The rest is wilderness.

We bought the property in 2000, with every intention of planting a vineyard. We built a pond, mowed and tilled, tore out old sheep fencing and bought new deer fencing, amended soils with lime and compost. We even put a deposit down for vines in early-2001, right about the time that the market for wine grapes slid into the abyss. Then we screeched to a halt. The bank stopped believing we could make it as farmers on the five-year plan. So we waited. Five years later, we still have no estate vineyard, just some fervent dirt.

In late-2004, with the grape market still in the doldrums, we decided to make another run at the winegrower business. A different bank warmed up to the idea of the two-year plan: to start a winery with someone else's fruit.

We called the owners of the most renowned vineyards in Anderson Valley, to see if they might re-allocate some of their most sought after fruit. It's a small valley. They all knew us or knew of us. They liked the idea of having a winery with a tasting room on the highway making vineyard designates from the best fruit in Anderson Valley. Within a month, we'd lined up the "triple crown" of Anderson Valley pinot vineyards. Savoy, Ferrington, and Donnelly Creek Vineyards all agreed to sell us pinot noir. We also put together an impressive line-up of cold-climate whites: Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer from Ferrington, Chardonnay from Savoy, and Pinot Gris from Wiley Vineyard.

With these extraordinary fruit sources, we feel comfortable leaving our estate "vineyard" ground fallow and unfenced, a place for deer, boar, and wild turkeys to forage under the watchful gaze of foxes, mountain lions, and the occasional armed and hungry homo-sapien.

Of course, every bottle purchased and consumed brings us one step closer to blanketing our hills with vines. Join the Flock, and we'll carve your name on an end-post. No kidding. We love you people.