The Holidays are always an exciting time for us here at the winery. Orders fill our mailbox. Emails with gift requests stream in through the computers. The phone begins to ring constantly. It’s fun for us to help patrons select the perfect gifts for family, friends and colleagues. Through the excitement of the Holiday Season, we often discuss with each other which gift we would give (or want to receive!). We thought it would be fun to share which are our favorites and why. And we couldn't resist including which gift of wine we would want to unwrap. 

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I truly love the Holidays, the entire Holiday Season from Halloween to New Years. It’s not that I love the actual Holidays, but rather the joy and pleasure that the Holidays bring. Whether it is a simple lunch for 6 or Thanksgiving dinner for 24, I enjoy it all. To make each meal fun and entertaining, I make place cards with the name on the front and a secret on the back. Place cards help organize the wild crew that is my family. I thought you might enjoy a place card template to use this Holiday Season. 

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Explaining in writing how our wines age can be difficult to comprehend. Actually tasting the differences between vintages gives you a chance to see the aging process in action. That is why we often have vertical tastings, both at the winery for education purposes and at home with family and friends. Inspired by my internship in France, I aim to replicate their style of winemaking by making wines that both age well and pair well with food. Enjoying a vertical tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect way to experience this. Here I share five tips on how to host your own Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical Tasting.

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At the start of September, I moved to Bordeaux to study Vineyard and Winery Management through Bordeaux Science Agro’s Master of Business and Science program. One of the things that I was most excited about my move, in addition to the copious amounts of cheese I was going to eat, was the family of interns that I would get to see. Since 1985, Hafner Vineyard has had a French intern from a university in Toulouse to help with harvest. The young man lives with my parents (and me when I was younger!) and usually is between 19 and 21 years old. Growing up, our interns were always big brothers to me. Soon after arriving in Bordeaux, I started meeting up with them, and so far, I’ve checked seven off the list. 

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Thanksgiving is full of meal planning – roasting the turkey, baking pies, making the stuffing, assembling salads. And the list goes on. Often the “wine planning” can be pushed to the back burner, which means there’s a bit of a scramble as the arrival of guests loom. Choosing wine for Thanksgiving can be challenging, so wanted to share some ideas. Whether you serve Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or even Rosé, the most important part is to enjoy the meal with friends and family.

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