Today we’d like to introduce you to Theodora Lee.
Hi Theodora, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I am Theodora Lee, a San Francisco law firm senior partner, and trial lawyer, and am the founder and owner of Theopolis Vineyards. In the wine world, I am known as Theo-patra, Queen of the Vineyards.
I am a Native Texan and learned to drive at the age of eight on a tractor so farming is in my blood. My grandfather was a sharecropper so my dad believed in land ownership and bought a farm in Ellis County, outside of Dallas as soon as he could afford to do so. Although my dad was a school principal, he raised cattle and horses in his spare time. Therefore, we spent weekends at the farm, building barns, herding cattle, and riding horses. In short, farming is part of my DNA.
My passion for wine began upon her arrival to San Francisco from Texas in 1980s, primarily due to the influence of my law firm mentors, many of whom owned vineyards. At that time, we had no electronic means of sending briefs for review and approval so if we had a legal filing on Monday, I had to drive to wherever the partner was located that weekend, and sometimes that meant driving to Napa or Sonoma, where some of the lawyers had vineyards. Because of that exposure, I fell in love with the wine lifestyle.
Given my farming background, I thought I could combine my love for farming by also growing grapes and living that wine lifestyle. That dream to own my own vineyard took root back in the 80s, but it took a while to earn enough money to buy farmland in California. To prepare myself, I took several viticulture classes at UC Davis Viticulture School and learned about viticulture in order to develop my own vineyard. In 2001, I purchased 20 acres of sheep land in the Yorkville Highlands of Anderson Valley and began developing my vineyard. That process was intensive, as I had to do soil digs, clear the land, conduct land analysis to ensure the land was suitable for grape growing. Finally, in 2003, I planted my vineyard, adopted my Greek name from pledging Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at Spelman College, and established Theopolis Vineyards.
From 2003 until 2012, I was quite content being a grape farmer, plowing the land, pruning the vines, fertilizing the vineyard, mowing, chopping, weed eating, erosion control, tying the shoots up to T-posts, fruit thinning, and picking the grapes during Harvest. As any winemaker will tell you, Great Wine starts in the Vineyard. That is why vineyard management is essential to growing premium wine grapes. As a grower, I along with my vineyard manager are intricately involved in all seasonal activities associated with the vineyard.
Initially, I sold my grapes to other winemakers, such as Carlisle Winery and a few other wineries. I was quite content simply being a grower. Indeed, Wine Critic Robert Parker bestowed upon wine made from grapes harvested from Theopolis Vineyards a stellar rating of 94-96 points, a spectacular showing for my first harvest in 2006. That put me on the map.
Then, in 2012, an ill-timed rain fell during harvest, and I rushed to pick my grapes at 23 brix. The buyer at that time (no longer Carlisle) had contracted for grapes at 25 brix, so they rejected the entire lot. Faced with no one willing to purchase fruit at a lower brix level at that time, I decided to have my fruit custom-crushed in Hopland, a few miles from my home. Not having enough money to pay a winemaker, my 2012 wines were made entirely on the barter system. To pay the winemaker, I gave him half of my fruit so he could, in turn, bottle his own wine with my fruit to pay him for making my wines. Fortunately, my first release of my 2012 Petite Sirah received a gold medal from Sunset Magazine.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Well, as I mentioned, I was not planning to bottle wine, but the untimely rains forced me to do so. That was my first obstacle. After bottling wines, it has been very challenging finding distributors and getting my wines in high-end restaurants and wine bars. However, as a lawyer, I have been fortunate enough to overcome many of these obstacles by having my law firm partners introduce me to restaurant and bar owners, and that introduction has facilitated me overcoming those hurdles. I am happy to state that our wines are carried in some of the finest restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. Also, I believe in hard work and grit, and I never give up. Even though I produce award-winning wines, distributors still reject doing business with me. Recently, one distributor told me he questioned the marketability of one of my varietals. Despite consistent rejection, I keep pounding the pavement. Following the Black Lives Movement in 2020, the industry has begun to change for the better. Let’s hope that the change can be sustained.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Theopolis Vineyards is a small lot vineyard and handcrafted winery located in California’s prestigious Yorkville Highlands of the Anderson Valley. Situated along Highway 128 in southeastern Mendocino County near the border of Sonoma County, the AVA is a highly elevated, rugged interior wine-growing area. We only produce 2500 cases annually, hand-pick our grapes, and make our red wines unfiltered and unfined, the European way of making wine. Thus, our wines have more character. And have won numerous awards.
The Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition has consistently given wines from Theopolis Vineyards stellar Gold Medals. The San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition has bestowed on the Estate Grown Theopolis Vineyards Rosé of Petite Sirah a stellar Double Gold Medal. The San Francisco International Wine Competition has consistently bestowed Double Gold and Gold medals on the Estate Grown Petite Sirah. The September 2016 Issue of Somm Journal listed the 2013 Theopolis Vineyards Estate Grown Petite Sirah as Best in Class, meaning it is considered the best Petite Sirah in the world. The other wines from Theopolis Vineyards, including the Yorkville Highlands Symphony, the Anderson Valley, Yorkville Highlands, and Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir, the Cuvée Cerise and Cuvée Blanc series have consistently won either gold, silver, and/or bronze medals at various wine competitions, including the Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition, The Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge, the Sommeliers Choice Awards, the Boston Wine Competition, and TEXSOM International Wine Awards. Wine Critic Antonio Galloni Presents Vinous also has bestowed on wines from Theopolis Vineyards 90 plus Points. Wine Enthusiast Magazine has bestowed on wines from Theopolis Vineyards 90 Plus Points. The 2018 Estate Grown Theopolis Vineyards Petite Sirah received 96 Points and Cellar Selection, the highest ranking ever given a Petite Sirah by that magazine. Indeed, that vintage was ranked No. 16 in the Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2021 by Wine Enthusiast. Theopolis Vineyards also has been featured in various publications, including Forbes Magazine, Bloomberg, Sunset Magazine, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Sonoma Magazine, The Boston Globe, Bon Appetit, HuffPost.Com, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, The Press Democrat, San Francisco Bay Times, Essence Magazine, to name a few. Theopolis Vineyards has been featured on various TV and Radio Shows, including Check, Please! Bay Area, PBS, KRCB TV, KGO, KTVU, ABC, CBS News, Black News Channel, The Ryan Scott Show, and On-the-Go with John Hamilton, to name a few. In 2020, Ms. Lee was recognized as a 2020 Wine Industry Leader by Wine Business Monthly. In 2021, Ms. Lee was a Wine Enthusiast’s 22nd Annual Wine Star Award Person of the Year Nominee.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
In addition to practicing law and making wine, I am musically talented too, having sang in the formerly named Avery Fisher Hall in NYC while a student at Spelman College. Also, I play the piano, clarinet, and the xylophone.
Pricing:
- Theopolis Vineyards Estate Grown Petite Sirah – $ 42.00
- Theopolis Vineyards Estate Grown Rosé of Petite Sirah – $28.00
- Theo-patra’s Cuvée Blanc by Theopolis Vineyards – $25.00
- Theo-patra’s Cuvée Cerise by Theopolis Vineyards – $36.00
- Cortada Alta Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir – $50.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theopolisvineyards.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theopolisvineyards/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theopolisvineyard/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheopolisV
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM5di08RDvtYKMo-w8dkc9w/videos
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/theopolis-vineyards-yorkville-2
Image Credits
North Bay Business Journal
Theopolis Vineyards
