"Meet the Team" is our blog series that introduces each of the Hafner Vineyard team members. We answer a series of questions about ourselves and our time at Hafner Vineyard. Laura Bucio is our newest voice on the phones, joining our sales team. No stranger to customer service having worked at a local bank, Laura is quick to help patrons. Laura grew up in Healdsburg but also spent summers in Mexico helping on her family's avocado ranch.
On Saturday, we had our annual Next Generation Harvest Party. Since we sell all our wine direct to people at home, this is one way that we introduce the next generation to Hafner Vineyard. We welcomed 120 guests to the winery where people tasted wine, nibbled on snacks, joined mini wine classes, shared their Hafner stories, added descriptors to the wine wheel and more. It was a perfect Fall day and a great way to toast the end of Harvest. Thanks to all who joined us!
The end of September is here as is the departure of our intern, Edgar Guignard, on Monday. Edgar hails from Cognac, France where his family has a vineyard, winery and distillery. As many of you know, we have a longstanding internship program; it began in 1985 when a friend of a friend asked me if we would host a French enology student. As former interns in Burgundy, France, Sarah and I understood how an internship could inspire and influence young people, so it was easy for us to say “yes!”. Edgar is our 37th intern.
This Summer, we invited patrons to share their "Summer Moments" with us that included Hafner wine. We were treated to dozens of entries to the photo competition. Thank you! The pictures captured every point of the compass, stretching everywhere in the United States. Every Hafner wine added to the fun: Rosé, both Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignon and the Next Red. We hope you enjoy these award-winning photos as much as we did and our sincere thanks to all who sent photos.
Giving back to the community has been instilled in our family and thus in our business. That notion is thanks to my grandmother, Mary Hafner. She embraced community and devoted much of her time to others. She listed her profession not as “winery owner” but as “community volunteer”. Grandmother managed our donations program up until she was 80 years old. She then handed it off to me. We are pleased to donate to over 200 nonprofits annually, with donations valued at about $150,000. And we are deeply impressed with the difference those organizations make in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each year.
