Clos Pepe Vineyard Chardonnay.

Knowing that great wines start in the vineyard, Joanne carefully selects her fruit sources to assure that Small + Tall Wines can achieve great results with their Burgundian style Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Currently, the winery works with such acclaimed vineyard sites as Clos Pepe Vineyard, Huber Vineyard, Garey Vineyard, and Rancho la Vina Vineyard, all located within either the Sta. Rita Hills appellation or Santa Maria Valley of California's Central Coast. These collimate regions continuously prove to be ideal locations for producing premium quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - and they are actually among the best places in the state for these Burgundian style varietals.

Now in just her fifth year of production, Joanne Duray has much to celebrate as her small passion project winery is praised by many and awarded by such esteemed periodicals as Wine Enthusiast magazine. Her wines are a gorgeous representation of the Central Coast's top vineyards and we look forward to following her journey as the small Small + Tall eventually grows very tall.

Each and every wine selected for our six different Wine Clubs meets our strict guidelines for quality and rating criteria. Each wine is handcrafted by an authentic, small-production boutique winery with a compelling story to tell like the one above. Since our first Gold Wine Club shipment in 1992, we have added five more impressive Wine Clubs to choose from—each a showcase for highly-rated, sought-after wines you can enjoy as a Gold Medal, wine of the month club member.

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Joanne Duray - Owner & Winemaker

Owner and winemaker Joanne Duray strives to highlight the unique flavor characteristics that are specific to each vineyard she sources fruit from for the Small + Tall Wines label. At the winery, the grapes are hand-nurtured in small lots to gently coax out delicate flavors and aromas, focusing on bringing out all the natural complexity of the fruit while seeking balance and brilliance with minimal intervention.

Joanne feels privileged to work with fabulous fruit and alongside amazing friends, fulfilling her dream and passion of crafting wines of character and simple grace. We hope you enjoy her specially selected wine for this month's Pinot Noir Wine Club feature, and continue to follow her journey in the coming years as Small + Tall grows a little taller.