A Trip Down Memory Lane

These times are different from when I worked one autumn thru the next spring in DryCreek. Viticultural practices, like vinification art, and even cooperage, all have modernized and improved the quality of the wines yet adding challenges. When I first learned the various trades in the wine industry I always puzzled about facilities' strategies for nontablewine products, seemingly, to me, at that time, an unrewarding and distracting endeavor for an organization whose highest paradigm was production of superb varietal wine. Recently in a backwater supermarket in Cloverdale, however, I had occasion to taste a brandy that has a story much like what is happening in Dry Creek valley, and thought I would send a few links, so when you are contemplating business models you could balance the best vision of what Dry Creek appellation has to offer with the tale of what has developed in the region IV land considerably further north in our neighboring county.

Alambic still: http://www.jepsonwine.com/images/gallery/still.jpg
Schneider personal story: http://www.jepsonwine.com/who_we_are/winemaker_bio.pdf

I recall when I worked at DCV, Dave had a favorite entertainment by a family musicians group who would perform on the lawn outside the barrel room. So when I looked at the biography of the brandywinemaker in the links, above, I checked the website of the outfit where she used to work, up where vines have to endure winter snow, and heat summation always is problematic in WA; it looks like they have a vigorous summer entertainment schedule of music, like DCV.

There are many ways to connect with the public and integrate closely with the community, and lots of ways to improve the economics of winemaking innovatively. I hope the ideas which the Napa adventure provided will add to DCV's tradition of creativity and excellence.