A Look Back on 2020 with Priest Ranch
2020 was, without a doubt, an unprecedented year. Between COVID-19, the fires we experienced here in the valley, and the many ways we have had to pivot our business over the months, the year has certainly provided us a different perspective. With that, we've also come to realize the milestones we hit this year and the many things we're grateful for. To close out 2020 in style, let's take a look back at some of our highlights!
The Release of our Canned Wines
This summer we released the much-anticipated canned Rosé and canned Grenache Blanc. A spinoff of our classic 750ml bottles, these 375ml cans (equivalent to half a typical wine bottle) are the quintessential on-the-go wines to take to the river or pool during the spring and summer, to enjoy while watching a football game, or to safely enjoy with a few friends in the fall and winter. Hailing from our Somerston Estate in the Napa Valley's eastern hills, these wines are aged in stainless steel for eight months, then canned onsite. Clean and crisp on the finish, both are new favorites amongst the team!
Our Partnership with Consulting Winemaker, Steve Leveque
As of June of this year, we couldn't be more excited to announce our partnership with Steve Leveque, who was most recently the Director of Winemaking at Hall Wines. This 20-year veteran of the industry has an impressive background and a long-time friend of our Winemaker and Co-Founder, Craig Becker. Years ago, Steve hired Craig for his first winery job at Robert Mondavi Winery, and they've been friends ever since. Pictured here is Steve in the middle and Craig on the right bottom corner from Mondavi days! We are honored, proud, and excited to be his very first client. This partnership feels like "family coming back together," says Craig.
Introduced a New Label for our Priest Ranch Olive Oil
Each year we harvest the olives from our 120 trees at our Napa Valley estate to bring you the Priest Ranch Olive Oil. To give this special addition to our portfolio a little facelift, we designed a new label!
This olive oil is the perfect addition to your kitchen staples, and we love it in a finely chopped chimichurri or on its own drizzled over a baguette.
Introduced our Peacemaker Red
The one who brings about peace" is our brand new Peacemaker Red Blend. In this bottle, we've captured the vineyards' harmony by pulling together multiple unique vineyard blocks. The diversity of the estate is showcased in this balanced expression of varying terroir.
Peacemaker provided the opportunity to highlight some of the highest quality blocks on the estate. This wine was created by utilizing fruit from both old vines, which delivers structure and concentration, and younger vines, which provide vibrant flavor and aromatics.
The Peacemaker joins our Snake Oil and Coach Gun reds, representing the luxury tier of Priest Ranch wines. This wine will not be released in the tasting room until February 2021, though our Guild Wine Club members receive first access. Want to gain early access, too? Learn more about our Guild Club here!
2020 Harvest
Perhaps most notably, due to the Hennessey Fire iin August, we did not have a 2020 harvest. As with any winery, this is a hard pill to swallow, but, thankfully, none of our vineyards were damaged. While we won't have a 2020 vintage,we have even higher hopes for 2021 and will always commit to bringing you the best quality wines.
Our Wine Club and Loyal Fans!
We can't reminisce about this year without paying homage to our incredible Wine Club members and Priest Ranch fans near and far. Because of your support, we were able to keep our doors open and the wine flowing as much as possible this year, and for that, we are immensely grateful.
We hope you have a great New Year's, no matter how your celebration looks this year, and a wonderful 2021!