The Gentleman Farmer Manifesto
We believe that a life well led is a life well fed
Fed by thoughtful food, good wine, and engaged conversation
Fed by what gratifies us – to garden, cook, or tinker
Above all to create
Fed by the work of our hands
The tactile, the analog, and the acoustic
We are for mise-en-place and a well-stocked pantry
Sharp knives, copper bowls, and a butcher block
We are for salting early and setting the table
We are for wine with lunch
on Mondays
To open the good stuff for no reason is the reason
Take up the wire whisk
Choose the stone mortar and pestle
Use the seasoned cast-iron skillet
Feel the grace of farm dirt under your nails
Sense the mystery in grapes grown from nothing more than sunlight, atmosphere, and water
Taste time held in a bottle
We have a need to be human, to connect to what is real
To hear a story told in an authentic voice
We err on the human side of winemaking
We nourish the life well fed
Our Story
Jeff and I met in the spring of 1999. We discovered we both had Bachelor’s degrees in Hotel & Restaurant Management and history of working in food, wine, and travel. By the late summer of that year, we decided to make wine together.
Fall of 1999, we started in a garage in St. Helena with a half-ton of fruit from a small vineyard off Zinfandel Lane and the guidance of a local winemaker.
The 2005 vintage launched what was to become Gentleman Farmer Wines with 80 cases. Today we are still relatively small, less than 1,000. To give some perspective, next to the large, commercial Napa wineries on Highway 29 we would be the equivalent of the small farmstand on the side of the road that you may pass without noticing.
This small production is a benefit. It allows me to work with my hands. I walk my dedicated rows of vines during the growing season, tasting for flavor development and taking field samples. The days before we pick I will make a pass with my pruning shears to clear leaves from around the grapes, ensuring only beautiful clusters get into the picking bins the early morning of harvest.
We sort the grapes by hand to be certain only high-quality fruit goes into barrel or tank.
With this sort of intimacy, I can honestly say that I have been with every berry that makes it into our wines.
Joe Wolosz