Hello Friends,

Here in Sonoma County, there has been a feeling of happiness and reopening the last few weeks. April brought our first Little League game in 2 years. We brought our camping chairs to watch the game, but we barely sat in them. There were too many people to catch up with. John Henry and the rest of the boys swung the bats and ran the bases (looking very rusty), as we cheered from the sidelines. Jane and a passel of other kids ran in the background, swinging from the bars, appearing now and then for a drink. Our hearts were full. If nothing else, this pandemic has made us appreciate the simplest things in life. They are treasures.

With Sonoma County’s Covid numbers continuing to decrease and restrictions loosening, Healdsburg has been absolutely packed with visitors every weekend. The tasting rooms are humming. People seem ecstatic to be back. Wineries are still using caution and staffing is a challenge. If you get up this way, we suggest making reservations in advance for dining, tasting room visits, etc. Don’t hesitate to reach out for suggestions. We’d be happy to be your cruise director and put together a fun visit for you and your friends from a local’s perspective.

In the vineyard, things are looking great at the moment. We were stoked to have a rare late season day of rain that gave the vines a nice little drink after what has been one of the driest years on record. Drought conditions will pose some concerns as “fire season” approaches in the fall…but let’s not go there today. With the late season storm come frost concerns in our high elevation sites of El Dorado, where snow fell just a few miles up the road…fingers crossed. All that said, we are eternally optimistic with the start of each new growing season and hopeful for an incredible 2021 vintage.

In the winery we are gearing up for our last bottling of the year, which includes the first reds from 2020. The brutal combination of pandemic and wildfires in 2020 reduced our production considerably, especially our red wines. That said, we are excited to report that the Gamay Noir and High Country Red are delicious but limited, with only 4 and 7 barrels made respectively. Look for these wines this fall.

As we look to Harvest 2021, we’re excited to have new fruit sources that are in the works for Gamay Noir and Pinot Noir. We are looking forward to working with the new sites and expanding our knowledge and appreciation for these wines. For years we have worked with the same vineyards and sadly lost a few along the way. Changing things up keeps the creative juices flowing (pun intended) as we enter our lucky 13th vintage in the coming months.

Stay tuned for more news on these vineyards in the next newsletter. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy these wines with friends, family, and strangers (new friends). Don’t worry, we’ll make more! Thank you, as always, for your support. We appreciate each and every one of you and could not pursue this passion without you.

Cheers,

Sarah and Chris