Wine Country This Week, April 30, 2004

Winemaker Profile: TODD WILLIAMS
By Charles Neave

As you might imagine there is a bit of whimsy connected with Toad Hollow Vineyards in Sonoma County. But when it comes to making the wine, they are as serious as can be. No less an authority than the New York Times' Frank Prial praised one of their wines recently, a light sparkling wine called "Risqué," one of the winery's newer efforts.

Winemaker Todd Williams is quick to praise other winemakers that he works with when he makes Toad Hollow wines, but he is still the driving force behind each of the 140,000 cases that the winery produces annually. "We started small and had planned to stay that way, but somehow the business has just gone crazy," he says, with an amused shake of his head.

"Our Chardonnay is the engine that drives the business. It's all stainless steel fermented and aged in stainless as well," Williams says of his award-winning wine. "It's an alternative to the heavy, buttery, oaky Chardonnays that are out there. It's a nice, crisp Chard that goes great with food."

"We also make a Russian River Pinot Noir and a Merlot off our 103 acre home ranch. But all the Chardonnay grapes come from five growers in Mendocino County." They also make a dry rosé from Carneros grapes, and a Zinfandel called "Cacophony" from Paso Robles. "The word means 'raucous or discordant' which pretty much describes me," he says with a hearty laugh.

"I have two buzzword-phrases when it comes to our wines. The first is 'World class wines at affordable prices'. When it comes to Chardonnay I say 'Taste the fruit, not the fluff.' That about sums up our philosophy."

Toad Hall Vineyards and Todd Williams are now into their eleventh vintage and the once small winery continues to grow, with eleven different wines bearing their label. And, from the looks of it, Williams is still having fun, which is what he set out to do from the very beginning.

The new Toad Hollow Vineyards tasting room is located at 4."

Toad Hall Vineyards and Todd Williams are now into their eleventh vintage and the once small winery continues to grow, with eleven different wines bearing their label. And, from the looks of it, Williams is still having fun, which is what he set out to do from the very beginning.

The new Toad Hollow Vineyards tasting room is located at 409A Healdsburg Ave., (just a block north of the Plaza) and is open every day from 10:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. For more information you can reach them at (707) 431-8667 or 1-888-4889.