Yountville
hopeandgracewines.com
944-2500
The family-owned hope & grace winery, named for Charles’ daughters, now produces about 2,200 cases of small-lot varietals. Its elegant wine-tasting salon in the Edward James Courtyard offers an inviting atmosphere that includes a fine selection of antiques and art. You can often find the winemaker there, pouring and expounding on the virtues of his Pinot Noirs, Cabernet, Malbec, Carmenere, Chardonnay, and a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. “I listen to the wine, and it tells me what it needs,” Charles says. “I believe more in coaxing rather than forcing or over-manipulation.” Spoken like a true paraclete.
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Charles Hendricks regards himself as a “winemaker paraclete” -- that is, an encourager, an assistant, a guide. “It’s nature’s job to conceal things, and the winemaker’s job to reveal them,” he says. “There is a playfulness in determining when and where to step in.” His responsiveness to the whims of nature have been a subtle force in his career. In 2001, after twenty successful years as consulting winemaker to such prestigious labels as Barnett, Regusci, Bacio Divino, and Viader, Charles had an unexpected opportunity to acquire Pinot Noir grapes from Robert Talbott’s Sleepy Hollow Vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. He took a leap of faith and created his own independent winery.
Edward James Courtyard 6540 Washington St. Yountville, CA 94599 Mon through Sat 10a - 5p
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