Shafer One Point Five

The vine is a plant which must be given its time. Calm and patient, it shies away from rushing. The grapes which sprout are more the fruit of the future than of the present. At least, that's the way it has to be if things are to go well.

For this reason, it’s not unusual to find a concatenation of generations in wineries which already have a certain amount of experience. Grandparents, parents, children and great-grandchildren are living witnesses of tradition and know-how. It’s normal, the most logical thing to do. The law of life. But in California, specifically on the A.V.A. Napa Valley, there’s an exception that proves the rule: Shafer Winery. In this, father and son John and Doug Shafer have been working together since 1983 in the Stags Leap district. There tradition and novelty come together, the fusion of one complete generation (the father's) with half of the other (the son's). In total a generation and a half in charge of these wineries. And so Shafer One Point Five came into being.

Shafer's hillside vineyard and the Borderline (two miles south of the winery) are the two places where Shafer One Point Five originates. The production and elaboration there is totally sustainable, with very environmentally-friendly processes in the first winery in the USA to use solar energy and recycle rainwater.

The high-quality grapes go to the winery where, after vinification, they’re aged for 20 months in new French oak barrels.

As the winery explains on its website, Shafer One Point Five is a tribute to the family, to the relationship between father and son. It's not a bad idea to listen to them and uncork a bottle to toast and celebrate with the family on any occasion. Any excuse will do.