Perhaps the most important group of wine lovers that WAYANA values are those who make wine at home. There is something fundamental that separates home winemakers from professional producers: making the best wine for themselves, but being completely free of the financial, bureaucratic and marketing burdens of the professional world. In this respect, we know that their wines made at home for themselves taste better than many wines on sale. We raise our glass to them.

This article is the story of the wine journey of a couple who started out as home winemakers and later continued wine production professionally. When I saw the article in San Francisco Chrocicle, I was really touched and wanted to share its summary with you.

Mike Officer stepped into the world of wine in 1987 by processing 50 kilos of Zinfandel grapes in his apartment in San Francisco's Marina district. After his neighbors were disturbed by the odors during fermentation, he continued to do this work in a friend's garage. While continuing his main job as software engineer, Mike bought a vineyard of approximately 9,5 acres in Russian River Valley, one of California's valuable wine regions, in 1998. The vineyard he bought was planted in 1927 and contained mostly Zinfandel vines. They named the vineyard Carlisle Vineyard, after his wife's maiden name.

Mike, who left his job in 2004, produced wines such as Zinfandel, Syrah, Gewürztraminer and Riesling, together with winemaker Jay Maddox, using grapes he grew himself and bought from other vineyards. Mike, who sells 85% of the wines he produces to wine lovers in his registered group, was affected by the rapid decline in Zinfandel sales in The U.S. between 2017 and 2023. While annual production was around 100 thousand bottles, they decided to limit production to 40 thousand bottles in 2024. They still have products that they can produce for a few more years.

Mike and his wife, Kendall, say the winery's financials are strong and there are suitors for the sale. But when they look at the changes in hands they observe around them, the idea of the changes experienced by vineyards and businesses happening to their own wineries obviously frightens them. They are afraid that it will not be possible for those who will buy the business to display the same approach they have towards wine, and that in this case, the reputation they have built throughout their lives will be destroyed. This concern pushes them towards the decision to liquidate and close instead of selling. As those who have reached maturity will understand better, they also want to have experiences in the autumn of their lives that they did not have the opportunity to do in their youth.

Mike and Kendall find it more appropriate to leave Carlisle Vineyards behind with a philosophy such as 'trees die standing'. Sad, isn't it?