The story of the Overshine Collective is a fascinating one.
Former Google executive David Drummond had become familiar with and very fond of Healdsburg and the surrounding area, having visited it many times to enjoy his brother Ray Drummond’s performances in the Healdsburg Jazz Fest. Ray, an acclaimed jazz bassist, lived in New Jersey, so his visits to Healdsburg provided David a great opportunity to get together with him from David’s home in the Bay area.
When David moved to the area in 2018, he acquired Las Cimas Ranch in the higher elevations of the Russian River Valley to be his home. He also met Sam Bilbro, owner/winemaker of Idlewild, and they became great friends.
Per Sam: “Las Cimas is planted to 70 acres of vines, 44 total varietals, mostly Italian. The grafting and evolution of the vineyard was a joint project that David and I dreamed up together after we met in 2018.”
They also formed Overshine Collective, combining Idlewild and David’s acquisition of Armida Winery in the Dry Creek Valley, which he renamed Overshine. Sam is head winemaker for both Idlewild and Overshine.
We actually visited Idlewild some time ago before it became part of the collective and wrote about it here:
Perlis Picks: Idlewild – Eve’s Wine and Spirits 101
This time, we wanted to visit the Overshine Collective’s namesake winery, so we headed up into the hills above Healdsburg.
Overshine makes wine from its estate vineyard, named Il Campo, and David’s Las Cimas Ranch and sources grapes from a few other select sites as well.
Before getting to the wines we tasted, we have to point out that the property is incredible. The view is amazing from the outdoor tasting area. The ambiance has a definite jazz theme and the music accompanying our visit was delightful. We were guided through our tasting by Johnny, who has stayed on from the old Armida Winery. He was incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining as we tasted the following wines:
2024 Rose – Dry Creek Valley. Blend of Mourvedre, Grenache and Carignane from the Dry Creek Valley AVA. Delicious tropical fruit and berry zing to savor and enjoy on a summer’s day/eve.
2025 Sauvignon Blanc – Las Cimas Vineyard. White peach fruit, crisp and bright with a kiss of sweetness on finish.
2023 Chardonnay – Gap’s Crown Vineyard, Petaluma Gap AVA. Melon nose with refreshing notes of green apple and pear. 100% French oak, 85% neutral.
2023 Pinot Noir – Las Cimas Vineyard. Black and red berry flavors. Elegant and balanced with a medium finish. Neutral oak. 1st bottling for Overshine, grapes sold off in prior harvests.
2023 Zinfandel – Maple Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley AVA. Clove aromas. Blueberry and plum on the palate. Long, smooth finish. Oldest block in vineyard planted in 1910, one of our favorite vineyards in the DCV.
2023 Zinfandel Estate – 85% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, Il Campo Vineyard. Big, bold style with ripe dark berry and stone fruit. Lush, yummy, full-mouth feel on finish.
Before we finished our tasting, Johnny graciously asked if there was anything else we wanted to taste. We always appreciate that question when offered, but also try not to take advantage – much. We asked about the Red Blend on the menu and when we learned it was a combination of Zinfandel and Rhones, we just had to try it —
2023 Red Wine Blend – 50% Carignane, 25% Zinfandel and 25% Grenache from the Testa Ranch Vineyard in Mendocino County AVA. Bursting with ripe cranberry with a hint of licorice. Medium to long finish.
Our visit to Overshine was a great way to wrap up our visit to the area. “But wait, there’s more…”
There are now a total of SIX wineries in the Overshine Collective: Overshine, Comunità, Idlewild, Martha Stoumen, BloodRoot and Reeve. We are long overdue to revisit Idlewild. The Comunità wines are poured at the Idlewild tasting room – Sam Bilbro is also the winemaker for Comunità which highlights the Italian varietals grown at Las Cimas Ranch. We are looking forward to visiting the other wineries as well when we next visit the area. We suggest you plan a visit to one or more of the wineries – be prepared to be overwhelmed by the wines and hospitality at any of the Overshine Collective!
Karen and Michael Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.
