Winemaker's Notes:

This gewurtz walks a perfect tightrope between the rich honey notes indicative of a good Gewurz without falling into the cloying territory. It never becomes oily like many Gewurz, dancing on the tongue rather than dragging it down. Its floral essence sings with a purity only these old established vines can produce so effortlessly. Fifty-five-year-old estate plantings in the famed Pinot corridor of the Russian River Valley is a rare offering. You will fall for this wine like a summer fling on a trip to Europe. We’ll be enjoying it at the release party with a Hamachi crudo topped with cured mustard seeds and thinly sliced jalapeno. Explore the many ways to enjoy this wine with citrus and mustard-driven foods.

Critical Acclaim: 91pts Ken's Wine Guide

Olivia's Story:

After attending the inauguration of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, Olivia Brion rode her 44' tugboat up the Pacific Coast to explore the northern shores. She docked at Golden Gardens on the Puget Sound. The whistle from her boat interrupted a photo shoot by none other than Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976). Imogen immediately embraced Olivia, her kindred spirit, and insisted on taking her picture. After they finished Olivia asked her which was her favorite portrait. Imogen replied, "The one I'm going to take tomorrow." 

This wine is in tribute to my favorite photographers, my beloved mother, Tricia Henson Kearney, and my dear friend, David Mahaffey, on the occasion of their 75th birthdays. May your best photos be taken tomorrow.

The Inspiration:

Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976) is one of the most acclaimed American photographers. She was part of the original f/64 group that included Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. Born in Seattle, she attended University of Washington studying Chemistry as a degree in photography did not exist. She paid her tuition by photographing plants in the botany department. She worked in Germany for several years before running a successful photography lab in Seattle. Scandal followed some groundbreaking shots she made of her husband in 1915 posing nude in wild flowers on Mt Rainier. She moved to Northern California for her husband to teach at Mills Collge in Oakland. She spent the rest of her life in California promoting what the f/64 group called "pure or straight photography", as soft focus was the previous tradition. She had three children, one of whom also became a photographer.