Winemaker deflects claims of "Equinox Magic" (you provide the magic not the bottle)
History A bouncing baby ______ . EQUINOX entered into physical existance October 12, 1989 (we had been thinking about it for quite awhile beforehand). Trout Gulch Vineyard Chardonnay was harvested that day to become our first vintage. Thursday began cold and overcast with a miserable drizzle, that gave way to a blazing afternoon (typical weather in the Mountains). Sorting grapes was our son's (then 12 years old) first exposure to winemaking. The experience is still vivid in his memory. The chardonnay was pressed-off that afternoon and evening, settled overnight and barreled-down the following day for fermentation. So far, so good. When it rains, it pours. Tuesday the 17th of October was a very different day. The new wine was fermenting in barrels at Storrs Winery in downtown Santa Cruz. Until 5:04 P.M. Fifteen seconds later (it seemed much longer), more than half of our first vintage was spewing from barrels, dripping from the ceiling and running down the drain. The Loma Prieta Earthquake had struck Santa Cruz and the Bay Area. Our loss was insignificant compared to others. We didn't lose all the wine, however. What remained was bottled the following spring and released March, 1993. And there's more. The tradition of champagne production in the Santa Cruz Mountains extends back in time to the last quarter of the 19th century. Paul Masson was winning awards in Europe at that time for his "Eye of the Partridge" champagne. That tradition was carried on by Martin Ray through the middle of the 20th century until his death in 1976. The flame of champagne was re-kindled in 1989 by EQUINOX and at Thomas Fogarty Winery, under the steady hand of Micheal Martella. Other wineries have followed suit as the tradition extends into the 21st century.