Dallas resident Jim Richardson has been a wine lover for years, specifically California. After traveling from his Oak Cliff home of 20 years to Napa and Sonoma Valleys for annual wine trips with family and friends, he began Oak Cliff Cellars in 2006 as both an avenue to create approachable wine with distinct flavors, but also as a means to promote his true philanthropic passions.
Through his life long work, including becoming an ordained minister, working in non-profit management, a bank executive assisting with community development, and his current work as the Executive Director of National Rural Funders Collaborative helping rural communities with their economic improvement, he has been led to make wine with a charitable cause. Though production is small, about 450 total cases, he donates generously, as shown through recent events with Dallas’ Shared Housing Center. Jim follows the belief that if you do well you have an obligation to give back.
And, the wine is good. Distributed in Dallas, but produced in Northern California from vineyards Jim has built lifelong relationships with. The stand outs, 2009 barrel aged Sauvignon Blanc with citrus and tropical fruit aromas with the barrel aging balancing the acidity to create a perfect patio wine; 2008 Napa Valley Chardonnay, mineral and stone fruit rich and filled with apricot, apple and pear; and a well structured 2007 Pinot Noir made with predominantly Anderson Valley fruit blended with some from the Mendocino Coast. Aged 24 months in barrel the wine is filled with baking spices, cherry and hints of vanilla. The wine is available for purchase here.
