Graham + Fisk’s Californian Award Winning Wine-A-Can Made Easy
“Store to STore, Bar to Bar” An Interview with Fisk Biggar, President & Co-Founder By Lisa Gmur, CSW Operation Storyteller When Graham and Fisk’s first launched their canned wine, it was a novelty. That was back in 2015. Founders Graham Veysey and Fisk Biggar went store to store and bar to bar selling it. Eight […]
The Story of Buehler Napa Vineyards Family Owned Since 1971
“All in the Family” The story of Buehler Vineyards By Lisa Gmur, CSW OPERATION STORYTELLER Buehler Vineyards is a little bit like taking a step back in time. Located just five country miles east of St. Helena, the winery sits perched atop more than 300 acres. Climbing the windy road in our SUV was not […]
The Story of Martin Ray Winery
“Fortuitous Find” The story of Martin Ray Winery By Lisa Gmur, CSW OPERATION STORYTELLER When Courtney Benham stumbled upon 1500 cases of Martin Ray wine in a San Jose warehouse, it was a fortuitous find. “My dad discovered this cache of old Martin Ray wines in 1990, so this was a few years before I […]
Livio & Andrea Felluga, Father & Son, Five Generations of Winemaking
“Father & Son An Interview with Andrea Felluga, Owner, Livio Felluga By Lisa Gmur, CSW OPERATION STORYTELLER The story of Livio Felluga dates back over five generations. The first Felluga’s made Refosco and Malvasia in their native Isola d’Istria. The two World Wars played havoc on the region and the family was displaced. They eventually […]
Laura Bianchi, Castello di Monsanto, Chianti Classico, Where Past Meets Future
“Where The Past Meets The Future” An Interview with Laura Bianchi, Owner, Castello di Monsanto By Lisa Gmur, CSW OPERATION STORYTELLER Castello di Monsanto was founded in 1962 by Fabrizio Bianchi and is renowned for its aging cellar which is 300 meters in length and holds 1300 barriques, a fact I can attest to, having […]
Maison Louis Latour The Next Generation
“The Next Generation” An Interview with Bernard Retornaz, President, Louis LAtour By Lisa Gmur, CSW OPERATION STORYTELLER Louis Latour has over two centuries of Burgundian history; two hundred and twenty-five years to be exact. The Latour family have been growing grapes in the region since the 17th century, slowly growing their property to more than […]
Miller Family Wines Five Generations of Family Farming
Five Generations of Family Farming Central Coast, California By Lisa Gmur, CSW OPERATION STORYTELLER The Miller Family’s farming and ranching legacy dates all the way back to 1871 when William and Francis Broome made that long haul from the old country, England, and began farming in Southern California’s Ventura County. The family originally acquired a […]
Farmstead The Story Behind the Wines
THE STORY BEHIND THE WINES BY LISA GMUR, CSW Nestled in the quaint Napa Valley town of St. Helena, is one of the busiest restaurants in the United States. In fact, more than ¼ million people dine there every year. That restaurant is called Farmstead and its offspring is a winery owned by the same […]
Long Meadow Ranch, Full Circle Farming in Napa’s Mayacamas Mountains
Full Circle Farming in Napa’s Mayacamas Mountains By Lisa Gmur, CSW In 1872, a gentleman and Civil War Veteran by the name of E.J. Church was given an opportunity to move from the east to the west. President Ulysses S. Grant himself signed the land patent granting 640-acres in the Mayacamas Mountains to Church. And […]
Introducing Cline Seven Ranchlands On Premise Exclusive
Restaurant & Hotel Exclusive sourced from Cline’s California Estates Exclusive Interview with Winemaker Tom Gendall Interview By Lisa Gmur, CSW Cline Cellars was originally founded by Fred and Nancy Cline back in 1982 in Oakley, California after Fred received a small inheritance from his grandfather. Cline continues to farm their historic vineyards in Oakley, where […]