Cove Crest Vineyard

Al demonstrates corker

The only places you can buy the wine made at Cove Crest Vineyard are the two Farmer's Markets in Redding California.

There you will also meet Allan and Mineca Griggs-- the people responsible for the product from beginning to end.

Because of state liquor laws you cannot taste the wine at the Farmer's Markets, but the price is reasonable (about $8.00 a bottle in August 2008). and when you buy some you will probably enjoy it.

You will discover the web page of Cove Crest Vineyard at: covecrest.com. Their E-mail address is: covecrest@frontiernet.net.

TW

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WINE!

Allan Griggs and his vines

Wine!

Wine is the thing most important to the Griggs duo at Cove Crest Vinyard, and the making of it has pretty much formed their unique lifestyle!

Allan Griggs was raised in Santa Rosa, California in the days when it was a small, prosperous agricultural town—the home of one of America's most famous gardeners Luther Burbank.

Allan joined the Future Farmers of America club at his high school and was enthusiastic about the many field trips his Italian farmer mentors took the member upon.

“One thing I noticed way back then was that all the field trips seemed to finish up at some winery or other. I thought being a vintner must be good fun and profitable too so I decided back then to become a wine grower someday.”

It took Allan many years but he eventually manifested his youthful dream with the help of his willing wife and partner from The Netherlands, Mineca—and that dream is their very fine little vineyard at Cove Crest.

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Cove Crest Vinyard

Allan and Mineca Griggs and Tanya

Cove Crest Vinyard

Tanya and I recently visited a couple of new friends way out in the country.

The new friends were a couple we met at the Redding, California Farmer's Market.

Allan and Mineca Griggs are regulars at the market because that is the only place in the world where they sell the product of their farm, the Cove Crest Vinyard.

We got to know them as we discussed their wine and were invited to lunch at their vineyard to explore and see how two ordinary but not so ordinary people made their dream come true.

The Cove Crest Vinyard is established in what is known as The Cove in Northeastern Shasta County—out Burney way.

It has a remote feel and different weather than Redding since it is considerable higher—at 2300 feet elevation.

The fertile acreage is just about perfect for the vines Allan and Mineca have planted and tended for several years now—and they do the whole process by hand: “Our wines are produced by hand, from planting and nurturing...harvesting, crushing, pressing and fermentation to the bottling and labeling process.”

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