Our family has been rooted in the spectacular Santa Lucia Highlands for generations. Long before the Highlands became an AVA, in part because of Gary Pisoni’s pioneering farming, we’ve prized our place here. When Gary defied conventional wisdom and planted pinot noir grapes on the steep, granite-strewn slopes of the Highlands, he deepened our attachment to the land. We’re delighted that the beautiful vineyards he established have been selected for inclusion in wine and travel guide writer Shana Clarke’s newly published 150 Vineyards You Need to Visit Before You Die. It is always an honor to have our wines distinguished by connoisseurs and wine professionals. To have the land we love be singled out for commendation is equally gratifying.

Clarke’s book highlights the world’s most exquisite vineyards. In choosing Pisoni for mention in the portion of the collection dedicated to the Americas, the author singles out our longstanding sustainable farming practices as well as our role in helping to “pave the way for viticulture in the Santa Lucia Highlands.” Clarke, who writes for NPR and CNN as well as magazines including Fortune and Wine Enthusiast, makes special mention of our two-acre insectary, whose native plant species attract beneficial insects while keeping pests at bay. We lavish attention on our insectary, not only because it creates beauty, but first and foremost because it promotes biodiversity on our vineyards and in the apiary that houses the bees that help pollinate our land. There is always pleasure in having something you prize be recognized by others as valuable. It is a special pleasure to see our work here recognized as good farming practice and a spectacular garden as well.