Even when her husband would quarrel with Gary over his tenacious pursuit of wine, Jane would find a way to make Gary’s dream happen. She recalls in the late 1980’s encouraging Eddie to take her on a vacation to Las Vegas, during which she and Gary hatched a plan to sneak in a well-drilling rig on the property. Jane arranged to pay the driller in full while she and Eddie were out of town.

Today, Pisoni Vineyards is comprised of 12 blocks that stretch across 40 varied acres—blocks named in honor of family and longtime workers of the land. Fittingly, “Mommy’s Block” is the first block seen when driving through the gate at Pisoni Vineyards. In fact, Jane’s presence is everywhere: It’s the 1969 Willy’s Jeep which was originally hers—an anniversary gift from Eddie for their hunting trips through the Santa Lucia Mountains and which Gary, dressed in his trademark Hawaiian shirts, still famously uses to check in on the vines. It’s her family recipes the family continues to serve guests visiting the property. And most importantly, it’s her kindness the Pisoni family aspires to carry on—for Jane has always been known for stopping whatever she is doing to help others.

Jane features in the conversations of family, friends, and acquaintances as soon as the talk turns to the vineyard. Mark and Jeff know first-hand that Gary was never one to plan in advance. They remember how frequently he would call his mom the morning a guest was scheduled to visit, asking with the casualness of long practice if she could make her famous sausage and some pies for dessert. Of course, she always did. Recently, Mark ran into an acquaintance at Pebble Beach who remembered a winemaker dinner in Monterey during which Gary ran out of wine (a rare occurrence)! Gary called his mom, who promptly climbed into her Buick and showed up with husband Eddie in tow to unload more cases.

Gary Pisoni has been described as “the patriarch . . . who planted grapes in this rugged and often unyielding area in 1982,” by the Capital Gazette. In turn, Jane is a matriarch who has long sustained the family’s multi-generation commitment to farming and making wine.

Just as Gary gambled on the land in the Santa Lucia Highlands, so Jane gambled on Gary. There is no Pisoni Vineyards without her. On her 100th birthday in March, the woman whose house and ranch have always functioned as “Grand Central Station” for the Pisonis chose to celebrate at the blackjack table. It also isn’t a surprise that Jane kept her cool in Las Vegas.

Please help us celebrate Jane’s 100th birthday by raising a glass of Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir to her.