The Crush - June 2019 - 6

2019 CAWG
Grower of the Year

2019 CAWG
Leader of the Year

* ANDREW HOXSEY *

* BRAD GOEHRING *

Yount Mill Vineyards & Napa Wine Company

Goehring Vineyards, Inc.

Andy and Brad are richly deserving of these awards and the recognition by their peers. Over a period of three decades, Andy has exemplified the best
in grape growing with his commitment to sustainable winegrowing, agricultural preservation, habitat restoration and conservation. Brad shows
us that a principled commitment to advocacy can make a difference. For many years, as a CAWG director and more recently as a leader on water
quality issues, he has engaged in difficult issues and improved policy outcomes for the benefit of all California growers.

Winegrape growing has been an important part of Andrew
Hoxsey's life since his childhood. His early exposure to Napa
Valley vineyards seemed to pave the way for him being a lifelong
steward of the land.
PRESERVING THE FAMILY FARMING HERITAGE
A fourth-generation grape grower, Hoxsey is one of the owners
of Yount Mill Vineyards and Napa Wine Company. The Pelissa
family, Hoxsey's mother's side, has been farming in the Napa
Valley since the early 1900s.
Hoxsey's hands-on learning about the agricultural and business
aspects of farming came from his grandfather, Andrew Pelissa,
and the family's longtime ranch employee and friend, Andrew
DelBondio. After graduating from the University of California,
Davis and spending several years as a pilot in the military,
Hoxsey happily returned to his Napa Valley winegrape industry
roots in the mid-1980s to manage the family vineyards alongside
his grandfather. In a newspaper interview several years ago,
Hoxsey said he is more comfortable as a grower because "it is
much more fulfilling to be with the soil."
Since taking over the business, Hoxsey dedicated himself to
sustainable and organic farming practices on more than 600
6 / JUNE 2019

Brad Goehring has emerged as one of the most vocal, visible and
steadfast advocates for the winegrape industry and California
agriculture. Knowing the importance of communication,
education and building relationships, he readily speaks to
various audiences about regulatory and legislative issues that
will affect growers.
Goehring is a fourth-generation grower and the owner/
operator of Clements-based Goehring Vineyards, Inc., a vineyard
development and farming entity that operates in 11 Northern
California counties. He has led the company since graduating
from California State University, Chico some 30 years ago.
Goehring's proactive outreach has been to ensure that his
livelihood - and that of his fellow growers - is viable for years
to come. He said his efforts are about "the necessity to fight for
what's right and the battle to remain in business."
A RELIABLE VOICE ON ISSUES
Goehring is a go-to spokesperson on numerous issues, such as
farmworker wages, immigration reform and labor availability,
workplace safety standards, the federal Clean Water Act,
endangered species, vineyard mechanization, vineyard
development, sustainability and farm labor contractor licensing.

The Crush - June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Crush - June 2019