The Spicy Mamas of Spicy Vines
Spring, Rosé, and May...
Sonoma County Is Alive and Thriving! The vines are awake and covered in bright green new leaves, the mustard is up, and we are well into the cycle of balmy, sunny days and cool, crisp nights. Beautiful, spectacular, and the excitement and promise of a new growing season is upon us. We are grateful, especially after a winter of our community rebounding after the 2017 fires. Sonoma County is ready to visit!
We've bottled our 2017 Rosés!
Spring is also when we bottle our Rosés. The 2017 rosés are gorgeous. The colors of the Violet Rose Rosé and the Rosé of Syrah are brighter and deeper than the 2016’s, and both wines have incredible floral notes, with lovely strawberry, kiwi, raspberry and guava flavors. They are balanced between the delicate nuances of their flavors and their formidable, complex structures. They are the lovely ladies of the Spicy Vines portfolio, in their bright pink dresses, and we couldn’t be happier with how they turned out.
Don't Miss our Mother's Day Pickup Party!
This year our Spring Wine Club Pick Up Party will be on Mother's Day weekend, May 12th and 13th. So, bring Mom and join us as we celebrate her and our spicy mamas here at Spicy Vines!
We will have the usual homemade pairings for each wine in this club shipment. We can’t wait to see which will be the favorite! Will it be the Smoked Salmon Bruschetta with the 2016 Violet Rose? Maybe it will be the Lavender Lemon Crème Brûlée with the 2015 Joie de Vivre Chardonnay. Or, perhaps, the 2015 Dragon’s Kiss Syrah paired with beef brasato, pappardelle and pecorino?
The Spicy Mamas of Spicy Vines
Mother’s Day is a special time for us at Spicy Vines because we get to celebrate the incredible women that have inspired us, our wines, and the spirit of the winery.
Violet Rose Hackett
If it wasn’t for Sunday dinners, Manoshevitz and cards with the ladies from church, we wonder if our winemaker, Dough Hackett would ever have made his way to the wine industry.
Doug was raised by his grandmother, Violet Rose Hackett, who adopted him and his brother as young boys. Doug has lots of stories about Violet Rose, including how on Sundays, Violet Rose and the ladies from church would do a potluck dinner and play cards. The group, being the ladies that they were, sipped a little Manoshevitz and to keep Doug and his brother “hush” while playing cards, Violet Rose would give the boys a little of their Manoshevitz cut with water.
Besides possibly inspiring Doug’s winemaking career, Violet Rose, has also inspired the spirit of Spicy Vines through her wisdom and huge heart. Doug affectionately speaks of Violet Rose as a strong, generous woman with wonderful lessons like, “Every breath matters,” and, “Wealth has nothing to do with money.” She never complained, unless, maybe, if something caused her to miss an episode of Sanford and Son or The Lawrance Welk Show. She taught Doug the art of giving without want, as he would watch her endlessly give to others, even if it was her last dime.
It is no wonder the leading lady of our rosé program is a tribute Violet Rose. What else could capture the spirit of a lovely lady raising two boys alone on a summer camp cook’s salary in rural Upstate New York? Fun, bright, strong and spirited in her lovely pink dress. Happy Mother’s Day, Violet Rose.
Ms. Rita Hoffman
If you have been to the winery for a pickup party or Wine Road event, you have eaten the cuisine of Crystalyn’s mom, Miss Rita.
As Crystalyn admiringly describes her, Rita is creative, graceful, poised, authentic, and with “no frills,” who always puts family first. You always know where you stand with Rita, but never feel uncomfortable, unless, of course, you were that state trooper that recently pulled her over and gave her that “damn speeding ticket” for going 80 in a 65. But, that’s our Fiery Red Headed Rita.
Rita has had an incredible life. During the 1960’s and 1970’s, she was a pioneer in Women’s Movement and deeply involved Vietnam Era political seen. The Stanford educated, free spirited Rita has traveled all over the world and dabbled in the movie industry before raising two children, Eric and Crystalyn. Today, we are fortunate to have her with us, contributing to the winery with her catering via Miss Rita’s Kitchen, and jumping in with the energy of someone half her age to pick up and deliver wine, set up photo shoots, and lend her creativity to our themes for parties and special events. Lots of love to you this Mother’s Day, Miss Rita!