At Hafner Vineyard, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do from our solar array and electric tractor to the packaging choices we make. Recently, you may have noticed that our Chardonnay bottles look a little darker. That’s because darker glass contains more recycled content, helping us reduce our carbon footprint by using fewer raw materials and less energy. We’ve long sourced American-made bottles to cut transportation emissions and support domestic manufacturing, and we’re also exploring lighter weight bottles to further lower shipping impacts. Since 1982, our Chardonnay has stayed the same. Now, the only difference is that the bottle it comes in is better for the planet.

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As a family business, I am pleased to announce that our younger daughter, Grace Hafner, is joining our winemaking team this August. She moved to Bordeaux in 2017 where she earned a Masters in Vineyard and Winery Management from Bordeaux Sciences Agro. Following internships at Château les Carmes Haut-Brion in Bordeaux and Château Marquis de Terme in Margaux, she worked for five years at Domaine de la Solitude and Château Lespault-Martillac in Martillac where she was the Maître de Chai. 

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At Hafner Vineyard, we've had fun over the years with our wildlife camera, capturing incredible glimpses of the animals that roam our ranch. Each time we check the footage, there’s a sense of excitement, sometimes it’s beautiful wildlife, other times it’s a funny surprise or a family blooper. From a bull chasing a turkey to our fourth generation helping set the camera, these moments remind us how special it is to live closely connected to nature and to witness it in its most unguarded, everyday moments. See some of our highlights. 

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For us, the hardest part of producing Rosé is the color. It seems like every year the color is slightly different than the last. That is because the color comes from the skins. When we began making Rosé in 2011, it was made following the French technique called "saignée". The color of the saignée juice is typically dark pink because the grapes are being picked for red wine…the grapes are riper, the skins are thinner, and they release color more readily. As production grew, we incorporated another technique "direct to press". Blending the saignée and direct to press wines allowed us to produce a crisper, brighter flavored Rosé similar to Provencal Rosés that was also lighter in color.

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Many years ago, we deviated from our strict business model of “no retail other than directly from us” and elected to sell our wine to just one wine shop in the entire world, The Winery. We had been approached by the owner David Motion. He travels constantly to find small producers in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and California (I know…dream job!). My husband Bill and I visited David, and his charming wife Vera two weeks ago, met the staff, and had a delicious lunch together. If you ever find yourself in London, visiting The Winery is a treat, especially if you can go for one of their many tastings.

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