Hi everyone-

Like a lot of you out there, I appreciate a great glass of wine with dinner…and on any number of occasions for that matter. So, when I moved to Northern California, just down the road from Napa and Sonoma, I decided it was time to try my hand at winemaking.

For the past year, I’ve been buying grapes and turning tackling the winemaking process full force with the help of my winemaker, Kian Tavakoli, at Crushpad in San Francisco. It’s what I like to call ‘weekend warrior winemaking’ in that they facilitate the whole process for me by helping me source the fruit and then guiding me through the process. But that’s not to say it’s any less of an experience. I’m still identifying my fruit, calling the shots on the process and blending to my own personal style. The beauty in it is I can buy fruit from anywhere, of any varietal, and make it my own…I’m not limited to just what I can grow on my own plot of land.

I can’t tell you how excited I am about the results. So far, I’ve bottled two vintages of Zinfandel, an ‘06 and an ‘07 from the renowned Zinfandel-producing Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma and an ‘07 Pinot Noir from Split Rock Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast. The process alone was rewarding both in what I learned about wine and the fun in getting my hands dirty with Kian and the winery. But the real proof is in the pudding and if I do say so myself, these wines are all outstanding.

Check out our website’s store and order a bottle or two!

Cheers,

Tyler