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The Beauty of Wine in the Buttes
Reece and Teresa Cordi are pleased to see you as well. Along with daughters Juleah and Emily, they founded the winery in 2009, soon after the big storm of 2008 came through and toppled thousands of their almond trees. For over a decade, they have hand-crafted farm-tocork style estate wines that started with perfect soil and climate, and a dream to make wine. Throughout that time they 14
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The Cordi family hand planted the first 1,100 Primitivo vines themselves in the summer of ‘09. Over the next few years, they expanded into a 15-acre vineyard with 12 grape varietals. Cordi is a fullproduction facility, from the vine into the bottle, and it is all done by hand, a fact the family takes great pride in. Each member contributes to the making of these award-winning wines. Founder and owner Reece is the head winemaker and viniculturalist; he’s also responsible for coming up with the transition from almonds to grapes. Founder and owner Teresa is the heart of the operation. She created the “Cordi atmosphere”— relaxing, hospitable, and generous. Emily is the assistant winemaker working in the cellar, office, and vineyard. Juleah is the harvest logistics coordinator, pours in the tasting room, and works special events. The whole family helps in the vineyards during harvest and throughout crush.
Cordi Winery specializes in 100% single-varietal wines, meaning only one variety is used and that’s the grape on the label. They utilize low-intervention winemaking techniques to illuminate the true characteristics of each grape, and many of their estate wines are unfined and lightly filtered to keep those characteristics intact. We could say their wines are of the highest caliber, but others with far more sophisticated palates have already done that for us. Cordi Winery has garnered numerous awards from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, California State Fair Wine Competition, Orange County Wine Competition, and Sunset Magazine Wine Competition. Though that certainly sounds impressive, it’s even more so when you consider those awards are in 2022 alone. The Cordi Family welcomes you to come and taste during their summer schedule of July 15-17, August 19-21, and September 16-18. They are a family-friendly, petfriendly, and picnic-friendly winery, so bring the whole family and enjoy your own picnic under the marvelous willow tree. For details, look them up on Facebook or visit cordiwinery.com. You can also reach them by phone at (530) 695-1785.
WRITTEN BY SHELLY BRANDON | PHOTO COURTESY RYAN CRUSE
Here, you’ll find Cordi Winery nestled in its pastoral surroundings. The first thing you notice when entering the winery grounds is the simple beauty of the setting: a huge willow tree on the left, oak trees studding the hillside on the right, and the wood-planked buildings just ahead. Getting out of your vehicle, you’ll notice the loud silence, broken only by the twitters, whistles, and tweets of the local bird population. As wine club member Bill Dixon so accurately describes, Cordi Winery is home to “good wines, a family-friendly atmosphere, beautiful views of the Buttes, and all only an hour away from Chico.” You’re also sure to notice you are pleased to be here.
have remained passionate and committed to being thoughtful stewards of the land. Part of that commitment has been sharing the Sutter Buttes with those near and far while encouraging agricultural tourism throughout the North Valley. They also give back to and support their local communities wherever possible, just as those local communities have been so instrumental in supporting them.
WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY TIM MILHORN
As you delve into the center of the Sacramento Valley, the Sutter Buttes act as your guidepost. About the time you think you’re lost, you see the sign “Winery” with its arrow pointing the way.
