Couloir Vineyards; Lafayette, CA; Established 2011
Having spent the better part of my youth with my family in France during the summer months of July & August, I was fortunate enough to be able to visit and stay in many parts of France where my family lived. One of my favorite memories there were the times spent with my Aunt, Renee and her husband Jojo, who worked in a local winery in Nuit St. George as the cellar master. Jojo would take me through the ancient Roman caves, once used to store military goods in case of attacks, now converted to wine cellars. These were long, rambling arched roofed, earthen, moss lined caves, full of wine barrels, bottles, aromas, and interesting wine making apparatus. He would show me around, and we would occasionally stop here and there to sample wines that were very fine indeed! Once, he stopped to plunge his hand into what looked like a moss covered wall, and withdrew a concealed bottle of their wine, which we thoroughly enjoyed that evening.
Renee & Jojo’s sons would each work a small parch of land near their homes and were always eager to share their own wines with their American cousin. This would be the inspiration that I carried all my life to someday have a small vineyard of my own, and enjoy the bounty of our hard work.
And so when I found the home we purchased years ago, I saw the potential for a vineyard and pursued the realization of my dream! Thus Couloir Vineyards was born. Couloir, in French means canyon, where the vineyard is located, and is also a winter mountain gully for steep powder skiing for advanced skiers like me.
Our vineyard is currently three years old, and we expect to have our first true harvest in 2016. We have 260 vines of Cabernet Sauvignon and 75 vines of Merlot, which we hope to blend with the Cabernet Sauvignon. The vines are progressing with lots of promise and we should have our first drinkable wine as early as 2018. I am also very lucky to have my son, Julien, as a graduate of UC Davis, in the Viticulture and Enology department and is currently working at Kosta Browne in Sebastopol as their Cellar Master. He has been very supportive of our efforts and has been a great family project. We will be processing our own wines in our wine cellar with great love and care.
It is with great pleasure to be a part of the Lamorinda Appellation, creating our own Terrior, which we can all be proud!
We look forward to many enjoyable times with our friends and family with the bounties of Couloir Vineyard!
Daniel & Annemieke Howsepian
