People have different ideas about where “the magic happens.” Often you hear that it’s in the bedroom, or sometimes that it’s in the kitchen, but in the Bay Area the magic often happens in the garage. Besides being a hallmark of the classic Silicon Valley start-up story, the garage is also a key component of a successful venture in Marin. You can trace Hale Mary’s humble roots back to 2003, when Mary, Anthony and Sean Bourke began making pinot noir in their garage. The self-described garagistes have been through a lot since then — Mary battled and survived cancer, and the mighty trio made their way to Freeman Winery in Sebastopol, where the wine is now produced. These devoted oenophiles use only grapes grown in the Russian River Valley, which they believe is what gives their wine its sensuous quality. Hale Mary 2012 is the fourth and most recent of their vintages to be available to the public. You can find this rich and complex pinot at Woodlands Market in Kentfield.
