Career Change

Seems like the word is getting out.

After 32 harvests at Eaglepoint Ranch, the owners of the property decided to make a change and release me from my duties as vineyard manager.

This is a job I started when I was 19 years old. John Scharffenberger hired me as harvest help in 1979. I began full time duties in the winter of 1980. Over the next 2 years John S groomed me in the finer points of vineyard operations and land use. You might say it was on the job training. By the mid 80’s I was working with wineries on grape purchases and planting new fields. By the mid 90’s we shifted the property from Cab/Chard to Rhone varietals. In 2000 we planted our first fields of Grenache. I was lucky enough to acquire a minority interest in the ranch (with great help from John S).

The Eaglepoint wine brand started in 1994. John S and myself thought it would be fun and help sell grapes. Little did we know it would lead to a 14 year journey where I found out more of the wine industry than I wanted to. We stopped production in 1998.

The Scharffenberger family sold the property to new owners in 2005, and my interest was sold at that time. I thought new ownership would breath new life into the ranch, but it didn’t work out that way. I was released from my position two days after harvest 2011. The ranch hasn’t done well after 2008.

I’m now running a vineyard in Anderson valley called Ordway’s Valley Foothills. There are 165 acres of planted grid mostly planted to Pinot and Chard with smaller amounts of Gewurtz and Pinot Gris. I’m thrilled to have a new challenge in my life. There is a great crew (although I miss my Eaglepoint crew dearly) and a new set of customers. I also miss my old customers (Thackrey, Eno, Carica, JC Cellars, Orin Swift and others) but its time to move forward. Funny, but when I make phone calls its hard to not call myself Casey from Eaglepoint Ranch.

I think when Bill Walsh took over for the 49’ers he was 50 years old. I’m 53 and starting a new chapter in my life. I feel very lucky considering the state of the wine industry.

Casey, please tell us about Ordway’s Valley Foothills Vineyard. When was it planted, vineyard details, who buys the grapes, etc. I’d like to try a bottle!

Good luck with your next chapter Casey!

I see Navarro buys Chardonnay grapes from OVFV - excellent sign!

Best wishes, Casey, and I’m sure you’ll do well. Great potential in Anderson Valley (but we all knew that, already)!

Best of luck in your new position.

[cheers.gif]

Congrats on the new position.

Sounds like a great fit for you. Good fortune in your new spot!

Good luck, Casey! Haven’t seen you in quite a while, would love to share a glass or two of vino again some day.

-Al

Pinot Noir? Welcome to the dark side! If you have any questions shoot me a pm, if I don’t know the answer, don’t worry, I’ll make something up! Good luck.

As others have said, good luck in your new position. One of the many regrets I have in my wine experience was not trying your wines sooner. Bought some of your grenache when you were closing down production and it was terrific. Your new employer is lucky to have you.

Cheers,
Curt

Thanks everyone. Yeah, lots of my friends have given me grief that a devout Pinot hater is now growing the stuff. Funny what you’ll do to make a house payment! I feel lucky to be growing it in one of the best places in the state. The vineyard is right in the ‘sweet spot’ in Anderson Valley. Just past Navarro’s tasting room. It also includes the Day Ranch. Its not the sexy 'Deep End" but its not the warmer Boonville end either.

Customers: Navarro, Roederer, Mumm, Schramsberg, Sattui, Anaba, Husch, Toulouse, Goldeneye and Londer. There hasn’t been a real focus on extreme quality, but we’re getting that changed pretty quickly.

There is everything from mid-70’s Beaujolias clone Pinot on St George (dry farmed no less) to late 70’s clone 4 Chard that works well for sparkling. Older and newer plantings of Reisling for Navarro, older and newer plantings of Gewurtz for Navarro, Toulouse, Sattui and Corrison. There’s some 115/667 planted in 2006 that are just now coming on and going to good winemakers, as well as David Bruce and Martini planted in great soils and exposures. Last year we replanted an old Chard block to clone 548 Chard.

I’m also going to do my first frost season since 1980!

Congratulations Casey! Change can be difficult but can also re-invigorate. Best of luck!

+1

Based on your avatar, you’re looking pretty good for 53! [berserker.gif]

NoNoNo, Peter…that’s something only LosAlamos guys can do. It takes yrs of training.
Tom

Thanks for the update, Casey. As my AppliedMech prof always used to say…“There’s always a demand for good people”.
Hopefully, we can make it up your way sometime this Summer. Susan still thinks about working a harvest with you…now
up in the AndersonVlly.
Give PeeWee a rub behind the ears for us.
Tom

Best of luck, Leo Durocher was wrong; nice guys usually finish first. This will turn out great!

(Thanks for the correction, Ken)

Take it easy Tom! [wink.gif] [tease.gif]

Good luck with the change casey. I strongly suspect this will be better than your previous position.

Without change we wither and die. And new challenges keep us at our best. Congratulations and great luck on the switch

Wishing you many years of success with the vineyard in Anderson Valley, Casey. [cheers.gif] Looks like you have some good customers there. I’ll have to head up that way and visit you there one of these days.

That’s a damn fine set of customers. Have fun!