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7 4 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t began the era when current winemaker, Christy Ackerman, first discovered Lazy Creek—one of the first wineries she visited in her life. "It was the kind of place nobody knew about," she says. "I loved this place, but you had to know someone who could tell you where it was because there was no sign out on the road." After 26 years, the Koblers sold Lazy Creek to another couple, Josh and Mary Beth Chandler. The Chandlers were on their way to purchase a differ- ent property when they accidentally turned down the dirt road in 1998. Smitten, they stopped in their tracks and bought Lazy Creek instead. Don and Rhonda Carano, owners of Ferrari- Carano Vineyards and Winery, experienced a similar love-at-first-sight sensation. They purchased Lazy Creek in the summer of 2008, and it still evokes emotion. "I think Lazy Creek Vineyard embraces what I love about making wine … the land with its beauty and resourcefulness, the relationships and comraderie shared with the community, a way of living that is easy, simple, not hectic, not commer- cial, but slow, easy and inviting," Rhonda says. "LCV wraps you in her arms with love, from which you create a product that is part of you, your expres- sion of the land, your lifestyle that can be enjoyed and shared with family and friends. What can I say, except it's special!" But it was clear Lazy Creek needed some TLC in both the production facilities and the vineyards. "A lot of the vineyards were old and diseased," Acker- man says. The Caranos invested significantly in up- Cellarmaster Serafin Aceituna is a man of many talents. In addition to keeping the wood-fired oven stoked to a perfect temperature, he's the green thumb behind the exquisite landscaping. This wooden fermentation "egg" is one of the cutting- edge winemaking tools Winemaker Christy Ackerman uses to craft elegantly com- plex Pinot Noir wines. Lazy Creek was one of the first American wineries to purchase the French innovation. "I think Lazy Creek Vineyard embraces what I love about making wine … the land with its beauty and resourcefulness, the relationships and comraderie shared with the community, a way of living that is easy, simple, not hectic, not commercial, but slow, easy and inviting," SAYS RHONDA CARANO