About Us
Littorai is dedicated to producing wines of place
The Littorai path flows from our dedication to producing wines of place, wines which reflect the genius of an individual site. There are no substitutes for low yields and careful site and vine selection. Winegrowing is a wonderful word, for it implies that the object is not to produce the most beautiful vine or grape cluster but to produce the finest wine. Such wine should be a reflection of the vineyard and not the cellar. We believe that all additives, such as cultured yeasts, cultured bacteria, acidification, enzymes etc. are not appropriate to the greatest expression of terroir. Where some producers look to technology as the route to great wines, we focus on hands-on farming and working with Mother Nature.
Wine is a reflection of the culture from which it springs. We believe in culture less boisterous and more gracious. We do not make wines for competitions, ratings or trends. We believe that the words elegance and finesse are wholly compatible with the notions of concentration and complexity. The Littorai aesthetic is one of finesse, balance and length.
Heidi & Ted Lemon
Ted is a lifelong winemaker who began his career by receiving an Enology degree from the Université de Dijon in 1981. He is the first American to ever be hired as winemaker and vineyard manager of an estate in Burgundy, Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault, where he resided until 1984. He worked at many prestigious estates in Burgundy: Domaine Georges Roumier, Domaine Bruno Clair, Domaine Parent, Domaine De Villaine, Domaine Delorme and Domaine Dujac.
Upon returning to the United States, Ted worked as a winemaker in Napa Valley and became consultant to a number of prominent wineries in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
Heidi worked at several estates in Napa prior to founding Littorai: Domaine Chandon, Robert Pecota Winery, Robert Long Vineyards and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.
In 2010, Ted was selected as Winemaker of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle. He has been nominated multiple times for a James Beard award as Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year. Ted’s philosophy of terroir winegrowing is cited in Burgundy’s application to the United Nations as a World Heritage Site.
History of Littorai
In 1992, the Lemons spent months traveling the vineyards of the west coast from Seattle to Santa Barbara looking for the best growing conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. We concluded that the area which had the greatest unexplored potential for these two varieties was the true north coast of California, the coastal hills of Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
As life long winemakers, Heidi and Ted Lemon brought their passion and professional knowledge but no significant financial resources. Hence, Littorai began only with purchased grapes, 150 cases of One Acre Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and 150 cases of Mays Canyon Sonoma Coast Chardonnay in 1993.
We have grown slowly from there as we found vineyards of promise. Littorai was the first to vineyard designate Charles Heintz Chardonnay as well as Savoy, Roman, Cerise and Wendling Pinot Noirs and has the longest running contract with Hirsch Vineyards on the Sonoma Coast. In 2000, we began to purchase and lease properties in Anderson Valley and on the Sonoma Coast: B.A. Thieriot Vineyard, The Haven, The Pivot, One Acre and The Return. Today, our production is evenly split between estate and grower vineyards. In 2008, we completed construction of the winery at our Gold Ridge Estate.
Dedicating the site of the future winery with 1993 One Acre Pinot Noir