There's just something about a small town. I knew I found a good one when I found Danny...on the internet! Yep, eHarmony did the trick and found me a match...for life! We moved into our home in his town of Sutter, on Valentines Day of 2009. I was 4 months pregnant with our daughter Sydney. A year later, we planted our vineyard and shortly after that we had our son Trevor and...well...grapes!
To be honest, we knew nothing about wine except that it was made from grapes and we liked to drink it. (Although I wasn't able to do much of that in those first years.) Luckily the internet was available, but beyond the internet we stumbled around in a few classes at UC Davis until we found a gem. Reece Cordi of Cordi Winery. Reece is a farmer who lives in Live Oak and after a heavy storm blew down his orchard, he pulled out his almonds and planted grapes, now running a winery for a few years. We decided to call him up and ask for advice. But advice was only the beginning.
Reece.
Reece Cordi helped us so much those first couple of years. Reece helped us make our wine. He helped process our grapes, he spent hours, upon hours, talking with us about regulations and permitting, about wine processing and wine making tricks and tips. About events we should participate in and supply companies we should try. About family and vacations and how to make time for everything. This man did so much more for us than we ever imagined. Advice? No, we LEARNED. We were taught. We were helped. We were guided. We made a friend. We made some wine :) And they say...behind every good man, is a great woman. We found that to be true with Teresa. Teresa worked full time during those early years, so it wouldn't be until later that we would become such good friends. Texting at all hours. Cheering each other along with wine adventures, business deals and family happenings. Much respect for this family, much respect.
If you haven't had a chance to visit Cordi Winery, well...you should! It's a beautiful drive around the Sutter Buttes into Live Oak and their winery...well...you couldn't get any closer to the buttes, it's their backyard! Go visit. Go taste. Go talk with the Cordi's for yourself and you'll see what wonderful people they are.
We could not have started this adventure without them. Absolutely.
We owe a lot to this man. We appreciate what we have learned and all the time he spent with us.