Robert Young Family Honored For Lifetime Contribution To Wine Industry

SONOMA COUNTY, CA – News submitted from the Sonoma County Harvest Fair coming soon to the Sonoma County Event Center at the Fairgrounds:

For nearly 60 years, the Robert Young Family has been growing grapes in Sonoma County. In fact, Robert Young was the first grower to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in Alexander Valley, the very varietal that put the region on the viticulture map.

And with six generations of farming under their belt, the scions of Robert Young understand the delicate balance between nurturing and harvesting from the land. In keeping family tradition, the Robert Young Family stays true to their roots by carefully pursuing perfection through experimentation, exploration, and good old-fashioned hard work.

This year, the Harvest Fair is proud to honor the Robert Young Family with the Lifetime Contribution to Sonoma County’s Wine Industry “Methuselah Award,” for their collaboration and commitment to producing exquisite California wines.

In 1963 Young planted 6,500 vines on 14 acres. Today, Robert’s four children, Fred, Jim, JoAnn, and Susan care for 317 acres of vines that include 12 different varietals. Together, they honor their father’s commitment to preserve the land and remain humble stewards of the family estate. Throughout the years, the Youngs have received numerous accolades worldwide for their production of great fruit to their champion wines.

Yet one particular achievement stands out among the many. In the mid-1980s, Jim Young selected and developed the Robert Young Clone 17 Chardonnay, which allowed them to rid old blocks of leaf roll virus. The clone is now used in chardonnays globally, and is the backbone of the Robert Young Estate Winery Chardonnays.

The Youngs attribute their success to their “footprints in the vineyard’, a phrase that describes their profound connection to the land. As farmers, being on the land allows them the ability to closely watch what’s going on and the proximity to make the best choices to improve their growing practices. This combined with the belief that with knowledge comes the responsibility to share and educate. To this day, they remain committed to scientific research and collaboration, a vital role in ensuring the long-term preservation of Sonoma County’s family farms.

Jim Young, Robert Young Winery CEO, responds, “Thank you for this great honor. We are proud of our long history of family farming in Sonoma County and grateful to be recognized by our peers and the Board of the Harvest Fair. We feel honored to be a part of the local wine industry, as well as the larger agricultural community here in Sonoma County. The wine industry has and will continue to be a major driver of our local economy and is essential in protecting our rural areas and farms”.

The Sonoma County Harvest Fair is proud to recognize the Robert Young Family for their continued dedication to inspire and innovate with the 2016 award for Lifetime Contribution to Sonoma County’s Wine Industry.

The award ceremony and dinner will be held September 25 at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. The celebration is open to the public with a limited number of tickets available at HarvestFair.org or at the Harvest Fair Box Office located at 1350 Bennett Valley Road in Santa Rosa.

The 2016 Sonoma County Harvest Fair is September 30-October 2 at the Sonoma County Events Center at the Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. The popular and prestigious annual event includes the World Championship Grape Stomp, wine, beer and cider tasting, food and wine-related seminars, workshops and much more. For information, visit HarvestFair.org or call (707) 545-4200.

Also see:

• Redwood Empire Vineyard Management Named 'Outstanding Sustainable Farmer'
• Harvest Fair Names '2016 Outstanding Young Person in Agribusiness'
• Russian River Brewing Co. Receives Harvest Fair Award for 'Excellence in the Craft Beer Industry'
• Harvest Fair Names '2016 Friend of Sonoma County Agriculture'
• Singing Frogs Farm Takes 'Excellence In Local Food Production' Honor From Sonoma Co. Harvest Fair
• Mark Your Calendars For Upcoming Sonoma County Harvest Fair: Tickets On Sale

--Image courtesy of Sonoma County Harvest Fair