"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. Quinn Bulloch is our newest HV member at the winery joining the sales/marketing team. A Healdsburg native, she's come back home after five years teaching English in Spain. An avid baseball fan and chef, she enjoys spending time with her family.
For me, nothing says Summer like a glass of chilled Rosé…it reminds us of a trip to Provence where we discovered Rosé back in 1985. After a long day at the winery, we enjoy sipping Rosé on our terrace with family and friends. Our Rosé program began as an experiment to intensify the color of our red wines. In 2011, we began making it for our patrons and due to its popularity, we now make 50% from saignée juice and 50% is made direct to press. It is made of Malbec which gives it intense fruity components with a little bit of structure.
If you’ve called us on the phone in the last 35 years, most likely you spoke with Laurie. If you visited us here at the winery sometime since 1989, chances are Laurie greeted you. It is increasingly rare that someone devotes the majority of their professional career to one business but we have been lucky that Laurie has, and Hafner Vineyard and our patrons have been the beneficiaries. And now, Laurie is “retiring” to enjoy a more leisurely pace and not having to get up so early each morning! Laurie shares a few stories from her long time here at Hafner Vineyard.
No two years in farming are the same. Mother Nature is everchanging, impacting how we do things. This year's growing season is no different. Vineyard manager, Dave Huebel, shares how the 2023 growing season is so far, changes that he's made given the amount of rain and a new technique for sowing seeds in our insectary rows. Check out his video with highlights from this Spring.
Our most recent effort in the vineyard to reduce our carbon footprint was to eliminate the use of plastic ties. We tie vines to establish the exposure of the fruit to the elements. In the past, we had used plastic ties but this year, moved to using twine. We also use a Pellenc tying machine for our cane pruned vines, which is most of the vineyard. Often in looking for solutions to reduce our carbon footprint, we discover new things. Sometimes that pushes us outside our comfort zone, but if we are open to exploring new options and being flexible, we realize that we can change and adapt for the better. At the end of the day, we want to know that we are doing all we can preserve the environment and do the right thing.
