My path to winemaking began during my college years, visiting wineries in Napa and Sonoma. While winemaking was always on my mind, my career in microbiology led me in another direction. Many years later as our children, Laura and Matt left the nest, my understanding husband, Mark, agreed to move from North Carolina to California so that I could pursue my dream of living on a vineyard and making wine. With a certificate in winemaking from UC Davis under my belt, I began our search for a vineyard in California. Mark and I were drawn to the natural beauty and wonderful climate of the Russian River Valley, its welcoming community, supportive grape growers and winemakers and, of course, its renowned Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.
Our search ended a year later when we found a breathtakingly beautiful vineyard on a steep, rugged site in the Russian River Valley, planted in 1998 to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. (Mark and I think it is serendipitous that the vineyard was planted the same year that our son Matt was born and that Matt’s artwork graces our wine label.) We named it Calypte Vineyard after the hummingbirds -- Calypte anna -- that live in its surrounding oaks and madrones. We have made Calypte Vineyard our home and are committed to sustainably growing the best possible fruit and making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that are true expressions of our vineyard.
Great Wine Begins In the Vineyard
Calypte Vineyard was planted in 1998 atop a ridge in the Russian River Valley amid a forest of Douglas fir, oak and madrone. The boundaries of our vineyard were determined by the steep slope of the terrain.
Calypte vineyard sits 14 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. The maritime climate allows the grapes to ripen slowly and develop optimal flavor for harvest. Cool fog rolls inland along the Russian River during the night and burns off by mid-day, resulting in warm sunny afternoons during growing season.
Bud Swell
Bud Break
Pea-Sized Grapes
Start of Veraison
Ripe Pinot Noir
Sustainable farming practices welcome local wildlife. Hawks, owls and bobcats keep the gopher population under control. Pollinators enjoy the cover crops. Bluebirds and hummingbirds provide insect control.
Elaine Wines will contribute 1% of your purchase to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
