Clay Mauritson, of Mauritson Wines, was born and raised in the Dry Creek Valley and is part of the sixth generation of a grape-growing family. Pioneers from Sweden, Clay’s great great-grandparents raised Merino sheep for the wool and planted their first vines on land they settled in 1868. That area now anchors the Rockpile AVA. After playing in the Rose Bowl for the University of Oregon in 1995, Clay graduated and returned to Sonoma County in 1997, where he honed his winemaker skills alongside winemakers at several notable estates. In 1998, he produced the first bottling under the Mauritson label: a Dry Creek Zinfandel. Clay is committed to the sustainability of the family’s 350 acres of vineyards and maintains strong relationships with other growers, giving Mauritson access to some of the best grapes in Sonoma County. Clay’s greatest passion is his family and his the desire to preserve the Mauritson vineyards for future generations. I invite you to drink in this episode with the delightfully charming Clay Mauritson. Note: Clay was in Park City, Utah where he was the Winemaker Honoree at the Red, White & Snow wine event that benefits the National Ability Center