Welcome to the Hafner Vineyard blog. Here, we share what’s happening around the vineyard and winery, along with wine education, helpful wine tips, stories from our patrons, and some of our favorite things to do in Healdsburg and Sonoma County.
We hope you enjoy following along, and if there’s something you’d like to learn more about, we’d love to hear from you.
Send your ideas to kate@hafnervineyard.com
The Press
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 Tas...
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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 ...
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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 o...
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'90 Cabernet for a Celebration
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 90th birth...
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Photos and stories fill our inboxes and social media pages from patrons and gift recipients alike who enjoyed Hafner wine over the past months. In December, we invited people to share photos of the...
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Special wines are shared for special occasions. Wine is meant to be enjoyed, not hidden away in a cellar. So we encourage you to open and share those bottles that you’ve been holding. We’d love it ...
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Malolactic Fermentation Chardonnay
When asked the question–“What has most influenced my winemaking philosophy/style?”–I would have to answer my internship at Domaine des Comtes Lafon. René Lafon opened my eyes to his traditional tec...
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It's a Rorschach Test! What do you see? A familiar and beautiful watercolor painted by Sarah Hafner of our winery built in the classic 19th century California barn style? The lovely blue skies that...
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Years ago when we were in school, field trips were always a source of great excitement. Last Friday, that feeling came back, except we were the attraction! Graciella Juarez, assistant winemaker Ric...
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This weekend the vineyard colors and sunlight here in Alexander Valley were so striking that I couldn’t resist the opportunity to snap some aerial photos. After Harvest, the vines slowly start to g...
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Benefits of an Estate Vineyard
As all winemakers know, winemaking starts in the vineyard. Having our winery at the southeast corner of our vineyard (30 feet away!) ensures that I’m out in the vineyard frequently. That, in my opi...
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Share (verb): To participate in, use, enjoy or experience jointly. When brainstorming for a hashtag (A hashtag is a word or phrase used on social media to identify a topic or trend.), we received ...
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Speedy Chardonnay Bottling with GoPro
Late July and early August days are filled with my least favorite job – bottling. It’s both stressful and monotonous. We bottle our Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Next Red (all from our Alexand...
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Interns Past, Present and Future
Ludovic David, our intern in 1990 and now the General Manager at Chateau Marquis de Terme, came back to visit us and brought his son, Guillaume. Guillaume will go to the same university, Purpan, wh...
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I started taking photos with a “big girl” camera when my children were in high school. I was pretty sure I could do a better job capturing the personality of my kids than the folks hired to come to...
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Driving through the Wine Country, you may notice some vineyards are void of any vegetation on the vineyard floor, while others have grass and weeds growing between the rows, and still others are a ...
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Aging wine can be intimidating, so we thought we’d provide our experience and perspective. Here is a “Wine Aging 101” to focus on our Alexander Valley Cabernet...so grab your pencil and a glass of ...
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Cooking wasn’t always easy. The first meal I made for Dick as a married couple 61 years ago was a disaster. I overcooked the lamb chops, burned the yellow squash and Dick had to teach me how to mak...
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Why paint, why watercolor? The answer for me is both simple and complex. The simple answer is… Scott, my boss, liked my pen and ink drawings, but he felt that color would add to the illustrations. ...
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