Thanksgiving 2022: Still learning after all these years….

Still learning after all these years….

…we probably can all say this and do. Gracianna-types are experience seekers and lifelong learners. You know who you are.

You might have seen a reference in one of our newsletters recently where Ashley wrote that some folks have heard me mention that Gracianna used to talk A LOT about being thankful when I was a kid.

But who knew? Sadly, my great grandparents were distant when I was a kid, and as a kid I was too young to fully comprehend the learning that can come from those who have lived long lives. When I was young I didn’t understand the meaning of gratitude or grateful or thankful. Fortunately, a great-grandparents’ love or impact does not need to be distant.

I have quipped that I probably did not truly understand what gratitude was until I was in my 50’s…coincidentally about the time that we started Gracianna. The reason? It was just a word. It was a value that I knew was important yet had not given it the time to fully comprehend.

We tried to uncover the meaning behind why we were starting the winery aside from catching our kid making wine in the garage when he was 15 years old.

And then we realized it was more, much more. Lisa and I felt that going into business with our kids was a way to transfer two lives worth of learning how to allow our hearts to lead in a business. We felt that we could build a brand that we would be proud to grow as a legacy that would act as a magnet for the family—that would bring us and keep us close so we could share mission and meaning that would be fulfilling. Where our lives as servant leaders could allow us to advocate for being thankful for what we had found: love. The value of being grateful washed over us knowing then that what we had been flirting with, that the little grateful seed that Gracianna had planted, had finally sprouted.

It was important to Gracianna, the woman. In her advanced age (and for those of us advanced or advancing) it is not lost on us that many things sharpen in this age cohort and she knew the impact she could make if she tried. She knew that being grateful would emerge, later, much later with important meaning for many reasons. Health being a major driver, who knew one’s health could be such a source of singular focus? Holding love close, reconciliation, dear old friends, laughter and fun and did I mention health?

Also, in a recent newsletter we had mentioned a dear friend who was in turmoil with several things going south all at the same time. We looked at each other and without saying a word understood two things: 1) we needed to be there for our friend now and persistently and, 2) that we have a lot to be grateful for.

Knowing all of you the way we do—we see in your faces and feel your hugs and in your messages about how Gracianna has found a place in your family and on your kitchen table and your gift-giving list because it is a small reminder that being grateful is an easy, healthy positive part of our lives. And the wine is brilliant too.

Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving—we send our love today and every day.

—Trini & Lisa and the entire Gracianna team and family

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World-renowned Mises Institute chooses Gracianna to spotlight a successful small business with a steady focus on customer values

Gracianna Winery is on a tear! Recently the winery has received a multitude of 98-point gold and double-gold medals from prestigious wine competitions, earned high praise from the wine press for its stunning and collectible 2019 Stagecoach Vineyard® Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and racked up hospitality accolades across multiple platforms, including Tripadvisor, Yelp and Airbnb.

Today, the Mises Institute has revealed that Gracianna, among other innovative entrepreneurs, is one of America’s preeminent small businesses by featuring the winery in a series of videos produced by the Institute that tell the story of small business success.

These videos help other small businesses recognize best practices and learn ways to grow as well. “We now have a valuable showcase for what’s possible through entrepreneurship, and what it takes in commitment and hard work, in order to reap great earned rewards,” said Hunter Hastings of the Mises Institute. He is also host of the Economics for Business podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/economics-for-business/id1453233518.

Only ten years ago there were 115 “Things to Do” in Healdsburg where Gracianna is located and the owner used to quip, “We are 116th because we are not even on the list.” Now that Gracianna is the “#1 Thing to Do” in Healdsburg for five years running according to Tripadvisor, the winery has a lot to talk about: outstanding award-winning wine that equals the intimate experience delivered by a smart, experienced hospitality family-team that has been handpicked to meet—and exceed—guests’ needs.

Six businesses were recognized in this round during the Mises Institute 40th Anniversary Summit. “The Mises Institute, and specifically the Economics for Business

Program, will be employing the videos broadly as examples of brilliant entrepreneurial initiative and sustained success, and Gracianna exemplifies the best qualities of future-focused brands by genuinely understanding what their customers and members value the most,” said Hastings.

The feature showcasing Gracianna Winery can be viewed here: econ4business.com and on Gracianna’s YouTube channel at: https://youtu.be/2gMsMQ2DDNY.

Lisa Amador, Gracianna co-founder, said, “It is humbling to be granted this accolade. We work hard to earn this acknowledgement, so this recognition from Mises among the hundreds of thousands of other small businesses in California alone, is a testament to the qualities we strive for when serving guests: grace, graciousness and gratitude that drive deep connections with our guests that can and will last a lifetime.”

The hallmark of entrepreneurial brands is constant, but deliberate, innovation, and in order to extend the warm and gracious feeling of being at the winery, Gracianna recently launched a new hospitality initiative. This offering, the Grateful Gathering virtual tasting, is designed for team building and client engagement using its intimate wine tasting model, but now as a portable wine tasting kit that can be shipped anywhere complemented with a one-hour online tasting conducted by Gracianna’s expertly-trained and entertaining wine experts. Businesses or individuals wishing to host their own Grateful Gathering virtual tasting may do so at https://www.gracianna.com/gratefulgathering. 

ABOUT MISES INSTITUTE

The Mises Institute, founded in 1982, teaches the scholarship of Austrian economics, freedom, and peace. The Institute serves students, academics, business leaders, and anyone seeking better understanding of the Austrian school of economics and libertarian political theory. Economics For Business is the Mises Institute’s educational outreach program for entrepreneurial business.

 

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GRACIANNA WINERY REVEALS HOW TO DEEPEN BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS IN A TROUBLED ECONOMY

Grateful Gathering Virtual Tasting program designed for team building and client engagement

Today, Gracianna Winery in Sonoma County, California is excited to announce their newest service offering, an integrated virtual tasting called “Grateful Gathering”—for those desiring innovative approaches to virtual team building with work colleagues and clients.

Through relationships with corporate clients/members, Gracianna has tracked the need to join groups together to deepen distanced work connections and celebrate the things teams are thankful for. “The ability to connect with a client or gather work teams of 8 or more across many locations to engage outside of our stressful work environment is a severe corporate need! Our ‘Grateful Gathering’ online wine tasting is designed around the ease of virtual technology in order to deliver a fun and intimate Sonoma County wine tasting experience, while helping clients build and maintain satisfied clients and employees,” said Lisa Amador, Gracianna co-founder.

The program is designed for work teams to better collaborate by gathering around a relaxing wine tasting to celebrate a promotion, the landing of a big client, hitting sales targets, or just a way to reward those who suffer the stress of working apart all year. Or, break the ice with a new client by doing something fun in a non-selling environment.

Kerry Huffman, VP, Client Services of Labrador Systems, Inc., developer of a new generation of assistive robots, says “Keeping partners and clients happy is our goal. We are constantly on the lookout for new and innovative ways to delight and surprise them, trying to go beyond what they expect from a ‘standard’ business relationship. Our Gracianna Winery ‘Grateful Gatherings’ have been well received and paid off for this small CRM investment. Next we plan to award our own team members with the program.”

Additionally, families and friends can take advantage of the program to celebrate an engagement, anniversary, birthday, reunion or just get everyone together for an impromptu reunion for groups of 8 or more!

It’s very easy to get started: “Simply tell us how many tasting kits you need, where to send them, and when you want to hold the virtual tasting. We do the rest! We handle billing, shipping, and organizing. The tasting will be conducted by an expertly trained Grateful Gathering host and lasts about an hour,” adds Fernando Arellano, Gracianna Hospitality Manager.Each tasting kit arrives in safe, weather-appropriate packaging and contains four award-winning Gracianna Russian River Valley wines in 50ml glass bottles—a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel. Ground shipping is included and each kit is $75 which also includes the hour-long well-produced virtual tasting with a brand ambassador. (Tax will be added and summer weather shipping is extra when required for safe travel.)

Businesses or individuals wishing to host their own Grateful Gathering virtual tasting may do so at https://www.gracianna.com/gratefulgathering/

Extending beyond the multitude of gold medals from wine competitions and honors from the wine press, Gracianna has recently been racking up hospitality accolades across multiple platforms, including Yelp, Tripadvisor and Airbnb. On Tripadvisor, Gracianna is a 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award Winner, placing it in the top 10% of attractions worldwide. This is a multi-year continuation of Gracianna’s hosting accolades. Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor says, “The Travelers’ Choice Awards recognize the best in tourism and hospitality, according to those who matter most: guests.”

Recently Yelp featured Gracianna— with a five-star overall rating—in the list of Top 10 Wineries in California, out of a field of 3,600 wineries in the state. And for six years running, Gracianna has been named an Airbnb SuperHost for their two spectacular properties, the Gracianna Estate Loft and the Sea Ranch Lodge & Bunkhouse.

 

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GRACIANNA WINERY AGAIN RATED TOP CALIFORNIA WINERY

The summer of 2022 has been very kind to Gracianna! Not only has the winery has been receiving a multitude of gold medals from wine competitions and admirations from the wine press for its release of the stunning and collectible 2019 Stagecoach Vineyard® Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, but beyond those honors, Gracianna has also been racking up hospitality accolades across multiple platforms, including Tripadvisor, Yelp and Airbnb. As a small family-owned and operated winery, Gracianna counts on reviews left on these industry standard hospitality sites (along with others such as Facebook and Google) to help maintain awareness of their brand among a veritable sea of winery choices. “Welcoming guests is our focus, we are so grateful for the numerous distinctions recently won and redouble our effort to continue building on these reviews and continue to offer intimate tasting experiences from the Miracle Mile of the lauded Westside Road in Healdsburg in Sonoma County, California.”

On Tripadvisor, Gracianna was named again as a Travelers’ Choice Award Winner, placing it in the top 10% of attractions worldwide. This is a multi-year continuation of Gracianna’s hosting accolades, consistently placing Gracianna as #1 on the list of “Top Things To Do In Healdsburg” and overall among the over 2,000 wineries and vineyards in California, Gracianna ranks in the top 2-3% as sorted by traveler favorites. Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor says, “The Travelers’ Choice Awards recognize the best in tourism and hospitality, according to those who matter most: guests.”

KRON Channel 4 in San Francisco recently featured Gracianna in an article, “Find out the top 10 wineries of California.” The list was created with a methodology that evaluated all of the California wineries on Yelp using several factors, including the number and quality of ratings. All top 10 wineries have a five-star overall rating and held that score as of June 2022. “We were quite excited that Gracianna was included on this important list. We work hard to earn this sort of acknowledgement, and though we have thousands of wineries competing with us in California alone, this gesture is a testament to the qualities we strive for when serving guests: grace, graciousness and gratitude that drive connections with our guests that can last a lifetime,” says Fernando Arellano, Gracianna Hospitality Manager.

To read the post, visit: https://www.kron4.com/news/california/the-must-try-wineries-in-california-according-to-yelp/

And for six years running, Gracianna has been named an Airbnb SuperHost for their two spectacular properties, the Gracianna Estate Loft and the Sea Ranch Lodge & Bunkhouse. See these properties here: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14088383 and https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/38461275.

In order to extend the warm and gracious feeling of being at the winery, Gracianna recently launched a new hospitality initiative. This offering, the Grateful Gathering virtual tasting, is designed for team building and client engagement using the winery’s intimate wine tasting model, but now as a portable wine tasting kit that can be shipped anywhere, joined with a one-hour online tasting conducted by Gracianna’s industry-leading wine experts. Businesses or individuals wishing to host their own Grateful Gathering virtual tasting may do so at https://www.gracianna.com/gratefulgathering/.

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Gracianna’s 2019 Stagecoach Vineyard® Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Debuts

Is there a more magical time of year than the Summer Solstice, when the night gives way to day, with more moments of sunshine in which to play? We think not. The stuff of legends going back to ancient times, the Summer Solstice was thought to be a time when nymphs and faeries dwelled among humans, sparking fun, creativity and merriment. Whether you believe in magic or not, there’s no harm in giving it a try.

The longest day of the year is the perfect time to open a wine filled with mirth and warmth: even better, a wine from a storied vineyard that packs its own myth. That would be Stagecoach Vineyard® in Napa Valley, California, named for the stagecoach that ran through the property between Oakville and Monticello in the 19th century. And that wine would be the 2019 Gracianna Stagecoach Vineyard® Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, yet another gift from the winery that sports a festive red-bowed gift box on its label, representing an expression of gratitude for all things treasured in this life.

The first Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon to be produced by Gracianna brings one of the finest and most iconic vineyards in Napa Valley into the sphere of a premium Russian River Valley Pinot Noir house. Known for gently powerful Sonoma Pinot Noirs that favor soft ripe fruit and lush textures, it’s no wonder that a Cabernet from Gracianna combines approachability with ageability. It delivers splendidly on the melding of expressive hillside fruit like cassis and blackberry, along with rich dark chocolate-covered blueberries, earthy depth, a touch of black pepper and robust coffee, carried artfully on the luxurious mouthfeel to a long-distance finish.

Fittingly, Stagecoach Vineyard is the largest contiguous planting of vines in Napa Valley. It’s a 1300-acre property on which more than 600 acres are under vine. Planting this steep hilly land that overlooks Oakville and Yountville in the Napa Valley appellation required removing millions of pounds of volcanic rock to make way for planting grapevines. Just putting vines into this hallowed ground, filled with subterranean secrets, and blessed with an extreme diurnal shift of night to daytime temperatures, was a labor of love and determination.

With an average daytime high temperature of around 88° degrees during the growing season, the nocturnal temperatures drop to around 55° degrees, which slows sugar accumulation and leads to long slow ripening. Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is generally not harvested until late October.

Such a unique climate and setting, along with meticulous hand-farming, creates highly sought-after fruit, with iconic Napa wineries sourcing from the vineyard year after year, and many more wishing they could do so.

This isn’t the first Cabernet Sauvignon rodeo for the winery, though. Gracianna Winery’s initial foray into this grape was the 2018 Gracianna Lutèce Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from the Napa Valley floor in St. Helena, which garnered three Gold medals and a Double Gold from the world’s most prestigious wine competitions. Lutèce is the medieval name for Paris, from which winery co-owner Trini Amador III’s French Basque great-grandmother, Gracianna Lasaga, disembarked for America from her ancestral home in the Pyrenees.

Lasaga and her family were sheepherders, settling in Santa Barbara and then Santa Maria, California. Amador remembers his maternal great-grandmother as always filled with life and gratitude, and it was in her honor that the family founded the winery in 2005 and graced it with her name. Gracianna Winery’s brand promises “wines for those with something to be grateful for,” and each wine represents a note of thanks for all that converged to make it possible.

A poignant short film directed by Elliot deBruyn, called “Gratitude,” which was submitted to the Cannes Short Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Manhattan Film Festival, and Napa Valley Film Festival, can be viewed here: Grateful

With the impending debut of the 2019 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Gracianna is taking the next step in its evolution and expanding its collection of noteworthy wines.

On such an occasion, Lisa Amador, whose family name is attached to one of the earliest California settlers, pauses to reflect. “Using Cabernet Sauvignon from Stagecoach Vineyard is a pinnacle moment for us as a winery. We will never lose sight of what a privilege it is to be part of the winegrowing community and to be stewards of the land, from which all great things come. To share a bit of Napa’s rich history through a beautiful and collectible example such as this wine, makes us grateful. We hope collectors of great Cabernet Sauvignon, along with lovers of accessible wines that can be enjoyed right now, gift themselves the opportunity to experience our instant classic Stagecoach Vineyard release from Gracianna.”

Only 142 cases of this wine will be released on the Summer Solstice, June 21, 2022.

Already acknowledged by several wine competitions and reviewers, the wine scored Double Gold at the 2022 Los Angeles Invitational Wine Challenge, where judges awarded it 98 points, declaring it a “massive Cab,” noting the “lovely aromatics, roasted coffee bean, dark chocolate, mocha and complex, beautiful tannins.”

Additionally, the wine was awarded Gold at the 2022 Sommeliers Choice Awards (94 points) and described as “a fruit-forward nose driven by black plum, fig, prune black cherry combined with earthy notes of agave, brown sugar, and mezcal. Dry red wine with robust flavors of ripe red and black berries,” a Gold medal awarded at the 2022 North Coast Wine Challenge and a Gold at the 2022 Sunset International Wine Competition (93 points). The esteemed James Suckling notes the wine is “…spicy on the nose with clove and cinnamon to the black fruit. It’s medium-bodied with firm, creamy tannins and a juicy finish,” while Sonoma County’s Press Democrat says “Tangy, high-toned fruit of cherry, cranberry and a hint of pomegranate. Balanced, with crisp acid. Silky texture. Striking. 4.5/5 stars.”

Well-built and muscular as a horse fit to pull a stagecoach, this pedigreed Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, offered at Sonoma County prices, belongs in your cellar.

The 2019 Gracianna Stagecoach Vineyard® Cabernet Sauvignon ($128) can be ordered directly from Gracianna and will be shipped subject to hot weather shipping considerations) starting June 21, 2022 at www.gracianna.com/purchase.

by Laura Ness, wine author, columnist and judge

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Best Chocolate Cake Ever

It’s true! If you like chocolate this is the best and “moistest” cake EVER. You may just want to start your meal with dessert!

Prep time: 30 minutes  |  Cook time: 45 minutes  |  Serves: 10-12

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 cup buttermilk (can also use almond or coconut milk)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (can use canola or melted coconut oil)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F.

Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring pan. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl. Whisk until well combined. Add milk, oil, eggs and vanilla to the flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to cake batter until well combined. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely.

Add cocoa to a large bowl, whisk thoroughly to remove any lumps. With a mixer, cream together butter and cocoa powder. Add sugar and milk to cocoa mixture, adding one cup of sugar and one tablespoon of milk. Once combined, mix on high for about 1 minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk has been added.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoons espresso powder

DIRECTIONS

Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well. If frosting appears too dry, add more milk a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears too wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioners’ sugar a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.

LEVEL AND FROST

Be patient! Cake must be completely cooled before frosting. Level first layer of cake by placing it on a flat surface. Using a serrated knife, cut the dome off the cake. To prevent cake from sliding, place a couple of tablespoons of frosting on your cake plate before placing the first layer, then begin frosting from the top down to the sides. Place the second layer, flat side down, on top of the first layer and repeat the same steps, frosting top to the side of cake and closing the gaps between layers with frosting until smooth.

 

Download a .pdf copy

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Basquo! A Gracianna Winery Basque-Inspired Cookbook just released by Gracianna Press

Gracianna Press is pleased to announce the publication of Basquo! A Gracianna Winery Basque-Inspired Cookbook, in time for the holidays. The book is authored by Gracianna co-founder Lisa Amador, and represents her joy of cooking Basque cuisine and culture, with contributions by cooks and chefs close to her. Gracianna Winery’s namesake, Gracianna Lasaga, was a French-Basque sheepherders’ wife who made gracious meals for the farmers and instilled in the family the concept of gratitude, which is the foundation upon which the winery was built. That is why Gracianna wines are for those with something to be grateful for.

This 74-page, hardcover cookbook features 22 recipes for mains, sides and sweets. The vivid photography brings dishes to life. Easy to follow ingredients lists and step-by-step directions encourage people with no experience making Basque food to try their hand at creating delicious dishes that will gratify everyone at the table. Featured recipes include “Classic Basque Piperade”, “Classic French Rosemary Grilled Chicken”, “Gracianna ‘Gratitude’ Salad Dressing”, and even some Amador family favorites such as Carrot Cake and “Gâteau Basque.”

Renowned around the world for its unique language and distinct culture, the Basque region has produced some of the world’s most highly-rated restaurants and as such has become a major culinary travel destination. Basque cuisine however can be easily brought into the home, and is based in straightforwardness and simplicity, drawing heavily on access to fresh ingredients that blend together to produce delectable creations.

Chef Carlos Mojica from Guiso Latin Fusion, TripAdvisor’s top-rated restaurant in Healdsburg in the heart of the Russian River wine country, writes in his foreword “I…see that the gratitude, graciousness and grace of Gracianna is embodied by this brilliant home chef.”

Author Lisa Amador adds, “Coming together for a meal is a meaningful experience at our house. My interest in cooking started in high school and carried through college to now. Creating a meal in the kitchen fills our hearts, feeds our souls, relaxes our mind and is a demonstrable way for us to know that we are taking care of our friends and family.”

Basquo! can be ordered direct from Gracianna.com: www.gracianna.com/collection/wines.

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Good News: Gratefulness Still Most Prevalent Emotion

Americans Feeling Optimistic About the Future

DAVIS, Calif., and HEALDSBURG, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 — Americans are optimistic about what the future holds for them despite living in a global pandemic and grappling with uncertain financial, relationship, health and political concerns. However, even in the spring of 2021, people were still reporting significantly more gratitude than any other positive emotion.

According to the second wave of a landmark study on gratitude conducted by UC Davis and Gracianna Winery, in the spring of 2021—as in the spring of 2020—people in the US were still reporting significantly more gratitude than any other positive emotion; however, compared to the spring of 2020, people’s sense of gratitude declined by 8% while calmness declined by 6%, both greater declines than other positive emotions such as happiness and joyfulness which actually trended up slightly. Researchers agree that this decline in gratitude is likely attributable to such factors as pandemic fatigue, social unrest, and a divisive election, among other societal dynamics. Importantly study authors point out there was no significant change in negative emotions over the year.

When asked about their current emotional state, respondents in 2021 indicate they strongly feel positive emotions such as gratitude/thankfulness (87% of respondents), as well as feeling happy (85%) and optimistic (75%).

Researchers summarize that pandemic fatigue is likely wearing heavily on Americans. Participants report that they now feel less grateful, possibly because they are essentially in the same position as they were in 2020, having to deal with the effects of the pandemic on a day-to-day basis.

The second wave study reveals that people reported significantly more worry/stress than any other negative emotion in both surveys. Philip Watkins of Eastern Washington University, study collaborator says that, “given the nature of the pandemic, it is not surprising to find that worries remain, though interestingly negative emotions stayed relatively unchanged between 2020 and 2021.”

When polled about to whom they felt grateful for the possibility of getting a vaccine, respondents are overwhelmingly more likely to be grateful to health professionals (85%), followed by science/pharmaceutical companies (76%), with a steep drop to President Biden (35%), God (26%), and finally former President Trump (14%). Respondents attributed the development and distribution of the vaccine mostly to healthcare providers (60% were “very responsible.”)

“We are happy to see that gratefulness is still the leading positive emotion by far,” said Trini Amador, III, Partner of study co-sponsor Gracianna Winery, “It is important to remind folks that gratefulness is still a healthy driver of optimism as the pandemic drags on.”

The study team repeated the survey from 2020 to measure the longer-term effects of the crises on emotional health. UC Davis, Professor of Psychology and initial study co-author Robert Emmons noted that “The outcome of this follow-up survey supports the idea that even as Americans grapple with overarching concerns such as the uncertainty about an end to the COVID pandemic and the worries about economic, racial and political divides permeating society, as a whole we value gratitude more than any other positive emotion,” Emmons says. “The notion that gratitude has declined overall correlates to the anxiety we have collectively about when our lives will return to ‘normal’ and when and if we can address the tough challenges posed by a divided public and our collective future.”

 

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Gracianna Winery Releases Grateful Film Worldwide: Short film by Elliot deBruyn focuses on Sonoma County and Gratitude

(Healdsburg, CA) Elliot deBruyn, Brooklyn-based cinematographer and documentary filmmaker lends his talents to Sonoma County winery, Gracianna, as he debuts his latest work as a short film, “Grateful.”  The upcoming film focuses on Gracianna Winery’s brand promise—“wines for those with something to be grateful for”—featuring the very best of Sonoma County’s environment and majesty.

Gracianna’s promotional film will premiere online on May 7th, 2021 kicking off the winery’s season as they once again open their tasting room to wine lovers.

The Amador Family believes in the message of gratitude so much that they have submitted the short into various film festivals including the Cannes Short Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Manhattan Film Festival, Napa Valley Film Festival and the Austin Film Festival.

deBruyn also shoots internationally having lived in China making documentaries, commercials, and branded content for global brands like AirBnB, Volvo, CNN, Apple, Google, the New York Times and many others. deBruyn said, “I loved the Gracianna project in Sonoma County. I have a deep connection to Westside Road (the Russian River Valley) and feel a calling to be there. Gracianna’s message of gratitude is an important one that resonates with me and my family.”

“Visitors emerging from the confines of the pandemic are excited to reconnect with loved ones, and are seeking out travel experiences that support this,” said Todd O’Leary, VP of Marketing and Communications with Sonoma County Tourism. “The story in Gracianna’s film, of a mother and daughter connecting through a series of lovely experiences is a wonderfully emotive example of how Life Opens Up in Sonoma County.”

View the film “Grateful” by visiting https://www.gracianna.com/grateful-film/

About the Director:

Elliot deBruyn is a documentary and advertising director and Director of Photography based in New York City. From 2012-2019, deBruyn has lived and worked in China for various global clients including The New York Times, Nike, Airbnb, the International Red Cross and more. He is drawn to human interest documentary features, breaking news, travel advertising and non-profit film production, but has also worked on TVCs, corporate documentaries, short narrative films and music videos. deBruyn is bilingual in Mandarin Chinese and English and travels globally for projects.

 

 

 

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Gracianna Audiobook Available on Audible Today: Trini Amador’s gripping true-life tale of his brave and heroic great-grandmother comes to life

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Healdsburg, CA) Award-winning author, producer, storyteller, global brand marketer, and partner in Gracianna Winery, Trini Amador, finally tells the story of his great-grandmother Gracianna Lasaga’s life in a way only he could in his upcoming audio novel Gracianna. Gracianna is written and narrated by Mr. Amador and distributed by Blackstone Publishing and released on Audible.com today.

The book, recorded at Squeaky Cheese Studios in Petaluma, California, was co-produced by award winning producers Ralph Scott and Kendra Murray and was mastered by Bob Shepherd Music.

Gracianna is now exclusively available to download on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Gracianna-Audiobook/1665107375.

A sample can be heard at:

https://soundcloud.com/blackstoneaudio/gracianna-by-trini-amador-chapter-22-audiobook-excerpt-2/s-bIqo6mMuuJz

Anne Fonteneau, Chief Sales Officer at Blackstone Publishing, recalls what prompted her to acquire the book for Blackstone, a leading audiobook publisher. She says, “It is a gripping story. The heroine Gracianna, a French-Basque girl, is forced to make impossible decisions after being recruited into the French Resistance in Nazi-occupied Paris. Trini’s narration and connection to the story make it a wonderful listen. As a native of France, I felt a deep appreciation for Gracianna’s struggles, and I’m thrilled that we can bring the story to a wider audience.”

Gracianna is inspired by true events in the life of Trini Amador’s great-grandmother, Gracianna Lasaga. As an adult, Amador was haunted by the vivid memory of finding a loaded German Luger tucked away in a nightstand while wandering his great-grandmother’s home in Southern California. He was only four years old at the time, but the memory remained strong, and he knew he had to explore the story behind the gun.

Decades later, Amador would delve into the remarkable odyssey of his great-grandmother’s  past, a road that led him to an incredible surprise. In Gracianna, Amador weaves fact and fiction to tell his great-grandmother’s story.

Gracianna bravely sets off to Paris in the early 1940s—on her way to America, she hopes—but is soon swept into the escalation of the war and the Nazi occupation of Paris. After chilling life-and-death struggles, she discovers that her missing sister has surfaced as a laborer in Auschwitz. When she finds an opportunity to fight back against the Nazis to try to free her sister, she takes it—even if it means using lethal force.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Trini Amador is co-owner of Gracianna Winery, a “fruit-first” craftsman’s winery in Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley, Sonoma County. Gracianna is founded on the principals of its namesake, Gracianna Lasaga, the subject of this book who would prepare simple but gracious meals that always included wine—her meal presentations were delivered with grace and gratitude, and that is why Gracianna wines are for those with something to be grateful for.

For the past 21 years, Amador has also been a principal at BHC Consulting, which specializes in global brand strategy, research, and insights development.

Press Contact: Lindsay Musco, Gracianna Marketing Manager, (707) 280-8160, lindsay@gracianna.com

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