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2025 In the Rear View

December 31, 2025

Written by: Tori Williams

Every year I make a small album of photos for John as a holiday gift. I love the ritual of sifting through my images and assembling a small, edited collection that captures the memories we might want to remember from that particular year. Many (ourselves included) won’t be sad to put 2025 in the rearview, and we’ll have to wait a while for the wines to settle in the cellar before we can tell a vintage story, but this year it felt like a good time for a new tradition and so I’m sharing a few snaps of key moments with all of you … I hope you’ll enjoy a little peek into our 45th year at Frog’s Leap.

January 2025

February 2025

March 2025

April 2025

May 2025

June 2025

July 2025

August 2025

august 2025 II

September 2025

October 2025

November 2025

December 2025

Wolf Moon Over the Mayacamas

Winter vines at Williams’ Rossi are dormant, but cover crop turns the vineyards into a sea of bright green.

Covered!

We used seven different kinds of cover crop mix this year, and I especially love the tiny purple pea flowers hiding in the greenery.

Plants are so cool!

Behind the Farm Center is a small bed devoted to medicinal plants. These garlic scapes emerge from there each year, a wonder to behold!

Go Bears!

John and Assistant Winemaker Xochilt Polanco on campus at U.C. Berkeley for a Wine Club talk.

Zoom Room

This call, with alums from the Cornell Class of ’74 was a great endorsement for California weather and a winery visit IRL. Modern Technology at its best!

Duck Lunch

These guys never pass up an opportunity for lunch — From left to right: Glen Salva, John Skupny, John Williams, Doug Shafer and Dan Duckhorn.

Cherry Jubilee!

We had a bumper crop of cherries on the sole sour cherry in the garden which allowed us to make my favorite jam this season for the first time!

Dawn Patrol

There is nothing quite like the energy of the first day of harvest. It’s cold, it’s dark and there’s a lot to coordinate, but these two are never happier. Forty five vintages in and John assures me it’s still a rush.

Winemaker In Training

Production Winemaker Pablo Polanco’s grandson made his first official appearance at harvest lunch this year. Will he join his Abuelo and his Auntie Xoch in the cellar? Only time will tell…

Leaping Into East Hampton!

With harvest in full swing John and Rory were busy at the winery both busy at the winery so guess who got to call on Wines by Nature?! My first solo sales trip for Frog’s Leap, and I think I even managed to sell some wine!

October Skies

Thanks in large part to an abundance of rain earlier in the year our gardens were prolific. Dramatic fall skies helped make for a large cache of beautiful images.

Fired Up!

We hosted our first Happy Women Dinner, an inspiring evening with author and activist Shannon Watts.

Closing Out The Year

I stopped in the middle of the road to take this photo — the evening was so beautiful. In the coming year, may we all get a chance to slow down and see the magic that surrounds us when we take the time to look.

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