Art of the Vineyard
Carmody McKnight is devoted to women’s empowerment and parity through expanding education opportunities. We pledge every barrel, every bottle and the benefit of unique creative energies to the economic and social advancement of all women.
This commitment has been sorely lagging throughout this country’s history as women were second class citizens and always at the bottom of the gender gap. It ultimately took such emancipating efforts just to guarantee women the right to vote. Gender disparity looms consistently over us and through our entire history and may be worse now.
Carmody McKnight itself represents women’s true equality. It was named for Gareth CARMODY and Marian MCKNIGHT from the very beginning 40 years ago! In the wine business, gender gap is demonstrated simply in a name. We know of no other winery named after husband and wife, especially when that is the starting point of the noble endeavor.
Without my Miss America scholarship I would have never attended UCLA and met Gareth and ever known CARMODY MCKNIGHT!
The university directed seminal studies, research and publications correlating soil nutrients to flavors would not only confirm but also analyze the process of minerals to taste perception and, most socially relevant — to human health and the true understanding of terroir, always the challenge for elite wines!
Significantly, in these preeminent examinations the relationship between abundant macro and micronutrients and trace elements were observed as relating to crop health (in which wine growing is suffering today) and chemically unmanipulated wine qualities. Read the most important vineyard research ever conducted!
Carmody McKnight’s journey from an upstart wine curiosity from a Central Coast cattle town to one of the most esteemed wines in the world is nothing short of high drama. Few elite or luxury wines unveil such an illustrious course with a narrative that keeps evolving in profound and personalized relevance. It all begins with a romantic interlude when a beautiful and brilliant Miss America meets an artist turning actor at UCLA.
The first few chapters of this family story have been memorialized in a critically acclaimed book, Art of the Vineyard. The Conway’s country sojourn with paintings by Gary was published by the prestigious Journey Editions of the Charles E. Tuttle Company and became an early best-seller. In the review in Booklist, perhaps the most significant in the publishing industry, and as with other reviews — the praise was lavish: “vivid, nearly neon color palette…the images demonstrate the human capacity to love, desire, create, and persevere…a rendering of Conway’s passion.” Get the whole story here.
