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Making great vino is the goal of winemaking couple Andy Friedlander and Janis Akuna, whose company, Andis Wines, is toasting Hawai\u2018i residents with a special membership offer.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Within the Sierra Foothills (between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe) Amador County sits Andis Wines, a spectacular winery that distributes high-quality, affordable bottles to more than 30 states \u2014 including Hawai\u2018i. (To learn about the upcoming pickup event, see story on page 5.)<\/p>\n At the helm is the husband-and-wife team of Andy Friedlander and Janis Akuna, whose love of wine and business acumen have uncorked a bouquet of sweet success.<\/p>\n Andis Wines makes 12-14 different varieties a year \u2014 usually four white and seven to eight reds \u2014 and its location in the Sierra Foothills is often viewed as kismet by the couple. \u201cWhat we didn\u2019t know at the time, but have since found out, is that it\u2019s the perfect region to grow all kinds of grapes,\u201d says Akuna.<\/p>\n 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 climate mimics that of Southern France, Northern Spain and Italy. This means more variety \u2014 way more. For whites, there are Semillon, Vermintino and Sauvignon Blanc, and reds range from Barbera and Grenache to even some Cabernet. And that\u2019s just touching the surface.<\/p>\n Andis Wines makes sure there\u2019s something for everyone \u2014 as long as one is 21 or older, of course \u2014 and has its main Andis label for more sophisticated palates that can distinguish individual varietals, as well as Painted Fields, which features a lot of blends with wider appeal.<\/p>\n In addition to the flavor and body of the wines are touching stories showcasing the thought that goes into making each bottle. As one example, Andis Wines\u2019 \u201cSemillon, Bill Dillian Vineyard\u201d tells the story of its namesake, Dillian, who was about to start the painstaking work of tearing up his vineyard to plant something more profitable because he couldn\u2019t sell his Semillon fruit. Instead, Andis Wines partnered with him and produced a stellar Semillon that has notes of citrus and oak and a touch of lemon meringue.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do things that are not necessarily to make money, but sometimes it\u2019s the right thing to do,\u201d says Friedlander. \u201cWe saved a vineyard that was planted in 1974, and it\u2019s still producing beautiful fruit today. Those are the kinds of stories I love.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s not to say that the \u201cSemillon, Bill Dillian Vineyard\u201d isn\u2019t successful, because it truly is. It was listed as one of the 20 hidden wine gems in the world, and for good reason.<\/p>\n \u201cI asked one of our team members, \u2018Once we make the wine and bottle it in December, how long will it take us to sell it?\u2019 He said probably three years. We sold out in six months,\u201d recalls Friedlander. \u201cNow, we\u2019ve been able to pay more for his fruit, and his name is on the bottle.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Friedlander, this particular Semillon pairs well with fish, eggs, quiches or chicken with a white sauce \u2014 and those wanting to try a sample can head to Ruth\u2019s Chris Steak House at Waterfront Plaza to try it. (The Honolulu eatery also features some of Andis Wines\u2019 reds, which pair well with steaks, and Fujioka\u2019s Wine in Market City also carries Andis.)<\/p>\n Then, there\u2019s the \u201cPainted Fields Curse of Knowledge\u201d Bordeaux-blend red wine, whose name pays homage to the winery\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we go around the country trying to introduce Andis Wines, people tell us they used to deal withAmador County, and they make subpar wine,\u201d explains Friedlander. \u201cThey were cursed of what they used to know about Amador County. People are stuck with that curse, the curse of knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n Rather than stick to the status quo, Andis Wines honed in on its quality, opting to adopt a business model that would give full control of the entire process. While many wine labels buy grapes to bottle and sell, others buy wine in bulk and slap a label on it. Andis Wines does neither of those.<\/p>\n \u201cWe went the more traditional way,\u201d explains Akuna. \u201cWe farm the land, pick the grapes and make the wine at our winery. We felt we could have better control on quality of the grapes and production process, the quality of the wine and how it\u2019s made.\u201d<\/p>\n Further expanding on the area of quality was the decision to hire world-renowned consulting winemaker Philippe Melka of top-rated Atelier Melka.<\/p>\n \u201cHe said he liked what he saw, he liked our production facility and agreed to be our consultant,\u201d says Akuna.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this point, most of our wines are rated 90-plus by many reviewers, like Wine Enthusiast<\/em>, Taste<\/em> magazine, even Wine Spectator<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n While Andis Wines shines in its oenophile offerings, it also does much behind the scenes in the realm of sustainability. Instead of spraying its vines with chemical nitrogen, for example, Akuna opted to plant organic peas and clover plants, which naturally enrich the soil with nitrogen (a much-loved substance for wine vines). Yellow mustard plants adorn the landscape, but it\u2019s purely for aesthetic purposes \u2014 unlike at Napa vineyards, which sometimes utilize the petite flowering foliage to control the nematode population.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have nematodes,\u201dAkuna says. \u201cI just wanted (the yellow mustard) because it\u2019s pretty.\u201d<\/p>\n The focus on doing good for the Earth while simultaneously solidifying itself as one of the leading producers of fine wine in the Sierra Foothills started from the very beginning, all the way back to when they built the winery in 2010. That meant starting from the ground up and constructing its winery with an east-west orientation to minimize summer sun exposure from the sides, as well as installing a south-slanting roof with photovoltaic panels \u2014 both of which help with conserving energy.<\/p>\n One other green initiative is within the vineyard itself. \u201cWe have 25 acres and took about 5 acres for the buildings. Our vineyards are dry-farmed,\u201d she continues.<\/p>\n Dry-farming reduces the need for irrigation \u2014 Mother Nature waters it from below \u2014 which means no wasted water. Furthermore, Andis Wines composts its branches, as well as the lees (leftover skins, seeds, etc. after being pressed), putting all those nutrients back into the soil.<\/p>\n If all of this seems technical, it is, and stems from the knowledge Akuna obtained while earning her winemaking certification from UC Davis.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of what I\u2019ve learned is farming. I didn\u2019t realize I was going to be a farmer, but here I am,\u201d she adds with a laugh.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, though, what it all comes down to is personal preference, andAndis Wines is there to help longtime oenophiles or newcomers to the wine industry find their next favorite.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat you like and what you don\u2019t like, that\u2019s all that matters,\u201d says Friedlander. \u201cThat\u2019s the key to drinking wine. You have to know what you like.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekhawaii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/v1_mg_9277-as-smart-object-1.jpg\")
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