You don't need a winery to make great wine

Our wine of the week winner -- the Novy, 2006 Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah -- was produced in a warehouse, to the chagrin of those who don't expect to find stellar wine in caverns of corrugated steel. And yet, less bucolic settings can deliver.

Adam and Dianna Lee, who produce the Novy label along with the Siduri brand, began their warehouse venture with $24,000 in 1994. "Twenty-four thousand doesn't buy a winery or even an acre these days," Adam said.

The Lees rent a 16,000-square-foot warehouse in north Santa Rosa and have a small tasting room in the front. Despite their unconventional approach, they have received more than a few 90-plus scores from critic Robert Parker.

"Starting out small, there was just no opportunity for us to start a winery unless we did it in a warehouse," Adam said.

The Lees are practical visionaries. They don't aspire to own an extravagant winery, but rather hope to build a bigger, better warehouse.

Warehouse wineries are a growing niche among America's most passionate winemakers, determined entrepreneurs who insist on owning their own labels despite having fewer resources than convention might dictate. These warehouses, located far from vineyards, are often in obscure pockets of cities and not easy to find. And yet these buildings, some with 30-foot ceilings, have enabled winemakers short on investment capital to defy the system and plunge into the wine biz anyway.

Adam said making wine without much overhead isn't the only benefit of being a warehouse vintner. The warehouse-district dress code and lifestyle also has its appeal, especially to his kids, who are fond of jeans, Nikes and McDonald's Happy Meals.

As for the tasty Novy syrah, Adam says it's a result of the winery's commitment to focus on cool-growing regions that enable the syrahs to fully ripen. The result is a tastier, more complex wine.