This summer, we were featured in LBM Journal discussing enhancing guest experience at our winery. Including our new redwoods that play an enormous part in our recent remodel.
Businesses of all kinds are embracing what some are calling the “Roaring 20s.” One such example is Hook & Ladder Winery in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California. During pandemic-induced shutdowns the winery turned to a wide-ranging remodeling effort to improve guest amenities. Planning for the day shutdowns ended and business operations normalized. Featuring prominently in the remodeling effort are sustainably harvested redwood lumber and timbers from Humboldt Sawmill.
“I don’t think you could visit Hook & Ladder Winery and not notice the redwood,” states Devin Ruddick, VP, National Sales Manager. “Humboldt Sawmill really took our experience to a whole new level. When people come to our vineyard they look around and in a world of social media, find so many different areas in which to capture a great day that they are having.”
Enhancing Guest Experience with Redwoods
Key outdoor uses of redwood on the property include numerous 6”x6” timbers supporting large fabric shade sails, and a deck that serves not only as a stage area for musical acts, but as a creative way to hide a critical irrigation system. Plenty of outdoor seating at redwood picnic tables and benches was a must-have.
Inside the tasting room, redwood is on the bars, in lattice work near the ceiling, as baseboards, and finally for a beautiful ladder able to roll side-to-side across the wine library, giving tasting room staff easy access to the wines for guest pours and product sales.
In selecting redwood for the remodel, Hook & Ladder Winery had two major prerequisites in mind. According to Ruddick, “Humboldt Sawmill’s sustainable practices were really right in line with our philosophy. Along with the fact that we wanted structures that were going to be durable, that were going to last.”