Page 5 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - June 15, 2022

JUNE 15, 2022 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 5
Enjoy Wines Straight From The Sierra Foothills
FROM PAGE 4
ed Fields Curse of Knowledge” Bordeaux-blend red wine, whose name pays homage to the winery’s journey.
sometimes utilize the petite flowering foliage to control the nematode population.
“When we go around the country trying to introduce Andis Wines, people tell us they used to deal with Amador County, and they make subpar wine,” explains Friedland- er. “They were cursed of what they used to know about Amador County. People are stuck with that curse, the curse of knowledge.”
“We don’t have nematodes,” Akuna says. “I just want- ed (the yellow mustard) because it’s pretty.”
Rather than stick to the status quo, Andis Wines honed in on its quality, opting to adopt a business model that would give full control of the entire process. While many wine labels buy grapes to bottle and sell, others buy wine in bulk and slap a label on it. Andis Wines does neither of those.
The focus on doing good for the Earth while simulta- neously solidifying itself as one of the leading producers of fine wine in the Sierra Foothills started from the very beginning, all the way back to when they built the win- ery in 2010. That meant starting from the ground up and constructing its winery with an east-west orientation to minimize summer sun exposure from the sides, as well as installing a south-slanting roof with photovoltaic panels — both of which help with conserving energy.
“We went the more traditional way,” explains Akuna. “We farm the land, pick the grapes and make the wine at our winery. We felt we could have better control on quality of the grapes and production process, the quality of the wine and how it’s made.”
One other green initiative is within the vineyard itself.
Further expanding on the area of quality was the de- cision to hire world-renowned consulting winemaker Philippe Melka of top-rated Atelier Melka.
Dry-farming reduces the need for irrigation — Mother Nature waters it from below — which means no wasted water. Furthermore, Andis Wines composts its branches, as well as the lees (leftover skins, seeds, etc. after being pressed), putting all those nutrients back into the soil.
“He said he liked what he saw, he liked our production facility and agreed to be our consultant,” says Akuna.
If all of this seems technical, it is, and stems from the knowledge Akuna obtained while earning her winemak- ing certification from UC Davis.
“At this point, most of our wines are rated 90-plus by many reviewers, like Wine Enthusiast, Taste magazine, even Wine Spectator.”
“A lot of what I’ve learned is farming. I didn’t realize I was going to be a farmer, but here I am,” she adds with a laugh.
While Andis Wines shines in its oenophile offerings, it also does much behind the scenes in the realm of sus- tainability. Instead of spraying its vines with chemical nitrogen, for example, Akuna opted to plant organic peas and clover plants, which naturally enrich the soil with nitrogen (a much-loved substance for wine vines). Yellow mustard plants adorn the landscape, but it’s purely for aesthetic purposes — unlike at Napa vineyards, which
At the end of the day, though, what it all comes down to is personal preference, and Andis Wines is there to help longtime oenophiles or newcomers to the wine industry find their next favorite.
“We have 25 acres and took about 5 acres for the build- ings. Our vineyards are dry-farmed,” she continues.
“What you like and what you don’t like, that’s all that matters,” says Friedlander. “That’s the key to drinking wine. You have to know what you like.”
For more information, visit andiswines.com.
Club Andis is exceedingly popular on the main- land and has just as huge a following in the islands. The benefits of joining the club from afar are many — no initiation fee, the ability to drop out anytime, free shipping and discounts on fantastic wines, etc. — and there’s still time to sign up and place an order before the July pickup in Honolulu (by appointment only). Tiers include four-, six- and 12-bottle options, and the choice is up to the member: all red, all white, or mix and match.
“You can pick what’s in your shipment,” assures co-founder Janis Akuna.
Prior to COVID, Andis Wines would host its Ha- wai‘i club members in-person three times a year with fun parties, during which wine insiders could pick up their bottles and enjoy the company of other oenophiles.
“With COVID, we haven’t done it again, but we’re looking at a possible one this November and are always open to new club members,” shares co-founder Andy Friedlander.
To sign up and place an order for the July ship- ment, call the winery at 209-245-6177 or email janis@andiswines.com.
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ENJOY YOUR DINNER!
hawaiianrealty.com 800-667-5028 ext. 8122
Denise S. Nakanishi
RB-17031, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRS
“Major Mom is a Major Difference”
Ahh, peace and quiet. Recall if you dare, the days prior to October 1, 2003. No dinner was complete without a huge helping of telemarketing! Worse, when they called, there was just no graceful way to get them off the phone. Didn’t they get it?! They were invading our space. Many of us finally resorted to either screening our calls (and
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was first used to be sure we
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didn’t miss calls) or to a caller
ID. In other words, we finally
reached the point that we were willing to pay to insure we weren’t bothered. You may be
surprised to learn that it took 10 years for the FCC and the FTC to formulate legislation that would help us recapture our sanctuary. The “Do Not Call” list developed as result of the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud
and Abuse Prevention Act of 1994. Guess what, it applies to REALTORS® just like everyone else. Here’s what I know. Both agencies have a version of the law. The FTC regulates Intrastate only while the FCC has jurisdiction over all phone solicitations, so the FCC rules apply most often. Hawaii does not have a separate set of rules. T h e r e a r e b a s i c a ll y t w o s i t u a t i o n s w h e n REALTORS® (and telemarketers) might still call. An established business relationship allows us to call for 18 months. So, if I sold your home it’s OK for me to follow-up with you by phone over the next 18 months. Secondly, with express written permission we are allowed to call. Permission might come in the form of a mail in request for information or a registration on our website. Either would likely be considered written permission. Written permission is good for
three months. The protections apply only to registered residential and mobile phones. It does not apply to business phones, door- to-door solicitations or e-mail. Remember, REALTORS® are not supposed to solicit an already listed property. It’s a violation of our Code of Ethics. Do Not Call numbers no longer need to be re-registered but if you h a ve a d d i t i o n a l r e s i d e n t i a l o r c e ll n u m b e r s or if your number is disconnected and reconnected such a when you move, go to www.donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382- 1222 to register. You must call from the same number you are registering. You can register 3 numbers at a time. But one word of caution Don’t disable that caller ID just yet. August and November are just around the corner and guess what, politicians are definitely still allowed to call!
Blog forward at www.hawaiianrealtyhomes.com
0 majormom@ilhawaii.net
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