Stories

Dear Friends, This was the biggest week to date for harvest in terms of how much fruit we received. All reports from the team are the fruit is pristine, flavors are concentrated, chemistry is in check and it is one of the smoothest harvests they can remember. This is all very exciting and there are…

Dear Friends, It has been another fabulous week at Brooks! Everything ran smoothly as we brought 90 tons in the door this week. That is approximately 5,800 cases worth of wine. Winemaker Chris has set the mood in the white fermentation room with a disco ball and Abba. He pressed the first Pinot Noir for…

Dear Friends, What an exciting week at Brooks! Our six harvest interns are settled in and have completed their first 15 hour day yesterday! We received Muscat from Muska Vineyard and Gewurztraminer from Oak Ridge Vineyard early in the week. The photo above is receiving our first pinot noir of the vintage. And what made…

Dear Friends, September 4th was the 17 year anniversary of our founder and my brother Jimi’s passing. This year it fell on a Saturday just like it did the day he died. Many of his friends texted me yesterday. It is always emotional but I always try to find the silver lining. September’s theme is…

Dear Friends, I hope this finds you safe and healthy. And thank you to all our healthcare workers on the front lines working so hard for everyone. I had my first COVID test out of an abundance of caution. Not pleasant but grateful that the result was negative. One of my favorite reasons for taking…

Dear Friends, I hope this finds you safe and healthy. Always looking for the good news, we were honored this week to announce that we were named, for the second year, one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World by Wine and Spirits Magazine. Wine & Spirits is the only major wine periodical without…

Dear Friends, I hope this finds you safe and healthy. This whole week felt like a constant pivot between new COVID restrictions and managing another heat dome with temperatures above 90 degrees. Sadly, we had to cancel our last Pizza Friday of the summer. But the heat seems to be behind us and now we…

Dear Friends, I hope you have had a great week and enjoying a relaxing summer. I hope too you are staying safe from COVID. The weather is bringing lots of challenges to farming and our hospitality. It is supposed to be over 100 for three days again this week. If we aren’t pivoting from COVID,…

Dear Friends, It has been another fun and busy week in Amity. We had another few days above 100 degrees, a tiny bit of rain, and forecasts moving all over the place. As you can see above though, the days often ended with beautiful sunsets.  I had a couple of fun Brooks team outings this…

Wine Club members from Oklahoma and friends. Nice to meet them in person after so many Zoom Wine Club happy hours! And I LOVE they are coming back two more times before they leave town!

Dear Friends, I hope you have had a good week. As always, it was busy for me and busy at the winery. We are getting very close to the final lineup for Beyond Brooks 2021/2022 and are thrilled with the new partners we have lined up! I was introduced by a Wine Club Member to…

Dear Friends, It was a great first week of being reopened. As you can imagine, the demand for reservations is higher than ever. It has been great to see so many friends again. Reservations are required and if you are looking for a weekend spot, booking a week in advance will be the best option!…

Dear Friends, Happy 4th of July! I hope this finds you surrounded by friends, family, and your 4th of July traditions! It was a big week in Oregon. We have reopened. Having restrictions in some capacity for 16 months, made me reflect on so many things that had to be thought about during COVID. It…

Dear Friends, Wherever you are, I hope you are staying cool. We are in an extreme heat situation this weekend in Oregon. At the winery, we had to close our outdoor areas as well as limit the equipment being used in the kitchen. We added seating in production where it is nice and cool. The…

Dear Friends, Happy Father’s Day to all those dads out there! Give all of those Fathers in your life a hug today. They deserve it! After cool temperatures and a bit of rain this week, temperatures in Amity are on the rise. It is supposed to be over 90 the next few days. I have…

Dear Friends, I sure am fortunate to live in two beautiful places that are epic for the sunrises and sunsets. I experienced both of the above photos this week. I had a wonderful six weeks in Oregon and am now back at home in California. It was a busy but wonderful final week at the…

Dear Friends, It has been a fun week at the winery. I have seen a lot of people from my childhood/high school years. I am so appreciative of their support of Brooks and it brings back SO many fond memories. We had our first summer concert last night. It was a little chilly but so…

Dear Friends, Happy Memorial Day weekend! I hope it is relaxing and the weather, wherever you are, is feeling like summer. It is a beautiful weekend here in Oregon. It is also a very busy weekend. Historically, Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest wine tasting weekends in the Willamette Valley. Last year, it…

Dear Friends, Another fun, but busy, week here in Amity. Last year, when we were able to reopen after COVID shutdowns, we expanded our wine and food service to our area nicknamed “the lemonshade”. The shaded roof has cutouts that are shaped like lemons, hence how it got its name. Our winemaker, Chris, built amazing…

Dear Friends, What a couple of busy weeks in Oregon! It has been so great to spend time with our team and guests. Time is flying. Almost every day that I am here I “walk the hill”. The winery is perched 750 feet up in the Eola Hills. Walking the hill is a 2 mile…

Dear Friends, It is Mother’s Day! I am going to keep this short and sweet today as I imagine most of you are celebrating with family. I am in Oregon and sad to not be with my kids. I did get to see them both a couple of weeks ago which was great! Being a…

Dear Friends, I hope this finds you well, healthy and happy. I hope that the COVID cases where you live are decreasing. I wish I could say the same for Oregon. Sadly, cases are on the rise, more work for the brave people on the front lines, more people suffering from the virus and the…

Dear Friends, I hope you had a wonderful week. My week was filled with your responses to last week’s email about the Wine Club. SO many great ideas and comments. I have created a google doc of all and made it required reading for the entire company. Thank you so much for the love and…

Dear Friends, It is an exciting week in the Estate vineyard! Bud break is happening in every block: the Pinot Gris, the Old Vine Pommard, the Riesling and the rest of the Pinot Noir! After pruning, bud break is the next big milestone during the growing season. The vines are looking healthy although we could…

Dear Friends, I am beside myself with inspiration and joy from an amazing week and amazing Beyond Brooks yesterday. Spring is in the air and there is a lot to be grateful for. Enjoy your Sunday! Freezing and Losses in Europe We are thinking of all of the farmers in France and Italy who endured…

Dear Friends, I hope this finds you well and enjoying the holiday weekend. Thank you to all of you who have been sharing your “Aha moments” of Riesling with me. Please keep them coming. The gifts will be sent no matter when you share them! I am excited for all of you who purchased the Riesling…

Dear Friends, This week marks week 52 of my weekly emails, an entire year. I don’t consider myself a very consistent person so I am surprised that I have been able to keep up with these. What motivates me to do so is that about 4,000 of you open them up every week and so…

Dear Friends, Happy Spring! It was gray skies that drizzled rain most of this week where I am in California. Yesterday, it felt wonderful to get outside for a hike at one of my favorite places. The week’s weather was evident from the slippery paths but more so from all the brand new, bright green…

Dear Friends, I hope this finds you safe, happy, healthy and hopefully seeing the first signs of Spring! Today is a special day. It is my brother’s birthday! My brother, Jimi, our founder, would have turned 55 years old today. And while it is bittersweet in obvious ways, it always reminds me that he lived…