Page 13 - MidWeek - June 8, 2022

JUNE 8, 2022 MIDWEEK 13
Within the Sierra Foothills (be- tween Sacra- mento and Lake Tahoe) Amador County sits An- dis Wines, a spectacular winery that distributes high-quality, affordable bottles to more than 30 states — including Ha- wai‘i. (To learn about the upcoming pickup event, see story on page 16.)
year — usually four white and seven to eight reds — and its location in the Sierra Foothills is often viewed as kismet by the couple.
ern France, Northern Spain and Italy. This means more variety — way more. For whites, there are Semillon, Vermintino and Sauvignon Blanc, and reds range from Barbera and Grenache to even some Cabernet. And that’s just touching the surface.
and body of the wines are touching stories showcas- ing the thought that goes into making each bottle. As one example, Andis Wines’ “Semillon, Bill Dillian Vineyard” tells the story of its namesake, Dillian, who was about to start the painstaking work of tearing up his vine- yard to plant something more profitable because he couldn’t sell his Semi- llon fruit. Instead, Andis Wines partnered with him and produced a stellar Se- millon that has notes of citrus and oak and a touch of lemon meringue.
“We do things that are not necessarily to make
money, but sometimes it’s the right thing to do,” says Friedlander. “We saved a vineyard that was plant- ed in 1974, and it’s still producing beautiful fruit today. Those are the kinds of stories I love.”
At the helm is the hus- band-and-wife team of Andy Friedlander and Ja- nis Akuna, whose love of wine and business acumen have uncorked a bouquet of sweet success.
She adds that grape varietals grow in certain regions better than others. Close to the coast, the wet area of Napa, for example, produces mainly cabernets and chardonnays. But in the drier, hotter area of the Sierra Foothills, the cli- mate mimics that of South-
“I asked one of our team members, ‘Once we make the wine and bottle it in December, how long will it take us to sell it?’ He said
Andis Wines makes 12-14 different varieties a
In addition to the flavor
SEE PAGE 16
“What we didn’t know at the time, but have since found out, is that it’s the perfect region to grow all kinds of grapes,” says Akuna.
Andis Wines makes sure there’s something for ev- eryone — as long as one is 21 or older, of course — and has its main Andis label for more sophisticat- ed palates that can distin- guish individual varietals, as well as Painted Fields, which features a lot of blends with wider appeal.
That’s not to say that the “Semillon, Bill Dil- lian Vineyard” isn’t suc- cessful, because it truly is. It was listed as one of the 20 hidden wine gems in the world, and for good reason.
Making great
vino is the goal
of winemaking couple Andy Friedlander and Janis Akuna, whose company, Andis Wines, is toasting Hawai‘i residents with a special membership offer.
Story by
Nicole Monton
Photos courtesy
Andis Wines
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