Hello Dear Friends,

As we write, a torrential rain is falling, and it’s music to our ears. It’s been a dry year so far and every drop is welcome. February is a period of dormancy in the vineyard, but also a time when things slowly start to wake up, show life, and begin anew. It seems like a good metaphor for where we are mentally, today… and what we hope will be happening in our own lives.

In the winery, Chris has been spending a lot of time conducting what we call “blending trials.” Coming up with the best blends for a given vintage is a feat that requires deep concentration, an open mind, and fastidious spreadsheets to translate the trials to the bottle. Envision a 1,000 piece puzzle where every piece needs to fit to complete the picture. Chris pulls samples from each lot, starting with hundreds of potential permutations, and narrows them down little by little over several days and numerous rounds. As we write, the final touches on the 2019 Pinots are being made, while the first wines of 2020 are coming together in the form of our whites and Rosé, just in time for bottling.

Bottling… the word sends shivers down our spines. Getting new labels printed correctly (and on time!) and making sure the glass, labels, corks, packaging, bottling truck, employees, etc. are all in the right place at the right time is one of the most stressful parts of the vintage, and also a point of no return. Once the wine is in the bottle, there’s no going back. Wish us luck!

In the vineyard, the vines are dormant, and pruning is the order of the day. Check out Zach’s column on that front further in this letter.

On the homefront, we have kept things together, in spite of the challenges of 2020. While our restaurant business met a huge downturn due to pandemic closures, our wonderful customers (new and old) have kept the home fires burning. We celebrated the one-year anniversary of our first employee (Zach) in January and wonder how we ever got along without him. We were also excited to welcome a new California distributor (Estate Wines, LTD.) last month. Chris has been a huge fan of their portfolio for over 25 years, starting during his retail and restaurant days. This partnership will help us expand our presence across the state. We also tackled virtual tastings and have found that they offer something unique and good – a way to connect people to ourselves and others, even when we’re far apart.

Of all the past year’s difficulties, the saddest for us was the diagnosis of Sarah’s beloved dad with advanced renal cancer in October. The pandemic has complicated so many things… coming together as a family to help, love, and support Sarah’s parents while keeping them safe has been a challenge, one we know you all are also experiencing as you navigate whatever life has thrown at you over the past few months. A light in the darkness was the news that both of them were able to receive the Covid vaccine last week. We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to safely come together as a family more in the months to come. Our own struggles make us all the more aware of the loss so many have experienced this year. In spite of it all, we continue to experience goodness, light, music and love. We are constantly amazed at the enthusiasm, class, intellect, and kindness of our customers. We hope you all have been able to experience good things lately too.

Thank you, as always, for your support. We appreciate each and every one of you.

Cheers,

Sarah and Chris