Copeland Creek Vineyards - About Us

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ON THIS PAGE History Our Winemaker Copeland Creek Vineyards The Pfendler family: Kimberly, Peter, Nicholas, and Winston	HISTORY In 1992 my husband Peter planted the first vineyard on our ranch at the top of Sonoma Mountain with the goal of producing outstanding, limited production wines that would reflect the distinct qualities of our coastal influenced, hillside vineyard. Since then we have planted three more estate vineyards, each one matched with the varietal best suited to the specific microclimate created by its position on the mountain. These range from the sunny vineyard that we first planted at the top of Sonoma Mountain where we grow our Bordeaux varietals, to one of the coolest vineyards in the county at the base of Sonoma Mountain where we grow our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Copeland Creek is the thread that connects all of our vineyards as it flows toward the Pacific Ocean, and we honor its beauty with the wines that we produce. Kimberly Pfendler Proprietor
Greg Bjornstad	OUR WINEMAKER GREG BJORNSTAD Beginning in the Spring of 2007 Greg Bjornstad joins the Copeland Creek Vineyards team as Winemaker. Greg Bjornstad studied Agronomy with a Foreign Service emphasis at Colorado State University preparing him for a career in international development. He first discovered fine wine in the Caribbean and his interest in wine continued while living in and around New York City. His wanderlust culminated in his moving cross-country to Davis, California, where he began his graduate studies in Viticulture in 1989. At Davis, Greg was interested in both vines and wines, taking many enology courses in addition to his curriculum in viticulture. In 1990, he received a Wine Spectator Scholarship and worked the harvest at Newton Vineyards in St. Helena. In 1991, Greg was selected for the coveted Chateau Lafite Rothschild internship. In France, Greg was able to divide his time evenly between vineyard and winery and learn traditional Bordelaise methods. It was during his experience at Lafite that he observed that great wine is inextricably linked to the vineyard. Once home, Greg joined Joseph Phelps Vineyards as their Viticulturist. After four years at Phelps he was prepared for more responsibility and returned to Newton as their Vineyard Manager. In 1996, Greg lent his skills to a “start up opportunity” beyond the known viticultural world on the Sonoma Coast. Greg joined Flowers Vineyard and Winery as Vineyard Manager and Assistant Winemaker. There the “Burgundy bug” bit him hard and it was there that Greg first “closed the loop” as he tended both vines and wines from grape to bottle. As the backbone of the Flowers team, Greg shared in the top award from Wine & Spirits magazine as “Artisan Winery of the Year” for an unprecedented two years in a row. In 1999, his passion, coupled with solid experience, prepared Greg to start his own international business focused on vineyard consulting and winemaking, as well as starting his own brand, Bjornstad Cellars. Greg works with growers and wineries in California, Russia, South Africa and Australia to establish new, ultra premium vineyards as well as assist them in optimizing their existing vineyard’s potential to produce extraordinary wine. top
Our vineyard on Sonoma Mountain	COPELAND CREEK VINEYARDS The Copeland Creek Vineyards all benefit from a long growing season in the Sonoma Coast Appellation, where fog and ocean breezes temper the summer heat. However, each individual vineyard site presents a unique set of growing conditions. The warm-blooded Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) bask in three acres of sun-baked soil above the fog on top of Sonoma Mountain, but the delicate Pinot Noir grapes are more at home in the lingering morning mists on the lower slopes along Copeland Creek. On the south side of that six-acre vineyard is another one and a half acres planted to Chardonnay. All three vineyards are pruned for the low yield that promises a greater concentration of flavors, and the grapes are never harvested before they are fully ripe. In fact, every aspect of Copeland Creek Vineyards and Winery is afforded the time and attention required to achieve its full potential. top