I last wrote to you on May 9, 2020, almost two years ago. The pandemic grinds on but we seem to be emerging from it, gradually, cautiously. The wine industry has had its own challenges during this time, from wildfires and smoke here in the California Wine Country, to worldwide supply-side issues that make it harder and more expensive to get glass for bottling.

But here at our small operation, we are brimming with pride and optimism at what we have accomplished and have to offer. As noted above, we entered three wines in the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest competition of North American wines. Our estate 2019 Pinot noir won a double gold, our 2018 Napa Valley (Coombsville) Merlot, a silver, and our 2019 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, a bronze.

  As I have come to notice over years, good red wine not only improves with age, it hardly comes into its own until it has been bottled two years. We have an array of wines here in which I have recently noticed measured improvement with age, the ‘17 and ‘18 Pinots, the ‘18 Merlot, and the ‘19 Cab. We have been able to delay release of our newest reds until they have been in the bottle at least a year and a half, and most of them are now moving into young maturity at the same price at which they were initially offered.

  The newest addition to our stable is the 2021 Russian River Valley Pinot gris, made from fruit we grow as well as some purchased from noted vintner, John Balletto. It is a very balanced food wine of 13.2% alcohol that sports a label commemorating Barbara’s new novel, What Disappears, which is being published and released next month. This Gris is so delicious, it even tastes good before it’s chilled!