Our Patriarch’s Promise has become a Harney Lane staple since its first release in 2012. This proprietary wine has been the center of many conversations and guessing games since its contents are well known to be a family secret. Although we are not ready to reveal what goes into the bottle, we love sharing the origin story that began with Harney Lane’s beloved Patriarch, George Mettler.
As a very limited feature on our wine list, guests are in for a treat when Patriarch’s Promise is open for tasting. Fans know that it stands apart from our other wines – distinct, full-bodied and flavorful, with rich notes of anise, blackberry and spice. This wine is near and dear to our Matriarch Kathy’s heart, so we prefer the story as she tells it…
“We have some fruit on the ranch that is considered old-fashioned. Something we hadn’t used here in the winery yet. George remembered this particular grape being used to make some wonderful wines in his grandfather’s day. So, he started bugging Kyle and Chad to make a wine for Harney Lane using this grape. They weren’t excited about the idea in the beginning…as stubborn as he was, George kept at them and finally Chad started working on it. Three years later, he came up with a wine that George thought was really worth pursuing. George was thrilled and so proud that Chad came around and decided to play with the fruit to make this fantastic wine.”
“We have some fruit on the ranch that is considered old-fashioned. Something we hadn’t used here in the winery yet. George remembered this particular grape being used to make some wonderful wines in his grandfather’s day.”
George was able to indulge in our very first lot of Patriarch’s Promise and we believe that it exceeded his expectations. As a final and fitting touch, his daughter Jorja deliberated over the perfect name, finally settling upon “Patriarch’s Promise” because, in her words, “he had promised that this would make and be a great wine just as he had remembered it to be.” What a tribute!
We lost George to cancer in early 2013. In his honor, as well as many of our winery friends, family and community members who have been affected by this disease, we proudly donate 10% of sales from every bottle of Patriarch’s Promise to the American Cancer Society. Through a variety of fundraising channels, including these bottle sales, we have now donated over $100,000 to the cause. We know that George’s memory lives on through each bottle of Patriarch’s enjoyed.
