Thanks for reading our blog called "The Press". We share fun happenings and news from the vineyard, winery, our patrons and more! If you would like to receive these updates via email, subscribe here. Enjoy!
We recently had our annual Vertical Tasting of main and Reserve Chardonnays where we tasted eight vintages of each to see how they are aging. We were pleased with both flights. In this video, I share a few thoughts on the two tastings and explain how our Chardonnays age. Our goal is to make wines that age well and pair well with food. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on vintages you have in your cellar.
My grandmother, Mary Hafner, was the chef in the family. She and her sister taught French cooking classes from their kitchens in Berkeley (which is even how some of our patrons first learned about Hafner wine). She taught her children how to cook as well, so my sister and I benefited (and still benefit!) from Dad and Uncle Scott’s cooking. At home, when we prepare a meal, we are often thinking about which wine will pair with the meal. Here we share a few favorite cookbooks for meals that pair well with wine.
Sandy Wilson has been an integral part of the Hafner Vineyard for 24 years. She’s the face behind the camera for most of the pictures in our emails and on our website. She’s billed your credit card for wine shipments, so they keep coming to you. She’s a cheerful voice on the phone, often the person who handles UPS damages or returned packages. And she’s the one with the most beautiful calligraphy, handwriting the gift notes to thousands of lucky gift recipients, along with Sarah. After nearly two and a half decades at Hafner Vineyard, Sandy is retiring, looking forward to spending more time with her husband and her expanding family which now includes six grandchildren with another on the way.
As wine shipments have increased (like all shipments to our homes), UPS and FedEx have had to adapt and become more systematic. At times this is helpful and at other moments, it can be challenging and frustrating. Here we share 9 tips on how to receive wine shipments from our 41 years of experience shipping wine direct to people at home.
Pruning is the longest and most tedious job in the vineyard. There are roughly 95,300 vines across our 96 acres of vineyards that need to be pruned every year. Each vine requires multiple cuts, and every cut made is done with intension, thought and care. We are grateful to have a veteran team, many who have been with us for decades and across multiple generations. Come meet the dedicated and knowledgeable people who help make consistently high quality wines for you.
