2023 Honorary Winery

This year, the vinNEBRASKA Foundation Board is pleased to acknowledge the generosity and long-term commitment of Seghesio Family Vineyards from Sonoma County, California. Seghesio first participated in vinNEBRASKA in 1994 and has returned to Omaha 16 times over the years to support this worthy event. Please be sure to find and thank their representatives for all that they have contributed to our event, and to our charity partners, over the years.

Seghesio Family Vineyards is dedicated to the production of extraordinary Zinfandels and the cultivation and preservation of old-vine vineyards. Estate vineyards encompass approximately 320 acres in the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys. In addition to the winery’s critically-acclaimed Zinfandels, Seghesio also produces a handful of wines from traditional Italian varieties such as Vermentino, Rosato and Barbera, in homage to the founder’s heritage. Segeshio Family Vineyards holds more than 50 combined 90+ scores from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast across the last 10 vintages of our Zinfandels, including placing 5th in Wine Spectator’s inaugural list of Top 10 Value Wines, making the winery one of the most acclaimed and talked-about Zinfandel producers in the U.S.

Andy grew up in North Tonawanda, NY, in between Buffalo and Niagara Falls on the Niagara River — and conveniently nestled between New York’s Finger Lakes region and Ontario’s Ice Wine region. His interest in wine began while earning his Chemistry degree at SUNY Geneseo, where three of his chemistry professors were involved in winemaking or wine-related research topics. His access to wine and wine knowledge grew once he moved to New York City to attend Columbia University, where he earned a degree in Chemical Engineering. There, he met fellow chemical engineering student, lifelong friend and career adviser, Rosie Conception, who served as Seghesio’s Enologist from 2000 to 2003. Rosie would later introduce Andy to Seghesio wines and convince him to move to Sonoma to pursue his passion.

Andy’s formal wine career began in 2001 with Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena. Andy joined Seghesio as enologist in 2003 and claims he hasn’t stopped learning since. Andy’s insatiable desire to try new wines and learn about different regions has since taken him to Marlborough, New Zealand; Baden in Germany; Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Lanquedoc in France; Toro and Rioja in Spain; Veneto, Campania and Tuscany in Italy; Wachau, Austria and Oporto and Alentejo in Portugal.