I purchased an old horse property in the Richmond hills of Wildcat Canyon in 2002 and, while I knew little of the complexities of farming, I was inspired to explore the soil, water and climate at a site which had no local benchmark of vineyard or olive cultivation. I do believe that the secret to my success, whether I knew it then or not, was surrounding myself with experts who have guided my progress (through both failure and success).

After proving that pinot noir could be successfully cultivated along the margin of San Francisco Bay, I changed my farming practice to a fully organic approach in July 2019. The olive grove has been fully organic since planting in 2007. I hope to secure organic certification in the near future.