What does “Estate Bottled” mean and why is it so important?

“Estate Bottled” is a technical term as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and there are three main components of its definition.

1. 100% of the wine is made from grapes grown on land owned or controlled by the winery and that the land is within the winery’s appellation.
2. 100% of the wine is produced, aged and blended at the winery.
3. 100% of the wine is bottled at the winery facility.

Hence, the words “Grown, Produced and Bottled by” are included on labels whose wine is “Estate Bottled”.

Essentially, the winery has control over every element of the wine from the vineyard through to the bottle. All our wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve Chardonnay, Next Red, Chardonnay and Rosé) are estate bottled.

At Hafner Vineyard, “Estate Bottled” is key to our winemaking philosophy. Great wines begin in the vineyard and we work hard to grow the best grapes possible. We are continually innovating and experimenting in our vineyard (and in our winery) so that the vines are strong and produce grapes that ripen evenly with expressive flavors.

We walk our vineyards throughout the year and know each vineyard block intimately. Throughout the growing season, we manage each block as a separate entity, addressing the needs of each individually. There are always idiosyncrasies within a vineyard block that are primarily soil related. It is our careful attention of the vineyard that ensures that we grow the best grapes possible.
Buying grapes from other growers does not allow for such detailed and intimate management by the winemaking team. For us, it is important to be in the vineyard and collaborate with the vineyard team. At Hafner Vineyard, it is a true partnership between the winemaking and vineyard teams so that we can produce the best wines from our own land.