Always makes me sad to receive these emails. So sorry that Rudius will no longer produce wines.
_Valued Members and Friends,
Some of you are new here. Some of you have been enjoying expressive north coast Syrahs with us since the beginning. But no matter when you joined the Rudius family, you have all been part of our story and our journey, and that is why it is so hard to say goodbye.
The last few years have been a series of tough moments for many people. And we are beyond grateful that in the midst of it all you are here, supporting Rudius. So we want to take a moment to say… Thank You.
Thank you for enjoying a bottle of Rudius. Thank you for sharing our wines with friends. Thank you for making Rudius part of your family celebrations. Thank you for coming to visit us. Thank you for raising a glass with us.
Rudius is a brand born out of appreciation — for great wine and for the work of bringing it from the vine to our friends. For those of you who don’t know him personally, Jeff is a man of few words who is most at home in the vineyards. Wine is his vocation, his craft and his passion. When he founded Rudius in 2005, this was the vision : to create exceptional wines that outpace your expectations for Napa wine, in quality, value and originality. Many times over the years, friends and fans of Rudius have told me how much they love “Jeff Ames” wines! And it is true. There is something distinctive and unexpected about Jeff’s wines, and it is what brings this Rudius community together. It is also why it has been my honour and distinct pleasure to be a part of this brand and Jeff’s vision for the last 13 years. I will always be grateful for the opportunity — to have known many of you personally, and to have delight with you in the wines Jeff shared with us.
But the wine industry and our greater community have faced profound challenges in recent years, from drought and extreme heat, to wildfires and the sobering reality of COVID-19. The impacts of climate change on our land, our crops, and our industry have made it difficult to produce the great wines we love to share with you. In 2014, 2017 and again in 2020, wildfires and smoke threatened or damaged our estate and other vineyards central to Rudius. Most concerning, though, was the loss of life and homes we witnessed across Napa County and neighbouring counties as a result these fires. We knew something had to change — this is no longer sustainable.
So we humbly thank you for taking this 15-year journey with us, from passion to idea to wine to community — our Rudius community.
On behalf of our winemaker, my partner, Jeff Ames and I…
Cheers,
Brittany Coy
- CEO, Rudius Wines -_
