Gift giving. It’s a fun challenge (and sometimes overwhelming) to find just the right gift. We are always honored when patrons trust us with the job of sending joy on their behalf. We are even more delighted when patrons give Hafner wine year after year. Over 90% of patrons who give one year, give Hafner wine again the next year. We are deeply humbled by that. Thank you! We wanted to share some messages from our patrons and the reason they give Hafner wine.
As many people know, the Kincade Fire broke out in Alexander Valley and is close to Hafner Vineyard. We are monitoring its progress and will post updates here daily as we can. Thank you to all the first responders who put their lives in harm's way to protect our community. We are so grateful to everyone who has contacted us and expressed concern. We are deeply humbled by that.
It may come as no surprise that we enjoy reading and referencing wine books. Viticulture and enology have a rich history with plenty to learn. Here are my top 5 wine books. They include a narrative about the Russian River and its influence in our region, a story of the famous Paris Tasting which put California on the "wine map", a history of Argentina's wine industry and its rise of Malbec, a grape varietal encyclopedia that you could spend days reading and the ever-trustworthy wine atlas. Happy reading!
Since we sell nearly all our wine direct to people at home, we are always trying to cultivate new interest and bring in the next generation of patrons. As the first member in the third generation of Hafners on staff, I was tasked with finding a creative approach to do this. We came up with the idea of hosting the Next Gen Party. It is a fun afternoon with wine, homemade snacks, activities and lots of mingling.
In 2014, the Sonoma County Winegrowers set a goal of being the first county in the country to have 100% sustainably farmed vineyards. Since Day One at Hafner Vineyard, we have focused on minimizing our impact on the environment and farming our 100 acres with the intention of preserving the soil's health for future generations. We were excited that the Winegrowers had sparked this movement, so we joined them. Annually the Winegrowers publish a Sustainability Report detailing the county's progress. We are honored to be included... twice!
