On our final day we ventured to Palmaz Vineyards, founded by husband-and-wife team Julio and Amalia Palmaz, and lead by Winemaker Tina Mitchell. It’s the epitome of nature meets high tech. Studying Mother Nature and the Palmaz proprietary software to regulate and record each step of the winemaking process, resulted in some of the most richly complex styles of wine imaginable. Pairing these exquisite wines with culinary creations developed at Palmaz, delivered yet one more slice of that heavenly pie the California Wine Country seems to bake fresh daily.
And finally, Hoopes Vineyard. Founder Lindsay Hoopes returned to Napa Valley from her life as a lawyer in San Francisco to redevelop her family vineyard in a completely new way. Opening in March 2020, just before the world shut down due to Covid-19, Hoopes shared many of the trials and tribulations of being a smaller vintner, a new mom, and attempting to thrive in a pandemic. Hoopes challenges the status quo to make more room at the table for everyone, including all the rescue animals who were displaced during the fires.
From large estates like Hall to small unique venues like Hoopes, all these women have their own stories to tell, and all their experiences are influencing the wines of the future. Stay tuned to learn more about some of these amazing women as I dive deeper into their stories in upcoming issues.