Chapter 10: Ginny Adelsheim of Adelsheim Vineyard

Our final interview in this series is with Ginny Adelsheim. Ginny and I founded Adelsheim Vineyard in 1971 when we purchased our first property. Or maybe it was in 1972 when we planted the first grapes there. Or in 1976 when we first made a tiny amount of wine from those grapes. Or in 1978 when we made our first commercial wine. Well, you can see the problem a small estate winery has in coming up with an actual “founding date.” However, we can certainly agree that Adelsheim Vineyard was established during a different era in America, when an idealization of going back to the land, a vision of a lifestyle focused on wine, and faith in one’s own abilities could stand-in for a business plan. On October 5, 2020, Ginny and I talked on the terrace outside the home we built together in 1971, which sits on top of our original winery.