(May 16, 2023 – Sonoma, Calif) – James McCeney, Patz & Hall’s Assistant Winemaker in 2012 and 2013, has been appointed Winemaker at Patz & Hall. McCeney was hand-selected by Patz & Hall Founder and Winemaker James Hall as his successor to take the winery to new heights.
James McCeney started on May 15th and will work closely with James Hall for the rest of the 2023 growing season and through harvest. McCeney will fully take the reins in 2024 when James Hall moves into a new role with Patz & Hall as Founder & Winemaker Emeritus. Starting in 2024, Hall will mentor and support James McCeney, but shift more of his attention to the education and promotion of Patz & Hall wines with consumers, trade and media. Hall will also continue to manage the important grower relationships he’s developed and nurtured over the decades.
“My approach at Patz & Hall has always been centered around vineyards and relationships – with our growers, our winery team and our fans,” said James Hall. “I hired James (McCeney) as Assistant Winemaker at Patz & Hall in 2012 and we’ve remained close friends. We share a passion for making wines by investing time in vineyards with the farming families responsible for their care. His tremendous palate, winemaking skills and passion for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, make him the perfect fit for this exciting new chapter at Patz & Hall.”
James McCeney has a strong global winemaking background. After college he worked harvests in Burgundy at the Hospices de Beaune, Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand and the Barossa Valley in Australia – while earning his post graduate Viticulture & Enology degree from UC Davis and pressing cuvée at Domaine Carneros. James has been making wine at Lewis Cellars for the past four years. Prior to that he gained experience at Donum, Dutton Goldfield, Patz & Hall and Acacia.
James Hall has made every vintage of Patz & Hall since the winery was founded in 1988 and helped build the winery’s reputation as one of the most recognized producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the U.S.
“I had the great fortune to work with and learn from James Hall early in my career,” said James McCeney. “His incredible legacy as a champion of family growers from top sites throughout California and his winemaking prowess are legendary. I’m thrilled to have the chance to work and learn from him again. I feel like I’ve come home.”
James McCeney is in the final stages of receiving the coveted Master of Wine (MW) title. He has already passed the tasting portion of the certification and is working on the research paper. He hopes to complete it all in 2024.
About Patz & Hall
For 35 years, Patz & Hall has been seeking out the very best small, family-owned Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards in California and establishing long-term relationships with the talented winegrowers who farm these world-class sites. Built on real friendships, and a shared commitment to quality, these partnerships have led to the rich diversity of our wine portfolio, contributing to our acclaimed cuvées and our sought-after single-vineyard wines. Today, Patz & Hall makes some of California’s most stirring and sought-after single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs—wines that have become benchmarks for their intensity, elegance and complexity.
To learn more about Patz & Hall’s rich history, please visit www.Patzhall.com and follow us @PatzHall.
To secure tickets for the Patz & Hall 35th Anniversary Celebration at the Sonoma House at Patz & Hall click here.
