Our 20th Anniversary whirlwind weekend left us all feeling a bit tired but full of gratitude. Across three days, we danced, drank, ate, and reminisced on the remarkable journey that led us to this moment. We saw many familiar faces and a great many new ones, too. A celebration like this is not only about the memorable wines we’ve produced over our two decades. It’s just as much about the wonderful, one-of-a-kind community we’ve built around these wines, team members and fans alike. The entire weekend was a strong reminder of the beauty of that community. Like the winery 20 years ago, our celebration began in a vineyard.
On Friday evening, with mild, late-summer weather, a group of about 30 gathered in the Davis vineyard for an intimate and informative wine and cheese tasting led by the man himself, co-founder and lead grower Phil Davis. As we drank, we walked leisurely between different grapes, tasting the wines made from the vineyards we were in. Though the fruit was not fully ripe, Phil picked grapes as we went so we could experience the distinct flavors of the different varietals. As he explained the history of the vines on Davis Vineyard – our oldest vineyard – we were offered pieces of that history in the 2014 Blanc de Noir and the 2014 Brut, two ten-year-old sparkling wines, both made with Pinot grapes from that vineyard. We were also treated to several wines from the 2022 vintage, including the single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc dubbed “Little Lotus Flower,” named in honor of Phil’s wife, Paula. We concluded the evening with a delicious dinner at Stonecat.
Saturday started off a little rainy, but the weather broke in time for the main event. The phenomenal local funk band The Comb Down got everyone dancing, damp grass be damned! Gabo’s food truck, Sabores de Oaxaca, treated us all with their usual exciting array of authentic Mexican dishes. In addition to the many old and new friends who made their own way to the party, Lakeside Trolley stopped by to help us celebrate with their large group, bringing our total number of attendees well into the hundreds. As the band was finishing up, Phil, a true music-lover, thanked them for their foot-stomping performance, saying, “You all play to my heart!”
Things picked up again early on Sunday with a jazz brunch featuring the exceptional local guitarist Dave Richman and his trio. Gabo whipped up a brunch special for the occasion. Tasting Room Manager Jeremy Broshears created a rubescent sparkling cocktail of Bollicine and a raspberry liqueur from our neighbors, Finger Lakes Distilling. Jeremy also pulled together some very heavy hitters for special library wine flights dating back to 2012. These special flights were very popular throughout the weekend, featuring some of the finest and highest-awarded wines we’ve produced. The day came to a close with more music from Fabi’s fantastic Buena Vista Sunday club, spirited bocce matches, and more Sabores de Oaxaca – there really can never be enough!
We want to thank all of you. These 20 years have given us a lot to be thankful for, and we couldn’t have made it here without all of you appreciating our passion, joining us for the ride, and, of course, enjoying the wines. The smiles on everyone’s faces this weekend were all the thanks we needed in return. Here’s to 20 incredible years, and many, many more!
