The winery is located in Healdsburg in California's Alexander Valley ( Sonoma County region). The historic winery was founded in 1876 by two Tuscan wine brokers, Giuseppe and Pietro Simi. From 1904 onwards, the winery was run by Giuseppe's daughter Isabelle. With foresight, she continued production during the American Prohibition from 1920 to 1933 and stored the wines in the cellar. This is why Simi was one of the few companies able to sell wine at the end of Prohibition. Isabel Simi sold the business to oil magnate Russel Green in 1970, but he sold it to Michael Dixon in 1973. Simi's heyday began in 1979, when Dixon hired oenologist Zelma Long, who had come from Mondavi. She carried out a series of quality-enhancing measures. These included stainless steel tanks instead of the large wooden vats and French barriques for ageing the wines.
The ownership merry-go-round continued, for in 1981 Simi was sold to the LVMH group, which hired the famous oenologist Michel Rolland (*1947) as a consultant. In 1982, Landslide Vineyard in the south of the Alexander Valley was acquired as the second vineyard. In 1989, 40 hectares of vineyards were purchased in the Russian River Valley AVA area (also Sonoma County). The vineyards now total 280 acres of vines. Zelma Long became CEO of the company in 1990. The premium wines include the single varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Merlot and Pinot Noir, as well as the Meritage (Cuvée) "Sendal" from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. In 1999, the last change of ownership for the time being, Simi became the property of the American beverage multinational Constellation Brands.
