Katie Wetzel Murphy

Events

Big Bottles Tasting + Auction + Saturday PM Culinary Village COMBO TICKET
Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina Presents Big Bottles Tasting + Auction with Master Sommelier Andrea Immer Robinson
Perfectly Paired Dinners (formerly Restaurant Dine-Arounds)
Skirt! magazine presents Shop, Sip + Savor (formerly King Street Sip + Stroll)
Perfectly Paired Dinners
Winery:Alexander Valley Vineyards
Address:Healdsburg, California

Katie Wetzel Murphy has lived in the Alexander Valley since 1979, when she started working for her family’s winery, Alexander Valley Vineyards.   Her parents Maggie and Harry Wetzel purchased a large portion of a homestead built by Cyrus Alexander, the valley’s nineteenth-century namesake, in 1962.  With an eye to their neighbors in nearby Napa Valley, the Wetzel’s boldly planted premium grape varieties, among the first in the area. Then the family built a small winery, and Hank Wetzel, oldest son of Maggie and Harry, produced Alexander Valley Vineyard’s first wine in 1975.  Katie became involved with the operations after graduating from the University of California at Davis with a degree in Agricultural Economics.

Alexander Valley Vineyards quickly established a reputation for estate-grown wines with distinctive varietal character. Acclaimed for crisp Chardonnay and luscious Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley Vineyards brought recognition to the appellation and became a leading winery in Sonoma County.

 

Over the years, she has held a variety of roles overseeing marketing, hospitality and public relations as well as national account sales. She frequently travels the country, acting as an ambassador for Alexander Valley Vineyards, which currently produces more than 100,000 cases. But she can also be found many days at the winery, hosting various events such as the annual CYRUS dinner. Katie, who is also a grape grower, lives in the Alexander Valley with her husband Denny Murphy and their three children.

2011 will mark the winery’s 36th anniversary.  The 3rd generation of the Wetzel Family now produces 100,000 cases annually and was voted “Sonoma’s Best Winery” in 2011 by Bay Area wine lovers. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot constitute over one-half of total production.  Other varietals include Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.  Proprietary wines include Cyrus, our limited production Bordeaux-style blend, Gewurz, and our trio of Zins: Temptation Zin, Redemption Zin and Sin Zin, our voluptuous Alexander Valley Zinfandel.