Full Transcript
Doug Shafer:
Hey, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of The Taste. This is Doug Shafer, and today we've got one of my favorite Stags Leap District neighbors. We do a lot of things together, usually promoting Stags Leap District in the Napa Valley, but I've never had a chance to hear her whole story. So today is the day. Welcome to Elizabeth Vianna, general manager, winemaker of Chimney Rock Winery. Elizabeth, how are you doing?
Elizabeth Vianna:
I'm doing great, Doug. Thanks so much. This is so cool for us to actually get to chat a bit.
Doug Shafer:
I know, because we're usually at these things and we're, you know, promoting wine, talking wine, and it's like, you know, we never have a chance to say, "Hey, you know, what's going on in your life?" So. So I'm-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Exactly. I know. You've, you've had dinner at my property. I've had dinner at your property-
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
... but we never get to chat. So.
Doug Shafer:
I know. All we do is-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Good to fix it.
Doug Shafer:
All we do is tease each other about our wines in front of people. That's always fun.
Elizabeth Vianna:
(laughs)
Doug Shafer:
Um, so anyway, a lot to cover here. We've got the Chimney Rock story for anyone who doesn't know that, but, but there's your story, which I'd, I'd like to start with. I, 'cause I think it's pretty cool. So let's start there. It starts in Brazil. Is that right?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. So I am Brazilian-born. My dad's Brazilian. Um, my mom is from El Salvador. I was born in Brazil and sort of grew up all over. Um, I was in Brazil, zero to three. I'll kin- kinda make it short, that I, we hopped to the U.S. lived in the U.S. from three to nine. Went back to Brazil, nine to 16.
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
And then back to the U.S., so, an adventurous in childhood (laughs).
Doug Shafer:
That must have been, uh, you know, as children, we, we just roll with the punches, but looking back on it, was that traumatic? I don't know. Probably not, but, or was it exciting? Or it just was, what was it, what's your recollection of going back and forth like that?
Elizabeth Vianna:
You know, I, I think my, my parents lead, led by example. And kind of always made it seem like it was an adventure. Um, I, I can't even remember how many different schools I went to, but, uh, we lived in Los Angeles. We lived in Illinois. We lived in Massachusetts.
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
And then we went back to Brazil. So I would say that it was challenging for a kid. Right?
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
You're like the new kid in school. I know, I know we have that in common. I know you got to move your last year of high school too. And I, uh, I think, you know, in retrospect, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
Because it, it's, it made me who I am. Right? And I'm kind of an adaptable human being. And I love people because, you know, I got exposed to a lot of different things at a young age. So. Um, not traumatic, but definitely challenging.
Doug Shafer:
Of course, and, but, but you're right. It makes you flexible. I mean, we're, and adaptable. We were talking about silver linings before we started. Um, and that's one. I mean, you're able to, 'cause I, I've seen you in action. You can, you, you can handle or deal with anybody anytime (laugh). So, I mean, you, you've got that, that, that knack, which is really cool. But what was, wha-, why were you guys moving? What was it? Was your, is your dad's career, or your mom's?
Elizabeth Vianna:
My dad's career.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. So dad, dad's a chemical engineer.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Uh, and he, uh, started actually in the sugarcane business. Um, so mostly import-export from Brazil in the beginning. Then he got a job, with a small company in Los Angeles. Worked there for a year. Then he got a job with, um, you'll laugh at this, with Dicalite, which is a company that produced diatomaceous earth.
Doug Shafer:
Oh yeah. I remember Dicalite Forever.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. Remember that? Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
For D, DE fi-, DE filtrations in the winery (laughs).
Elizabeth Vianna:
So, so d- dad was working for Dicalite, and then he ended up working for, um, a subsidiary of, um, Raytheon out of Massachusetts. And Raytheon was dealing with petrochemicals, and, uh, th- they actually moved my dad back to Brazil. So we lived in Massachusetts for a little bit, and then they decided they wanted him to open an area division down in Brazil for them. And, uh, so we went back down there. And then (laughs)-
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And then from there, he worked for Petrobras, who brought him back to the U.S.
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
So, um, just, you know, kind of full circle.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Citizen of the world.
Doug Shafer:
Um, any siblings?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. We're, um, we're a good traditional Latin family.
Doug Shafer:
There you go (laughs).
Elizabeth Vianna:
We are, um, we are six kids.
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
I know, big family. Uh, big, big and complex. Uh, dad was married before he met my mom. So I've got three sisters, but we're very close, from his prior marriage. And then, um, my parents had four biological kids, and then, uh, actually adopted my sister. So that actually makes eight, isn't it?
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah (laughs)
Doug Shafer:
Well, that's great. Big families. That's fun.
Elizabeth Vianna:
I know. Yup.
Doug Shafer:
And, and so, growing up, uh, was there wine in the house? Was that around, and were you exposed to that? Or, or I'm, I'm always curious about that.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Absolutely. Yeah. So my-
Doug Shafer:
Oh.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... dad definitely had an affinity for the fine things in life. He loved good wine. Uh, he had a- actually, he prided himself at, in once buying two bottles of the 1945 Mouton Rothschild-
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
... um, from a restaurant closing sale in San Paulo. So he, he definitely appreciated fine wine. And, um, I think this is probably kinda crazy, but in Brazil, you know, my parents, they would pour us a little splash and they would let us taste things that were at the table. So it was definitely part of the table for us.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Um, but I, I didn't really, didn't think about it in depth at that point. But it was there, it was definitely a part of our, our make up.
Doug Shafer:
That's great to hear. Um, I've done that with my kids. They're all ... Well, you know, you know, they've grown up (laughs) a lo-, around a lot of great vines in winemaking, so, um, they've seen it forever. Um, and so, but, uh, moving around, uh, did, when you hit high school, was that in one spot or was that still moving from place to place?
Elizabeth Vianna:
No. No. No such luck. I got to go to three different high schools.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, man. That's tough.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Uh, I know, I know.
Doug Shafer:
Oh.
Elizabeth Vianna:
First year, first year was in Brazil. Second year, Massachusetts. Last two in New York, right outside of New York City. So, uh, yeah.
Doug Shafer:
Uh, that's tough-
Elizabeth Vianna:
But like, like I said, you know?
Doug Shafer:
... high school years.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. High school years. That, that's not my favorite period. I will say that (laughs).
Doug Shafer:
No. I can't blame you. Were you, were, were you, what were you, were you in day activities, or was it tough because you kept moving around?
Elizabeth Vianna:
You know, my first love was actually music. And, um, I started playing piano when I was like seven years old. So music became kind of the way that I would bond with people. Right? So I could immediately like join choir ... and do this. And, um, music was always my kind of connector. So that, that actually kinda helped me at least connect with like the musical kids right away. Um, so I had, I had my tools. That was one of my s-, tools (laughs).
Doug Shafer:
Nice, nice. I'm glad you had that. Um, I had that too. It was, um, I was in concert choir, this, in Chicago. And, uh, it was a big, big school. And, um, if, you know, music department, band orchestra. They put on a, uh, musical every year. And then also, sports was a big, big thing. So after high school, where, where, where to?
Elizabeth Vianna:
So it's funny. My, I was literally on the career track of becoming a concert pianists.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
That's I was thinking. I had studied with a couple of great teachers in Brazil, and then one at the Boston Conservatory. Um, and I was going to apply to like Juilliard and, uh, the music school up at Rochester. And then kinda last minute, I, you know, just took a deep dive and, and thought, "Do I really wanna play music for a living? Or will that, will that take something away from it?" It was, music had been kind of my, you know, my happiest place. And I, I literally got scared that somehow if I had to make a living doing it, it would take away from it.
Doug Shafer:
Hmm.
Elizabeth Vianna:
So, lo and behold, I surprised my parents and said, "No. You know what? I'm gonna apply to liberal arts schools. I think I'll c-, I'll continue to play, but I wanna explore other areas." And, um, and, and so, I applied to liberal arts schools instead, and ended up, uh, landing at Vassar for my undergrad, um-
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... where I spent four years. Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
Well, nice. So you finally got one place for four years. That must have been kinda nice. Yeah (laughs)?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Oh, it was amazing. You know what? I finally belonged somewhere-
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... for the, for the first time in my life. And Vassar was a pretty, uh, perfect school for me because there were kids from all over. Uh, a lot of them ha- had also had similar experiences where they moved around or, um, they're from all over the place. And I just felt like I fit in there, you know? And, uh, so it kind of erased tho- those like high school years pretty quickly for me.
Doug Shafer:
Good. Good. I'm glad you had that (laughs).
Elizabeth Vianna:
(laughs)
Doug Shafer:
So that, so, uh, you know, college, was it, was it beer? Was it wine?
Elizabeth Vianna:
You know, it was beer.
Doug Shafer:
Or both? All above (laughs)?
Elizabeth Vianna:
It was, it was beer and wine, but definitely not high-end wine. I'll just say, I, I recall a, you know, probably bottles of Hardy Gallo burgundy-
Doug Shafer:
There you go.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... at parties in my group. So at that point, it was about cost. Right? It wasn't about, um, sophistication. So, so, but, but wine was present-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
... certainly in a, in it's, in a very, uh, weird stage (laughs).
Doug Shafer:
Right. I'm with you. It was just, it was there, but it wasn't like, you weren't thinking of a career in wine at that point.
Elizabeth Vianna:
No at all. Not at all.
Doug Shafer:
Okay. Okay. Yeah. Just wanted to clarify that. Okay, good. So Vassar, you get out. And Vassar in when, um, what year?
Elizabeth Vianna:
So I graduated in '89. And basically, I had majored in biology. And I was pre-med. and I'd gone from, you know, wanting to play music to thinking I needed to save, uh, children (laughs). So I, uh, I now wanted to become a pediatric oncologist. We had a family friend who had been a mentor, who I loved, who was a pediatric oncologist, and I think he kind of inspired me. And I mean, I was taking it pretty seriously. I did an internship at Mount Sinai Hospital like one summer in college. And, um, I, I really, you know, I, I thought I was really committed. And ... um, get out of college and decide, "Well-
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
"... let's not quite go to medical school just yet. Let's um ..."
Doug Shafer:
(laughs) Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
I, I had dreamt of living in New York City. This was like a thing in my mind, that in order to live a full life, I had to live in New York City for a year or two, or whatever. And so, I applied for a couple of jobs, uh, in New York. Um, the first one that I got ended up being in research. So I got a job at Cornell Med School in New York City, doing, uh, developmental neurobiology research.
And it was just a means for me to, you know, make a living while I lived in New York and kinda, um, enjoy life before I went off and borrowed money, and went to medical school. And, um, ironically in that period, I was hanging out with a buddy of mine from Vassar, and his dad, um, their Wall Street guy, and had collected a lot of great wine and had some, some great wines in the cellar. Like, you know, Grand Crus, First Growths. And, um, he was very generous and shared these wines with us. And he bought these all like in the '70s.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
So they had some age and, um, you know, they're, they're am-, they're amazing. There were like nothing I had ever had. Um, and that sort of started though, wait a minute, this is, this is a lot more than I ever realized. Um, those ones kinda stopped me in my tracks, literally. So it became kind of a hobby, you know, so I started going to tastings in New York and reading the Wine Spectator, and ... you know, getting my coffee of Hugh Johnson. And suddenly, it was becoming a little bit of an obsession.
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
You know, and I, and I, and I'm still working and having a great time in New York. You know, you're in your 20s in New York. You're enjoying theater and music, and making friends all over. It was, it was just a great, great period of my life, you know? And suddenly, I, I realized, "Wow, six years have passed and here you are, you're still working in New York. No med school, what, you know, what's, what's next?"
Elizabeth Vianna:
So I happened to go to a tasting, uh, pre-auction tasting at Christie's, and, uh, Christian Moueix spoke at that. And he talked about going to UC Davis's graduate program in winemaking at this talk. And that was kind of my light bulb. You know, said, "What? A program in winemaking."
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
"Uh, that sounds interesting." So I like immediately, uh, wrote to Davis, got the application, and, um, put it in a drawer. I was like, "You're crazy. You're not doing that. That's, that's nuts."
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
And then I, I, I remember having brunch with a really good friend of mine who's in the movie business, and he, um, I sat down and I was like, "John, I have this crazy idea." Like, "I'm thinking maybe about going to winemaking school." And he knew me really well, he's a really, really close friend to this day. And he said, "That's it. I can see it, do it."
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
And I, and I said, "John, I think, let me wait for a year. Let me sit on this for one more year. And then if I'm still gung-ho in a year, maybe I'll do it." And he said, "Don't wait. If you wait, you won't do it. Just do it." So, you know, I went back to that drawer, pulled out the application. Filled it out, and, um, applied to Davis. And what's serendipitous about where I was is, at this point, I was working at a clinical lab. And I had become kind of an expert in HPLC and, uh, GC mass spec. Which as you know, were the analytical instruments that you use to measure aroma compounds in wine, and phenolics, and-
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
So I had a skill that, um, and I had all the science classes that would help me get into Davis. So applied, got in. And next thing you know, Doug, I'm starting at Davis in '97.
Doug Shafer:
I go- ... That's crazy. So, uh, I gotta ask you a question. Before you heard Christian speak, had you ever heard of UC Davis? Did you know there was like a wine school?
Elizabeth Vianna:
I, I hadn't.
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
I hadn't thought ... I, honestly, I had been-
Doug Shafer:
That's crazy.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... exploring wine as a consumer. You know, and I hadn't even really started to think about the process, or, or production, or vineyards. I had not stepped foot in a v-, in a winery.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah. Have you ev- ... Yeah. Had you been to the vine-, uh, the wine country, or vineyards-
Elizabeth Vianna:
I-
Doug Shafer:
... in upstate New York? Anything?
Elizabeth Vianna:
... you know, I had been to two little wineries in New Mexico-
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
... as my exposure to a physical winery. Like, how funny is that? So-
Doug Shafer:
It's wild. I mean-
Elizabeth Vianna:
I know, kind of insane.
Doug Shafer:
Okay. 'Cause I was, one of my questions is, how, how did you find Davis? So it was Christian Moueix ta-, Moueix talking.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Christian, he, he he's responsible. And I had a glass of 1985 Socien du moelleux in my hand when he mentioned that. So I call that my aha wine.
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Because it-
Doug Shafer:
That's when it happened.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... it was, it was what was in my hand when I made the decision that would like change the course of my life completely. So.
Doug Shafer:
That's great. So Christian, for those of you who don't know, he's the, um, proprietor of Dominus here in Napa, and also, uh, a fairly famous little winery called, um-
Elizabeth Vianna:
(laughs)
Doug Shafer:
Petrus in France?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Ye- yeah. Petrus (laughs).
Doug Shafer:
So, all right. So you g-, apply, you get accepted. All of a sudden, you're in Davis, California. That's not New York, Dorothy.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Right.
Doug Shafer:
And, uh (laughs)-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Right.
Doug Shafer:
... um, in the master's program. So how was, how was that? Was anybody, uh, anybody there, classmates that, um, stand out, you got to know well? There's, any business now?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean, g- going to Davis was like going to heaven ... suddenly, right? Like, I'm obsessed with wine, and suddenly I'm in a room with people who were equally obsessed. Um, so yes, absolutely made lifelong friends there. Um, I, I'm sure you know some of them. Robbie Meyer was in my class. Sally Johnson up at Pride was in my class.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Um, let's see, Merissa Taylor up at Rutherford Hill.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
Um, Andy Erickson and Helen came the year after me. So they w-, they, they were, they were there. Who else was in my class? Anyway, these are ... Matt Rorick, who has a-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
... little brand called Forlorn Hope.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Tim Milos also. A really, really good friend, uh, and, you know, continue to be to this day. I mean, it's kind of this family that you instantly form.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Right?
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
When you, when you get to Davis. So, um, amazing time there. And I, I started, I finally stepped foot in a winery, a real winery, uh, in 1998. Uh, Peter Luthi of Trefethen gave me my first internship.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, cool. Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
I remember Peter. Good, at Trefethen.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Y- yeah.
Doug Shafer:
Which is great.
Elizabeth Vianna:
At Trefethen.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And P-, and Peter, Trefethen was reputed at the time that I was at Davis to have one of the best internships. 'Cause Peter really made sure that people kind of rotated through every aspect, you know? So I, I, I got to do everything.
Doug Shafer:
Mm.
Elizabeth Vianna:
From bottling to, you know, to cork trials, to vineyard stuff, to learning how to take apart a ball valve.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
You know?
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
It was like, it was comprehensive. And, uh, I still remember, you know, probably my f-, one of my first day is on the internship, like just looking up at the sky, seeing a red, a red-tailed hawk go by and thinking, "Wow. I, I, I can't, I can't believe I'm, I did this."
You know? Uh, just kind of knew that it was the right thing for me, uh, instinctively and, and that this is where I was meant to be. It's bizarre. It makes no sense, but that's what it was (laughs).
Doug Shafer:
No, that's great. And, uh, just for fun, how, how were your parents on this one? 'Cause they probably never saw this coming either.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. You know, my dad had the, the, had paid that bill for that Vassar education.
Doug Shafer:
Right (laughs).
Elizabeth Vianna:
I'm, I'm not, I'm not sure what, what he thought, but, you know, my parents had always been supportive of any endeavor. Whether it was the music thing, and then when I changed my mind about music. Um, so they, you know, I, I think they, they were a little skeptical but supportive nonetheless. And, um, I think they have not come to regret being supportive. They now call me when it's time to send them another shipment of wine.
Doug Shafer:
(laughs) Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
So (laughs) I think they really, they, they enjoy the perks.
Doug Shafer:
That's great. Yeah. I've got the same situation with the family, "Hey, dad, I need some wine (laughs)."
Elizabeth Vianna:
Exactly. I bet.
Doug Shafer:
So Trefethen, and then, uh, you did other internships while you were at Davis?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. So my second internship, um, was at Chimney Rock.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
I, yeah, I was, I went to the job fair while I was in, at Davis. And, um, Leilah Backhus was the assistant wine maker at Chimney Rock at the time. And she was a good friend of mine. You know, we had been, um, schoolmates, and she was like, "Oh, come work at Chimney Rock. We'll have so much fun." And, um, I took the job, of course, and, uh, you know, I knew I wanted to make Cabernet from the get go.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
Like, that, that was always my grape. I knew that that's what I wanted to do. So Chimney Rock was a pretty sweet place to, to get that second internship, you know, with the estate vineyards right around the winery. Um, just a really great learning, learning place. And I, I loved it here. The vineyards were spectacular. I just, I just loved the place. Doug Fletcher was the winemaker at the time.
Doug Shafer:
Oh Doug, yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And yeah, and he was, you know, he was just a Renaissance man. We, we laughed a lot. He loved opera and classical music, so we connected on that level as well. And, um, yeah, had a great internship at Chimney Rock.
Doug Shafer:
Oh yeah. And Doug's a great, great winemaker. I bet he was a great, uh, mentor, you know?
Elizabeth Vianna:
He was.
Doug Shafer:
I'm sure he was, I can see that.
Elizabeth Vianna:
He absolutely was.
Doug Shafer:
Miss him. I haven't seen him in a while. Um, so after graduation, what happens?
Elizabeth Vianna:
So after graduation, I, um, started applying for jobs. You know, and of course, you're just out of Davis. And in my mind, I, I had a vision of what I wanted. Right? Like, an estate-grown small winery.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
Something like Chimney Rock.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Um, and, um, I stumbled upon a job position at, um, Napa Wine Company. And it was a lab director position. Uh, and, you know, I go for the interview and I'm like, "God, it's a really big place." And, you know, it, they don't have any, they, they do have some vineyards, but you know, it, it, it wasn't what I envisioned for myself. So I remember I actually called Doug and I said, "Let's have lunch. Um, I, I need, I need some, some counsel."
And, um, at the time at Napa, this was 2000. Um, this was, um, before a lot of, a lot of little wineries hadn't been built. So, um, like Heidi Barrett was making her wines there. Celia was making Staglin there. Um, who else was there? Erin Green was making all of Pahlmeyer there. Nickel & Nickel was being made there by Doris Fanelli.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
So, so Doug basically turned to me and said, "Well, duh, this is a great opportunity."
Doug Shafer:
(laughs) I need, I-
Elizabeth Vianna:
You know?
Doug Shafer:
... I need to interrupt real quickly. For those who don't know, Napa Wine Company, a big operation, um, run by a great family. And they've, they've got their own label, but they're, they're a big business, especially back in, in this era when Elizabeth was working there, um, custom crush. So if, if you have a brand or a label and you don't have a facility, you can bring your grapes in, crush them there. And they, they, they age it, they bottle it, they do the whole thing, I think Elizabeth. Right? So.
Elizabeth Vianna:
That's exactly right. Yeah. And Andy really lo-, Andy Hoxie-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
... who's the, you know, who runs it and who's just the loveliest gentleman. Um, he, he really favored bringing in the small clients who wouldn't have the opportunity to make wine otherwise, you know? I know, I know he had several GMs who tried to convince him to bring in some big boys so he could really make some money. And he was like, "No, that's not the point of this. You know, I really wanna support the folks who, who need a home."
Doug Shafer:
So, so Doug set you straight and said (laughs), "It's a great opportunity," and-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Take the job, yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... "Take the job." Because as lab director, let me guess. So you're doing all the analysis basically for all these different clients.
Elizabeth Vianna:
All those wines. Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
So you're seeing how all these super-duper winemaker folks. Are you involved in, are you finding out what they're doing, what kinda yeast they use? What they have -
Elizabeth Vianna:
Oh, everything.
Doug Shafer:
Everything?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Everything. Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
You (laughs)-
Elizabeth Vianna:
I started as lab director, and then I became assistant winemaker there. So I call it my Napa Wine Company University. You know?
Doug Shafer:
Oh man, you, you learned all the secrets from everybody.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Oh, it was so cool.
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And, and not only that, but like, it was a really warm welcome to the business. You know, Heidi would be doing like trials, and she'd be like, "Elizabeth, come over. Taste with me."
Doug Shafer:
Nice.
Elizabeth Vianna:
You know? Uh, Aaron Green would do the same. Like, it was such a ... Pam Starr was there. I mean, there were so many people. Uh, John Gibson was making Frazier there. There were ... I mean, Sean Catheo.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
I, I could go on. There are so many like the who's who of Napa, right, were making wine there. Um, so I just can't tell you how grateful I am for that period.
Doug Shafer:
Oh.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Uh, it was, uh-
Doug Shafer:
Well, because, yeah, because if you're at your own place by yourself where you got your assistant winemaker maybe, or something like that, it's just, that's all you have is your fruit and your wines and that's it. It's um-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Exactly.
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Exactly. And, and, and also just the discovery, you know, that there's a lot of routes to making great wine.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
Right? Um, there's a lot of ways to do it. There's a lot of different approaches, philosophies. And to kind of get exposed to all of that under one roof, um, was just, you know, kind of a great, um, a great launching pad, I think for me. And a great way to get to know, um, get to know all of Napa, you know? So.
Doug Shafer:
Well, you get to know people, you get to know growers. You find out, you, you kinda get, you know, because that's like, when we start sourcing grapes, you know, you see, it's usually somebody who knows somebody, who knows somebody. You know, that type of thing. So. I gotta ask you one question, did you meet a guy named Randy Mason?
Elizabeth Vianna:
I love Randy Mason.
Doug Shafer:
You p-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Randy Mason was the best (laughs).
Doug Shafer:
You-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yes, absolutely. He was making his Sauvignon Blanc there.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Um, and this was like before Pomelo. He was making just the Mason brand.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
And he was also the winemaker for, for Napa Wine Companies, uh, wines at that time.
Doug Shafer:
Right. He, uh, he's just retired a few, a few months ago. But, um, have yo-
Elizabeth Vianna:
I haven't seen him in like forever.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah, he's doing great. You probably don't know that he and I have quite a relationship. He, um, he was my first boss in the business.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Oh, and I didn't know that.
Doug Shafer:
Did, there you go. That's why we-
Elizabeth Vianna:
And wha-
Doug Shafer:
... do the podcast (laughs). So.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And where, where, where was that?
Doug Shafer:
That was in a little place called Lake Spring Winery, which was south of Yountville on Hoffman Lane. I think it's owned by Joel Gott now. That's, it's a facility.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Oh wow.
Doug Shafer:
And I started, I was his cellar rat assistant winemaker, truly just a cellar rat. God, what was the first year? In 1981. Uh, I came back from teaching school and got a job. It was just a two-man operation. And we were making Cab, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. But Ra-, Randy, Elizabeth, you know, I had the, the, the whole oenology thing, but Randy taught me how to work a cellar. You know?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Right. Right.
Doug Shafer:
And how to move wine, how to hot-wire a forklift.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
How to, you know, bottling.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Right.
Doug Shafer:
You know, filter those.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
How to wash a tank right and wrong. I mean, I was with him two or three years before I came over to Shafer, but man, that guy taught me how to ... He, production. His strength was just fantastic. It was so efficient.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
So those skills stayed with me forever. And, um, he's still a very, very good friend. But, um, I figured you didn't know that one. So that -
Elizabeth Vianna:
That is a cool connection.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
I, si-, six degrees everywhere you turn.
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
It's awesome.
Doug Shafer:
All right. So how long were you at, um, Napa Wine Company?
Elizabeth Vianna:
So I was there from 2000 to 2002.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
A couple of years.
Doug Shafer:
A couple of years.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And Leilah Backhus, my old friend who had been Doug's assistant. Um, and this is kinda funny. Uh, she decided she was kinda bored with wine, believe it or not. I don't know how that happens, but she decided she was gonna go to medical school. So she applied to med school and, uh, got in. Now she delivers babies in Chicago.
Doug Shafer:
(laughs) Oh great.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And I was asked by Doug to come join him. So, um-
Doug Shafer:
That's great.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... I, yeah. And I, you know, I, I had learned a lot at Napa Wine Company, but I really was ready to get my feet in the vineyards. Like, that was the component that I was missing there in some ways. And so, I came running 'cause I knew it was a Cab estate and, um, and Doug and I had gotten along. And I just, I knew that was, that would be a good f-, next move.
Doug Shafer:
Super. So, so off to Chimney Rock you go. So let's take a break from your story. Um, give us the, give us the Chimney Rock story.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. So Chimney Rock, uh, kinda got started in the early '80s. You know, so kinda that heyday post-Paris tasting of '76, right?
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
Which kinda put our little neighborhood on the map. Um, so Hack and Stella Wilson were the founders of Chimney Rock. Hack had been a Pepsi executive. He's the guy who brought Pepsi to South Africa.
Doug Shafer:
That's right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
I'm sure you knew-
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... Hack and Stella.
Doug Shafer:
I did.
Elizabeth Vianna:
They decided, uh, in the late '70s that they were interested in owning a winery. They, they first actually went shopping in Bordeaux-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
... and, um, Hack actually knew Alexis Lashine. And Lashine's counsel to him was, "You should go look in Napa. Napa is gonna be, uh, uh, the next great region-
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... that's developing.
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. And so, so, a-
Doug Shafer:
A Frenc-, a Frenchman said that. What do you think? That's g-, that's great.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Y- yeah. How about that? How about that? Um, anyway, he came out and found this 140-acre property and bought it. And as you know the history, it was an 18-hole golf course at the time (laughs).
Doug Shafer:
It was a great course.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And-
Doug Shafer:
Uh, I used to play with my dad all the time (laughs).
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. And that, and that-
Doug Shafer:
Yeah. Just, you know, just a mile away from the home ranch here. It was great. No, it's okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. And we still, we still find golf balls out there, by the way.
Doug Shafer:
I know (laughs).
Elizabeth Vianna:
Spirit, the spirit is still alive.
Doug Shafer:
There you go.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Um, anyway, they pulled out the f-, the, you know, the first nine holes. Planted some vines, and first vinage of Chimney Rock was 1984. And, um, you know, Hack's kids were not really interested in taking over the business at the time.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
And so, Hack knew that he had to find somebody to, you know, make, continue to make his dreams come true about this super premium, you know, appellation dedicated, uh, Cabernet house. And, uh, the, the story goes that he, it was sold at a blind auction. And it was sold not to the biggest bidder, but, uh, to the family that Hack thought would make the investments that he thought were required to make the property really blossom.
Doug Shafer:
Huh.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And that family was the Terlato family out of Chicago, as you know.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Um, so they, uh, they became part owners in 2000, and then, uh, full owners in 2003.
Doug Shafer:
Okay. And then, they also owned, or still do I think, Rutherford Hill Winery up the street.
Elizabeth Vianna:
They do.
Doug Shafer:
Got it.
Elizabeth Vianna:
They own Rutherford Hill. And then they also own Sanford down on the Central Coast. And, uh, they've actually just bought a little vineyard up in Washington. They have a Klipsun Vineyard, which is a famous vineyard up there. So they've continued to make some investments. And, uh, and, and, and actually a little bit of, uh, property in Friuli as well. I don't know if you know about that.
Doug Shafer:
No.
Elizabeth Vianna:
But there's a Terlato Pinot Grigio, as you know, they, uh, the patriarch of the family, Tony Terlato, who sadly we lost-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
... um, last year, uh, Tony really was the guy who put Pinot Grigio on the map in the U.S. ... with, uh, the Santa Margarita brand. And, uh, so they, they really wanted to pursue their own brand and, uh, started doing that a few years ago as well.
Doug Shafer:
That's neat. I like that. So they, they took over ownership, I think it was 2004. And then, um, in 2005, what happened to you?
Elizabeth Vianna:
So yeah, I, I, Doug got me the, you know, the head honcho, VP winemaking for all the properties. And, um, I, I got promoted to winemaker. So my first, uh-
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... head wine-making gig at Chimney Rock had been here for three years and, uh, just jumped right in.
Doug Shafer:
Oh, that's neat. And then you were, but you were still working with Doug 'cause he was overseeing all the properties of the Terlato's.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
Cool.
Elizabeth Vianna:
absolutely. And Doug, Doug was super involved-
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... in the vineyards. He, he kinda let me do the winemaking, but he was very much, um, involved in, you know, all of the farming, et cetera.
Doug Shafer:
I would guess that was probably a pretty smooth transition. Yeah. Knowing Doug.
Elizabeth Vianna:
It was-
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
It was very smooth. Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
Nice. Nice.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Really easy, really easy.
Doug Shafer:
So you didn't get thrown into the, you know, the big pot. Like, "Good luck. See yeah. (laughs)"
Elizabeth Vianna:
Exactly. No, not at all. Not at all.
Doug Shafer:
So you're making wine, and then, uh, something cool happened in 2009, I found out. And which I did not know about. I think-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Oh, that's funny.
Doug Shafer:
... uh, went back to Davis. They asked you back. What happened there?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. I got-
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
... uh, I got a phone call, uh, uh, and I was asked to do a commencement speech for the, the Graduate School of Sciences. Which, I, I mean, I have to tell you.
Doug Shafer:
What (laughs)?
Elizabeth Vianna:
I was 10, I was 10 years out of school.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
I was like, "What do I have say (laughs)?"
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
I'm like, uh, you know, I'm, uh, I, I don't know. I don't know, but I, I of course, heard the call to action. I was like, "Listen, if somebody thinks you have something to say, maybe you do. Maybe you should just, you know, listen." And so, I, I did the commencement speech to a room of 5,000 people (laughs).
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Which was-
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
... whi- which was definitely my biggest public speaking gig, uh, till then. Um-
Doug Shafer:
Super. What was, do you remember what the topic was? I'm curious.
Elizabeth Vianna:
You know, I think I talked a lot about, um, I talked a lot about getting to know the people and, and keeping your relationships with people that you're in school with.
Doug Shafer:
Hmm.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Because they become your professional family. And kind of drawing a parallel to how, how that had transpired for me. Um, and that, and tha-, and that's a true story. When I went to Davis, I remember I went to the, um, like the welcome barbecue. And I was talking to Roger Bolton and I said, "So Roger, like, if you were to sum, you know, what I should get out of Davis in one sentence, like, what would that be?" And he said, "Get to know your peers."
Doug Shafer:
Oh.
Elizabeth Vianna:
You know, "Taste with them, spend time with them, nurture those relationships." And that, that surprised me, that that's what he said, you know? I thought he would, uh ... And, um, and I, but I took his advice to heart. And, um, you know, I think, uh, not just the network of people that you went to school with that was in your class, but beyond that. Right? Davis does become a family. And then, once he moved to Napa, it's all one big ha-, you know, happy family.
Doug Shafer:
Right. Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
So.
Doug Shafer:
You know, we are, and people, you know, w-, I tell people that, and they kinda look at me like, "Come on, you bs'ing me ." You know, "You guys all don't, you, you guys all don't get along that well." It's like, "Well, yeah, we do." I mean there's really no animosity. We're all kinda working with mother nature and hoping for a good year. And nobody wishes ill will on anybody else around here.
Elizabeth Vianna:
No.
Doug Shafer:
It's like, "Let's, let's all-
Elizabeth Vianna:
I mean-
Doug Shafer:
"... let's all grow ho- ... You know, let's have a good season, get some grapes and make some wine and go for it, and .."
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. And I, I think that's unique to Napa in some ways.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
I think the sense of comradery here is sort of extraordinary. I can't say that I've visited a wine region where I felt kinda those ties as, you know, as strongly. And I, and I honestly, Doug, like, that's how I feel. I believe that, I, I don't care if, you know, a consumer drinks my neighbor's wine. What we all want is, um, to have, uh, a greater appreciation for wine, I think in our culture, um, ultimately. And of course, we want our businesses to do well. But whether love Shafer or they love Chimney Rock, or they love, you know, Clos du Val, like there's plenty of wine to go around.
Doug Shafer:
Right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And there's plenty of people, right?
Doug Shafer:
Well it’s fun.
Elizabeth Vianna:
So we do-, we, we don't have to compete.
Doug Shafer:
No, God, just one wine in the world (laughs) would be really boring.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Exactly. Exactly.
Doug Shafer:
I gotta, I gotta tell you a funny story. When you're talking about Davis grad school experience, I had, gosh, I was probably about 35, 36, 37. And s-, they, they might still do it. They had a, during the spring. Yes, they have a Friday afternoon, Friday evening barbecue. But the deal was, they'd get a speaker come in and speak to the oenology grad students, you know, for an hour or so. You know-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... a little talk, a question after you probably have done it.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
And then afterwards, you, there's a barbecue with his grad students and hang out, and chit chat and all that. And so, they asked me to do it. I said, yes. And then I was like, "Oh no, grad students." 'Cause I was, I was never in grad school. I was, I got a teaching credential, but, you know, in oenology I was just undergrad. And the grad students-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Right.
Doug Shafer:
... were always those, those older people. Those-
Elizabeth Vianna:
(laughs)
Doug Shafer:
... really (laughs), those really mature people. You know, s-, you know, it's like, "And they're really smart 'cause they're grad students." So. All of a sudden, you know, I'm 36 years old going, "I gotta prep this talk to grad students. What am I gonna do? They're so smart."
Elizabeth Vianna:
That's hilarious.
Doug Shafer:
"They're so smart. And I'm scared. I'm, I've never ..." You know, by this point, I'd been on the road for 10 years doing winemaker dinners and sales meetings, and everything. And I was, Elizabeth, you woul-, you would have cracked up. I remember Elias was like, "Why are you sweating it so much?" (laughs) And I said, "Because they're grad students." And so, I, I worked on this like speech. You know, you know, um, got a talk with talking points and what my experience has been and, you know, challenges I've had, and successes I've had. And I threw in some jokes and, you know, I got in, and it was like 30 students in this room. Was a Friday afternoon at four o'clock, and, and they were so young (laughs). They were so-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Oh (laughs), that's hilarious.
Doug Shafer:
They were like, they looked like they're in high school. And I, you know, I, I'd laid out the whole thing, and they all kinda just looked at me. You know, knowing maybe a couple of questions. I was thinking, you know, there's gonna be a lot of questions. No, a couple. And it's like, "Let's go have a beer and have a barbecue." And that was that. But boy-
Elizabeth Vianna:
That's funny.
Doug Shafer:
... ain't that funny?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Perspective, right?
Doug Shafer:
Grad, grad students. Grad students.
Elizabeth Vianna:
This perspective. Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
Anyway.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
So, you know, your, your life, your career, pre-med track, all science, you go into winemaking, a couple of different jobs, winemaker. And then, and then you get, uh, general manager. When did that happen at Chimney Rock?
Elizabeth Vianna:
So that happened in 2011.
Doug Shafer:
Wow. 10 years ago.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And yeah, 10 years ago. And I, yeah, it's funny. The Terlato family approached me about doing that. And my first reaction was, "Wow, I'm so flattered, but, um, I really wanna keep my hands in wine and in the vineyards. That's my love." So I, I kind of said, "I, I wanna have an if, an out clause (laughs)."
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
"I'll try it out."
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
"If I feel like I'm, you know, only looking at PL-, PNLs and doing spreadsheets, I, I, I wanna reserve the right to come back to you and say, 'You know what (laughs)? I, I'm not having enough time to make wine and to the vineyards.'" But, um, as it, as it turned out, um, I, it was okay. You know?
Doug Shafer:
Hmm.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And it was kind of learning the side of the business that I wasn't that exposed to, which was important too. Um, and I felt like we're small enough that I, I still had time for the winemaking.
Doug Shafer:
Oh good.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And I still had time for the vineyards. And, um, you know, I was definitely intimidated by it because I, I didn't have an MBA, so it was learning on the job. Uh, but, uh, but it, uh, just immensely flattered with the trust that they put in my hands. And, you know, they knew that I had a passion for the place. And their priority was, you know, quality first. That's one of Tony's mottoes. And they thought that having the winemaker in charge of the business would help keep quality the priority. And, um, so I felt very fortunate, and I've been doing it since then. So.
Doug Shafer:
Wow. What, yeah, I don't, I don't know how you do it. How do you juggle it all? You must have, you must be super organized. Well, you, you are super organized. I know that (laughs).
Elizabeth Vianna:
Well, you know, strong team. Right? We all know the-
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... term winemakers a little bit of a misnomer. I have an amazing assistant winemaker, an amazing cellar master. Um, and I, I could make wine without them, obviously.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
Um, but, uh, I still, my priority is still the wine in the vineyards, Doug. Like, I will tell you that. And, and kind of the way the business is structured. Like, we have a vice-president of direct-to-consumer, so there's somebody who's actually doing the DTC.
Doug Shafer:
Got it.
Elizabeth Vianna:
You know, kinda the logistics, et cetera.
Doug Shafer:
Got it. Well (laughs), and, and speaking to vineyards, you've got, how many, are all your vineyards in Stags Leap?
Elizabeth Vianna:
They are.
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
So we have a, 105 acres planted right around the winery. Um, mostly Cabernet, about 80%. A little Merlot, a little cab Franc, a little petit Verdot, a little Malbec. And, um, I don't know if you know this little secret, well-kept secret. We have a single row of fiano, uh-
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
... in the middle of our cab Franc, which is kind of strange. Fiano is an Italian grape from Campania, from the southern part of Italy.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And, uh, Doug, I don't know. He, I guess he went to Italy with his wife, and they had a lovely time. And he loved the grape.
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
And he, he convinced Hack to plant a row. This, it's been there since 1995. And it actually does quite well in Napa's heat. Like, it, uh, retains acidity. It's like-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
... it's kinda awesome.
Doug Shafer:
Nice.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And, uh, it wasn't, we never made it commercially until a couple of years ago. And so, we make a whopping like 16 cases of this little Italian grape, which is kinda funny.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And then we have some, we have another vineyard that we work with for whites. And that's up in Rutherford on Mee Lane.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
So we, we have both Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris up there.
Doug Shafer:
Nice.
Elizabeth Vianna:
And those are the two white grapes th- that we primarily work with.
Doug Shafer:
Super. And what's current lineup varietals-wise, as far as what you guys are selling? What do you have?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Well, in, in distribution, we do our estate cab, which is kind of the ambassador.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
It's like a blend of the entire property. And then we do our proprietary blend called Elevage. And we do, we do a number of single vineyards out of the property, but only Tomahawk is distributed in the market. Um, and then we do, uh, a white blend, which is a blend of Sauvignon blanc and Sauvignon gris. And those are kinda the four wines that go into distribution, so restaurants and retail. And then the rest of our wines are pretty small production, you know, 200 to 400 cases of this single vineyard, that single vineyard. And, um-
Doug Shafer:
And, and those-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Like-
Doug Shafer:
... are those available what, at the winery and-
Elizabeth Vianna:
At the winery, exactly.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Or, or mainly being in the club, uh, a lot of them are kind of clu- club exclusives. So.
Doug Shafer:
That's kinda neat. Tell me, yeah. If people-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... are looking for your wines, obviously restaurants, retail stores around the country, I'm, I'm assuming. But, um also, is there, you mentioned the clubs, is that another way they can do it?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. We have our little club called The Palisade Society, and, um, you basically commit to getting a case of wine a year. And you get, you know, a bottle of each of these special wines. We do, like I said, seven single vineyard Cabernets, and then we do a little bit of Cabernet Francs, some Merlot. Um, I think that, that's, that, that's kind of it. But you get those, and you get the other wines that we distribute, um, in advance of release. So, um, yeah, it's a, it's a pretty cool-
Doug Shafer:
Cool.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... club.
Doug Shafer:
Good, good to know. Um, a new projects at the winery for you, anything in the, in the hopper right now?
Elizabeth Vianna:
Oh God, no (laughs).
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
No. I think-
Doug Shafer:
She says with relief. I love it.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. I think right now the focus is really, um, you know, we, we worked on getting Napa Green certified both in vineyards and winery, and we're gonna continue that. Um, so that involves, you know, quite a bit of work. And I think really, um, I think thinking actively about sustainability is front of mind. You know, given the couple of years that we've lived through in Napa, we know climate change is a reality. So I think really thinking about those things and what our long-term plans are, uh, I think that's, that's sort of where my head's focused.
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). Good. Good. So kinda wanna end on a personal note. So it's been a tough year. We're getting our vaccines. We're venturing back but, back out, but, uh, I saw on Instagram that you got to do something pretty cool recently. So tell me about seeing your folks after 14 months.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah. Oh-
Doug Shafer:
(laughs)
Elizabeth Vianna:
... yeah. My, my parents are just the loves of my life. My dad is 93.
Doug Shafer:
Wow.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Um, and mom's 77. And I literally, prior to the pandemic, I would go see them once a month. That's how close I am to them. Um, so-
Doug Shafer:
And they live, where do they live?
Elizabeth Vianna:
They, they live in Maryland-
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... now.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Uh, with my sister. And so, um, it was, it was really challenging to be far away from them-
Doug Shafer:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Elizabeth Vianna:
... and know that I couldn't see them. As it was for th-, you know, the entire country. We all went through the same thing. Um, but to see them, see those smiles again was, uh-
Doug Shafer:
Hmm.
Elizabeth Vianna:
... I, I can't even put it into words, you know, kind of the emotion. And you realize, you realize when you see each other what a tough thing you've just been through.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
You know, and, and we've all been very brave and, you know, resilient, and managed, managed our businesses, continued to work, but, um, this is stuff that really hits you at the core. Right?
Doug Shafer:
... you know, we're, we're people people, and, uh, you know, I don't care what you say about virtual and Zoom and, some things changing in the future, you know, to be more virtual. But, um, I don't know. I think people, the people's really important. Um-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Yeah.
Doug Shafer:
... it is for me. I know that. So.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Absolutely.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah.
Elizabeth Vianna:
I totally agree. Totally agree.
Doug Shafer:
All right. So I'm gonna get my car and run down and give you a hug in, in your parking lot. Or a virtual hug (laughs).
Elizabeth Vianna:
Uh, I know. We need to actually have lunch or something. Um-
Doug Shafer:
Well, we stop by when-
Elizabeth Vianna:
... I need that. Would be really fun.
Doug Shafer:
... we can stop by and we drink in the parking lot. Well, you know, we can tailgate. You know, as I remember seeing kids doing that. I mean, I'll pull my car and we'll sit on the tailgates in, you know, the parking lot and-
Elizabeth Vianna:
Totally.
Doug Shafer:
We can do that.
Elizabeth Vianna:
New, new Stags Leap tradition (laughs).
Doug Shafer:
There you go.
Elizabeth Vianna:
I love it.
Doug Shafer:
Yeah. Friday afternoon tailgates (laughs). Yeah, I like it.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Awesome. I love it.
Doug Shafer:
All right.
Elizabeth Vianna:
I love it.
Doug Shafer:
Elizabeth, thank you for your time. This has been wonderful. I really appreciate you taking the time.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Such a pleasure, Doug. Thank you. It's been an honor to, to be chatting with you.
Doug Shafer:
You bet. Well, take care. And we'll see you around. See you soon. Have a good one.
Elizabeth Vianna:
See you soon.
Doug Shafer:
Okay.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Okay.
Doug Shafer:
Bye. Bye-bye.
Elizabeth Vianna:
Bye.