HRM Rex Goliath! Wines


HISTORY
It is said, that around the turn of the 20th century, traveling with a Texas Circus, there lived a rooster named HRM (His Royal Majesty) Rex Goliath. A proud star of the circus, Rex was billed as the ‘World’s Largest Rooster’ weighing in at a ‘goliath’ 47 pounds. Folks came from far and wide to behold the Giant, who proved to many he was no ordinary farm bird. Rex patiently sat at his circus roost, gazing fondly upon his many admirers who traveled – some from across the state – to see him. A colorful poster, carefully painted in his visage, hung proudly above his throne. The colorful legend of Rex Goliath piqued the interest and imagination of Hahn Estates. In 2002, the Rex Goliath line of wines was born, with a colorful label replicating the one of a kind vintage artwork from the circus banner that hung above Rex’s Roost. The wines are created amidst the ‘Free Range’ splendor of Monterey County and the Central Coast and California wines of HRM Rex Goliath are of exceptional quality and value.
WINEMAKER BIO - MICHAEL KAFKA
		Mike Kafka is a country boy. He grew up in California’s Central Valley, surrounded by tractors and trucks. He loves being outdoors, working on his house, and spending time with his family. He’s lived many different places, but he always comes back to his roots in the valley. He has a passion for food, and for making wines that are approachable and complementary to it. What better person to work so well with Rex? Having recently heard the crow of the rooster, Mike Kafka is now head winemaker for “HRM Rex Goliath!” Mike’s journey that eventually led him to doorstep of Rex (do chicken coops have doorsteps?), began as a child. His father had a small backyard vineyard, and Mike would help him tend those vines. The two of them would make wine together in their garage, and give it to friends as gifts. For 30 plus years now, Mike has helped his father make wine from fruit gathered in their own backyard, as well as acquiring additional material from other growers. Now that’s what we call starting from the ground up! Mike’s official winemaking career began at California State University, Fresno where it dawned on him that he could actually make a living at this. So, in the spring of 1991, while studying enology at the University, he began work in the cellar at Canandaigua Wine Company’s Bisceglia Brothers Winery in Madera, California. At first, they had him just cleaning and pumping over tanks, moving around barrels, and driving a forklift. Eventually they saw his potential (of course, his Bachelor’s degree in Enology he attained three years later didn’t hurt), and awarded him the position of Winemaker/Assistant Winery Manager at another winery owned by Canandaigua; the Cribari winery in Fresno. Over the next ten years, he was very fortunate to have worked with some of the industry’s leading winemakers. He worked on Beringer’s Founders’ Estate with Ed Sbragia, at Kendall-Jackson with Randy Ullom, with Dennis Hill at Blackstone, and Jeff Kasavan at Robert Mondavi Private Selection. (We’re still trying to figure out how he managed to score such choice assignments. Maybe it’s his good looks.) Most recently, he was head winemaker at Papio Wines which he helped launch. Having the opportunity to work alongside some of California’s most respected winemakers has given Michael a unique collection of experiences that has made him a truly well-rounded winemaker.