We first want to thank you for your interest in learning more about our project, named Kimberly. This vineyard and wine hold an extremely special place in our lives, and we appreciate your sensitivity as we proceed to her story which is both very difficult and emotional.

On the second of November, 1995 Greg's cousin Kim was brutally attacked, raped and murdered in Philadelphia while jogging before work. She was a twenty-six year old paralegal at the time, whose infectious energy and joy of life was felt by all who had the good fortune to know her. No words can describe the tragedy of her loss, which Greg still constantly endures to this day.

In the late 1990’s, the Melville family and Greg Brewer planted a vineyard block in her name and honor on the Melville estate. The site is a pair of two steep hills, oriented toward the ocean which was her love, which take the shape of butterfly wings. The parcel contains 1,751 plants of pinot noir clone 777 planted at a density of meter by meter. On top of the block stands a white cross in her memory that was built by our vineyard crew.

Greg relayed the story to the Sirugue family (our cooper in Burgundy) who were so moved by the story that they produced two very special barrels in her honor, the likes of which they had never made before. It is within those barrels that the wine from this parcel will always be raised.

2001 marked the first year that we produced this wine which was bottled the following August and cellared by us for three years prior to release. Only thirty-eight six packs were produced from that harvest with all of it being sold at select restaurants nationally to long-time friends and supporters of our wines. The entirety of the money collected is destined for the North County Rape Crisis & Child Protection Center based in Lompoc.

For further information about the North County Rape Crisis & Child Protection Center,
please click here to visit their website,
or call 805.736.8535.