03/16/2015 - Horses and Wine to the Rescue!

This week Slow Living Radio celebrates horses. Our first guest established a winery on a converted Equestrian Center in Lake County, and still finds time to compete in rodeo and other equestrian events. The second tells us the story of Sunrise Horse Rescue which brings hope and home to less fortunate horses in the wine country.

Tracey Hawkins

Hawk and Horse Vineyards

Mitch and Tracey Hawkins along with Tracey’s step-dad, David Boies and the Boies family, partnered to create Hawk and Horse Vineyards. The winery takes its name from the plentiful Red-Tail Hawks on the property as well as the ranch’s history as an equestrian facility.  Known as El Roble Grande in the '60's and '70's, the ranch was formerly an Arabian breeding estate.  The Boies and Hawkins families maintain the original rustic elegance of the ranch and welcome visitors for tours and tastings.  The equestrian elements of the ranch are now for private use only. The primary focus of the ranch is viticulture.

Tracey was born in Fullerton, California on July 22nd, 1964. She grew up in Sonoma County, California, where, from a young age, she helped in the family's restaurant. Growing up in California's wine country, wine was a natural part of life.

When the family purchased the 1,300 acre Lower Lake property which is now home to Hawk and Horse Vineyards, Tracey immediately resonated with the land and its rugged beauty. Regular visits evolved and she and Mitch eventually began running the ranch and developing Hawk and Horse Vineyards with the support of their family. Tracey and Mitch work closely together in all aspects of wine production, from farming and harvest decisions to winemaking and cooperage.

Tracey serves as Executive Winemaker, liaising with the winery's Consulting Winemakers and is involved in all the substantive winemaking decisions. She has had the opportunity to work with and be mentored by some of the ‑nest winemakers in the industry. Before starting Hawk and Horse Vineyards, Tracey worked in the wine industry for six years in sales and marketing. Tracey holds a degree in Creative Writing, summa cum laude, from San Francisco State University. She has also studied wine making through U.C. Davis and wine marketing at Sonoma State University. In her spare time,
 

Tracey enjoys spending time with her children, cooking, and writing poetry. She also competes in amateur rodeo and gymkhana events. Mitch and Tracey have three children whom they raise in close relationship to the land and the business they so love.

 

 

 
 
 

Lisa Beth O’Connor
Sunrise Horse Rescue

 Every year, countless horses go without enough food, shelter or love. Sunrise Horse Rescue is the only non-profit organization in Napa County dedicated to saving such horses and providing them with forever homes. Children and adults in the community gain life-skills by assisting in the rehabilitation of these horses and provide them with the loving attention they so deserve.

Sunrise Horse Rescue is a non-profit horse rescue and sanctuary operation in Napa County, whose mission is to rescue and provide sanctuary for abused and neglected horses in Napa County as well as to provide community members of all ages with life-enhancing skills and experiences derived from horsemanship.  Since its inception in 2007, SHR has rescued and provided homes for more than 50 at-risk horses.