"Absolutely Fabulous" Awards

"Absolutely Fabulous" Awards

Yep. More fun days at work. Networking with all the great Travel Salem people for their Absolutely Fabulous Awards held at Willamette Valley Vineyards.

Not a "Typical" Day of Work

Not a "Typical" Day of Work

Check out a not-so-typical day at work at Willamette Valley Vineyards. 2008 vintages are going to be great!

in·flu·ence [in-floo-uhns]

INFLUENCE

1.the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.

2.the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others.

I attended the United Way Young Leaders Society event tonight in Portland. Alan Cabelly, Professor from Portland State University, was the guest speaker. He spoke about Leadership Styles using the DISC behavioral test. The DISC behavioral instrument is based on the work of psychologist William Moulton Marston, PhD/ Marston was interested in how people felt, behaved, and interacted with the world around them. (2) The DISC method is easy to administer and interpret. This instrument helps determine the different personality types (ie, Dominant, Influencer, Steady, Conscientious) of each person in the workplace.

First off it was nice to be out amongst young professionals who are not employed in the wine industry. It was very eye opening and it was nice to get into the city and rub elbows with the corporate world. There were doctors, finance, bankers and human resource people. There was a point and time I aspired to be in the corporate business world, but I honestly don't know how people do it! Wearing a suit and tie everyday. If I had to do that, at five o'clock I would immediately run to the bathroom and change into jeans.

After a quick assessment, I landed in the D group (Dominant).

DOMINANT. People with the dominant personality type tend to make quick decisions, are very results-oriented, are direct and straight-forward, and often display a high level of initiative and energy. To motivate a dominant person, a leader should foster that person's initiative by removing obstacles and giving the person freedom to act without interference.

Although dominant people are strong workers, a dominant person can cause conflict by being too blunt, restless, and impatient. Dominant people try to do everything, and they may act without knowing all the facts and without considering others' feelings.

So I only slightly agree with some of these characteristics. I feel like I am more of an Influencer with a side of Dominant.

INFLUENCER. The influencer is outgoing, persuasive, gregarious, and tends to be good at delegating. By influencing and persuading others, the influencer creates an environment for personal success. The best way to motivate an influencer is to create a social environment that includes constant interaction with people. In these circumstances, an influencer will demonstrate trust in others and spread enthusiasm throughout a team, creating a democratic relationship favorable for working conditions.

Certain situations, however, can emphasize the weaknesses of an influencer. For instance, the influencer is not very task-oriented and may not follow up on delegated jobs. The influencer's strength at building friendships can be exploited easily when he or she has to make unpleasant decisions. Instead of doing what is best for the job, the influencer procrastinates on decisions so as not to rock the boat.

Just for fun I have included the other two leadership styles. So which ones best describe you?

STEADY. The steady person is dependable and easygoing, technically competent, and able to teach. His or her emphasis is on cooperating with others in existing circumstances to carry out a task. The supreme motivator for someone with a steady personality is security. In this regard, repetitive tasks, established work patterns, and routine work are best for a steady person.

The status quo is the ideal environment for someone with a steady personality. The steady person tends to resist change, especially new directions that challenge personal structure. The steady person also can be a poor delegator.

CONSCIENTIOUS. People with the conscientious personality type are thorough, attentive perfectionists who can think ahead and prevent problems. To achieve results, the conscientious person works carefully within existing circumstances to ensure quality and accuracy. Unlike influencers, people with conscientious personalities prefer little or no people contact and would rather define limits of authority themselves. Detail-oriented jobs with precise instructions give people with the conscientious personality type the clearest road to success.
This person tends to be rigid and overly detailed. Instead of talking about a problem, the conscientious person will write long memos and avoid personal communication.

Thanks to Steve Krug, Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Club Member and Volunteer, who brought a few bottles of the 2007 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir and 2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling to share with guests

Celebrate the small things

On my way home from Trader Joe's (my favorite grocery store ever...see celebrating the small things), I noticed that my XTERRA, who I named Hops, was very close to hitting 145,000 miles. I knew this called for a celebration. As I turned the corner onto my street my odometer hit 144,997 miles. YIPPY! I pulled into the parking lot and headed to my parking spot. As I pulled into my parking spot the odometer hit...144,999.8. No!

So picture this. I back up Hops and pull forward, I back up Hops and pull forward. 144,999.8! I come to the conclusion that the odometer must really reverse when you back up. So I reverse out of my spot, drive around the little island and go to pull back into my spot. The odometer reads 144,999.9. Just short! I reverse and pull forward.

So a quick recap: I have parked, reversed and pulled forward, reversed and pulled forward, reversed and drove around and then parked and reversed and pulled forward. There are lots of people outside, and I am thinking I must look like a crazy person. But just for fun, I back up and pull back in. How am I going to celebrate if I don't actually hit 145,000? Well, it still didn't hit 145,000, so I give up. I am leaving this celebration for the morning.

Stop and celebrate the small things. Even if you fail, it can still be fun. Tonight I celebrate the small things: living in an apartment on my own, having a job, being able to run again, drinking a Ninkasi Spring Reign, planting Sauvignon Blanc with my co-workers and eating Tillamook Peanut Butter ice cream with Brent.

Celebrating a dream come true...planting Tualatin Estate Sauvignon Blanc

and making new lifetime friends and unforgettable memories.

Just figure it out

Spacing between the rows in the vineyard was questioned. I didn't
let not having a tape measure stop me from trying to figure it out!

Life has thrown a lot of curve balls my way. I very easily could have just given up and accepted that this was how my life was meant to be. But instead I just figured it out, moved forward, became even more independent, hard headed and stronger. Well, it seems like it has all paid off. What a sweet ride my life has been. I never imagined my life would be so great.

My childhood:

I grew up in Wisconsin in a lower to middle income class family. My parents divorced when I was a few years old. A couple years later my mother met a wonderful man, Bob, who she married and who later adopted my brother and me. My last name changed from Aleskowitz to Rochester. I met my biological father, Ben, when I was in a freshman in high school. Now I am lucky to have two really cool dads.

I was the first on my mother's side of the family to graduate college. I began working when I was just a young child, probably between the ages of 6-10, at my grandparent's bowling alleys: Showboat North and Showboat South. I cleaned shoes, helped oil the lanes, rang up customers at the register and even helped out by being the flashlight shiner for moonlight bowling. My grandpa taught me how to count back change, making sure all the bills lined up the same way in the register. It's still something I do to this very day.

My parents always encouraged me to try new things: I was a figure skater, dancer, basketball player, softball player, saxophone and viola player in the band, show choir singer, volleyball player, soccer player, artist and more. They both worked full time and somehow managed to make it to whatever extra curricular activity I was involved in at the time. They supported me, nurtured me and cared for me. They never gave up on me or my brother.

When I look back at my childhood, I am just so thankful that my parents challenged me to be the best person I could be. They let me make mistakes and learn from them. They punished me when they were really bad mistakes of course, but I learned. I learned that I have potential to do great things. As Mark Speckman, Head Football Coach of Willamette University Bearcats, said today at the Oregon is Home Luncheon, "Figure it out." Mark Speckman didn't let being born without hands stop him from playing and coaching football. He just figured it out. So next time you feel like you cannot do something, take a minute and just figure it out.

A dream come true: From Vine to Wine officially in the ground

Today my dream came true. We planted two acres of Sauvignon Blanc at Tualatin Estate Vineyard in the Willamette Valley. The experience was so much more than I ever imagined. Thank you to everyone who helped plant. Thank you to everyone who worked in the tasting rooms and office so we were able to do this. Thank you to JB for trusting us with such an amazing project: "From Vine to Wine".

Stay tuned for more pictures, videos and blogs. It has been a long day...signing off.

Becky Boots

Where's Becky Boots?

DMACC Wine Science Class

I am back! Back from the Midwest that is. Probably one of the best trips home ever. Spent most of my time in Iowa. Wednesday afternoon I departed Portland airport and headed East to Iowa. Des Moines, Iowa. The trip started out great when I checked in and they upgraded me to first class! Ha! See I knew flying from Chicago to Tasmania and then two weeks later Tasmania to Chicago, then one day later Chicago to Tasmania would pay off.

Thursday night I attended the Mid-American Wine Competition Wine Tasting where I was a guest speaker. What a great time. I spoke about my how Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) influenced me to quit my job in California and just move to New Zealand and work as a Vintage Cellar Hand. Hey, it all worked out just fine. I was the first DMACC intern and hope that there are many more to come. I spent three days in Iowa for Residential School for Wine Science. My classmates and I worked at Snus Hill Vineyard and Winery doing lab analysis, sulfur additions, a little bit of classroom work followed by our final exam.

I met some of the most inspiring people in the Midwest wine industry and tasted some fantastic wines. I also had the opportunity to stomp ground in the Wisconsin national sales area. I was able to make some Willamette Valley Vineyards wine placements throughout Wisconsin as well.

There a quite a few more stories to tell about my trip, and I will tell them over the next few days. Let me just reemphasise of how small of a world it really is.

Good night!

Becky Boots

Dust off the suitcase, Madrid here I come!

Madrid, Iowa that is. Bet you were thinking Madrid, Spain right? Gottcha! My journey begins next Wednesday when I fly from Portland to Des Moines, Iowa. Thursday night I am a guest speaker at the Mid-American Wine Competition's 3rd Annual Sample the Best of the Midwest Wine Tasting benefit. Then the fun begins as over the next three days (Friday to Sunday) I get back in the cellar and apply everything that I have learned this semester from my Intro to Wine Science class at DMACC. It is off to Madrid (pronounced Mad-rid, not Mah-drid) to work in the cellar at Snus Hill Winery. Check out their website: http://www.snushillwinery.com/ .

Sunday night I journey across the Iowa border to Cheddarhead land also known as Wisconsin. A quick visit and dinner with my family and then off to sell lots of Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Milwaukee, Madison and La Crosse. So if you know any Wisconsin restaurants, bars or retailers who would be a good fit for our wines, please let me know so I can setup an appointment with the wine buyer.

Looking forward to my trip and I am sure I will have lots of good stories and pictures to post.

Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc Coming Soon

Watch out New Zealand, there is a new competitor coming your way! Sauvignon Blanc grown in the Willamette Valley AVA of Oregon. You betcha. It may be 3-5 years away from being in the bottle, but the buzz has already started. I will be documenting this project from start to finish. Watch for videos, pictures and postings on this blog to see the progress of Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc from "still deciding on a name" Vineyard.

Walk a mile in my shoes...

A The King, Elvis Presley, said, "Walk a mile in my shoes." I actually wore two different shoes to work today and didn't notice that they were different until I was about to leave work. Just another chaotic and crazy day of my life. At least they were the same color, right?

Challenge yourself

"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." Joshua J. Marine

The words above pretty much sum up my entire Oregonian weekend. There are so many times in life when I choose not to do something because it is uncomfortable or scary. Then I look back and wish I would have done it, but it is too late. I have made excuses like having to work, not having enough money or thinking I would just do it another time. What I have realized is that the time is now.

This weekend I had an opportunity to go skiing at Willamette Pass. In all actuality, I really just wanted to go up to see the snow, read a magazine and watch everyone else ski and snowboard from inside the warm bar area. My friend, Brent, persuaded me otherwise. Before I knew it, I had ski boots on my feet and poles in my hands. I warned him that I was a horrible skier. But what he did not know was that I was absolutely terrified of skiing. Well, absolutely terrified of the chairlift!

You see I have only skied twice in my life and that was over 10 years ago at Mt. LaCrosse. The second time doesn't really count either, because after only two runs and a wicked wipe out I gave up and sat inside by the fire. So here I am, 29 years old, staring at the chairlift and scared. I take a deep breath and clumsily make my way to board the lift. Huh, that was easy. As we ride to the top and I jokingly ask Brent what happens if you miss getting off? Do you just ride the lift all the way down and back up again? He laughs and says I will be fine.

We reach the top and in front of us is a mother and a young girl about age five or so. They get off easily. Hey if they can do it, then so can I. We are next. I lean forward and oops I hesitate one second too long. Yep. You guessed it. I missed the exit. I can hear the guys behind me say, "I've never seen that happen before." They obviously don't know me then! The chairlift operator stops the lift and I jump off and walk around to where I should have originally jumped off in the first place. I glide down the hill with my head held high and laugh. At this point, that is all I can do. I wonder if Brent is thinking that bringing me up here is a huge mistake.

I make it down the hill slowly, but without falling. I am scared at first but then it starts to get fun. The second time I go up the lift, the operator slows it down so I can jump off and down I go like a pro. Easy! After that I am not afraid anymore. The rest of the day on the hill is fantastic! There is fresh powder, the sun is shining and I cruise down the hill...back and forth, back and forth. I don't even fall. I conquered one of my biggest fears and challenged myself to step outside my comfort zone. I appreciate that someone was able to make me realize that something I thought was impossible was actually not impossible at all.

Sincerely,

Becky "Never seen that happen before" Rochester

A dream come true..."From Vine to Wine"

The "From Vine to Wine" project is underway. Two acres of Sauvignon Blanc will be planted in Oregon's Willamette Valley AVA this spring. This project will be used as a teaching experience for my staff at Willamette Valley Vineyards to see a vineyard from the very start and along the way I will teach them different lessons like disease and pest management, cycles of the vineyard, cover crop management, pruning, leafing, etc. The project will be documented in words, videos and photos and I hope to create a documentary to debut with the release of the wine in 2014 or 2015.

According to the Vineyard report for 2009, there were 67 planted acres of Sauvignon Blanc in Oregon and 43 acres were harvested. The average ton per acre was 2.67 tons and 115 total tons were harvested in 2009. Price per ton averaged around $1,620.

Friday night Willamette Valley Viticulturist, Chelsea Brittan, and I tasted six Sauvignon Blancs from around the world to help us determine the profile and style of Sauvignon Blanc to plant. The lineup included 2008 Patricia Green Sauvignon Blanc (Croft Vineyard, Oregon), 2008 Andrew Rich Vintner Sauvignon Blanc (Croft Vineyard, Oregon), 2009 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand where I worked!), 2008 Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc (Chile, where I wish I had worked!), 2007 Hill Family Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley, CA) & a 2008 Chateau Saint-Florin Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend (Bordeaux, France where I will be headed this winter for vacation!).

After two grueling hours of smelling, swirling & tasting, then smelling, swirling and tasting again, we came to the following conclusions:

1. I love Sauvignon Blanc (SB, Sauvey).

2. Create a SB that does not overwhelm you with the well known cat pee, gooseberry nose, but we definitely don't want to hide all of that unique SB characteristic.

2. Add a touch of Semillon to the SB blend to create a creamy mouthfeel and to mask a little of the vegative, herbaceousness.

3. SB profile should have a slight gooseberry nose, with hints of lime, citrus and bell pepper aromas.

4. Mouthfeel should be somewhat creamy (maybe sur lees for 1 year in oak barrel) and blend with SB that has been fermented in stainless steel to get a nice fruity balance.

5. Clonal selection and rootstocks debating at this point are clones 1, 14 & 27 with a row of Semillon. Chelsea to call on some California vineyards to help us with this selection.

6. As for trellising, well there are a few options we are kicking around. We are considering the traditional VSP method or a crazy four cane trellis system that has been trialed in California and used in New Zealand.

Stay tuned for more information on "From Vine to Wine" at Willamette Valley Vineyards. This project is going to follow these 2 acres of Sauvignon Blanc from vine to wine over the next 3-4 years. There will be pictures, videos and stories documenting this project and a huge celebration when the SB is produced, by me, and in the bottle.

A three month match.com lesson

My three month membership on match.com has officially come to an end. So I am sure you all are wondering if I have met my perfect match? I don't have the answer to that question quite yet.

Online dating. Who does that, right? Well besides me, it seems like a majority of the people who are online are 25-35 years old, work too much or are new to the area and are looking for a new way to meet people. The whole experience was eye opening, and I have some good stories that will probably never make it to this blog, but some of you may have been fortunate to hear.

Below I posted snippets from three match.com emails I received over the past three months (there were some even better ones, but I deleted them).

1. "Girl who loves IPAs, country music, and working out. Yeah, we're pretty much perfect for each other and should probably hang out."

2. "I have a question for you...I initially got an email saying that you were interested in me so I read your profile. I thought we had a lot in common so I emailed you but you never wrote back. Why is that?"

3. "hi there, well I live out in battle ground wa on 2 parklike acres in a nice cape cod home right next to town, I like living in the Country right next to town, do ya like country living?"


"Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile." Elizabeth Browning

DMACC Enology Video

Check out this video on DMACC Enology Program: I took most of the photos. Cool!
https://go.dmacc.edu/programs/viticulture/Pages/videos.aspx

30 things continued

Continuing my list of 30 things to do before I turn 30.

1. Ride in a hot air balloon

2. Surf off the Oregon Coast

3. Go to Canada, eh

4. Go without the internet, phone, etc. for a whole weekend

5. Karaoke night at Lumpy's in Dundee

6. Write 30 letters to 30 people who changed my life

7. Consume 30 bottles of wine (no problem and I accept this challenge)

8. Be able to do the splits. That means stretching properly so I don't hurt myself again!

9. Run a marathon (I have completed the Chicago Marathon but that is a long story)

10. Invent something

11. I would like to see my bio dad, Ben. When are you coming to visit?

12. Get my Enology Certificate from DMACC

13. Go winetasting in Walla Walla

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A Toothsome Threesome-Pears, Cheese & Wine

Check out this article on Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine, Cheese & Pear event.

http://www.thetasteoforegon.com/2010/03/16/a-toothsome-threesome-%E2%80%94-pears-cheese-and-wine/

30 things to do before I am 30

To make life more interesting, I have decided to make a list of 30 things to do before I am 30. I have about 110 days to complete this list. So I need your help to come up with a list of 30 fun, interesting, cool, funny things to do.

I will get the list started:

1. Ride in a hot air balloon

2. Surf off the Oregon Coast

3. Go to Canada, eh

4. Go without the internet, phone, etc. for a whole weekend

5. Karaoke night at Lumpy's in Dundee
6. Write 30 letters to 30 people who changed my life

7. Consume 30 bottles of wine (no problem and I accept this challenge)

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Indie Wine Festival Judging...lessons learned

Today I volunteered at the Indie Wine Festival. I woke up at 5:30 AM and was out the door at 6:45. A cute guy bought me coffee at the Dutch Bros. drive through. Great start to my day!

I arrived at The Vintage Plaza Hotel at 7:15 AM pumped up for the day. My behind the scenes look at a real wine competition. What happens at a wine competition? Well there are lots of bottles to open, flights of glasses to setup, tables to clear, dump buckets to well...dump and racks of glasses to wash.

As the day proceeded, the cycle continued with Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, Sparkling, Pinot Gris, Viognier...you get the picture. All of the volunteers and Indie Wine Festival staff were fantastic! The results will be announced to the winners by the end of the week.

The most important thing I learned today is it doesn't matter who you are or what you do, unless you inspire and appreciate others who want to be like you. I aspire to be a wine writer and leader in the wine industry. When that happens, I will make sure to motivate others, take the time to find out their story, their dreams and goals and share advice and guidance.

I was the captain of a five person panel today and not one of the judges took the time to ask me my name, what I do or thank me for helping out. At lunch all of the judge's sat together and all of us volunteers sat at the "kids table". Not one of them came over to introduce themselves or to say hello. Each volunteer today was passionate about wine, the industry and would have loved the opportunity to meet many or any of the judges. They were wine writers, chefs, winemakers, TV personalities, wine buyers. Basically the who's who of the wine industry.

That is the one thing I admire most about my boss. He is humble, down-to-earth, inspirational and most importantly takes the time to reach out to each guest and make a personal connection with them. Others should aspire to be more like him.

Make sure to check out the Indie Wine Festival. It is in May and will be a great opportunity to taste wines from many small, boutique wineries around Oregon. I posted some information and a link to the website below.

What is the Indie Wine Festival?

Join 40 craft producers that represent the heart and soul of Oregon’s world-class wine industry as they pour their wines during the 6th annual Portland Indie Wine & Food Festival. The festival is an exciting opportunity to meet rising star winemakers from emerging cellars across the state in a farmer’s market-style setting. Most of the wines being poured are very limited in production and not widely available to purchase. This is your chance to buy wine you like from the winemaker on the spot and take them home.

2010 marks the official launch of the Indie Wine Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to preserving and sustaining the art of craft winemaking.

Saturday, May 8, 2010
Grand Tasting Event
2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Bison Building
419 NE 10th Avenue
Portland, OR 97232

This year’s Grand Tasting will showcase 40 jury-selected, Oregon craft wineries and 15 of Portland’s creative culinary talents in an intimate farmer’s market-style setting. General Admission tickets are $75/person and include one tasting glass, festival passport and access to pours from all wineries and food from all featured restaurants.

2010 Portland Indie Wine & Food Festival Judges included:

Michael Davies, Winemaker, A to Z Wineworks
Alice Feiring, Journalist and Author
John Grochau, Winemaker, GC Wines
Tim Kennedy, Winemaker, Don Carlo Vineyard
Toni Ketrenos, Wine Buyer, New Seasons Market
Ted Loos, Freelance wine writer, Town & Country, Sherman's
Claud Mann, Chef and host of TBS' Dinner & a Movie
Naomi Pomeroy, Chef/owner, Beast
Jason Smith, Director of Wine, Bellagio, Las Vegas
Bernie Sun, Corporate Beverage Director, Jean-Georges Management, LLC
Cathy Whims, Chef/owner, Nostrana
Summer Wolff, Wine Broker, Sokolin & Indie Wines

There is free parking nearby in lots as well as on-street parking. We’re arranging a wine pick-up zone at the Grand Tasting Event so you may load your car with wine directly following the event. There will be wine valet volunteers with handcarts to help deliver wine to your car.

Tickets can only be purchased online or at the door.

$75 for a general admission ticket into Saturday’s Grand Tasting

$125 for a VIP admission ticket into Saturday’s Grand tasting (gets you in an hour early)

Tickets are non-refundable, non transferable. Tickets are provided at WILL CALL only. Bring your final order page with you to claim your entry at the door.

Got to http://www.indiewinefestival.com/ for more information.

King Estate & Pfeiffer Vineyards

A day to play

Today was a day to play. Rachel, Chelsea and I drove south to Eugene and visited one of our biggest competitors, King Estate. We had a fabulous winetasting, lunch and tour and frolicked around the grounds. Thanks Ed King III, Sasha Kadey and Josh Massie for being such wonderful hosts to us.

Here's a bit of the King Estate story:

King Estate, celebrating 19 years of Oregon winemaking in 2010, is located southwest of Eugene, Oregon and produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and limited amounts of Chardonnay. Founded in 1991 by the King family, King Estate is committed to producing Oregon wines of exceptional quality using organic & sustainable farming methods, meticulous fruit selection, impeccable winemaking practices and judicious blending.

The beautiful estate of 1,033 acres is certified organic and includes 465 acres of organic vineyards, as well as 30 acres of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The Estate is crowned by the charming, European-style winery, where the winemaking process is also certified organic.

The Restaurant and Wine Bar at King Estate features wine tasting & winery tours as well as fine dining. Our menu incorporates estate and locally grown organic ingredients that fully complement King Estate wines.

Check out the King Estate website: http://www.kingestate.com/

We also stopped by Pfeiffer Vineyards and met Robin Pfeiffer, a wonderful, entertaining man who gave us a Pinot Class.
 
Here's a bit of the Pfeiffer story:
 
After several calls from the French who wanted to purchase their 70 acres of south-facing slopes, Robin learned they wanted the land for wine grapes. The family sold the sheep, and planted grapevines. "The only thing we knew about wine grapes was that we liked wine and dried grapes were called raisins," noted Robin Pfeiffer. However, he learned after careful analysis that their site was ideal for grapes.
 
Owners Robin and Danuta Pfeiffer have always looked to the future of environmental practices and "green" solutions. Pfeiffer Winery is one of the first completely solar operated facilities in the Willamette Valley and the first in Lane County. Roof-lined solar panels enable the winery and the Pfeiffer Villa to produce their own electricity, and sell back to the electrical grid.

The winery produces limited releases of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Rose and Muscat.

Check out Pfeiffer Vineyards: http://www.pfeiffervineyards.com/

I will post a slideshow of pictures from today's trip.