Name: Laurie Williams

Number of years at Hafner Vineyard: 29 years this month (November)!

This photo was taken in 2003 and all of us still work here!
(Michele, Steve, Sandy, me, Scott)

Department/Role: Customer service/operations/marketing/sales/human jukebox

What’s something most people don’t know about you? That I danced with Charles M. Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts cartoon. When I moved to Santa Rosa I began taking ballroom dance classes and he and his wife were in one of my classes. During the class we would change partners so I ended up dancing with him. Although at the time, I didn't know he was Charles Schultz. I found out later and was quite excited about it. He was a very nice, humble and generous man.

Where did you grow up? In the Midwest; born in Michigan, lived in Ohio for 5 years, then in Indiana for 12 years.

Favorite local restaurant: Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar

What’s your perfect weekend day look like? Going to the Santa Rosa farmers’ market in the morning. Getting together with a friend and going for a walk. Eating a yummy meal. Having time to sit on my deck in the sun reading a good book. Another delicious meal. Then going to a movie or watching one at home in the evening.

How else do you spend your free time? I love to travel, especially to visit new places and to see family and friends who live around the country. I am a life-long learner and enjoy taking workshops and classes to learn about different types of alternative healing modalities. I also enjoy scrapbooking and have made four wedding books (including Kate Hafner's). I love being outside and often on walks I will take pictures of flowers and make note cards out of them. Relaxing and reading.

Spending time with my "grandbaby"

Favorite Hafner wine (yes, just one!): Rosé!

What’s the best part of being part of the Hafner Vineyard team? The reason I’ve been here so long is because it’s great to work with such a wonderful family. The environment is fun, caring and we enjoy each other's company. The Hafners have so much integrity in business and in their personal lives. I appreciate that very much.

What’s the most exciting time of the year at Hafner Vineyard? There are several: For me the Holidays are an exciting time in the office. There are many gift orders that come in and it's fun because of the variety of items sent and the different gift messages. We put great effort into getting all the details right from the beginning when the order is placed to when the wine is shipped out. It creates excitement for the Holiday Season. I also love the Spring time in the vineyard because the vines begin to bud and all the beautiful new growth comes forth. And last but not least, harvest, because it's always exciting with lots of activity.

What’s the best part of living in Sonoma County? Wow, so many great things! The beauty of the countryside. The fact that there is a lot of open space; I like that it’s an agricultural county with vineyards and orchards. The mild climate and good weather. The wonderful fresh, local food. The fantastic restaurants (I'm a foodie at heart). The diversity of landscape – coastline, redwoods and hills. And there are always things to do in Sonoma County. Most weekends have either a festival, a fair, or parade. There are also wine events, food events, and wine and food events together. For me it's an ideal place to live.

Personal motto or saying that you live by:  Paraphrasing the Dalai Lama, “There is only one religion and that is kindness”.

Favorite day of the year: The day we set our clocks back one hour. Whoo hoo!

What’s a fun memory of working at Hafner Vineyard? When Grace (Parke and Sarah's younger daughter) was about 9 or 10 years old, she would come to the office after school and create a hand written "menu" of snacks we could "order". The items on the menu were usually popcorn (microwaved), water, milk, and sometimes cookies. Whatever was available in the kitchen. It was adorable because she was so earnest and really wanted to help us out by providing an afternoon snack.

What’s the craziest/funniest job you’ve done here? I started working for Scott in November of 1987 so this must have been in the late 1980s. Printers were not as efficient as they are now. We were preparing a mailing with letters, order cards and envelopes. The envelopes were on a paper roll and once they were printed someone had to stand at the printer and pull the envelopes off the roll. Plus, once off, the envelopes had to stay in order so that all the mailing materials matched. I pulled the envelopes off of this printer for three days straight once. I don't miss that task.