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Winemaker’s Journal

Harvest Update: First Grapes are In and Fermentation is Buzzing

SEPTEMBER 2025

Harvest is in full swing in the Rocky Reach & Lake Chelan AVAs! We have already brought in Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and our first Syrah of the vintage, with Merlot and Malbec coming off the vines next week. The cellar is alive with the steady buzz of the forklift moving barrels and bins of grapes, pumps running and the sweet smell of fermentation hanging in the air. The energy of the new vintage is contagious and fueling my small but mighty team as our mornings start earlier and evenings later.

For those joining me on Saturday, October 4th for the Harvest Immersion Day (limited spots remain!), you’ll be stepping right into the heart of harvest: a cellar full of active fermentations and the chance to taste wines in their earliest stages as they head to barrel. I’m so excited to launch this experience and let you step behind the scenes to become a winemaker for the day with me. The highlight reel of the day: pick a bucket of grapes, eat some delicious tacos, immerse yourself in the cellar with me and my team and end the day with a hard-earned glass of wine.

Can’t make the 4th? Our Estate Concierge, Nic Beach, is eager to host private winery and vineyard tours throughout this harvest season. If you’re looking for a luxurious day at the Estate, Nic will curate your perfect experience. Contact Nic directly to book your tour or tasting.

Finally, I would be remiss not to recognize the incredible trio who help me bring our wines to life: Jill Lukacs, Assistant Winemaker; Carlee Biggar, Cellar Lead; and Cellar Intern, Gabby! Their dedication, attention to detail and willingness to put life on hold for harvest are what makes our wines so extraordinary. Three cheers for this team.

It is our sincere joy to share the magic of the Estate and harvest with you.

Cheers,

Elizabeth Keyser-Hadley, Winemaker

container filled with grapes

Long Live Summer:  WAugust, Wine, and What’s Next

August 2025

This growing season is flying by!  As our estate vineyards enter veraison – berries shifting from green to purple – I can feel harvest just around the corner. This summer has been nothing short of spectacular: steady, even weather and near-perfect growing conditions. If Mother Nature stays on our side, this will be a banner year for Rocky Pond wines. 

Even though my summer will be coming to an end sooner rather than later with harvest looming, there’s still so much fun to be had: WAugust (Washington Wine Month), New Releases (2024 Stratastone White & 2023 11 Dams), Stratastone Deep Dive tasting in Chelan, Concerts at the Estate, Club Pickup Parties and more!

wine being poured into a glass

I am also excited to announce our first ever immersive harvest experience. Have you ever wondered what it looks like to step into the boots of a winemaker for the day? Well, I’m inviting a small group to join me for a day and experience harvest. You’ll walk away with some dirt on your boots, purple hands and a deeper appreciation for our winemaking process. (Or at least that’s my hope!).

Let’s raise a toast to WAugust, harvest, and long live summer… “It’s all about the experiences.”

Cheers,

Elizabeth Keyser-Hadley, Winemaker

Vine to Vision: The Story Behind Our Spring Wines

March 2025

Spring has officially sprung here in Orondo. The vineyard is waking up with vibrant green growth and buds pushing open – a beautiful reminder that another vintage is underway.

On the heels of our Spring Club Release parties, my team and I are in the midst of blending, working with the expressive red wines of the 2024 vintage. I am struck with the overall quality of this vintage; it’s always a sign of a great vintage when the wines come together with ease at the blending table – and even more so when there are single lots that show enough poise and character to shine on their own, and we have several in the 2024 vintage.

And while the 2024 wines are just beginning their journey, I am equally excited about the Spring Release wines: 2024 Double D Sauvignon Blanc, 2023 Studio Red and 2023 Boushey Syrah. Each wine in this release has so much character and presence, whether it’s the inviting aromatics of the Sauvignon Blanc, delicate nuances of the Studio Red, or the bold fruit expression from the Boushey Syrah, there’s a wine for every occasion.

If you want to delve deeper into winemaking process for Sauvignon Blanc, we have our next Winemaker Educational tasting coming up on May 17th at our Leavenworth Tasting Room. In the 2024 vintage our Assistant Winemaker, Jill, conducted a series of yeast trials on Sauvignon Blanc, to study the influence of yeast strains on the aromas, flavors and mouthfeel of Sauvignon Blanc. Trials are a cornerstone of our winemaking process, challenging the norms and pushing the boundaries makes us better winemakers. I hope you can join me for this exclusive educational tasting!

Here’s to a vibrant new season, and to sharing what’s next with you in the glass. “It’s all about the experiences…”

Cheers,
Elizabeth Keyser-Hadley, Winemaker

Trio of Rocky Pond reds lying on river rocks

Nurturing Vines: The Essential Role of Pruning

February 2025

As someone who walks vineyards nearly every day, February is one of my favorite months in the vineyard. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cold, quiet and often snowy, but the crunch of ice under foot giving way to muddy puddles means that pruning season is upon us.

Pruning is the first step in preparing the vines for spring growth. By removing the excess wood from last year’s growing season, we are directing the vines energy into this year’s fruit – bringing balance to the vine.

If a vine is not pruned it very quickly reverts to its wild nature, with voracious canopy growth and bunches of underripe fruit. Every year we assess the growth of the vines and decide through pruning the vigor of the vine. If the vine grows too vigorously, the resulting wines will be lean and simple. If the vine grows too little, the wine will be bitter and hard. The right amount of growth – balanced growth – results in balanced wines that are delicious reflections of our unique terroir. 

snow on the hills and the vineyard with a man working on the vines
snow on the hills and the vineyard
snow on the hills and the vineyard

Touching each vine year over year, deepens our relationship with each vineyard block. It’s a tactile relationship with nature. As farmers we need help from others to prune all our vines. Led by Vineyard Manager, Javier Rocha, our vineyard team will cover 120 acres of vines in the next 8 weeks. Their craftsmanship on full display as they assess each vine and make their pruning cuts.

Some years give us a smoother path to harvest than others, but one thing we know with certainty is in 8 to 9 months when the fruit is ready, the vines will have experienced another cycle and written another liquid story. Frost, heat, wind, rain, birds, humans: all leave their mark.

Starting with pruning, our job is to tend the vines so that the inevitable challenge of nature adds character to the wine, making it distinctive. If we do our job well, the wine will deliciously reflect the journey of the vine from pruning to harvest. Simply put, you will taste the craftsmanship of our vineyard team.

And then we’ll do it all again next year… It’s all about the experiences.

Cheers,
Elizabeth Keyser-Hadley, Winemaker

A Season of Gratitude

January 2025

January in the cellar is often a time for reflection, the hubbub of harvest is over, and has been replaced with the quiet routine of topping & stirring barrels, deep cellar cleaning and spring bottling preparation. The 2024 growing season started off with a vintage defining cold front, an aberration in an otherwise mild winter, that gave way to a warm and dry spring. Healthy vineyards are resilient vineyards, and while the 2024 growing season presented its fair share of challenges the resulting wines show brilliant vineyard transparency, focus and elegance.

As the young wines start to take form in the cellar, I find myself reflecting on not just this past vintage but how wine serves as more than just a libation – it is a vessel for connection, storytelling and a celebration of community.

winter at the estate

As we enter 2025, my promise to you is to remain dedicated to ensuring each bottle of wine reflects the quality and excellence you deserve, but to also lean in closer to our community and help tell the stories of how our land is farmed, and the team of incredible people who contribute to our wines.

This coming year you can find me at the Estate, hosting educational tastings and in this newsletter sharing stories and making those vital connections with our wine that spark joy, wonder and delight.

Here’s to the year we’ve shared – and the wine yet to be shared… It’s all about the experiences.

Cheers,
Elizabeth Keyser-Hadley, Winemaker

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