It all started out with a phone call from Andrew Hoxsey at Napa Wine Company - "Let's just go make some wine."  For over a decade Tracy and I produced a variety of Napa Valley wines including Syrah,  Petit Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon,  a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and our well known Fly by Night Zinfandel.     What started as a hobby wine project grew into a small business.   It's been a great ride!  

None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of Andrew and his colleagues at Napa Wine Company.   Our winegrowers -  the Del Bondio family and, in particular, the Pelissa family are wonderful farmers and exceptional people.   These families are third and fourth generation Napa Valley winegrowers.   We have been blessed to be able to work with them.    Our winemaker, Randy Mason, has been with us since we started with our 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon.   Randy's winemaking and vineyard managment skills are exraordinary.   His friendship, sense of humor and unwavering support has made our project successful and fun.   

We have been extremely lucky to have the highest quality people you could imagine representing our wines.  Diane Harder and Alexia Moore have been with us since our first release.   They are simply the best in the business.   The Skurnik brothers in New York are worthy of a Harvard Business School study on how to do it right.   They bring passion, expertise, and most important, integrity to every relationship.   It's been a joy to work with them.  

If you have read this far you may get the idea that something is up.   A few years ago Tracy and I started planning for our next adventure.   As demands on our time grew  (teenagers do that to you!) we relunctantly concluded that we would have have to retire from wine production.   Two years ago we started phasing out production and began a process of selling our inventory.   In November we completely sold out of every case of wine in stock.  

Now with the decks clear we will return to producing some family wine from time to time.   And we will be able to do some of the travel we have always wanted to do.   Many thanks to all who have supported us with your kind words.   We hope you have enjoyed our wines as much as we enjoyed producing them.   Hearing someone at a tasting praise our wine as something special makes all of the work worthwhile.   

To those of you on our mailing list - we will be in touch soon about our plans.   

Cheers,

John and Tracy Downing

Proprietors - Downing Family Vineyards