We make our wine at an offsite winery, and we spend a lot of time there checking on our wine in the barrels and keeping an eye on the bottling and labeling process. Once it a while we do a little barrel tasting to see how things are coming along.
Lately, we’ve been doing some leafing on our Mercedes Riverblock Pinot Noir vines- our team trims off the leaves and vines on the side that faces the morning sun, to let the light filter through. The leaves are left in place on the side that gets afternoon sun to protect the grapes from the intense heat. It’s all about growing the best possible fruit that requires minimal intervention to make brilliant wine!
We’ll be uncorking some magnums of our glorious 2017 Estate Pinot Noir for a Mother’s Day celebration this weekend. Have you chosen something special to do for your Mom on Mother’s Day?
Spring is here and our vineyard team is already making final preparations for the growing season.
Meet our 2015 Zinfandel. We call it “amnesia” wine because it will make you forget anything else. A beautiful drinking zinfandel with wild dark berry flavors that enthrall and deliver a long finish making meals come to life. Barrel aged in French Oak for 11 months.
Did someone say #friyay?! The sun is out, the tasting room is open, 11 am to 5 pm and Sadie the winery dog is ready to say hi.
Come enjoy award winning Gracianna Wines on the patio and take in Spring time in the Russian River Valley.
Did someone say #friyay?!
Clean up efforts have begun at the #mercedesriverblockestate. And while its hard to see the devastation, we are reminded of love and gratitude at every corner.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the outpouring of support, encouragement and love. It really means the world to us and we’re grateful that you are in our circle. It’s what powers us through this situation.
We said we’d update you so this short note will let you know what is going on since the area has been declared a disaster area.
As you saw from our message two days ago that our dear Tasting Room was inundated and submerged. We have just entered the building today and we can’t even describe the devastation. But we jumped in with the Torres family and are getting in and cleaning and disposing of what is needed in the dumpster that arrived at 3 p.m. We have started the rebuilding. It will be a long haul but we are determined to move fast so we can open on time – April 1!
As for our wine, we are just now getting into the cellar. There was water but thankfully there is a great deal of wine that was untouched. We are in the process of assessing the inventory situation and therefore don’t have much to report at this stage.
BUT… please stay with us. We said we might need to ask for your help, and by next week we will be reaching out for your assistance.
Again, your words and calls and emails and texts mean so much at this very emotional time.
Here is a visual on how high the water came up on the property: Look at the water line about 7 feet from the ground—you can see where the mud and silt from the river settled onto the sides of the building causing it to turn a lighter shade of earthen color.
The Gracianna tasting room from a distance after the floodwaters receded.
Notice how the floodwaters lightened the exterior color of the tasting room. Yes, the waters were this high!
We need to say thank you to our neighbors the Rameys and Arista and the Torres family along with our winery family at Vinify, our crush facility—all who have been selfless with their INSTANT help, encouragement, advice and care. We encourage you to thank them as well if you can by choosing them over the many wine options you have.
One wine club member told us that we are responding exactly the way that Gracianna Lasaga, our namesake, would—which tore us up. Another said that what they were witnessing was how a proud Sonoma County vintner acts. We are humbled by these observations in the face of all this.
Hugs accepted soon.
Love,
The Amadors, Cyndee and the entire Gracianna Team
P.S. We have a guest checking into the Loft today! The show must go on!
As of today, Wednesday February 27, 2019, we have experienced the worst flooding that has affected the Russian River area in 24 years. The rain is still falling and therefore the waters have not yet crested.
The rain is coming down, the river is rising up and we are hunkering down with a 5 liter bottle. #cheers
Soaking up every last bit of this California Sunshine before the rain returns next week. Have a great weekend!
