dcwaf_catalog

MERRY EDWARDS - MERRY EDWARDS WINERY
MICHAEL FAY - DUCKHORN WINE COMPANY
Merry Edwards
OWNER, WINEMAKER - MERRY EDWARDS WINERY
Merry Edwards approaches life with graceful intensity. When sampling grapes
in the vineyard, hand pruning her cherished roses, preparing dinner for her
family, practicing Bikram yoga — in whatever she does, Merry balances intellect
with intuition. Each wine she makes benefits from her precision and perception
of subtlety and elegance.
Now in the fifth decade of her winemaking career, Merry has earned the
universal respect of winemaking peers, grape growers and academicians. A
self-described perfectionist, she has constantly refined her vineyard practices,
wines and techniques. Merry does not rest on her laurels - she grows. “People
frequently ask what is the best wine I have ever made. I tell them it’s not made
yet!”
In many ways, Merry Edwards is like her wines — complex, balanced and
memorable. An intricate blend of artistic vision, scientific training, spirit and
grace, she leaves a lasting impression.
Michael Fay
WINEMAKER - DUCKHORN WINE COMPANY
Michael was born in Vicenza, Italy, near the winegrowing region of Friuli,
and was raised in Southern California. While working in the restaurant industry
and studying forestry management at the University of Washington in Seattle,
Michael discovered a passion for West Coast Pinot Noir. “I was studying forestry
management because I wanted to cultivate a relationship with nature, but my
growing love of Pinot made me realize I didn’t want to make paper, I wanted
to make wine.” In 2000, Michael transferred to Cal Poly to study enology and
viticulture.
In 2012, Michael became the handpicked successor to renowned Goldeneye
winemaker Zach Rasmuson. “I’m in the fantastic position of being able to learn
from Zach, while continuing his work.” Working with the valley’s most diverse
and expansive estate Pinot Noir program, Michael makes terroir-inspired
expressions of Pinot Noir that balance depth and power with Pinot’s natural
elegance. To achieve this goal, Michael ferments over 200 individual lots of Pinot
Noir each vintage, or roughly one fermentation for every acre farmed. He is also
continuing the measured fine tuning of the Goldeneye style begun by Zach,
picking at lower Brix and dialing back the amount of new wood used during
aging. “As a winemaker,” says Michael, “my goal isn’t to speak for the wines, it
is to allow the wines to speak for themselves, so that their essential Anderson
Valley-ness shines through.”
20 DESTIN CHARITY WINE AUCTION FOUNDATION 2015 AUCTION CATALOG 21