On February 15th, we breathed a sigh of relief as the UPS driver closed his truck door, gave a wave, and headed out with the first load of 2011 Cabernet Tasting Packages. They arrived to Annual Tasting Program patrons’ homes throughout that week. Watch Steve, Ricardo and others in action as build, personalize and load the Tasting Packages into that first UPS truck. Our thanks to all of you in the Program. We sure appreciate it! And to make our thanks for tangible, we hope you find the surprise from the Wine Library in your Tasting Package. 

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I carry a small vineyard map in my wallet showing each block with its planting dates, rootstocks and clones, so when I walk the vineyard, I know the exact history of each area. We thought it would be fun to share a general map with you. Painted by my wife, Sarah, this vineyard map of Hafner in Alexander Valley denotes the blocks by color. Comparing this new map to my Dad’s (Dick) hand-drawn map, I am struck by what has changed and what has remained the same since we bought the ranch back in 1967.

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It was a happy Holiday Season here and elsewhere. We are honored that Hafner wine was shared in all corners of the country. Patrons opened bottles for festive celebrations or quiet nights at home or even in restaurants. We heard that Hafner was enjoyed by families who have been buying it for decades, sharing it with multiple generations…and Hafner found its way to new homes thanks to patrons who gave it to their friends and colleagues.

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Big bottles mean big celebrations and in our family, a big bottle means a jeroboam, it’s the equivalent of 6 regular sized (750 ml) bottles! What would be better to celebrate my father’s 90^th birthday than a jeroboam of Hafner Cabernet? I looked through my cellar and found a 1990, which was an excellent year here at Hafner Vineyard. A 25-year-old wine! There is a theory that the larger the bottle, the slower the aging process. To test that, I went down into my cellar and found a 750 ml bottle of the same vintage.

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