SIMI Winery

Giuseppe and Pietro Simi left Tuscany, Italy, for California during the Gold Rush. By 1876 the brothers had founded their winery in San Francisco, and in 1881 they moved it to Healdsburg. After both brothers died, Giuseppe's daughter Isabelle Simi took over management of the winery in 1904 at 18. During Prohibition the winery sold sacramental wine, and by Repeal it had stockpiled roughly 500,000 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Isabelle ran the business until 1970, when she sold the winery to Alexander Valley grape grower Russell Green; she kept appearing in the tasting room afterward.

• Founded 1876 in San Francisco by Tuscan brothers Giuseppe and Pietro Simi; relocated to Healdsburg in 1881
• Isabelle Simi took over management in 1904 at age 18 after her father and uncle died
• Survived Prohibition through sacramental wine sales, emerging at Repeal with roughly 500,000 cases of stockpiled Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel
• Isabelle Simi sold the winery to grape grower Russell Green in 1970

Isabelle Simi was the first of several women to lead the winery. Mary Ann Graf became head winemaker in 1973 and stayed until 1979; she was the first woman to earn a UC Davis degree in fermentation sciences (enology). Zelma Long succeeded her in 1979 as head winemaker and went on to serve as president and CEO; she is credited with revitalizing the brand and expanding its vineyard holdings. Lisa Evich and Rebecca Valls are the named winemakers for SIMI's current lineup.

• Mary Ann Graf, head winemaker from 1973 to 1979, was the first woman to earn a UC Davis fermentation sciences/enology degree
• Zelma Long succeeded Graf in 1979 as head winemaker, later serving as president and CEO; credited with revitalizing the brand and expanding its vineyards
• Lisa Evich and Rebecca Valls are the named winemakers for the current lineup

After Isabelle Simi sold the winery to Russell Green in 1970, it passed to French conglomerate Moet-Hennessy (now LVMH) in 1981, then to the predecessor of Constellation Brands in 1999. Constellation sold Simi to The Wine Group in a larger divestiture of lower-priced brands that closed June 2, 2025. In November 2025, WarRoom Cellars, a Santa Margarita, California company founded in 2018 that buys and repositions legacy wine brands, purchased the Simi brand from The Wine Group. The Wine Group kept the historic Healdsburg estate; only the brand transferred. WarRoom owns no vineyards or production facilities, so the existing arrangement continues: fruit, mostly from Sonoma County and some from the Central Coast, is trucked to the Woodbridge winery in the Lodi area for production. Nicole Walsh, WarRoom Cellars' Director of Winemaking, now oversees winemaking for the Simi brand.

• Ownership chain: Isabelle Simi to Russell Green (1970) to Moet-Hennessy/LVMH (1981) to Constellation Brands' predecessor (1999)
• Constellation sold Simi to The Wine Group in a multi-brand deal that closed June 2, 2025
• WarRoom Cellars (founded 2018, headquartered in Santa Margarita, CA) bought the Simi brand from The Wine Group in November 2025
• The Wine Group retained the physical Healdsburg estate; production continues at the Woodbridge winery in the Lodi area, using fruit trucked mostly from Sonoma County and the Central Coast
• Nicole Walsh, WarRoom Cellars Director of Winemaking, now oversees Simi winemaking

SIMI's current lineup has four wines: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc. Each wine blends fruit from several California regions rather than a single named estate vineyard. The Cabernet Sauvignon draws primarily from Sonoma County and the Central Coast, while the Chardonnay draws from Sonoma County, the Central Coast, the Central Valley, and Mendocino County. Annual production runs roughly 340,000 to 360,000 cases. The Healdsburg tasting room closed in 2023, and the brand moved to wholesale-only distribution.

• Current wine lineup: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc
• Cabernet Sauvignon sourced primarily from Sonoma County and the Central Coast; Chardonnay blends fruit from Sonoma County, the Central Coast, the Central Valley, and Mendocino County
• Annual production of roughly 340,000 to 360,000 cases
• Healdsburg tasting room closed in 2023; brand shifted to wholesale-only distribution

SIMI holds a rare place in American wine history: founded in 1876, it survived Prohibition, passed through a series of owners, and turns 150 in 2026. Its story is anchored by a run of pioneering women in charge, from Isabelle Simi's teenage takeover through Mary Ann Graf's groundbreaking UC Davis credential and Zelma Long's tenure as head winemaker and CEO. The 2025 double sale, first from Constellation Brands to The Wine Group and then from The Wine Group to WarRoom Cellars, with the historic Healdsburg estate staying with The Wine Group, split a legacy brand from its physical winery. For students of American wine, SIMI traces the arc from immigrant family enterprise to national brand to a label owned apart from its historic estate.

• Founded 1876, one of the few California wine brands to operate continuously since the 19th century and to survive Prohibition
• Defined by successive women winemakers and leaders: Isabelle Simi, Mary Ann Graf, and Zelma Long
• Turns 150 years old in 2026
• 2025 saw the brand sold twice in seven months, ending with the brand under WarRoom Cellars while The Wine Group retained the physical Healdsburg estate

Primary source: simiwinery.com, the WarRoom Cellars-owned brand's own site (home, about, wines, contact). Secondary sources: North Bay Business Journal / Press Democrat, Nov 24 2025, on the WarRoom Cellars acquisition; SF Chronicle, Nov 22-23 2025, independent corroboration of the acquisition and ownership chain; UC Davis Library, Mar 20 2025, on Mary Ann Graf and Zelma Long's UC Davis credentials; Press Democrat, Oct 20 2025, on Isabelle Simi's history and the pre-acquisition winemaking team. Last verified 2026-10-12.