On March 7, 2007, Dimitri’s father, the late Andre Tchelistcheff, was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame at the Culinary Institute of America along with seven other notables from the fields of viticulture, winemaking, research, education and writing. Andre was inducted as a “Founder” and is recognized as one of the vintners whose early ventures planted the roots of the present-day California wine industry. Other notables included such greats as Brother Timothy of Christian Brothers; I remember fondly his wonderful brandy. And Maynard Amerine, whose text on winemaking was the first wine text I ever read.

I never got the chance to meet Andre Tchelistcheff, but I once asked him by phone if he would be our winemaking consultant. He replied that he was not accepting new accounts but I should talk to his son Dimitri who was even better than he. Thus began an enduring, now almost 20 years, relationship with Dimitri, first as our consultant, now as our full time Winemaker.

Dimitri was anxious for me to meet his father Andre, but sad to relate just before our meeting was to take place, Andre died and we never met in person.