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!

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Wine tasting can be intimidating, but with a few hints, tasting wine can be lot of fun. And remember, there isn’t a right or wrong answer…it’s your preference. All you need is a little knowledge to back up your opinion and you’ll wow your friends with your tasting skills. I share 3 steps on how to taste wine along with flavor and aroma descriptors plus a downloadable wine descriptions chart. We hope you have fun learning how to taste wine and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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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. 

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I have been living in Bordeaux studying for my Masters in Vineyard and Winery Management. While I'm here, I have had the opportunity to see a number of our former interns. Some of them are working in the wine industry, while others visit Bordeaux for vacation. I've enjoyed dinners with them, worked for one and even run into another on the streets. Alexander Valley can feel far away, but anytime I see one of them, I feel instantly at home. It's been very fun to continue the friendships with them - some for over two decades. 

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The Holidays are busy here at Hafner Vineyard so Mary, my wife and co-founding partner, always planned a Holiday lunch for the winery team...in January. Carrying on her tradition, we gathered last Thursday to have a glass of wine (or two), enjoy a warm fire in the potbelly stove on a cold, wet Winter day and have lunch together. We always enjoy spending time together as the Hafner Vineyard Family and sharing stories of the Holiday excitement. It's a moment to take a breath and appreciate the hard work that we all accomplished throughout the year. 

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