Walter Hansel was a lifelong wine lover who first planted vineyards in 1978, just down the road from Kistler and Dehlinger. Stephen Hansel, Walter’s son, planted additional acres in the late 1980s, founded the winery in 1996, and made the first commercial vintage. Stephen Hansel’s mentor was the legendary Tom Rochioli, who helped him in the early years of his winemaking efforts which began out of a garage!

Voicing the best of Russian River Valley, Walter Hansel produces profound wines with a sense of place, harmonious balance, and elaborate textures. When they come up in a conversation, it’s easy to reminisce about how they’re a model of consistency and how their wines continually outshine the vast majority in their category. Then comes the consistently outstanding reviews.