By Miriam Raftery, photos by Sue Brenner and Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Award winners Raftery, Jacob and Kerns with Maness; photo by Sue Brenner Photography

June 30, 2013 (Mount Helix) –At the 5^th annual Maness Vineyards’ Food and Wine Mixer earlier this month, Greg Maness presented Trailblazer awards honoring Supervisor Dianne Jacob, East County Magazine Editor Miriam Raftery, and winemaker/  Ramona Vintners Magazine Editor Teri Kerns for their pioneering efforts benefitting the local wine industry.  Maness also made another big announcement. At the event at Manor Vineyard on Mount Helix June 15, benefitting  St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center.

“”We have recently broken ground and designed the new [St. Madeleine’s] Mad Hatter Vineyard,” Maness told the crowd, then promptly asked for supporters to adopt  rows of grapevines.

Fruitful wine industry restores farmers’ dreams in rural East County
 

Story by Miriam Raftery

Photos by Mark and Miriam Raftery

July 22, 2011 (Spring Valley) – Friends and neighbors turned out to help plant 600 grapevine rootstocks from Napa Valley last weekend at the Vineyard Mansion in Spring Valley. Afterwards, guests savored a poolside tri-tip barbecue and sampled estate-bottled vintages in a stone-lined wine cellar. 

Their efforts are all part of a vision by East County vintners to establish a wine-making region along Highway 94—revitalizing the local economy with a new agricultural market to reward the fruits of their labors.