It’s a sad day when you look at your Facebook page and see that the female founder of a prestigious biodynamic winery–and someone you’ve met and written about–has died.
Here’s what the winery’s Facebook page posted:
“It is with a heavy heart and a sense of peace that we say farewell to our beloved JoAnn after a 5 year battle with colorectal cancer. She was a beacon of joy, a creative force, an icon of style, devoted friend, mother, and partner. To know JoAnn was to know someone who always went out of their way to make you feel better. Though her loss has shaken our world, we are comforted by endless memories of her smile, her laughter, and her irreplaceable warmth.
A celebration of life honoring JoAnn will be held on August 24, 2024 from 10:00am-2:00pm at the MAHA Estate.
In lieu of flowers or other gifts, please consider a donation to MUST! Charities in JoAnn’s name.
To RSVP to the event or to make a donation, please see the links below. Kindly RSVP by August 17th.
JoAnn and her husband Cris were always among the “cool kids” in Paso, first with their restaurant Villa Creek, which every renowned wine critic who hit town raved about.
By 2001, they started their Villa Creek winery, originally buying grapes and making 300 cases of wine to serve as the house wine at their restaurant.
After their 2001 vintage won 93 points from the Wine Spectator, they decided to expand production and sell wine, building a winery in 2003. The couple purchased a 60 acre property where they planted 14 acres to vines—including the classic Rhone varieties (Grenache, Mourvedre, and Clairette Blanche) along with Carignane and Petite Sirah. The couple also planted 25 olive trees, which they made olive oil from, and 30 sheep, who mowed the vines in the spring
Biodynamic consultant Philippe Coderey initially helped the Cherry's adopt and integrate biodynamic practices.
Their biodynamic vineyard case production grew from 400 to 750 by 2024.
In recent years, rave wine reviews from top voices have lavished praise on the limited production wines, receiving some of the highest scores in the Paso region. While their first wines were pretty big and extracted, they became more nuanced and complex over time. Today, even at prices of $100 a bottle, they sell out.
They were also among the few to label wines organic and biodynamic on the bottle.
Certified
MAHA Estate
• Vineyard, organic, 2015-2018 (Stellar Certification Services), 2018-present (CCOF); biodynamic, 2015-present, Demeter USA
• Winery certified, organic and biodynamic, 2022
ESTATE WINES | MAHA ESTATE
Adelaida District AVA
WHITE
• Clairette Blanche-Before Anyone Else
RED
• Red Rhone Blend-Understory
• Red Rhone Blend–Backlit
MORE
The Wine Independent shared a 2023 piece about MAHA and Cris and Joann. Read it here.
MEMORIAL
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