2021 Fall Release!

Life is beautiful...

There are no words to express how amazing it has been to reconnect with many of you in person again this year... your conversations and experiences have inspired us! We love to hear how much you enjoy our newsletters and always look forward to receiving your thoughtful messages.

This time, we've decided to highlight some of our favorite words of wisdom, insights, and lessons learned from our collective time under lockdown that you've all shared with us over the past year; with the common theme being "Celebrating the small moments in life".  Let this be a reminder to all of us that these lessons be maintained and built upon, to create an even better life than the one before.

- We all learned to be kinder and care for our neighbor, we slowed down, parents spent more time with their kids.  We focused more on our physical and mental health and learned to appreciate the things we used to take for granted. Remember how grateful we felt for any random act of kindness from a stranger's smile to a ray of sunshine?

- Spontaneous performances filled us with joy, leaving our house for a walk was a moment to cherish. Smallest victories became a reason to celebrate. 

- We kept family closer and made work more flexible. We realized we could be effective and productive making "work" fit into our circumstances rather than adapting our lives to fit a corporate mold. 

- Families who were physically together spent much more time with each other. For those separated we relied on a lot of screen time together; checking in, celebrating marriages, anniversaries, births, birthdays and holidays. From virtual tastings, events, weddings, meetings and concerts -- everyone learned to Zoom, and created amazing moments.

- There was a shift to self-care, to give ourselves space and patience, no longer an indulgence but a necessity and priority. With gyms closed we embraced more traditional forms of exercise and the great outdoors; running, biking, walking and hiking.

- The Earth's health improved this last year. We walked more or cycled instead of taking a car or public transportation. We shopped less and had less waste overall as the majority of people were working from home. And the added bonus is that it helped our planet too.

- Realizing how fortunate we are and being grateful for it is an important mindset for recovery. We must remember that our good fortune is an opportunity to lift others up and no success is attainable without the support of a community or movement.

A message from Jamey -

I am listening to The Uplift Mofo Party Plan by the Chili Peppers as I write this. I feel stoked, albeit a bit dated due to the fact the album came out in 1987. I was enjoying my freshman year at Appalachian State University and bought my first mountain bike that year. My entire world changed for the better. The same goes for Whetstone as we release our first ever 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
I love the Napa Valley more than any place I’ve ever lived. As a business we have always zigged where others zagged but now feel a very sincere need to pay homage to many of my Napa heroes… Barbara Eisele, Robert Mondavi, Al & Boots Brounstein.

Many of you are thinking: “What in the world is happening out in Napa?! Jamey has been our bastion of all things Burgundy and Northern Rhone…” and I always will be. I just stumbled onto something special vineyard-wise and it inspired me to make something out of it. 2020 gave Michelle and I time to talk about 'what's next?'. So stay tuned for more surprises in coming releases!

New Releases:

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:

Stainless steel fermented, aged 16 months sur lees in 100% French oak (35% new). Bottled unfined, unfiltered. Gorgeous shade of ruby in color. Pretty & floral, with ripe raspberry and mint. Perfumey notes of bay with orange pekoe tea, hints of swiss mocha & forest floor. Medium-bodied flavors of Bing cherry gives way to a long finish of wild strawberry and baker's chocholate framed by fine tannins. 
 

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:

Stainless steel fermented, aged for 22 months sur lees in 100% french oak (75% new). Bottled unfined, unfiltered. Garnet in color. Big, brambly nose of blackberry, boysenberry, and blueberry with a hint of mint. Background notes of semi-sweet cacao and lavender. Flavors of blackberry, currant, and cassis give way to a long finish of baker's chocolate and fine tannins. Old-world sensibilities abound.