Grace Family Vineyards

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Grace Family Vineyards
LocationSaint Helena, California, United States
AppellationNapa Valley
Other labelsBlank
First vines planted1976
First vintage1978
Key people
  • ,[1] owner
  • , vintner
Cases/yr500
VarietalCabernet Sauvignon
Other productsOlive oil
Websitehttp://www.gracefamilyvineyards.com

The Grace Family Vineyards is a vineyard and winery in Napa, California. It is the first American winery to use the word "family" in its name.[2]

History[]

The winery began when Ann and Dick Grace planted one acre (0.40 hectares) of vines in 1976. The first vintage was produced in 1978, at Chuck Wagner's winery, Caymus.[3] A second acre was added in 1985, but phylloxera took its toll, as the winery's vines were planted on non-resistant rootstock.[4] Additional problems with oak root fungus in the original acre caused the need to replant the entirety in 1995.[5] The winery's yield dropped from 350 cases in the[clarification needed] to a low of 48 cases in 1996, when the wine was allocated as one 1-liter bottle per customer on the winery's mailing list. Another acre of planting and re-planted vines in the old acreage brought production up to 150 cases in 1998.[4]

Charity[]

The winery's mission statement is "Wine as a catalyst towards healing our planet." The programs of the Grace Family Vineyards Foundation are primarily in India, Nepal, Mexico, Tibet, and America.[2]

Grace Family wines has been involved with the Naples Winter Wine Festival since its first year in 2001. In 2006, a 12-liter Balthazar of 2003 Grace Family Cabernet drew $90,000 ($115,538 in 2020 dollars[6]) in bids at the festival's charity auction.[7] For the 2012 charity auction, a Balthazar of both Grace Family and their second label, Blank, drew a $160,000 ($180,362 in 2020 dollars[6]) bid.[8]

Vineyard and winemaking[]

The Grace Family properties are organic and biodynamically farmed.[2]

was head winemaker between 1988 and 1995, when Heidi Peterson Barrett took over winemaking duties.[5] Barrett, in turn, turned over duties to .[3]

References[]

  1. ^ "Grace Family Vineyards Sold".
  2. ^ a b c "Grace Family Vineyards". Dean & Deluca. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  3. ^ a b "History". Grace Family Vineyards. Archived from the original on 20 May 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  4. ^ a b Morgan, Jeff (12 Apr 1999). "Grace Family Vineyards Confronts Wine Shortage with New Bottle". Wine Spectator. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  5. ^ a b Clark, Carolyn Stewart. "Grace Family Vineyards". AtlasOfWineries.com. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  6. ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  7. ^ "Winery News". Grace Family Vineyards. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  8. ^ Albers, Katherine; Laura Layden (28 January 2012). "Naples Winter Wine Festival ends; $107 million overall, $12.2 million today". Naples Daily News. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
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