Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/4337
P redatory birds roam the skies, in search of frantic jack rabbits that skitter by, and we watch intently, riding in the back of a pickup, surveying the 100 acres of planted vines on the Bouchaine Vineyards estate. This is the oldest continually operated facility in Carneros—planted to vines and orchards in the mid-1800s by pioneer Boon Fly—and is still family-owned (by Gerret and Tatiana Copeland), but the day-to-day opera- tions of this sustainably farmed winery fall in the hands of VP/Winemaker/ GM Mike Richmond and Greg Gauthier, VP of Wine Production and Sales. Richmond, who founded Acacia Winery in 1979, is a recognized leader in developing premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines from the Carneros appellation. Richmond and Gauthier began working at Bou- chaine as a team in 2002. "We brought a modern perspective on wine- making," claims Gauthier. "We're not Burgundy-bound," Richmond notes. "When it comes to Pinot Noir, we share a world development of knowledge with France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and even Israel. The fascination with this grape has elevated its standards for a new global movement." Bouchaine winemaker Mike Richmond takes us on a tour of the estate vineyards, which sit on the southernmost tip of the Carneros appellation. In the Context of Carneros Or, The Gospel According to Mike Richmond At Bouchaine Vineyards, this winemaker makes a point