With Help from Family & Friends!
…and a little help from John Deere
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to crush Syrah in your garage? When we moved to our vineyard in Healdsburg in 2002, that’s exactly how our winemaking adventure began. With three tons of Syrah grapes, a borrowed crusher, and the helping hands of family, friends, and neighbors, we discovered that making wine at home was as much about community as it was about grapes.
Moving to Healdsburg and Planting Syrah
In June 2002, we finally moved to our vineyard in Healdsburg. Two years earlier, in 2000, we had pulled out half of the Chardonnay vines and planted Syrah. By the summer of 2002, those young vines were just starting to produce fruit.
A true viticulturist might have told us to wait. When vines are young, the standard advice is to drop the fruit for the first few years. Doing so allows the vine to focus its energy on strengthening the root system and building reserves. It’s an investment in the future that helps ensure healthy vines and higher-quality grapes later on.
But Mike had other plans. He didn’t want to wait. He wanted to make wine—and he was ready to start in our garage.
Harvesting Our First Syrah Grapes
That fall, Mike harvested three tons of Syrah, one of the classic Rhône varietals that thrive in Dry Creek Valley. To me, that number sounded enormous. What were we going to do with three tons of grapes in our garage? Fortunately, Mike was confident and more than a little excited to dive into the process.
Of course, harvesting grapes is only the first step. Once the clusters are picked, they need to be crushed and destemmed before fermentation. Luckily, we had help from friends, family, and even my John Deere Gator – a birthay gift to me from Mike!
Crushing Grapes with Family and Friends
Mike’s brother Bob and his wife Anne came to join us for harvest. They were eager to roll up their sleeves and experience winemaking firsthand. Our neighbors also pitched in, bringing both their energy and a key piece of equipment: a small crusher/destemmer.
That machine turned out to be essential. Crushing and destemming grapes by hand is incredibly time-consuming, but with the help of our neighbors’ equipment, the job became manageable. In one step, the machine removed the stems and lightly crushed the grapes, making sure the fruit was ready for fermentation. Not only did this save us countless hours, but it also improved the quality of the wine by keeping stems out of the must.
I still remember the hum of the crusher, the sticky grape juice on our hands, and the laughter of everyone pitching in. It was our first taste of what harvest in Healdsburg would be like: hard work, community spirit, and a lot of joy.
Discovering the Spirit of Dry Creek Valley
One of the first lessons we learned that year was that Healdsburg is an incredibly welcoming place. In Dry Creek Valley, neighbors don’t just live next to each other—they share in the work, the celebrations, and the wine.
When we moved here, we knew we were taking on an adventure. What we didn’t realize was how quickly the community would embrace us. That first harvest showed us that making wine wasn’t just about the grapes or even the wine itself—it was about the people who helped along the way.
From Garage Winemaking to a Vineyard Dream
Looking back, making wine in our garage feels like the perfect beginning to our story. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was real. With three tons of Syrah, a borrowed crusher, and the support of friends and family, we took our very first step toward becoming a winery.
That first vintage wasn’t perfect, but it was ours. It carried the taste of Dry Creek Valley, the determination of Mike, and the generosity of the community around us. And in many ways, that spirit has shaped Amista Vineyards ever since.
Why Our First Harvest Still Matters
Crushing Syrah in our garage taught us more than just how to make wine—it showed us the heart of winemaking in Healdsburg. It’s about patience and passion, but also about leaning on the people around you. That lesson has stayed with us through every harvest since.
When people ask how we started, I smile and remember the sticky, laughter-filled days of our first Syrah harvest. Because for us, winemaking began not in a state-of-the-art facility, but in a garage filled with grapes, friends, and a whole lot of hope.
Still Thirsty?
If you want to learn more, here is a curated list of resources.
