GREAT EATS HAWAII: AONAIR WINE

AONAIR WINE
NAPA, CALIFORNIA

AONAIR WINE

GRANT LONG JR, WINEMAKER / PROPRIETOR

707-363-0680

707-637-8274 Fax

Email: grant@aonairwine.com

www.aonairwine.com

Ever have one of those moments where you just know that at that time and place you are one of the luckiest people on earth. That was my feeling sitting on the deck at Aonair Wine. The weather was perfect, the scenery was beautiful and the wine was great. Throw in a story telling ex IBM executive who in his late twenties came to Napa and bought a few acres of vineyards with his buddies for the lump sum of $3700 and you what made for an incredible day in my life. Grant Long Sr. really made this wine tasting an experience. He told stories of his past, children, life as an executive and now as a proud Father who enjoys watching his Son Grant Jr. make some really good wine in Napa. Grant kept us captivated with his stories of hanging out with Presidents, Business Leaders and Movers and Shakers of Industry. He was most proud of his kids. One of which joined Apple in the early days and Grant Jr. who according to Grant Sr. is revolutionizing wine making in the valley. We loved Grant's manner and the way he calmly brought up the Wine Club where you can buy Aonair Wine. This is the only way to enjoy Aonair as it is not sold in stores or restaurants. Grant explained the exclusivity of his wine and the fact that every vintage sells out. He made a comment that we did not have to buy any wine because the wines will sell out anyway. Well, with that everyone bought the membership. A true salesmen who honed his skills at IBM. Loved every minute of it. Following is some info on Aonair from their website.

WELCOME TO THE HOME OF AONAIR WINES

After spending his entire career in the wine business, Grant Long, Jr. has settled into his role as sole proprietor at Aonair as easily as one relaxes into an easy chair after a long day. Not that he would know much about relaxing these days.

For Grant, it all began when he made that first barrel in his parent’s garage while in college. From there he went to work as the Sales & Marketing Director at Reverie Winery on Diamond Mountain, and most recently as the winemaker at “g” Wine Cellars.

Grant’s focus now is on handcrafting rich, premium wines for Aonair (pronounced: ā-ō-nair). He uses only the best grapes, in limited barrel quantities, and his wines consist of bold vintages, primarily sourced from the rocky volcanic hillside vineyards of Napa Valley. For Grant, it is not about quantity, but quality. Many wine connoisseurs have called these the best wines in the world. But we’ll leave that up to you to decide.

Everything about making wine is personal for Grant. From the way the grapes are chosen, to the way they are pressed and fermented. In effect, personally watching a wine go from raw to real is of primary importance.

The Aonair crest has personal significance as well, originating from Grant’s proud Irish heritage. Aonair Wines are identified by the Coat of Arms of the Hannigan clan. Appropriately enough, the word Aonair is Gaelic for “one man” and it reflects the choice Grant has made as a true artisan, one who believes mass-production is better suited for other industries, not winemaking.

As our Wine Club members will attest, Aonair Wines are extremely limited in production. Grant invites you to part of the Aonair family. To learn more or if you have any questions about the club membership, don’t hesitate to contact him directly.