[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 6150-6151]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING RICHARD ARROWOOD

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 1, 2015

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
Richard Arrowood for 50 years of exceptional winemaking, exclusively in 
Sonoma County. Mr. Arrowood has been, and continues to be, a tireless 
advocate and fierce supporter of grape growing and wine making in 
Sonoma County. We therefore recognize and thank Mr. Arrowood today for 
his unwavering support and relentless efforts to preserve and promote 
the Sonoma County wine industry.
  Born and educated locally, Mr. Arrowood began his wine-making career 
in 1965. He got his start at Korbel Champagne Cellars and soon moved on 
to work with the legendary Rodney Strong. His education and experience

[[Page 6151]]

helped his first vintage receive critical acclaim, and each subsequent 
vintage after that cemented his status as one of the most respected 
vintners in the area.
  A pioneer in the field of viticulture, Mr. Arrowood worked with a 
wide array of unique varietals, a concept that was ahead of its time. 
His efforts changed the perception of wine from Sonoma County, and the 
total number of vineyard acres in the county has increased fivefold 
over the time he has been in business. He was one of the first to 
emphasize vineyard designations on his wines, a trend that has since 
spread across the world. This success and influence on the industry led 
to an offer from Robert Mondavi to buy Arrowood Winery, which Mr. 
Arrowood accepted so he could return to focusing on the art of fine 
winemaking.
  Amapola Creek Vineyards is his latest project, which is quite simply 
Richard's quest to make his greatest wines ever, and is a perfect 
example of the phrase ``saving the best for last.'' Its main focus is 
using the special fruit grown on Moon Mountain and its unique terroir. 
Devoting himself entirely to the new Sonoma vineyard, Richard bought 
the adjacent land and built a home for his family. The vineyard uses 
exclusively organic methods to produce just 3,000 hand-crafted cases 
annually in its state-of-the-art facilities. Here, he continues to 
showcase Sonoma County in the groundbreaking way he did many years ago 
when he started his journey.
  Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we recognize Richard 
Arrowood for his role as an outspoken supporter of the production of 
high quality wines in Sonoma County. His impact on the growth of Sonoma 
wine cannot be overstated and for this it is only right that he be 
honored here today.

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