"Meet the Team" is our blog series that introduces each of the Hafner Vineyard team members. We each answer a series of questions about ourselves and our time at Hafner Vineyard. Up next, Gerardo Lopez! He works in the vineyard and has been at Hafner Vineyard for 33 years. When he's not working, he can be found on the fútbol field...playing with guys almost half his age!
We are lucky this year to have not just one French intern, but three! Guillaume Marre arrived in the first week of June and returned to France at the end of September for the start his school. Fortunately, Charles Marcoin and Aurélie Wycke came mid-September, so Guillaume could teach them about the life and expectations of an intern at Hafner Vineyard (most importantly, to spell "P-O-O-L" in front of Annie, our Labrador and waterdog extraordinaire.) Why did they want to be interns at Hafner Vineyard here in Alexander Valley far from Paris? Well, let me tell you...
When people ask me what it’s like to drive the machine harvester, it’s a bit hard to imagine, so we thought it might be fun to have you ride along with me. During the Chardonnay harvest, I wore a GoPro on my head so that you could see what it’s like to drive the harvester through my eyes. Warning! I tried to keep as steady as possible but I did have to move quite a bit.
Patrons regularly tell us that they enjoy hearing about the two dozen members of the Hafner Vineyard Team…those in the vineyard and in the winery…and elsewhere! So we thought it might be fun to share with you a little more about each of us. We invite you to join us as we “Meet the Team” – the people who grow, make and sell Hafner wine. When you make a suggestion like this series to your Uncle (Scott Hafner) and he accepts, you then are the guinea pig… so here we go!
Thinking about selling Hafner wine for 30 years, I recently asked Mom and Dad, "What would you say is our pricing philosophy?" "To make an honest living," Mom said. In a business, core convictions that keep one focused and oriented in a consistent manner are a great help. When those business priorities parallel personal ethics, the direction is even clearer. To make “an honest living” in this sense means respecting the wine, our patrons, our staff and the family. At the end of the day, not only do we feel great about the quality of Hafner wine, but also that we are able to offer these wines at such a strong value.
