About Us
Get To Know Our Vineyard In Napa Valley
Through Dyer Vineyard and Dyer Straits Wine Co., Bill and Dawnine Dyer bring the rich history and intense flavors of Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to life. The Napa Valley winery in the Diamond Mountain District combines their expertise and experience in their wines- Dyer Vineyard, Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and – a celebration of California’s storied wine-making history. Bill and Dawnine’s unique perspective and knowledge of wine derives from decades of winemaking, both in the prestigious Napa Valley and around the world. Together they represent more than 100 years of experience in the wine industry. In 1996, they planted Dyer Vineyard and started Dyer Straits Wine Co with the goal of bringing focus on the exceptional terroir and extraordinary wines of Napa Valley’s “jewel” on Diamond Mountain.
Find out more about wine masters Bill and Dawnine Dyer, and delve into the history that gives Dyer Straits Wine Co. its original character. Browse the newest selections and order your own bottle for a taste of real Napa Valley wine.
Bill Dyer
Armed with a degree in philosophy, Bill moved to the Napa Valley in 1974. He started working in winery cellars and in 1976 started working with Rick Forman at Sterling Vineyards. He became Winemaker in 1985.
Impressed by the singular impact of soils and climate on both wine quality and characteristics, he developed a robust series of single-vineyard wines for Sterling, including a Cabernet from Diamond Mountain that garnered attention and praise in the early 1980s. After leaving Sterling in 1996, Bill began consulting with other wineries and laying the ground for the Dyer Vineyard and Wines. He brought his considerable talents to assist the winemaking team at Marimar Torres Estate in the Russian River Valley, Sodaro Winery, Meteor Vineyard, and Frogs’ Leap Winery in Napa Valley, His reach extended into British Columbia, working with Burrowing Owl Vineyards in the Okanagan Valley and later Church and State Winery on Vancouver Island. The culmination of his work on single vineyards is DYER Vineyard where he had control of both the vineyard and the winemaking and worked to showcase the singular expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon in one of the best areas of Napa Valley.
On April 18,2026 Bill passed away. Dawnine continues his legacy at Dyer Vineyard.
Dawnine Dyer
Dawnine spent 25 years as Winemaker at Domaine Chandon. A staunch Californian, and always a fan of the bubbly, her tenure at Chandon was marked by the introduction of many original sparkling wines and wine styles, taking the best of both a rich tradition and a promising appellation. Following her tenure at Domain Chandon she joined Bill focusing on making and marketing the wines from their own DYER Vineyard. In the ensuing years she has also consulted with start up wineries like Sodaro Winery and Meteor Vineyard, both in Coombsville. She is active in many community groups both in the wine industry and in the non profit world.
Following the death on April 18, 2026 of her husband, partner, and best friend Bill Dyer she is carrying on his legacy at Dyer Vineyard.
Our Label
Diamond Mountain
Our label is inspired by a mural we saw while traveling in Tibet in 1998. After a long journey by four-wheel drive vehicle we arrived at Tsurphu Monastery, then the home of the Karmapa, who has since joined the Dalai Lama in exile in India. It was a wild and wonderful site, surrounded by high peaks and hanging glaciers. When we inquired about a painting of a powerful mountain scene, we were told it depicted the Diamond Mountains featured in the Diamond Sutra, one of the Buddhist scriptures. San Francisco Illustrator John Mattos produced the artwork for our label from a photo of the painting.
The Diamond Mountains at Tsurphu Monastery