Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
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Molly grew up in Orinda, California and often traveled to Napa with her family to spend time on her aunt Denise and uncle Bill (R.W.) Moore’s vineyard. Molly recalls many happy family gatherings at Bill and Denise’s property, exploring with her cousins and barbecuing on the patio.
Shortly after Mike and Molly married in June of 2009 they purchased five tons of grapes from Bill’s vineyard. In September of 2009, they crushed their first vintage of the Mike and Molly Hendry Zinfandel.
Today Mike works as the vineyard manager and director of marketing and sales for Hendry Ranch, and works with Bill Moore at the Moore Vineyard. Molly works as an attorney in downtown Napa, and assists Mike with his responsibilites at Hendry. They have both contributed much time and energy to the careful production of the Mike and Molly Hendry Zinfandel. Mike and Molly also enjoy running, hiking, fly fishing, horseback riding, gardening, cooking and playing with their yellow lab Jake.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.