Harvest is quickly approaching! Harvest is the culmination of a year's hard work for the vineyard team. I had the opportunity to sit down with Vineyard Manager David Huebel last week to check in about how the vineyard is progressing and what he anticipates this vintage will be like. He shared his thoughts on the drought, the fruit quality for 2021, when he thinks Harvest might start and much more.
At the beginning of June, we hosted “Summer Session”, our Friday evening series of virtual tastings focused on Cabernet, Chardonnay and Malbec. These “classes” were a fun way to explore our wines, their aromas and flavors, how they are made and more with patrons near and far. Each tasting was an hour. Scott Hafner welcomed patrons and introduced them to the HV Team. Winemaker Parke Hafner and his wife Sarah (the best palate in the house) tasted through the wines, and we shared some fun videos to help take people behind the scenes here at Hafner Vineyard. We closed the session with a lively Q&A that I hosted where patrons were able to grill Uncle Scott and Dad/Parke about all things wine. Watch the recordings here.
We have 250 acres here in Alexander Valley. Of those about 100 are cultivated to vines on the valley floor. The rest are oak woodlands in the hills that we leave for the wildlife. We often wonder what critters call this land their home. Occasionally we’ll cross paths with a deer (often two!) or see a jack rabbit dart through the vineyard or an egret fly to the creek or even a coyote trot up the hillside. We know there must be more, so we set a wildlife camera in various locations around the ranch, hoping to catch a glimpse of the animals. I also took some drone footage high over the hills and created a short film for you to see our furry and feathered neighbors.
Harvest is always a fun and exciting time of year when a lot happens. It’s the culmination of a year’s work for the vineyard team and the start to a new vintage for the cellar team. During the Cabernet Sauvignon Harvest of 2020, we wanted to take you behind the scenes here at Hafner Vineyard to share with you that excitement. Check out this film to get an authentic look at the Harvest.
When we closed our "Fire Update" blog for the Walbridge Fire, we noted that we hoped that it was the only fire blog for the year. That was in August, at the beginning of fire season. Here we are at the end of September with a new "Fire Update" blog; this time about the Glass Fire. A new way of life for California. We have been touched by the calls and emails from patrons, friends and family concerned about our safety with this fire. We are safe. The Glass Fire is not a threat to us here in Alexander Valley, although it is devastating parts of Napa Valley and the hills of eastern Santa Rosa. On our blog, we share resources for you to monitor the fire's development.
