Clay Mauritson’s family has farmed here for six generations. But equally notable is Project Zin, the event he and his wife founded in 2011 with chef Charlie Palmer after their son Brady was diagnosed with Down syndrome.
That first year raised $25,000 for the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area and the event’s been going strong ever since, culminating in over $4 million in donations. Brady won’t attend this year’s event, which happens Aug. 22 at Appellation Healdsburg. But that’s actually good news; he was accepted to ClemsonLIFE at Clemson University and starts college this week!
Amber Turpin: How did you get into this work?
Clay Mauritson: My family has been growing grapes in the Dry Creek Valley since 1868, so I guess you could say I was born into it. Starting the winery was a way for me to expand our family legacy but still be deeply connected to our roots.
Did you ever have an “aha” moment with a certain beverage? If so, tell us about it.
Two stand out: In 2000 I was traveling through France with my friend, Ian Blackburn. We had the incredible opportunity to spend a day with Jacques Lardiere, “the master of Burgundy.” He pulled a 1962 Clos des Ursules from the Louis Jadot cellar. It was dusty and full of cobwebs. The bottles did not have labels on them. I could barely understand a word Jacques said, but the wine transcended language and time.
On my wife and I’s first anniversary, we ate at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen. A few years earlier I had been gifted a bottle of Krug Clos du Mesnil … what better occasion to open that special bottle than your first anniversary? To this day, it is one of the greatest wines I have ever tasted. That night also cemented a friendship with Charlie that a decade later became Project Zin.
What is your favorite thing to drink at home?
We always have a bottle of sauvignon blanc open in the fridge—it’s what I sip on when I’m cooking. We drink more zinfandel than any other varietal—it’s such a dynamic food wine. And I love a bourbon after dinner.
Where do you like to go out for a drink?
I love Dry Creek Kitchen’s focus on Sonoma County wines, and I think they have one of the best collections of Sonoma wines in the world. Baci and Catelli’s also have good by-the-glass programs that are hyper-local. It’s hard to beat the Matheson’s wine wall, and the clarified margarita upstairs at Roof 106 is dangerous. On the rare occasion that wine isn’t the focus, the Gun Club in Geyserville and Lo and Behold in Healdsburg are some faves.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you want to be drinking—besides fresh water?
Champagne seems fitting for the one drink till the end of my days!
Mauritson Wines, 2859 Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg. 707.431.0804. mauritsonwines.com
