About Us

We can’t rhapsodize about having a vision for our vineyard while sipping wine curled up in front of a crackling fire. That usually only happens in the movies! Likewise, we can’t tell you about a grandfather who came from the old country with a grapevine in his pocket and a dream in his heart and a long family history in winemaking. What we can do, however, is tell you about our evolution from corporate careers to life in a vineyard.

We knew we wanted a simpler lifestyle, one with stronger ties to the land and we occasionally mused about planting a vineyard. The more we thought about it, the more appealing the idea became. Eventually, it all took form and our dream became a goal. There is a saying about angels watching out for children and fools, and there have been times along the way that we’ve felt like perfect examples of the latter.

You Want To Do What??

Once the decision was made we were totally committed to the idea and set about learning all we could about vineyards and wine. Everyone we contacted was very generous about sharing their stories and we found they all had a different opinion about almost everything. In the end, we sifted through all the information, used some common sense in the decision process and did what we felt was right for us. Yes, we could have been in big trouble there, but fortunately that angel-fool thing kicked in.

Where to Start?

Even though our main goal was to plant a vineyard, we realized it would be valuable to know more about all aspects of grape-growing and the wine business. Paula took a job as a Wine Specialist (a fancy term for “salesperson”) with a wine distributor in order to learn how wine is distributed and sold. One condition for employment was that she take the Sommelier exam in order to have credibility with customers, many of whom were Sommeliers themselves. What an opportunity! Thus began a journey into the world of wine which included a trip to France to taste wines throughout the Loire and Rhone valleys. It was here that we realized that our vineyard's rocky soil, rather than being a detriment, could be an advantage.  Hence, our decision to plant Syrah.

Although many vineyard owners go on a quest for just the right land for growing perfect grapes, we inherited our land, which for decades had grown the most amazing crop of weeds. We knew that grapes do best when they are on a south or southwestern slope. Check. We also knew they do best when they struggle a little for nutrition and water. Check. We knew that grapes are happiest where there is good drainage and their roots aren’t standing in pools of residual water. Check.  Finally, because the vineyard rows run downhill, so does the cold, frosty air that comes with a late spring frost.  Another benefit we had.

In early 2003 we were ready to get started. That meant laying out the vineyard and placing an order for the vines. Next we ripped the vine rows to a depth of four feet in order to break up the rock cap under the soil. That experience is a whole story unto itself...ask us and we’ll be glad to tell you about it over a glass of wine.

We removed the biggest boulders brought up by the ripping process, then leveled the surface. We decided an “old world” vineyard with head-trained vines suited our style so each of our 4600 vines required a stake to climb until it could stand on its own, Drip irrigation, necessary to keep our grapes healthy during the hottest parts of the summer was the last thing to complete before planting. We took delivery of our vines just after Memorial Day and it was finally time to plant!

We Didn’t See That One Coming!

All during the remainder of 2003, 2004 and the first part of 2005, we tended the new vineyard.  We worked to keep the vines healthy and happy in anticipation of our first harvest. We’d heard rumors that grape sales were slow due to a glut of grapes in the market, but couldn’t imagine not being able to sell our few tons of fruit.

We contacted everyone we knew, but kept running into the same story…no one was buying grapes. After all our hard work, we simply couldn’t face dropping the crop on the ground, so we did the only thing we could. We pulled up our big-kid pants, found a winemaker and got into the wine business. 

We soon learned that most wine distributors weren't interested in very small-lot wines and retail outlets wanted deep discounts to give our wine a place on their shelf.  Not daunted, we decided to go directly to the consumer.  We formed a Wine Club, offering members four wine-tasting/food pairing events every year along with an annual Harvest Party.  People were attracted to the opportunity to enjoy good wine, good food and good company at the events and our wine business flourishsed.

Epilogue

In 2021 we realized it was time to close out the wine portion of the business and return to growing grapes for artisan winemakers.  The dictonary defines "artisan" as a person who makes a high quality or distinctive product in small quantities using traditional methods.  We've been fortunate to find just such winemakers who seek small lots of high quality grapes.  It's extremely gratifying to know that these winemakers are turning our remarkable grapes into amazing wines.

Since we planted our first vines in 2003, we’ve experienced both ups and downs.  On the "up" side, our wines have earned both Gold and Silver medals.  On the "down" side, we've suffered devastating crop losses as the result of insects and viruses.  Along the way, we've learned a lot.  The old adage that “you don’t know what you don’t know” definitely describes our journey.  Through it all we’ve never regretted our decision nor the hard work and occasional frustrations of life in the vineyard because, when all is said and done, it brought us closer to the land and gave us wonderful friends, remarkable wines and stories to tell our grandchildren.