Producer Article
Hahn
Last edited on 10/31/2019 by pontac
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During the 1790s, Spanish missionaries recognized the rare soils and favorable climate of the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey and planted grapevines there. Yet nearly two hundred years later when our founder Nicolaus (Nicky) Hahn and his wife Gaby first purchased land in the Highlands, cattle, sheep and horses ranged over the hills. Vineyards were a secondary concern. Nicky immediately saw that the land he’d purchased was destined for greater things than grazing stock. He wasted no time. In 1980, the Hahns released their first wine from the SLH. A mere eight years later, Nicky led the charge to establish SLH as an American Viticultural Area, a dream he saw realized in 1991.
We know that other people have said this but we also know that it’s true: wines are made in the vineyard. We’re the proud stewards of six estate vineyards in Monterey County, four of which are located in the world-class growing region of the Santa Lucia Highlands and two others in the esteemed Arroyo Seco appellation. At Hahn, we are dedicated to crafting unique wines that reflect these superior vineyards along with other auspicious plantings.
Winemaker Greg Freeman
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Greg received his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Chemistry from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1989. Since then, he has embarked on a myriad of careers, including a stint in a nuclear chemistry lab, bartending in New Orleans and commercial fishing in Alaska. He landed at Hahn Estate in July of 2003 working as a lab technician and has since been promoted to winemaker. Greg considers working at Hahn Estate to be his dream job. A former musician and chemist, Greg learned how to make wine on the job. His wines reflect the terroir and seaside climate of morning fog and afternoon winds. Greg also serenades his wines in barrel with bagpipes…. and they seem to like it, given what’s in the bottle.
During the 1790s, Spanish missionaries recognized the rare soils and favorable climate of the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey and planted grapevines there. Yet nearly two hundred years later when our founder Nicolaus (Nicky) Hahn and his wife Gaby first purchased land in the Highlands, cattle, sheep and horses ranged over the hills. Vineyards were a secondary concern. Nicky immediately saw that the land he’d purchased was destined for greater things than grazing stock. He wasted no time. In 1980, the Hahns released their first wine from the SLH. A mere eight years later, Nicky led the charge to establish SLH as an American Viticultural Area, a dream he saw realized in 1991.
We know that other people have said this but we also know that it’s true: wines are made in the vineyard. We’re the proud stewards of six estate vineyards in Monterey County, four of which are located in the world-class growing region of the Santa Lucia Highlands and two others in the esteemed Arroyo Seco appellation. At Hahn, we are dedicated to crafting unique wines that reflect these superior vineyards along with other auspicious plantings.
Winemaker Greg Freeman
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Greg received his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Chemistry from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1989. Since then, he has embarked on a myriad of careers, including a stint in a nuclear chemistry lab, bartending in New Orleans and commercial fishing in Alaska. He landed at Hahn Estate in July of 2003 working as a lab technician and has since been promoted to winemaker. Greg considers working at Hahn Estate to be his dream job. A former musician and chemist, Greg learned how to make wine on the job. His wines reflect the terroir and seaside climate of morning fog and afternoon winds. Greg also serenades his wines in barrel with bagpipes…. and they seem to like it, given what’s in the bottle.