If you’ve ever been tempted by taste or enticed by desire, then you’re already a little bit closer to understanding Tantalus Winery.

Our winery is named after the Greek icon Tantalus, a son of Zeus who was privileged to share wine and food with the gods. After daring to share the delicacies with mere mortals, he was condemned to purgatory for eternity. As punishment, he lived his days in a deep pool of water that would drain when he tried to drink. And, hanging just above, ever so slightly out of his reach, were trees and vines of rich, ripe grapes and fruit, tantalizing him until the end of time.

HISTORY

The story of our winery begins in 1980, with a small vineyard planted on the west side of beautiful and historic Sonoma, California, by Jim and Amy Harwood. They nurtured an extraordinary crop of grapes and crafted small batches of exceptional wines. Soon after, they met Dennis Edlin and Chris Clemens, aspiring amateur winemakers, and together they produced the 1986 and 1987 California State Fair gold medal winner and the Sonoma sweepstakes winning late harvest 1987 Gerwurztraminer, among others.

It wasn’t long before the four partners began producing larger batches of intense, complex wines that drew raves locally and from around the country. It was in 1989, that Tantalus Winery was created, and today we produce about 2,500 cases per year. Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape, with Cabernet Franc and Merlot often added as blending varietals. A new Syrah release, the exciting Spanish Tempranillo grape, and a small white wine program enhance Tantalus’ distinctive menu.

TODAY

As Tantalus continues to grow, our founders have made a commitment to moving the boutique winery into a brilliant future. Tantalus is a Vintner member of the Sonoma County Club and the Sonoma Mission Inn. In the summer of 2003, The Dalton Group, led by Michael Dalton, became the majority shareholder in Tantalus Cellars, Inc., bringing a number of outstanding finance, technology, marketing, publishing and sales professionals to the scene. The Harwoods and the original winemaker, Chris Clemens, have joined the Dalton Group, along with a second winemaker who has consistently won top awards. A new tasting room on our Orange Avenue property allows so many more to enjoy our rich history, deep wines and scenic estate.

As noted by the recent 2004 vintage, the team is dedicated to making outstanding big red wines that are drinkable at release or can be cellared for many years. Our trademark is in combining the luscious fruit of our estate and the carefully selected crops from award-winning growers to create wines with a long-lingering, pleasant finish and rich mouth feel. Other recent vintages have featured the exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon fruit of the Van der Kamp Vineyard located at 1200-1500 feet elevation on Sonoma Mountain, and Merlot grapes from the Harwood Vineyard Estate and the Sangiacomo-Donnell Ranch Vineyard. The Pinot Noir and Brooks Cabernet are new projects of our associate winemaker who is using BM45 as yeast, used to greatly enhance the lushness of our wines.

The future of Tantalus is tantalizing, indeed.