San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Generations of winemakers work together to innovate
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“When the winery started in the 1800s, I’m guessing nobody ever thought Michael David would be making the first space wine.”
Adam Mettler, the director of wine operations at Michael David Winery
The Lodi wine region is famous for its old vineyards and vines. But there’s another unique distinction the area celebrates: The families who have farmed the land for multiple generations over the last century.
Specifically, at wineries such as Klinker Brink, Michael David and Van Ruiten, kids, parents, grandparents and sometimes grandkids are working together to make flagship products and special bottles for momentous occasions. Time a visit right and you might even see a patriarch or matriarch pouring at the tasting rooms.
Each of these multigenerational wineries has a story that combines hard work with perseverance and luck. Each has a long history of farming that predates grapes and grapegrowing. And each has become a critical part of the fabric of the local winemaking community. KLINKER BRICK WINERY
Yes, it’s fun to say, but Klinker Brick also represents one of the oldest and most storied family winemaking operations in the entire Lodi appellation. The brand represents six generations of farmers on one side and four generations of farmers on the other.
Farrah FeltenJolley, vice president of sales and marketing, said her family “revolves” around the business, and has done so for more than 130 years.
“I always knew I would end up in this business,” she said. “Even as a kid, I knew it’d be wine.”