Our Family has lived on and farmed this land for over 160 years and the sixth generation has recently taken the reins while raising the seventh on it.

Our family has believed in the importance of the land, the people who farm it and keeping it sustainable so as to keep passing it on to the next generation.

Each generation since 1856 has focused on farming crops and nurturing the soil, creating a life for our families with wine grapes, fruit orchards, vegetable gardens, and livestock.

We have been travelers, soldiers, businessmen, mothers, fathers, and farmers learning from the wisdom pasted down from generation to generation but also forging our own paths to happiness.

Brian and Janice Schmidt

Tom’s Parents & Mentors

Brian Schmidt was born in Healdsburg and grew up on the family ranch with his sisters, Diane and Kay. Helping farm and pick prunes, showing sheep in the annual Healdsburg Future Farmers Fair and helping to transition the ranch to vineyards gave Brian a hands on appreciation for the family farm.

As the fifth generation living and growing up on this property, he felt his job was to help preserve the property for the next generation as his parents had done. He continues to oversee the property utilizing the techniques he learned at Cal Poly, the wisdom he gained from his father and grandfather, blended with the technological improvements of today.

Brian’s wife, Janice Osborne Schmidt had a keen appreciation for animals and country life from childhood. Whether focused on horses or goats, zucchini or pumpkins, she loved the outdoors and growing things.

Janice grew up in Santa Rosa, and after attending Santa Rosa Junior College, she headed to UC Davis where she focused on Food and Wine, graduating with a B.S. in Food Science and a M.S. from the famous UC Davis Enology & Viticulture Department.

After graduation, Janice joined Jordan Winery as their Enologist where she worked with their phenomenal winemaker Rob Davis and legendary wine consultant André Tchelistcheff. Janice spent 20 years as their senior Enologist where she learned from the master’s and helped craft the quintessential Cabernet sauvignon from Sonoma County.

Today Janice guides us with her knowledge learned from decades of farming this vineyard and winemaking expertise and Brian gives Tom a helping hand while maintaining our machinery.

The History of Tzabaco Rancho

The valley of Dry Creek, the home of Southern Pomo tribelet Mihilakhawna, became a portion of the 17,000 acre Tzabaco Rancho when 14 year old José German Piña applied for a Mexican land grant on September 14, 1843. The massive piece of land was in his name until his death five years later and long story short, his family was forced to sell to due to significant debts bringing the land into auction, and it was divided into parcels.

In October 1856, Tom’s great, great, great grandfather Duvall Drake Phillips successfully and legally bought 137¼ acres of the Piña’s Tzabaco Rancho. He and his wife planted a variety of field crops including fruit trees and 45 acres of of Zinfandel.

His son, Oscar Phillips, purchased more property locally at 5796 Dry Creek Road, and moved into the house in 1901. This house still stands and is home to Brian and Janice four generations later.

The history of Tzabaco Rancho, our ancestors and Dry Creek Valley in general is well documented and you can learn more via the Healdsburg Museum and Hannah Clayborn’s History of Healdsburg