John Hilliard, Winemaker, Hilliard Bruce
Classic Rock or Classic Country? Valkyries with saddle bags of souls.
Favorite spot in the vineyard? Our hill top overlooks famous Santa Rita Hills vineyards of Melville, Foley, Clos Pepe, Kessler Haak, Babcock, Turner, Brewer Clifton, Huber, Gypsy Canyon and Cebada Canyon. The cliff was once an acorn grinding rock for the ancient Chumash culture.
Red or White or…? Orange juice with sparkling wine and a Cuban cigar- stolen from pirates.
Best tip for surviving the “Roller Coaster They Call Farming”? My family has survived sugar cane farming since before Louisiana was a state. I learned one lesson growing up watching crops fail for years and then succeed: don’t borrow money. Expect not to make money. Buy more land when you do.
Most Surprising Aha Farming Moment? We have weather catastrophes almost every year, yet the wine has never failed us.
When you’re not farming, where would we find you? In the Caribbean Sea, at the helm of my Morris 42, seeking treasure while sipping on iced rosé.
Wranglers or Levis? Shorts and flip flops worn with .08 blood on a broad reach in the shade of the main.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us? Professional wrestling is real.