Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Budd. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Lori and Michael (Budd) met at work in NJ. He is a food scientist and she was a microbiologist. When they began dating, they would go to the store and pick out a bottle of wine and Michael would cook dinner. They fell in love over glasses of wine and dreamed of having a winery to retire to. They made their first barrel of wine at a “Make wine with us” location.
The fruit was trucked from Lodi, CA to NJ. Everyone else making wine at this fun facility dumped their fruit together and made “wine.” Michael and Lori took the time to separate the moldy grapes and material other than grapes (MOG). At the end of the process, there was a party, and everyone wanted to know why their wine was better than everyone else. They sort of jokingly said, “We didn’t put mold in our wine.” This made Lori and Michael want to explore winemaking more. So they contracted at the customs crush facility in San Francisco. The wine produced was a Syrah from Whitehawk Vineyard in Santa Barbara. Once again, they received rave reviews for the wine from their friends and the wine-making bug was caught.
Although Lori has two master’s degrees in Biology and Michael has a master’s degree in Food Science, they went back to school and completed the UC Davis winemaking program.
In 2013, they pulled the trigger and started their winery. Dracaena Wines. The winery gained its name in honor of the memory of their Weimaraner, Draco. Draco was named after the constellation of dragons. When they lost him after 14 incredible years, they purchased a Draco tree as a memorial. They wanted the name to represent both Draco and themselves. Since they are both scientists, they chose the genus name for the Draco tree for their winery. Dracaena.
They have been producing award-winning wines in Paso Robles for ten years. Their focus is on Cabernet Franc. (Lori created the nationally recognized holiday – Cabernet Franc Day.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Both Michael and Lori juggled continuing to maintain their full-time jobs along with developing their brand. When the brand was created, they lived in NJ and would fly back and forth to CA for all the necessary wine-making processes. They then relocated to CA 7 years ago. Selling wine through social media for ten years was not always the easiest. It required people to trust in the brand without necessarily having tasted the wine. Thankfully, with ten years of consistent 90+ ratings, double gold medals and best of shows, people took the chance on us.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Dracaena Wines is a boutique winery in Paso Robles. It is a husband and wife team (along with their winery dog, Vegas). As scientists, they understand the winemaking process, but as creatives, they enjoy when it is blending time. They are extremely proud of their consistent 90+ ratings in Wine Enthusiast, the fact that they have sold out every vintage through social media and that they are now in a tasting room in downtown Paso Robles, where they play an active role in the culture. Dracaena Wines created Cab Franc Day back in 2015, when they released their inaugural Cabernet Franc. Lori created the day, December 4th, in honor of the anniversary of the death of Cardinal Richelieu, who is known as the father of Cabernet Franc. On that first year, the day trended second on Twitter. Today, there are Cab Franc Day celebrations in multiple countries and across the United States.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Dracaena Wines is a true believer that hard work pays off. Our motto is Our Wines + Your Moments = Great Memories. We don’t feel that luck played a role in our success. We are very proud of our experience and education to make the best wine. Careful selection of vineyards and the understanding of how the process creates the best wine. The awards and ratings are a result of the care we take with the fruit and the wine-making process.
Pricing:
- Classic Cabernet Franc – $40
- Cordyline Rosé – $26
- Chenin Blanc – $28
- Reserve Cabernet Franc – $55
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dracaenawines.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/Dracaenawines
- Facebook: facebook.com/Dracaenawines
- Twitter: twitter.com/Dracaenawines
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/DracaenaWines
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dracaena-wines-paso-robles
