Burt Williams began Williams Selyem winery in a garage in Forestville in 1981. He was considered one of the pioneers in California Pinot Noir and helped put Sonoma County on the winemaking map.

Burt’s first career was as a pressman at the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. In evenings and on weekends he would then craft some of the finest Pinot Noirs ever made. Over the years the awards and accolades piled up and Williams Selyem winery became synonymous with artisan Pinot Noir. After selling Williams Selyem Winery in 1998 to John and Kathe Dyson, Burt Williams purchased the 40-acre Morning Dew Ranch Vineyard in the Anderson Valley, just north of the town of Philo. He immediately planted 13 acres of Pinot Noir.