DesignationStolpman Vineyards. From organic Oliver's Vineyard in Edna Valley. It's really hard work with long working days, both in the vineyard and winery. Breakfast wine was actually born one morning out on the ocean, fishing with my husband. Lady of the Sunshine wines focus on organic and biodynamic farming. In characteristic Lady of the Sunshine practice, the grapes for this Chardonnay were foot-stomped, fermented with native yeast, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. This playful blend is inspired by the traditional blends of the Cheverny region.
The foundation of Lady of the Sunshine starts in the vineyard, based on the mantra, "Know your farmer" while focusing on vineyards that are farmed organically or better. The grapes are picked and fermented using native yeast and 70% whole cluster, pressed at dryness and finished in neutral french oak barrels for 10 months. I'm excited to be introducing a Sparkling Chardonnay, Rosé, and Gamay to my lineup. The Devil made Pinot Noir. Is there a story behind the name? There is also the rabbit hole of sulfur and natural wine. Aromas and flavors of crushed chalk, crunchy cherries and perfumed violets explode from the glass and on the palate, framed by a lively acidity and gentle tannins. My hat goes with me everywhere. My husband, Mikey, has always nicknamed me Lady, and Lady of the Sunshine was a name we had joked around with until it actually stuck.
Meet Gina Hildebrand of Lady of the Sunshine. What qualities do you look for in the wines that you make and the wines that you drink? Reviewers may know general information about a flight to provide context—vintage, variety or appellation—but never the producer or retail price of any given selection. 09 pH on Oct 9, 2019. So it's been a wonderful outlet. And we are very fortunate to love working together, most of the time!
Of course it's not always sunshine and rainbows, but the drive we have to work as hard as we do, is built on the foundation that we are very passionate about how and why we make our wines. Even though I am picking on the leaner side of ripeness to preserve the natural acidity, I love playing with techniques in the cellar that help build flavor and texture, like foot treading the grapes before fermentation to play with skin contact. Planted in 2010 on steep hillsides with a foot of topsoil on top of bedrock, the vineyard is certified Demeter biodynamic, making it the second vineyard to be so in Edna Valley. At this point she decided she should put her theories into practice and make her own wine! Lady of the Sunshine Pinot Noir Chene Vineyard.
Since her takeover in 2018, the vineyard is now a Demeter certified biodynamic vineyard. There is a global organization called Demeter that certifies vineyards and farms and also provides a community to connect. My focus is on working with organic or biodynamic farmed vineyards in hopes of expressing the purity of the land through my wines. How is your winemaking process sustainable? Color/Style: White, Full Bodied. I studied winemaking at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and then spent the next few years traveling to work solely for biodynamic winemakers in various regions of the world— Beaujolais, France, New Zealand, Willamette Valley in Oregon and Napa. We love to catch our dinner or if I'm lucky, my husband freedives for scallops. When you aren't making wine, what is your favorite pastime? Both grape varieties were foot-stomped and soaked on skins for 24 hours before whole bunch pressing. A California native raised on her family's eighty-six acre biodynamic farm, Gina grew up learning wine varietals alongside her ABCs and 123s.
I also like aging the wine on lees to build layers of complexity. I hope that this newly earned stamp will bring authenticity to inspire others about farming for our future, by healing through farming. You have a breakfast wine! Native yeast fermentation in neutral barrels then aged for 8 months on the lees.
Farming Practice: Biodynamic and Organic. But it's the connection we have with our trade and the wines we create from the places we farm and work with that give us the energy and grit to work like we do. It helped bring the idea of terroir full circle for me, that's why I want to farm as purely as possible so that I can capture the sense of place for the roots of my wine. In Napa she saw grapes being meticulously farmed, but picked late when they were super ripe, over-extracted during the winemaking, and manipulated to bring back balance. In the wines I make, I strive for balance, both in flavor and ripeness, acidity and texture. Its northwest to southeast orientation creates a direct path for cool Pacific air and fog to penetrate the valley from the Los Osos and Morro Bay area inwards. I love this question! This goes for both reds and whites, but ultimately, it is all about balance. Is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock. Winemaker Gina Hildebrand says: "Think lime zest, tangerine marmalade, & orchard bloom with a briny kick. I farm and make wines with intent. Coquelicot Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc.
100% Chardonnay; 12% ABV. Gina settled on the coast of San Luis Obispo, farming and making wine from the Chene Vineyard, which she has converted to biodynamics. Winemaker Gina Giugni describes this way: "Think olive oil cake, lemon zest, and sea salt. I grew up on my family's ninety acre biodynamic ranch, Narrow Gate Vineyards in the Sierra Foothills of California. How was the vineyard farmed?
Gina also farms, full time, the 6. Biodynamic and Organic. The Chene Vineyard, which I have been farming since the beginning of 2018, received it's Demeter certification for biodynamic farming practices in June 2020, after a three year conversion period. Subdued hints of earth and grass lead into more exuberant aromas of orange-guava-passion fruit juice on the nose of this bottling. In the winter of 2018, Gina started farming the six and a half acre Chene Vineyard in Edna Valley. A bright and fresh Chardonnay with notes of olive oil cake, lemon zest and sea salt. Farming Practice: Organic. Through regenerative farming practices, we can heal soil, increase biodiversity, and turn waste into new energy. With three different club levels it's easy to find something that works for you!
Vineyard - Oliver's vineyard. I make wines in the most natural way I know how. A group of farmers took his teachings and applied it to their farms in hopes of healing their land back to its natural state after herbicides became normalized in agriculture. She is currently farming and transitioning the vineyard to biodynamics and pursuing a Demeter certification status. The 2018 Chêne Vineyard Chardonnay is transparent medium to deep gold in color. The goal is simple, to leave the land better than we found. Fishing is typically the 'hurry up and wait' game. All of the wines are fermented using native yeast, natural acidity, minimal amounts of sulfur, and neutral french oak barrels. Like all things, we strive for a work life balance, and that will always be something we work on, but at least we love what we do and we do it together. After obtaining her degree in Wine and Viticulture and spending several years working with. Grapes were foot crushed and soaked on the skins overnight before being whole bunch pressed the next morning. Join our email list so we can send you special offers and discounts. They can be so stressful!
This wine is a blend of Pinot Noir from the certified biodynamic Chene vineyard and Sauvignon Blanc from the neighboring Oliver's vineyard, both in Edna Valley.