Kim Stare Wallace was literally raised among the vines in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley. Throughout her childhood she watched as her father, David S. Stare, established Dry Creek Vineyard in 1972, the first new winery to be built in the region following Prohibition. From this early start, Kim grew up with a passion and understanding of the wine industry that has spanned nearly 50 years.

Joining the winery in 1986 as Director of Marketing, one of her first achievements was the creation of nautical labels for Dry Creek Vineyard’s wines, an unprecedented move that has indelibly linked the winery to sailboats in consumer’s minds. In the mid-nineties, Kim took on the increased responsibility of Vice President of the winery, involved in all decisions affecting the quality of the Dry Creek Vineyard experience and winery operations.

In 2011, Kim became President of Dry Creek Vineyard. Her vision for the future of this dynamic family business is clear – to honor the past while innovating for the future to come. Together with her husband Don Wallace, the second generation has been instrumental in guiding the winery on its path toward being recognized as one of the Top 100 wineries of 2015 by Wine & Spirits Magazine, and producing a Top 100 Wine of 2019 by Wine Spectator.

Selected as a finalist for ‘Wine Executive of the Year’ for Wine Enthusiast’s 2019 Wine Star Awards and as a winner of the North Bay Business Journal’s 2018 Women In Business awards, this savvy businesswoman, mother of two, wife, and second-generation winery owner is firmly committed to a “No Compromises” philosophy, producing appellation-focused, terroir-driven, varietal-defining wines.