Obituary: William George Dyer, 1948-2026

Renowned winemaker and grower Bill Dyer passed away at home on April 18, 2026. A naturalist and adventurer, a lifelong student and storyteller, a community activist, friend and beloved husband, he will be missed by all who knew him.

Born in Berkeley, California on October 8, 1948, to Dorothy and George Dyer, Bill was the youngest of three—his two older sisters were 8 and 12 when he was born. He grew up in a neighborhood in the Oakland Hills near Lake Temascal, then moved with his family to San Jose in 1962. His father was an avid fisherman, and the family spent summer holidays camping in northern California, in wild places like Yosemite and the Trinity Alps, which sparked a lifelong love of the outdoors.

Bill attended college at UC Berkeley, and in 1972 graduated with a degree in Philosophy from UC Santa Cruz, where, in 1969, he also met Dawnine Sample, his wife to be. They married in 1981.

His oldest sister and her husband lived in Europe, providing and easy base for travel during the college years in the 70s…an influence that would continue throughout his life. His love of wine and interest in growing things stem from those early travels, where bread was fresh, food was regional and local wine was always on the table. Bill got a taste for wild mushrooms as a young man in Santa Cruz. He studied the subject throughout his life and friends called him a mycologist, but he was really a careful forager—liking nothing better than setting off into the woods with a knapsack in search of boletus or chanterelles.

His first foray into winemaking was in 1972 following graduation, when he took a job as a cellar worker at Bargetto Winery in Santa Cruz and something just clicked for him. In 1974 he and Dawnine moved to Calistoga in the Napa Valley where they both pursued careers in winemaking.

He started as a cellar worker at Charles Krug, moving to a position as Cellar Forman at Sterling Vineyards for the 1976 harvest. It was at Sterling that he had the opportunity to work with and be mentored by Rick Forman, and later Theo Rosenbrand who had trained with André Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyards. Bill returned to university while working at Sterling, earning a master’s degree in 1986 in Enology and Viticulture from UC Davis, and then was promoted to Winemaker at Sterling.

Bill was never happier than when he was in the vineyards––his interest in the concept of terroir and Sterling’s extensive vineyard holdings provided him an artist’s palette for a series of stunning single vineyard wines in the late 80s and early 90s. One of his favorite vineyards was on Diamond Mountain and so, when looking at property for a home, it was fortuitous to find 12 acres there with enough plantable land to develop their own vineyard and wine label. In 1993 Bill and Dawnine planted Dyer Vineyard and, upon leaving Sterling in 1996, started Dyer Straits Wine Co.

The culmination of his work on single vineyards is DYER Vineyard, where he had control of both the vineyard and the winemaking. He believed firmly that farmers can be the best environmentalists and made a practice of sustainability and dry farming. Bill and Dawnine worked together with their exceptional Diamond Mountain terroir to bring the rich history and intense flavors of Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to life. Their unique perspective and shared knowledge of wine derive from decades of winemaking, including her 25 years as Winemaker at Domaine Chandon Napa. Together they represent over 100 years of experience in the wine industry.

Bill also developed an esteemed winery consulting career. He brought his considerable talents to assist the winemaking team at Marimar Estate in the Russian River Valley, Sodaro Estate Winery, Meteor Vineyard, and Frog’s Leap Winery in Napa Valley. His reach extended into British Columbia, working with Burrowing Owl Estate Winery in the Okanagan Valley and later Church and State Wines on Vancouver Island.

Always at home outdoors, Bill was a distance runner in high school and often talked about his 17-mile run into the Santa Clara Mountains. He ran the challenging Dipsea Race twice. He fished commercially in Alaska during summers while in college. He hitchhiked across the Yukon and hiked many High Sierra trails, bagging tall peaks along the way.

In his youth, Bill had poured over accounts of early climbers in the Himalayas and he and Dawnine traveled to Nepal in 1991 as part of a group of trekkers and climbers. His “personal best” was summiting the 21k trekkers peak, Mera Peak. In subsequent years he and Dawnine would build on that Himalayan experience with a trip to Tibet with more of a focus on Buddhist culture and art. They traveled extensively in Europe over many decades exploring wine regions and culture. They bareboat chartered with friends in the British Virgin Islands and New Zealand’s Bay of Islands. A three-week trip through the South Island of New Zealand was a revelation.

Active in the Napa Valley community, Bill served on various boards over the years—from the Napa Valley Wine Library Association to the Napa Valley Wine Technical Group; from the Sierra Club to the Napa Valley State Parks Association.

It was with the State Parks Association that he really found his cause, and he threw himself into the work with abandon, embracing fundraising for Napa Valley’s historic Bale Mill and upgrades for Bothe-Napa Valley State Park’s Visitor Center. He never missed a pancake breakfast or harvest dinner—and, of course, he hiked the trails regularly. Impediments to the steelhead run in the park’s Ritchie Creek was a particular cause and, while he didn’t live to see their complete removal, progress was being made.

Bill leaves behind his wife, best friend and partner of 57 years, Dawnine Sample Dyer, to carry on his legacy. He is also survived by his sisters Marcia Dyer Crapo (Steve) of Berkeley, CA, and Diane Dyer Harmon of Walnut Creek, CA; Sister-in-law, Martha Sample Tingle of Half Moon Bay, CA; nieces and nephews Dana Harmon Charon (David) of Piedmont, CA, Dorothee Harmon of Tucson, AZ, Eric Craypo (Lisa) of Kensington, CA, Celeste Crapo Howell (Maurice) of San Francisco, Blake Sample Mattos (Alyya) of San Rafael, CA, Mary Sample Mattos (partner Drew Douglass) of San Francisco, CA, John Gerrit Veneman (Elizabeth) of San Francisco, Mara Veneman (Kosuke Homa) of British Columbia, Canada, and many dear great-nieces and -nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor can be made to Napa Valley State Parks Association or Napa Valley Community Foundation. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held later this summer.