During the third week of August, when picking Cinsault for her rosé wine in the Bechthold Vineyard – Lodi’s oldest continuously farmed growth (planted in 1886) – Onesta winemaker Jillian Johnson attributed 2014’s lower wine yields mostly to the drought: “In the past we’ve gotten as much as 24 tons from the south end of [...]

“The past has no power over the present moment.” ― Eckhart Tolle With the New Year comes a sense of rejuvenation and a revival in spirit. We make resolutions to better ourselves; work out more, eat healthy, work more efficiently, spend more time with family, read more books, etc. All of these goals are attainable, [...]

The following morning in Bechthold Vineyard, as she was picking out the M.O.G. (“material other than grapes”) from the T-bins being filled by the all-male picking crew of Phillips Farms, Jillian Johnson shared her glowing assessment of the 2013 Bechthold Cinsault:  ”This is going to be the best harvest we’ve seen in a while… by [...]

As of recent, the idea of family has become an evolving concept for me. Where family used to be a more static or closed loop definition, now there is change. I guess this process really started over a year ago with my divorce. At first, it felt like a loss of a major appendage. Rather [...]

One ticket to Portland, one dear friend Nadine Lew, tutus, a bag of pickles and lots of laughs, all to see the first run of Onesta labels come off the printer. Priceless.