Charles Communication Associates' Latest News
Emeritus Vineyards Wins USA TODAY’s Best Winery Tour 2017
18 August, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Emeritus Vineyards
mari@emeritusvineyards.com | 707.823.9463
Emeritus Vineyards Wins USA TODAY’s Best Winery Tour 2017
USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice awards Emeritus #1 for Best Winery Tour
Sebastopol, California, August 18, 2017 - Emeritus Vineyards is pleased to announce they have been voted #1 out of 20 nominees in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest for best U.S. winery tour. Nominees were chosen by a panel of wine experts, writers, journalists and sommeliers and voting spanned for a period of four weeks.
Emeritus’s new tasting room opened in 2015 and is located in the heart of Sonoma’s famed Russian River Valley, overlooking the Hallberg Ranch vineyard, one of California’s most distinguished dry farmed vineyards and the site from which the winery crafts the #2 most requested Pinot Noir in America’s Zagat rated restaurants. Proprietor Brice Cutrer Jones credits the widespread acclaim for the Emeritus wines to the dry farming regime, noting that these techniques produce “the only honest reflection of a vineyard’s terroir.”
A tour of Emeritus will go from dirt to glass through the Hallberg Ranch Estate vineyard and winery. Guests start with a closeup look of the vineyard, learning about dry farming and other sustainable farming techniques and see firsthand the growth cycle of vines, how the famed Goldridge soil impacts the wine and see (maybe even taste) the difference in Pinot Noir clones. Inside, the winery guests experience the activity of the season, from bottling to harvest, with a front row seat to the action.
After taking in the barrel cellar visitors settle into the rustic-contemporary tasting room for a flight of the estate grown and single vineyard Pinot Noirs, while taking in the sweeping vineyard views through floor to ceiling windows and peering into the cellar while sipping Pinot on the cozy couches. Hosts guide the tour and tasting to match guests’ experience levels, providing the perfect experience for both novice wine lovers and seasoned collectors. Tours are offered Thursday-Monday and are available by advance appointment only. Tours usually last around 90 minutes at $30/person.
Additionally, Emeritus offers tastings of their dry-farmed and estate grown Pinot Noirs seven days a week from 10am-4pm. Appointments for tastings are suggested, though not required, for groups of 6 or less. For larger groups, advance appointments are required. Tastings are $20/person and usually take about 40 minutes. Emeritus Vineyards’ tasting room is located on the Hallberg Ranch Estate at 2500 Gravenstein Highway North in Sebastopol. Make an appointment online or call Emeritus at 707-823-9463 for reservations.
About Emeritus Vineyards and Brice Cutrer Jones
Emeritus Vineyards, is located in Sebastopol, California, the heart of the Russian River Valley. Established in 1999, the winery is defined by a commitment to producing noble Pinot Noir of the most distinctive quality. Wines are crafted around founder & proprietor Brice Cutrer Jones’s philosophy that soil gives wine its character, climate gives wine its personality, and man gives the wine its spirit (or style). The result is estate grown and bottled Pinot Noirs from two vineyards Hallberg Ranch, the home ranch in the heart of the Russian River Valley and Pinot Hill, from the Sebastopol Hills area of the Sonoma Coast.
About USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Award
The 10Best Readers’ Choice Award contest allows the public to vote on a list of 20 nominees for specific categories such as best restaurants, hotels, resorts and vacation locations. Nominees for all categories are chosen by a combination of editors from USA TODAY, editors from 10Best.com, categorical expert contributors and other media sources. Readers are able to vote for one nominee once a day over a period of four weeks.
For press inquiries and images, please contact Mari Jones or Alexis Nicolai at Emeritus Vineyards at mari@emeritusvineyards.com or alexis@emeritusvineyards.com | 707.823.9463
###
Emeritus Vineyards Announces New Winemaker
5 June, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Charles Communications Associates
press@charlescomm.com | 415.701.9463
Emeritus Vineyards Announces New Winemaker
David Lattin takes on winemaker role at
Sonoma dry-farming pioneer winery
Sebastopol, California, June 5, 2017 – Emeritus Vineyards is proud to announce the appointment of David Lattin to winemaker. Lattin joins a 20+ year strong team at Emeritus, which includes vineyard manager, Kirk Lokka, and proprietor, Brice Jones.
Lattin brings 32 vintages of winemaking experience to his role at Emeritus, which includes a 15-year tenure as winemaker for Kuleto Estate where he oversaw the winery’s transition from a small, family-owned business to a relevant brand, while also leading the winemaking program for Merus Wines since 2013.
After receiving a B.A. in Microbiology (with a minor in German Language) from Oregon State University, Lattin went on to receive a M.S. in Enology from the University of California at Davis. From Davis, Lattin went on to gain experience abroad at Chateau Troplong-Mondot in St. Emilion, France, Storybook Mountain Vineyards in Calistoga, and Acacia Winery in Carneros, where he quickly transitioned from enologist to winemaker and General Manager. Lattin also founded and managed CL Wines from 1998 to 2011, a passion project that led him to discover and fall in love with small Pinot Noir vineyards throughout the Sonoma Coast appellation, foreshadowing his eventual arrival at Emeritus Vineyards.
Proprietor Brice Jones said, “David imparts to his wines the spirit that [original – and deceased – Emerituswinemaker] Don Blackburn began with our wine over ten years ago. That spirit is most exemplified by the Burgundian style and the predominance of terroir, a sentiment that David shares whole-heartedly, as exemplified in his wines. We couldn’t be happier to have him join our team.”
Lattin adds, “I am beyond excited about my new position at Emeritus Vineyards and look forward to many great vintages with the team. I support everything Emeritus believes in from their sustainable dry-farming practices, to the quest for the highest quality level of the wines, an alchemy of nuance and complexity.”
Lattin resides in St. Helena with his wife and children. When not producing world-class wines, Lattin enjoys cooking (which he believes makes him a better winemaker), traveling, and cycling.
Located in Sebastopol in the heart of Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, Emeritus Vineyards is home to Hallberg Ranch, one of California’s most distinguished dry-farmed vineyards, and the site from which the winery crafts the second most requested Pinot Noir in America’s Zagat rated restaurants1.
About Emeritus Vineyards and Brice Cutrer Jones
Emeritus Vineyards, is located in Sebastopol, California, the heart of the Russian River Valley. Established in 1999, the winery is defined by a commitment to producing noble Pinot Noir of the most distinctive quality. Wines are crafted around founder & proprietor Brice Cutrer Jones’s philosophy that soil gives wine its character, climate gives wine its personality, and man gives the wine its spirit (or style). The result is estate grown and bottled Pinot Noirs from two vineyards Hallberg Ranch, the home ranch in the heart of the Russian River Valley and Pinot Hill, from the Sebastopol Hills area of the Sonoma Coast.
For press inquiries and images, please contact Kimberly Noelle Charles or Alexandra Fondren at Charles Communications Associates at press@charlescomm.com or 415.701.9463.
¹ According to the 2015 Wine & Spirits Magazine restaurant poll.
##
Emeritus Vineyards Unveils New Tasting Room With a Modern Flair
11 November, 2015
Now open to the public, consumers are invited to tour the winery and taste current releases
Emeritus Vineyards is pleased to announce the completion of the winery’s new tasting room. Located just two miles north of Sebastopol, in the heart of Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, the new space overlooks the Emeritus Hallberg Ranch vineyard: one of California’s most distinguished dry-farmed vineyards, and the site from which the winery crafts the #1 requested Pinot Noir in America’s Zagat rated restaurants.¹
The spacious new addition features wall-to-wall glass doors which open onto a wide terrace, enabling the former apple barn, now the Emeritus winery, to showcase the 110-acre Hallberg Ranch, a vineyard, that is becoming a living symbol of successful drought–resistant viticulture in California. Proprietor Brice Cutrer Jones is a firm believer that dry-farming techniques produce “the only honest reflection of a vineyard’sterroir.” Having just harvested his his fifth 100% dry-farmed vintage, Jones has received widespread acclaim for the Emeritus wines, for which he credits the dry–farming regime.
In addition to Wine & Spirits listing Emeritus in its 2015 ‘Top 100 Wine’ list, Sunset Magazine dedicated a recent feature to Emeritus entitled “Less Water, Better Wine?” and Wine Spectator included the winery’s Hallberg Ranch Estate Pinot Noir as #26 on its ‘100 Most Exciting Wines of 2014’ list.
Situated on the famed Gold Ridge of the Russian River Valley (the eight-mile ridge known for its ideal soils and excellent micro–climate for Pinot Noir), the sleek, yet understated new tasting room appropriately keeps the focus on the breathtaking vineyard views. To build off the property’s agricultural legacy as a pre–Prohibition vineyard, turned apple orchard, and stay true to the land, Emeritus collaborated with FORS Architecture to combine the building’s heritage with a more modern aesthetic. The tasting room’s design plays on the building’s past as an apple processing facility, incorporating repurposed antique utilities from the orchard days. Emeritus worked with local Glass Architects to develop the building design, allowing visitors to experience views of both the vineyard as well as of the working cellar.
While the Emeritus hallmark hospitality remains unchanged, there is also much that has been inaugurated to ensure visitors are met with a feeling of intimacy with the space and its staff. Seating is private and personalized, with space both indoors and outdoors. Large groups can be accommodated as well. With its repurposed local furniture sourced from antique stores in Sebastopol and private lounge ambiance, the new space exudes rustic, elegance, juxtaposed with a streamlined modern flair. A style reflective of those hallmark qualities in the unique Emeritus Estate Pinot Noirs.
Tasting appointments are suggested, though not required. Tours and any group larger than six people require a prior appointment. Tasting experiences range from $15/person for a flight of Emeritus single–vineyard estate wines (45 minutes), or with an advance appointment one can take a vineyard and winery tour before a tasting for $25/person (90 minutes).
The Emeritus winery and tasting room is open seven days a week from 10 am-3:30 pm, and is located on the Hallberg Ranch Estate at 2500 Gravenstein Highway North in Sebastopol. Make an appointment online or call Emeritus at 707-823-9463 for reservations.
About Emeritus Vineyards and Brice Cutrer Jones
Emeritus Vineyards, is located two miles north of Sebastopol, California, in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Established in 1999, the winery is defined by a commitment to producing noble Pinot Noir of the most distinctive quality. Wines are crafted around proprietor Brice Cutrer Jones’s philosophy that soil gives wine its character, climate gives wine its personality, and man gives the wine its spirit (or style). The result is three Estate Grown and Bottled Pinot Noirs: Hallberg Ranch, from the home ranch in the heart of the Russian River Valley; Pinot Hill, from the Sonoma Coast (Sebastopol Hills/Wind Gap area); and William Wesley, from the mountain vineyards on the Sonoma Coast near Annapolis.
For press inquiries and images, please contact Kimberly Charles or Alexandra Fondren at Charles Communications Associates at press@charlescomm.com or 415.701.9463.
¹ According to the 2015 Wine & Spirits Magazine restaurant poll.
Emeritus Vineyards offering Tours by Appointment at their Hallberg Ranch Estate Vineyard & Winery Location
9 July, 2014
Emeritus Vineyards offering Tours by Appointment at their Hallberg Ranch Estate Vineyard & Winery Location
Now open to the public, consumers are invited to tour the winery and taste current releases
Sebastopol, Ca — Emeritus Vineyards is thrilled to offer private consumer tours by appointment at their Hallberg Ranch Estate Vineyard in Sebastopol. Nestled in the heart of the Russian River Valley, appointments range from 60-90 minutes in length and include a vineyard tour as well as a comprehensive visit to the winery to experience Emeritus’ farming and vinification practices. Tours conclude with a tasting of the winery’s acclaimed estate Pinot Noirs: Hallberg Ranch and William Wesley.
In addition to the more comprehensive tours of the facility, Emeritus also offers abbreviated, 30-45-minute tastings—which can be enjoyed in the comfort of the tasting room or outside on the picnic tables. All tastings have a personalized educationalslant, and the experience can be tailored to accommodate all levels of wine knowledge – from novice tasters to industry experts. Guests are invited to picnic on the grounds with provisions from nearby restaurants (K&L Bistro, Mom’s Apple Pie and The Barlow restaurant district in downtown Sebastopol are all less than a 10 minute drive).
The current release of Hallberg Ranch (2011) is an important one for the winery – it is one of the first vintages that was 100% dry-farmed, producing a Burgundian-style Pinot with expressive red fruit, earthy terroir character and vibrant minerality. Proprietor Brice Jones and his daughter Mari (official Emeritus ‘President of Fun’) walk each guest through their estate vineyard (the largest dry-farmed vineyard in Sonoma County) to experience why sustainable, organic farming, as well as eschewing irrigation, are practices that are not only better for the environment, but also better for the wine. In these years of record drought, it’s no secret that dry-farmed vineyards are poised to thrive in more difficult vintages.
The cozy tasting room is characterized by a vibrant Rigoberto Renteria mural that pays homage to the Emeritus Team, all of whom have a unique back story your tasting host can expand upon. Lucky patrons might encounter beloved winery dogs, Baci and Satchmo.
Interested parties are invited to schedule an appointment in advance. Appointments are available from 10am-3pm Monday-Saturday. Full 60-90 minute tours and tastings are $20 per person, shorter tastings are $10 per person. Space is limited, so guests are encouraged to call ahead to ensure a complete visit.
About Emeritus Vineyards
Emeritus Vineyards, is located in Sebastopol, California, in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Established in 1999, the winery is defined by a commitment to producing Pinot Noir of the highest caliber. Wines are crafted based on proprietor Brice Jones’ philosophy that soil gives wine its character, climate gives wine its personality, and that man gives wine its spirit and style. The result is two Estate Grown and Bottled Pinot Noirs: Emeritus, Hallberg Ranch, from the home ranch in the heart of the Russian River Valley; and Emeritus, William Wesley, from the mountain vineyards on the Sonoma Coast near Annapolis.
For press inquiries and images, please contact Kimberly Charles or Alexandra Fondren at Charles Communications Associates at press@charlescomm.com or 415.701.9463.