Two years ago we took a deep gulp and started ripping out parts of our original vineyard due to a nasty phylloxera infestation. This was a tough decision since even diseased vines are moderately productive. A replanted vineyard takes five years to come into full production and golly, Ted is already old enough for Medicare. Fortunately for us the next generation of our family has been smitten with the winemaking bug which makes it easier to make such a long term investment. In spite of the popularity of higher priced grapes, we’ve stuck with Gewürztraminer this second time around. We’ve spent a generation figuring out how to make world class Gewürz and this gives us another chance to do it even better. We know this site like the back of our hands since we have gazed at it from our bedroom for thirty years. We know where the soils have been the weakest so that’s where we’ve poured on compost and soil amendments.

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After one year our replanted Gewürztraminer grapes have grown at the same astounding rate as Moku, our daughter Sarah’s Great Dane. Moku is enjoying the dog parks of Davis this year while Sarah is pursuing a graduate degree in Viticulture and Enology.

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We know just where the spring rains puddle so that’s where we’ve added underground drainage. We’ve more than doubled the density of plants to improve quality and modified our original 4 wire trellis with a more sophisticated eight wire, triple tee top. Half of this flavorful bottling came from vineyards planted in the last decade which is why we are excited about getting a second chance at our original planting site. Best Gewürztraminer and a Double Gold Medal winner at the Mendocino Fair.

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Justin and Aaron Sawyer are the second generation in their family to work at Navarro. Their mom Lynne is Navarro’s Office Manager and their dad Tex is a respected Anderson Valley winemaker.