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NVLife_JanFeb_2015

22 www.nAPAVA L L E Y L I F E magaz ine. c o m ▲ photo by BOB MCLENAHAN INTRIGUING wine industry bad boy Designer, shop owner goes mobile Todd Anderson is the owner and winemaker at Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards. But he is probably more well-known for his other label—the famed Ghost Horse Vineyards. Ghost Horse wines are no-holds-barred Cabernet Sauvignons made in extremely small quantities. The wines are a not-so-secretive secret in the wine world, where they have taken on an almost mythical status. Few had heard of Ghost Horse wines, and fewer have sampled them, until wine guru Robert Parker mentioned it in one of his columns a few years ago. Growing up on a farm in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Todd began driving tractors and working with the dirt when he was six-years old. His dad, a dentist, moved the family to California when he was in the 10th grade to buy property to start a vineyard. Later Todd obtained a Geology degree and worked for a geophysical firm, but it didn’t take long for him to figure out working inside in the corporate world was not for him. He likes getting his hands dirty and he proudly points out every inch of his Conn Valley Vineyard that he built by hand himself including digging the posts for the fencing that goes around his 40-acre ranch. Todd is an imposing figure. He’s very tall at six-foot, five inches (which is emphasized by his cowboy boots and hat), he drives an extra high yellow Hummer, he has a reputation for being a bad boy, and he makes the most expensive wines in the world. But the truth is, he’s actually very cool and generous. We enjoyed hanging out with him and hearing some of his intriguing stories… And yes trying his Ghost Horse wines. –Bob McClenahan and Kari Ruel


NVLife_JanFeb_2015
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