Fisher Vineyards, located in both the Mayacamas Mountains in Sonoma County and in Calistoga in Napa County, is a longtime OW&E client. The land in Sonoma County was acquired in 1973 by Juelle and Fred Fisher with the first release coming from its 1979 harvest. Mel Owen was there back in the early years to help them with their brand protection. The winery operations are now run by the next generation of the Fisher family.
For makers of exceptional wines found in such one-of-a-kind viticultural regions, as is the case of the two locations of Fisher Vineyards, success starts with partnering with Mother Nature whose management style may be described, not as top down, but from the ground up. That is, it starts with terroir which may be defined as follows:
How certain elements of nature affect the taste of the wine, consisting primarily of 1) the unique character of a region’s climate (constancies and seasonal variables), 2) its blend of soils (including volcanic soils in Napa, as well as the particular mix of rock and mineral deposits), and 3) its terrain (elevation, geologic features, and near or distant relation to the influences of Mother Ocean).
In other words, the unique combination of factors that make up terroir may be the “secret sauce” that could define the differences in success between two world-class winemakers working in different regions. Family, under the right conditions in a family winery, can be a lot like terroir. It brings together elements that don’t show up as listed ingredients, and they are not part of a viticultural procedure but, when working together in harmony, they can make a significant difference in the end product, especially when the interests are varied, and the vitality and high energy are palpable.
Here are a few telling details that comprise powerful elements of the deep Fisher “family terroir”:
- Founder Fred Fisher rows 6000 meters on his ergonometer every day, and that’s just how he starts!
- Juelle Fisher is an avid skier, tennis player, gardener, and chef. She (with two friends) founded the Sonoma Country Day School in 1984.
- Whitney Fisher, the eldest of the next generation, studied American history at Princeton where she graduated. She and her husband, Nile Zacherle, also own and run a brewery called Mad Fritz.
- Rob Fisher, the next eldest, is a graduate of Duke where he swam competitively all four years. Before coming home to the vineyards, he worked on Wall Street where he specialized in perfect “blends” – what producers in high finance call “mergers and acquisitions.”
- Cameron Fisher, the youngest, is a graduate of Colby College where her rowing team won the Division 3 NCAA title in 2003. An English major, she worked for Outdoor magazine before joining the family business.
- The family terroir continues to deepen: All the children are themselves raising and tending the next generation of human vines.
So how do all those elements of family terroir contribute to the high-quality wines produced by Fisher Vineyards? You’ll have to use a bit of your imagination (e.g., surely the best farm water flows from mastery of water sports like swimming and rowing). Your imagination is best awakened while taking in an exceptional Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon, offered under distinctive brands for which OW&E has secured federal trademark protection. That would be the likes of COACH INSIGNIA (hearkening back to the family’s early and long-running success with Detroit’s “Body by Fisher”), WHITNEY’S VINEYARD, UNITY, HIDDEN TERRACE VINEYARD and, of course, FISHER VINEYARDS.
Rob, Whitney and Cameron Fisher
Better still, you should plan a visit to the Calistoga Estate and Mountain Estate. Fisher Vineyards | Plan Your Visit That way you’ll be able to taste the terroir-infused wine on the land itself, all while enjoying premium hospitality that only comes from such a unique family.
Contributed by Larry Townsend