Originally published in the December issue of Robb Report as “The Human Factor”

Relationships define the terroir-rich wines of Donelan Family in California’s Sonoma County.

The same asset that enabled Joe Donelan to prosper as vice president of A.T. Clayton—an East Coast enterprise supplying paper to catalog and magazine publishers—prompted him to launch a new career as vintner: a genuine affection for others. “Deep down, if I had to characterize myself,” says Donelan in his brash New England accent…