Photography by Roy Son
Bill Spell and his wife, Tiki, had long been wine drinkers, collectors and fans. Then they met a promising young winemaker and decided to partner with him, becoming the owners of Spell Estate winery based out of Santa Rosa, California. That leap is not one that happens every day, but the Minnesota natives saw it as a natural fit, something they enjoyed doing together and could see themselves doing long into the future. “We saw it as an adventure,” says Bill.
The same three goals they began with continue to fuel their passion to this day: Make a high-quality wine, have industry critics validate it through ratings and see the wine on restaurant lists, being served to people enjoying it. “If we could do that — we’d be satisfied,” he notes. “Success follows that.”
Seems that strategy has worked out. The Spells were dining out in Minneapolis recently and, upon asking for a wine suggestion, were recommended the Spell Pinot Noir. “That was pretty cool,” Bill admits. “When that happens, you can say to yourself, ‘Yeah, this is working.’”
Read this article as it appears in the magazine.
