Art Murray, Owner of Flambeaux Wine Shares his Journey From New Orleans to West Dry Creek
Our guest speaker for Thursday, September 28, 2023, was Art Murray, one of the owners of Flambeaux Wine in Healdsburg. Art and the other owners of Flambeaux, including Art’s parents and wife, are from New Orleans and began making wines from their vineyard above Dry Creek in 2014. Art, his parents, and siblings are attorneys who’ve practiced law in New Orleans for many years. Art’s law practice focuses on environmental law. Art provided an example of one of his first large cases in which he won a significant award against an oil and gas company for causing contamination.
Art eventually became unfulfilled with his career choice. He dreamed about living in a vineyard with his wife, children, and parents, visited his brother-in-law in Healdsburg, and was hooked. In 2012 he found a house with a vineyard in West Dry Creek and eventually purchased it. His family split their time between New Orleans and Healdsburg for several years but sold their New Orleans home and moved to Healdsburg permanently. It didn’t take long for him to realize that if you have a vineyard you might as well make wine! Flambeaux is not yet turning a profit but he’s projecting a 10-year profitability plan. Despite his deep involvement with the wine business, Art continues to practice law from his home in West Dry Creek.
Flambeaux is expecting 20% growth per year. They currently produce less than 2,000 cases of wine annually from grapes grown on their West Dry Creek Estate and Cassata Vineyard in Sonoma. Art is especially proud of Flambeaux’s Cabernet, but they also make and sell Zinfandel and Rose. Their winemaker, Ryan Pritchard, came from Medlock Ames and shares Art’s appreciation of wines that are “mid-point,” that is, not overbearing. Art is also proud of his family’s New Orleans heritage, and Flambeaux’s name and label illustrate the spirit of the Mardi Gras; the Flambeaux are the torchbearers that light the way during Mardi Gras! Art is looking forward to raising his daughters on the vineyard, bringing them together with their grandparents (who also live on the property), asking them to help with the vineyard and winery operation, and leaving them a vineyard legacy.
Thank you, Art, for sharing your personal, professional, vineyard, and winery history with Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary. I’m sure we will take you up on your warm invitation to visit the property!
Click HERE to view a limited time recording of Art's presentation.
