Flora Springs is a family endeavor that epitomizes hard work, dedication, and teamwork. The vitality of this family is obvious as they set about the task of growing great grapes and making delicious wine.
It all began over 20 years ago when Jerry and Flora Komes bought the first vineyard – a vineyard with lots of history, great soils, and two ghost wineries. Their retirement project became a lifetime passion for son John Komes and daughter Julie Garvey and their families. John quickly talked the family (including another brother Mike Komes) into making wine. Julie worked side by side with John for the first two years they made the wines. Julie’s husband Pat Garvey took over the vineyard side of things. In 1980, Ken Deis was hired as a winemaker and he has been part of the family ever since.
Winemaker Ken Deis makes use of every tool at his disposal. First of all, he trusts his senses: The feel of the berry in his fingers, the taste of the fruit, and then the wine, and the smells during fermentation. A winemaker needs to understand the source of his fruit and Ken has worked closely with vineyard manager Pat Garvey for more than 20 years so that they can anticipate the challenges that each vintage brings. Ken has also adopted the same curiosity that the entire Komes-Garvey family has and it has paid off royally in the quality of his wines
The Sauvignon Blanc-based 2018 Soliloquy is a complex, multi-layered blend of white varieties offering exotic flavors of passion fruit, pomelo, lime, coconut, and green apple along with a lovely bouquet of jasmine, honeysuckle, and citrus flower. The Sauvignon Blanc anchors the wine with bold flavors, zesty acidity, and serious weight, while the Chardonnay rounds out the blend with a creamy leesy quality. The Pinot Gris and Malvasia animate the blend with alluring citrus and floral notes. Soliloquy is an impressive wine that can handle boldly-flavored foods; it would be a worthy companion to seafood chowders, lobster-stuffed raviolis, roast chicken with lemon and rosemary, or Cajun-style barbecue shrimp.