We have a longstanding intern program that began in 1985 when a friend of a friend asked if we would host a French enology student. A few years earlier, Sarah and I were interns in Burgundy and realized how impactful an internship could be, so it was easy for us to say “Yes!” Fast forward to 2023 and we welcomed our 38th intern…Jonas Armagnacq to our winery and our home. He has quickly become part of the family both at home and at the winery, bringing hard work and a lot of laughter to our days. 

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For me, nothing says Summer like a glass of chilled Rosé…it reminds us of a trip to Provence where we discovered Rosé back in 1985. After a long day at the winery, we enjoy sipping Rosé on our terrace with family and friends. Our Rosé program began as an experiment to intensify the color of our red wines. In 2011, we began making it for our patrons and due to its popularity, we now make 50% from saignée juice and 50% is made direct to press. It is made of Malbec which gives it intense fruity components with a little bit of structure. 

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Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation Vineyard Employee Recognition Award honors outstanding vineyard workers monthly throughout the year. Each month focuses on a different category of vineyard work. We consider all of our vineyard team to be exceptional, hard-working and dedicated. This year we decided to nominate our three longest tenured employees: Gerardo Lopez, José Luis Lopez and Martín Aleman. All three won!

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In the past few weeks, California has experienced a series of rain storms, which has brought much needed precipitation to our dry (and thirsty!) state after years of drought. Here in Alexander Valley, the rainfall has been consistent with about one inch per day – some days heavier and some days lighter. Here is an interview with Winemaker Parke Hafner and Vineyard Manager Dave Huebel with their perspectives on the impact of the rain on our vineyards and ranch.

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The end of September is here as is the departure of our intern, Edgar Guignard, on Monday. Edgar hails from Cognac, France where his family has a vineyard, winery and distillery. As many of you know, we have a longstanding internship program; it began in 1985 when a friend of a friend asked me if we would host a French enology student. As former interns in Burgundy, France, Sarah and I understood how an internship could inspire and influence young people, so it was easy for us to say “yes!”. Edgar is our 37th intern. 

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