Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/918844
100 WINES&VINES January 2018 the cellar and then committed himself and his life to always im- proving the vineyard. "Larry had a lot of resources, but he didn't throw his money around. He worked his ass off and did it the right way," Hall said. "He dedi- cated his life to learning about the vineyard." He said Larry Hyde was par- ticularly shrewd in dividing the vineyard's crop among many winemakers who all went on to p r o d u c e o u t s t a n d i n g w i n e s . Those wines from many differ- ent wineries did more to dem- onstrate the quality of the site than if Larry Hyde produced his own wines from the start or sold all the grapes to just one large client. Hall likened it to Pisoni Vineyards in the Santa Lucia H i g h l a n d s AVA o f M o n t e r e y County. "When you have com- peting wineries making great wines, it says something about the site," Hall said. As winemaker, Rodriguez has the enviable perk of a reliable source of high-quality grapes, but that also comes with some expectations as the same grapes are used by wineries such as Patz & Hall, Ramey Wine Cellars, DuMOL, Paul Hobbs Winery, Joseph Phelps, Schramsberg Vineyards, Massican Winery and others. Rodriguez said he's been working closely with the vineyard manager Padilla to ensure the estate is reflected at the same high level under the Larry Hyde brand. "He knows the importance of making great wines, and I'm the kind of guy who believes the best wines come from the best vineyards," Rodriguez said. "Eighty percent of a great wine is from the vineyard, and only 20% is the winemaking. I want to put Hyde at the very top, and I'm work- ing with Jose to achieve that." It may take a while for the winery to pay all the bills, but Rodriguez has access to an excellent vineyard and a brand-new winery, so he's got a good shot. WINEMAKING TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT The winery design was inspired by Polish country houses. Direct-to-consumer sales account for 80% of all sales, and the tasting room is expected to support future sales growth. ONE FOCUS IFC provides a full range of products and services to the food and commodity industries. This expertise gives us a unique understanding of every type of food processing and beverage environment. ONE LESS WORRY Save time and money. Know that your pest management program remains in compliance with detailed reporting and the best care possible. ONE OF A KIND IFC is the only nationwide pest management firm exclusively focused on the food processing and beverage industry. ONE CALL For all your pest management needs, call IFC at 1-800-477-4432 or visit www.indfumco.com ONE IS ALL YOU NEED FOR YOUR PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM CONTACT IFC TODAY FOR A COMPLIMENTARY SURVEY AND IPM ASSESSMENT