September 2, 2025 – It doesn’t even seem possible that 20 years could have sped by that fast, but when Denis Hoey told me he was celebrating the 20th anniversary of Odonata, I had some reckoning to do.
I flashed back to one of the first events where I tried his wine, at a Pinot Paradise dinner for winemakers at Chris Gemignani’s Generosa Winery on Summit Road, in the heyday of that winery before it all evaporated. Subsequent to Chris’s sad demise, we met with Denis in the cellar there to go through the wines and create some of the last vintages that would be produced under that label.
Hoey, a native of Sacramento and alum of UC Santa Cruz got his start in the wine business working with Jeff Emery of Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard after graduation, on a tip from a professor who knew Emery. Denis met his future wife Claire in the chaos of the moving party in 2004 that relocated the winery from Jarvis Road after Ken Burnap sold the property. Emery once showed me photos of that party, where wine flowed from dusty old bottles, and love blossomed.
After Hoey started his Odonata brand in 2005, he opened a tasting room next to Companion Bakeshop on Mission Street in Santa Cruz, and my Wild Wine Women’s group once literally took the whole thing over. We try to visit Hoey at his place on River Road in Salinas, where he relocated in 2014, every year, to enjoy his breadth and depth of wines. The gals are especially fond of his bubbles, which began with a sparkling Riesling project for the late Stephanie McFarland and her best friend and sales rep, Elaine Worthy. Pretty soon, he was committed to the sparkle notion, and launched his popular Bubbles Club.
In addition to his stunning estate Viognier which is fermented in neutral wood, he makes some divine Boekenoogen Vineyard Chardonnay, upholding the sunny peach tart with lemon curd tradition that brought the Boekenoogen family international acclaim. He also makes a lovely Chardonnay from Escolle, and a series of vivid, well-crafted reds, including the 2022 SLH Pinot Noir from Escolle and KW Ranch, the moody and intense Soberanes Syrah and the uplifted, aromatically intoxicating Escolle Syrah-Viognier co-ferment, done in 500L Ermitage puncheons.
Hoey isn’t afraid to poke fun at stuffy wine labels, recently creating a separate label called Cote du Denis, which looks remarkably like a high-end French label, but instead focuses on offbeat varieties and fermentation techniques. Try the Gamay Noir from Highlands Ranch: it will make your head spin, or the spicy and fruity Grenache-Syrah blend, sourced from Arroyo Seco and Tondre Grapefields.
Hoey also recently embarked into the realm of spirits under the Papa Hoey brand, for which he makes a triple distilled lemon brandy infused with lemons from Kirk Williams’ Highlands Ranch in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Denis says he uses about 150 pounds of lemons for every 400 bottles produced and suggests using it like vodka—in martini’s, vodka tonics, mojitos and Moscow mules. Highly popular is his VSOP: Very Superior Old Pale brandy made from distilled Petite Sirah aged for 4 years in used French and Hungarian barrels.
Let’s raise a glass of the beverage of your choice to one of the Central Coast’s most beloved winemakers and the community he has fostered with love and devotion for the last 20 years.
Harvest Is Happening
The first harvest pick on the Central Coast that came to my attention was for sparkling at Caraccioli Cellars. Cole Thomas of Madson Wines says they also brought in Aligote from a private vineyard that Ken Swegles planted in 2020 in the Saratoga hills the week of August 25. Preparing for harvest, Madson also invested in a new steamer that can clean barrels twice as fast, a new 1,500-gallon stainless steel tank that can hold 6 tons of grapes, a new pump and an old 1998 Wilmes press from Napa that is the same as Jeff Emery’s only twice the capacity.
Peter Bargetto tells us that his first grapes of the year, Lodi Zin, are due in this afternoon. It’s on!
Calling Grenache Lovers!
The Rhone Rangers will host an International Grenache Day celebration on Sept. 18 at Cass Winery in Paso Robles, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at 7350 Linne Road.
Tickets are $45 per person plus tax and fees in advance and $55 at the door. Admission includes a Rhone Rangers stemless logo glass, cheese and charcuterie, and music by DJ Gestalt and Subtone.
On the menu are Grenache Blanc, Grenache Rosé, Grenache Noir and GSM wines from 27 participating wineries, including: Alta Colina, Bianchi Winery, Brecon Estate, Caliza, Cass Winery, Center of Effort, Concur Wines, Copia Vineyard & Winery, Decemil Estate Wines, Jack Creek Cellars, Jada Vineyard & Winery, Jaffurs Wine Cellars, Kaleidos, Le Vigne, Nenow Family Wines, Peachy Canyon Winery, Riboli Family Wines, Ridge Vineyards, Robert Hall, Serial Wines, Summerwood Winery & Inn, Tablas Creek Vineyard, Tercero Wines, Terranean Wines, Thacher Winery, Vigo Cellars and Zaca Mesa. Ticket info: rhonerangers.org.
Speaking of Grenache, Big Basin Vineyards recently presented a vertical of Grenache, attended by a former tasting room staffer, who reported: “The fun ones were 09, 10, 11, 12 which represent the early Bradley style of flashy bold wines. As much as I tend to poo poo that heavy handed approach by others, these were like walking down memory lane (pun intended) revisiting what we loved about BBV coming onto the scene. From his ‘elegant’ era, the 13, 15, and 18 were gorgeous. All of those were aged in the amphora or cement. All were for sale. I bought an 11 and 13 for old time’s sake.
We also learned that Thomas Fogarty Winery now has a new CEO: Tony McClung. Winemaker Nathan Kandler, recently stepped into the GM role there, after Tommy Fogarty Jr handed him the reins.
The winery will hold a special wine dinner at the Mountain House on October 7 at the Redwood Room. Chefs/Owners of The Mountain House, William Roberts and Dmitry Elperin, are delighted to once again create a unique four course menu to pair. Tom Fogarty Jr and winegrower Nathan Kandler will be your hosts for this memorable evening, beginning at 5:30pm
$250/ Person
$225/ Club Members
The winery recently released a new white blend called “Petraza,” made with Falaghina and Grecco from Siletto vineyard in San Benito County.
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
