Hendry Pinot Gris

Pale straw color. Initial aromas are peachy, creamy, lightly floral. Lemon, lemon curd and green apple on the palate, with a mineral roundness and surprisingly creamy mouthfeel for such a light-bodied wine. Warm and palate-coating. Lemon peel and green apple on the finish. We like this wine with lighter foods, lemony hummus, sole, trout, Greek salad, chilled shrimp, almost any fish or light chicken dish. But it's lovely all by itself! Only 150 cases produced!

ABV: 14%

George Hendry and his family have grown grapes on the same family farm in Napa Valley since 1939. Through more than eighty years of harvests, our connection to the land has deepened, and our knowledge has grown. Hendry Ranch is composed of 203 acres situated in the low, rolling hills just northwest of Napa, at the foot of Mt. Veeder, and includes 114 acres under vine. This location in the valley experiences substantial marine influence, allowing us to grow many different types of wine grapes. All Hendry wines are made only from estate grapes, and are crafted to highlight the unique terroir of this very special vineyard.

The Hendry Vineyard is located on benchlands west of the town of Napa. Our vines grow on thin, stony clay soil between 200 and 300 feet above sea level. Morning fog and strong afternoon breezes from San Pablo Bay moderate our climate. A small amount of this wine is produced each year from Block 1, our only Pinot Gris block, which was planted in 1997. It is located right on Redwood Creek, just before the white barn on the left as you enter the ranch property. The horses sometimes graze in this block during spring and early summer. Block 1 is in the coolest part of the Hendry vineyard: the shadow cast by a high ridge immediately to the west shortens the available sunlight hours. Additional cooling comes from morning fog and afternoon breezes from the south.

At Hendry, we have a strong sense of environmental responsibility. We base our choices in the vineyard on a desire to continue farming this land ethically and sustainably, as our family has done here since 1939.

We do not routinely apply any herbicides or pesticides in the vineyard. In addition, we maintain a complex, naturally diverse cover crop to foster healthy, aerated soil and minimize the need for added nitrogen. This minimizes potential nitrogen runoff that could be harmful to our nearby stream and river. As needed, we may apply potassium and phosphorus to the soil before the first rains of the season to support this cover crop, which in turn, supports the grapes. The remains of the winemaking process--skins, seeds and stems--are plowed back into the soil each harvest. The sulfur we apply in the vineyard is organically derived.

We have not sought, nor do we intend to seek, certification of any kind, choosing instead to follow our own path of best and most responsible practices to maintain a healthy vineyard and environment, while reserving the option to use specific, short term and targeted solutions, organic or otherwise, should an urgent or difficult insect threat appear. Thankfully, this is something that has occurred only a handful of times in the last eight decades.