ORIGIN
ULLAGE (UH-LIDJ) IS THE AMOUNT BY WHICH A CONTAINER FALLS SHORT OF BEING FILLED TO THE TOP. ESSENTIALLY, IT’S THAT ‘AIR GAP’ SPACE BETWEEN THE WINE AND THE CORK. ULLAGE AS YOU’VE NOTICED BY NOW IS ALSO THE NAME OF THIS SMALL CRAFT PRODUCTION WINE BRAND WHICH IS OPERATED BY WIFE & HUSBAND MINNESOTA TRANSPLANTS, MOLLY FEENY-KOCHEVAR & PAUL KOCHEVAR, ALONGSIDE SONOMA COUNTY, CA. NATIVE, BRANDON HASSUR.
IN 2018 THE TRIO MET WORKING FOR LIOCO WINES IN SONOMA COUNTY. HASSUR WAS MANAGING THEIR NEW DOWNTOWN HEALDSBURG TASTING ROOM WHEN RETIRED PROFESSIONAL FITNESS TRAINER, PAUL KOCHEVAR, WAS INTRODUCED TO HIM AS THE NEW KID IN TOWN. PAUL WAS FRESH OFF OF THE UC DAVIS CAMPUS FROM STUDYING WINE MAKING, AND HE WAS EAGER TO GET TO WORK IN ANY CAPACITY TO LEARN THE BIZ. BRANDON AND PAUL (NOW AKA – YOUNG LOVE) IMMEDIATELY TOOK TO A MOST GLORIOUS BRO-MANCE OVER MUSIC (PARTICULARLY THAT SHIT THAT GROOVES THE BOOTY), WINE, AND A SHARED ATTITUDE AND PHILOSOPHY ABOUT LIFE IN GENERAL.
“…TOOK TO A MOST GLORIOUS BRO-MANCE…”
WHILE HELPING SLANG JUICE A COUPLE DAYS A WEEK IN THE TASTING ROOM, THE NOW CURRENT DAY ASSISTANT WINEMAKER FOR DUTCHER CROSSING, PAUL, WAS THEN ALSO GETTING HIS FEET WET WORKING WITH LOCAL WINEMAKER, JAMES MCPHAIL, IN WEST SONOMA COUNTY. AS PAUL’S WINEMAKING JOB BECAME BUSIER, IT WASN’T TOO LONG BEFORE HE PROPOSED THE IDEA OF HIRING HIS ALSO EAGER TO GET INTO THE BIZ WIFE, MOLLY, IN HIS PLACE. ENTER, MOLLY (AKA – MAGS).
MAGS. AN ALL THINGS PRINCE (THE PURPLE CREATURE) AND ANIMAL LOVER. IT TOOK ALL OF ONE, MAYBE TWO, SECONDS FOR MOLLY TO DOMINATE WINE HOSPITALITY AND MAKE LIFELONG FRIENDS WITH EVERY LAST SOUL (HUMAN OR CANINE) WHO WALKED THROUGH THAT TASTING ROOM DOOR. WHEN YOU MEET MOLLY, YOU’RE INSTANTLY IN LOVE. YOU ALSO SOMEHOW END UP DRIVING OFF WITH A TRUNK FULL OF LARGE FORMAT WINES. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED. WITH THIS SET OF NATURAL BORN SKILLS, IT’S NO WONDER TO ANYONE THAT MOLLY HOLDS POST AS THE CONCIERGE FOR THE 3 STAR MICHELIN RESTAURANT/HOTEL, SINGLE THREAD.
“…WHEN YOU MEET MOLLY YOU’RE IN LOVE INSTANTLY…”
BRANDON’S RESUME INCLUDES PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN EXPERIENCE, CELLAR RAT, RESTAURANT AG., WINE HOSPITALITY, AND ASPIRING MUSIC PRODUCER AND SONGWRITER. FRESH OFF THE STAGE OF BOTTLE ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL IN 2013, HASSUR FATEFULLY TOOK WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A PART TIME SUMMER GIG HELPING OPEN BANSHEE WINE’S FIRST EVER BRICK AND MORTAR SHOP. BACK WHEN IT WAS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND THE CBGB’S OF THE MILLENIAL/GEN-X DOMESTIC WINE CULTURE.
IT WAS HERE THAT HASSUR GAINED EARLY INFLUENCE FROM THE DORRANCE (REEVE/BLOODROOT), ZIEGLER (VALKYRIE SELECTIONS, MARINE LAYER WINES, ETC.), ROSS COBB (COBB WINES), KATIE WILSON (LARUE WINES) BLOODLINES OF HIS EMPLOYER.
OVER A NINE YEAR STRETCH IN ADDITION TO BANSHEE, HASSUR HELD MULTIPLE DTC MANAGEMENT POSITIONS FOR SOME OF THE REGION’S MOST NOTABLE WINE DARLING’S, SUCH AS LIOCO WINES, REEVE WINES, AND KOSTA BROWNE WINES.
“…SOME OF THE REGION’S MOST NOTABLE WINE DARLING’S…”
REWINDING BACK TO THE LIOCO DAYS OF ‘18 WHEN BRANDON AND MOLLY WERE RUNNING TOGETHER, PAUL AFTER WORK WOULD OFTEN GRAB A SEAT AT THE LIOCO BAR AS THEY NEARED CLOSING TIME. THEY WOULD ALL SHARE WINE, STORIES, MUSIC, DREAMS, AND EVENTUALLY EARLY IDEAS OF WHAT WOULD BECOME, ULLAGE WINES.
IT TOOK A FEW TEST RUN YEARS OF WILDFIRES AND A PANDEMIC UNTIL ALL THREE OFFICIALLY CAME TOGETHER, BUT WHETHER IT WAS THE LIOCO BAR, A ‘TABLE 4’ MEAL AT GUISO RESTAURANT, OR A SUNSET PORCH HANG INTO THE NIGHT, IT JUST MIGHT HAVE BEEN ALL THAT SPACE IN BETWEEN THESE TIMES THAT EVENTUALLY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.
PHILOSOPHY
THE TRIO HAS ALWAYS SHARED PLEASURE IN THE NATURAL AND THE LESS NATURAL. THE OLD AND THE NEW. WE LIKE TO PLAY IN THAT FUN WEIRD AWKWARD SPACE BETWEEN ALL OF THE ‘STRUCTURAL’ BINARY THINGS. ALWAYS OPEN TO CHANGE AND MOVEMENT. NEVER STILL AND NEVER BORED. ALWAYS LETTING THINGS BE WHAT THEY WISH TO BE.
“…PLAY IN THAT FUN WEIRD SPACE…”
THE LOGO
THE LABEL IMAGERY PRESENTED ITSELF TO US WHILE WANDERING THE BACK STREETS OF FLORENCE ITALY. WE SURE HAVE TRIED TO RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATE THE BEST WE CAN FROM HOME AS TO ITS ORIGIN BUT YET TO NO AVAIL.
GENERALLY SPEAKING WE FIND THE IMAGERY REPRESENTING INFLUENCES OF ENERGY, EXCITEMENT, FEARLESSNESS, PLAYFULNESS, AND ADVENTURE. WHICH IS EXACTLY HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED!
THE IMAGERY HAS BECOME A TRUE SOURCE OF INSPIRATION WHICH WE HAVE CRAFTED MANY OF OUR COMPANY’S VALUES AROUND.
THE 3D GLASSES NOD TO THE IDEA OF ALTERNATIVE AND MULTIPLE PERCEPTIONS, REMINDING US TO BE OPEN TO SEEING DIFFERENTLY AND CONSIDER MULTIPLE POINTS OF VIEW.
THE CAT INSPIRES US AS A COMPANY TO BE AGILE AND TO LEAN INTO THE MANY LIVES OUR BRAND MAY HAVE AS WE GROW. THE KIDS RIDING THE CAT REMIND US TO NOT TAKE SHIT SO DAMN SERIOUSLY, TO HAVE FUN, AND ENJOY IMAGINATION.
“…FEARLESSNESS, PLAYFULNESS, AND ADVENTURE…”