Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Vineyard announced that Stacy Hornemann will take over as lead winemaker, assuming all winemaking responsibilities for Blue Grouse and Quill brands at its Cowichan Valley estate. Following an assistant winemaking role at the Jackson family’s Stonestreet Estate, led by Chris Jackson, Hornemann will continue to collaborate closely with the family’s second- and third-generation winery owners.
Hornemann began her professional wine career in 2012 at Trefethen Family Vineyards then later at Mumm Napa. Her journey continued at the vineyards and culinary garden as the Estate Horticulturist at St. Supéry Estate Vineyards. In 2015, she joined as an Assistant Winemaker at Materra – Cunat Family Vineyards. In 2017, Stacy made a pivotal move to Jackson Family Wines’ California operations to support its ultra-premium brands: Legacy Wines, Matanzas Creek, Windracer and Capensis. She moved into a long-term role as Assistant Winemaker at Stonestreet in Sonoma County where she notably worked on the making and release of the winery’s first Blanc de Blancs.
The announcement follows the winery’s recent achievement of earning Biosphere Sustainable Certification and precedes several upcoming changes for Blue Grouse. These include portfolio expansions featuring two Charme de L’Île offerings and additions to its Reserve wine tier, an updated packaging refresh, and the launch of a new sparkling wine experience in partnership with Unsworth Vineyards, set to debut on June 19, 2024.