Last Saturday, we hosted our annual Next Generation Harvest Party here at the winery. It’s a way we introduce the next generation of Hafner patrons to our wine and wine in general. We had a lively bunch of about 150 guests and 50 children for afternoon in the Grove. People tasted an array of our wines, enjoyed locally-sourced and homemade bites, played games like cornhole, gathered around the community table to share their story of Hafner wine, and on their way out, packed their cars with wine to enjoy at home.
To make wine more approachable and fun, we offered four short classes. Scott Hafner shared a bit about wine marketing and asked for class participation which Next Gen-ers readily offered. Third generation and newest HV team member, Grace, pulled from her years of experience in Bordeaux to talk about the differences between France and California winemaking. Sarah Hafner led a session on food and wine pairing plus shared a fun cootie catcher to help. And Winemaker Parke Hafner walked everyone through how we craft our sparkling wine and a visit into the caves.

This gathering always stands out as a Fall highlight for us. It’s a chance to make new connections and reconnect with familiar faces. At the close of the afternoon, Scott asked guests to raise their hands if they were first, second, or third generation HV patrons. This year, we were thrilled to count 10 attendees from the third-generation of family members enjoying Hafner wine and 15 representing the second-generation in their family. Since we sell all our wine direct to people at home, it’s a deeply meaningful affirmation when our wines are passed down through generations.

A heartfelt Thank You to all the Next Gen-ers who joined us this year and to all those who we’ve welcomed since we began this Party in 2012. We truly appreciate you sharing and spreading the word about our wines.

If you know someone between roughly 21 and 45 years old who has an interest in wine and might like to join the Next Gen group for future events, please send us their name and email address. All attendees are welcome to bring a guest or two.

Here are some memorable moments from the party: