Winemaker transforms 14,000 gallon wine tank into Sonoma Valley tasting room

When winemaker Bart Hansen envisioned a location for Dane Cellars’ new tasting room, a gigantic wine barrel wasn’t the first thing that came to mind.

But when a “for rent” sign appeared on the historic, redwood wine tank in Jack London Village in Glen Ellen, his interest was piqued.

“I’ve driven past this tank for 35 years. Once I found out it was available, I had to check it out,” said Hansen, who founded Dane Cellars in 2007. “I’m a cellar rat — not a Davis guy — I grew up cleaning tanks. So finding a space like this for my tasting room is so much fun.”

Sonoma County native

Born and raised in Petaluma, Hansen was just 21 years old when he secured his first wine gig as a harvest intern at Kenwood Vineyards in Sonoma Valley.

Quickly proving himself a valuable asset, Hansen was kept on after harvest, eventually working his way up to cellarmaster over the next 12 years.

In 1998, Hansen joined the winemaking team at Benziger Family Winery in Glen Ellen, where he helped produce wines for Benziger and the family’s other brands, Tribute Wine and Imagery Estate.

“Bart is a very thoughtful winemaker. He’s worked for some the OG winemakers in Sonoma Valley and it shows,” said Chris Benziger, whose family founded Benziger Winery in 1981. “His passion and insights are evident in the wines he creates. Bart represents everything that’s unique and great in this amazing valley.”

While at Benziger, Hansen helped transition the vineyard from conventional to biodynamic farming, a holistic approach to organic, regenerative agriculture.

Part of that involved creating biodynamic preparations (sprays or composts) that are believed to benefit the vitality of the grapevines and soil.

“When I was told we were going to shove cow manure into a cow horn and bury it in the ground, I didn’t understand why,” said Hansen, referring to a preparation that produces organic compost matter. “But I was open-minded. My mom’s family was in the dairy industry and my uncle had a fertilizer business, so I wasn’t afraid of manure!”

While at Benziger, Hansen had the opportunity to work with Alan York, a renowned leader in the biodynamic viticulture movement.

“Alan had a way of motivating you by grabbing your spirit and convincing you to buy in to what he was saying,” Hansen said. “So I bought into it. I can get behind the preparations and some of the astrological aspects — like racking wine on a new moon. As to whether I’m going to incorporate biodynamics at Dane Cellars, no way. It’s a ton of work.”

That’s not to say Hansen shies away from hard work. After leaving Benziger in 2007 to become a stay-at-home dad, he’d only been home a few months before the itch to make wine resurfaced.

“In the beginning, I just wanted to make some wine. The project didn’t have a name,” said Hansen, who eventually named “the project” Dane Cellars, in honor of his son. “I never wanted to have a tasting room that I was tied to. Family is so important, and my weekends have always been sacred.”

While Hansen continued to produce wine for Dane Cellars, finding time to sell and market his small-production wines has been a challenge. It’s a story shared by many small, independent wine producers.

“Basically, I’ve had to be Johnny Hustle to sell my wine,” Hansen said. “I have a tiny mailing list and have sold some wine to restaurants and stores. I had started to dream about opening a tasting room, but I didn’t seriously consider it until I saw the tank for rent.”

The tank

Built in the 1880s by winemaker Joshua Chauvet, the 14,000 gallon wine tank that Dane Cellars calls home is truly a sight to see.

Originally part of Chauvet’s winery on the opposite side of Arnold Drive, the tank is made of old-growth redwood that reaches 17-feet tall and 13 feet in diameter. Given the size of the beams, you wonder just how old the trees would be if they were still alive today.

In 1913, Felice Pagani purchased the winery, including the tank, which remarkably survived Prohibition. In the 1960s, the winery fell into disrepair. But along the way, the tank was preserved, disassembled and stored before it was resurrected as a unique location for businesses.

“I’m so caught up and in love with the history of this tank. It has so much soul to it,” said Hansen, who signed the lease in February. “Also, I think it’s pretty funny you can see the outside of the tank when you’re in the bathroom — you’re staring right at it!”

This month, the Dane Cellars tasting room officially opened for business, with a cozy handmade bar, comfortable outdoor patio and small-lot wines from Sonoma Valley — a place that speaks to Hansen’s heart.

“I love this area and the region’s wines, and I have fond memories of producing wine here,” said Hansen, who also co-hosts the popular podcast, “The Wine Makers” with Sam Coturri and Brian Casey. “Making handcrafted wines from Sonoma Valley has been the focus of Dane Cellars since the beginning.”

Currently, Hansen produces about 800 cases of wine per year, with a focus on Rhone varietals from Rossi Ranch, sauvignon blanc from Beltane Ranch, old vine zinfandel from Rancho Agua Caliente Vineyard and more.

Now with a brand-new tasting room, he’s looking forward to welcoming new people to his brand.

“After all these years of crawling inside wine tanks to clean, empty or fill them, I think it’s pretty cool I can walk inside a wine tank and share my wines with others,” said Hansen. “What I love most about wine is that it evokes conversation. The wine tank is a great place for that.”

You can reach Staff Writer Sarah Doyle at 707-521-5478 or sarah.doyle@pressdemocrat.com.