Makers' Stories
Lucia Hossfeld
— Ever since day one of my life, I have been surrounded by the natural cycles of the vineyard.
What's one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I was a total band nerd in high school, playing clarinet and piano.
What is your favorite memory as a vintner working in Napa Valley?
The camaraderie and passion you see when you receive the grapes on the crush pad and have chosen that time to pick the grapes and commit to making a great wine indicative of the vintage.
Name a Napa Valley vintner who has influenced you and briefly explain why.
Sam Kaplan, his attunement with the grapes and how he understands that it really starts in the vineyard to create a world class wine. Not to be afraid of tannins and minimal effort (when appropriate) throughout the winemaking process to really showcase the terroir of the site and the grapes. Being stern yet kind and caring, that is such a welcomed spirit. Pretty sure he has a Midas touch, too, so I would like to hone that skill as well.
What is your winemaking philosophy?
Minimal intervention with a strong focus on the way the grapes were grown and pick at peak of ripeness not a moment too soon or too late. Letting it age appropriately, hillside grapes are strong and need to be tamed in a barrel.
How did you get started in the wine business?
Ever since day one of my life, I have been surrounded by the natural cycles of the vineyard. It is all-consuming when you grow up on a property that your parents sculpted into a world class vineyard site. My dad tried to persuade me to try a different career because of the trials and tribulations associated with being a farmer, but the moments of elation and the inherent force of Mother Nature is wonderful and balancing.
What's your all-time favorite food and wine pairing?
Dungeness crab that you have to crack yourself and a rich Chardonnay.
If you weren't a Napa Valley vintner, what would you be doing?
Perhaps using my gregarious nature to become one of the hostesses that host people at their old Chateaus in France. I just love the history in the buildings, their potager gardens and the passion they show when sharing their family histories and trying to keep their heritage alive. I just love pink horse chestnuts, they are gorgeous!
If you could open a bottle of your wine and share it with any three people (living or not), who would they be?
Kamala Harris, Pablo Neruda and Warren Winiarski.
What’s the strangest word you’ve used to describe the smell or taste of wine?
Fruitcake.
What does "cultivating excellence" as a Napa Valley vintner mean to you?
It means only releasing a wine when it is ready or if it makes the cut. Not to be scared about making a picking decision and always going back to the vineyard, it is the quintessential component of cultivating excellence. Treating the environment with respect and really looking soil-deep to make sure we can still farm 30 or 50 years from now and to be able to create these notable wines.
Tell us about your first Napa Valley harvest…
Dressed in all white like a participant of Batalla del Vino in Haro, Spain, I was 8 years old. I was learning the ways of harvest from my father, which essentially entailed picking all of the MOG out of the bin, watching out for the picking trays dumping the grapes into the bin, and not pinching my fingers in between the bins on the trailer as they traversed through the terraces.
Est. 2013
Hossfeld Vineyards
03
The Makers