From a Silicon Valley Garage to Winemaking in Healdsburg
One Friend, One Garage, One Vineyard...
…the magic of friendship and winemaking.
As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, I'm excited to share a series of short weekly posts that take you behind the scenes, revealing memorable moments that have shaped our journey at Amista Vineyards.
Mike and Dale, Punch-Down & Pump-Over
One of the very first people who helped Mike embark on his winemaking journey was our dear friend Dale from Colorado. Dale flew out to assist Mike with the hands-on work of making his first batch of wine in our Silicon Valley garage. That first wine—a Cabernet Sauvignon—was crafted from grapes Mike had bought from a local vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
We became friends with Dale and his wife Meg, back in 1982, when she and I worked together at Storage Technology Corporation. That company was eventually acquired by the next place I worked, Sun Microsystems, which later became part of Oracle. But that’s irrelevant to the real story—how our lifelong friends played such a special role in our wine journey.
While Dale and Mike spent a full day punching down and pumping over the wine, Meg and I took a different approach. We skipped the hard work and opted for a relaxing night at a bed and breakfast along the coast. When we returned, we found two exhausted, grape-stained men whose spirits were high, both from their sense of accomplishment and from sipping some of the partially fermented wine during the pump-over process. That was in the fall of 1994.
Saying Goodbye to our Young Vines in Silicon Valley
Just six months later, after Mike had transferred the wine into a barrel for aging, I got a job offer in New Jersey. Dale and Meg visited again to help us say goodbye to the vineyard Mike had planted the year before. I vividly remember the four of us standing among those young vines, which hadn’t yet produced grapes. There were definitely some tears as we said farewell to our home, the tender vines we had nurtured and Mike’s winemaking dream.
Though we couldn’t take the vineyard with us, Mike was determined to bring the wine. Even though it wasn’t yet ready to bottle, he made special arrangements with the movers to position the barrel carefully in the moving van. Being the scientist he was, Mike also attached a recording thermometer to monitor the temperature during its journey from California to New Jersey.
Dale and Mike, Bottling Mike's First Wine
Two years later, after the wine had aged in our New Jersey basement, Dale and Meg returned for a visit. It was finally time for the big moment. Dale and Mike headed to the basement, transferred the wine from the barrel into carboys and a few bottles, and we opened one to taste with dinner. The verdict? The wine was delicious. That night, Mike realized he was truly a winemaker, thanks in no small part to Dale’s help.
Dale and Mike Ponder Buying the Vineyard in Healdsburg
Fast forward a few years, and Mike and I found ourselves back in California, looking at vineyard properties. Mike had been quietly researching vineyard real estate online and had connected with a realtor who specialized in vineyards. The realtor urged us to come see three properties near Healdsburg before they were snapped up. Dale and Meg flew in from Colorado to help us decide. Although none of us were vineyard experts, Meg and Dale had one priority in mind: making sure there was a guestroom for their visits in whatever house we chose.
I’ll never forget watching Dale and Mike walk the rows of the vineyard property that would soon become our future home on the banks of Dry Creek. I don’t know exactly what was said, but whatever it was convinced Mike that this was the place. His dream of making wine again was about to come true, and Dale and Meg were there, as always, to help make it happen.
Still Thirsty?
If you want to learn more, here is a curated list of resources.
In Winemaking, What are Punch-downs and Pump-overs?
How Long Does it Take a New Vineyard to Yield Grapes?