09/30/2026
After High Road W**e Co.’s first successful Grapesfest weekend here in Naples, NY, I am left feeling overwhelmed by the love and generous support of my friends, family and community.
Thank you to my lovely folks, Jim and Cathy, for your encouragement and for inspiring me to play records in the tasting room every day!
Thank you Jim and your beautiful family for believing in me when all I had was a dream on Evergreen.
My sisters, Marilyn and Colleen, and your families for showing up and lending a hand without ever expecting anything in return.
And my late Grandparents for providing such a solid foundation on which to build my dreams.
My children are all so special in their own ways. From fearlessly carving their own paths in life, to helping with the many tedious tasks of producing sparkling w**e, to inspiring me with their grace and musical talent on stage. Thank you and I love you!
Emily and the Burke big fam! You have been so supportive over the years. From tasting the first vintage of w**es while they were still aging, to sharing amazing vacations together, we always have so much fun!
To Nate and Drew and the Friday evening construction/ boat crew for helping get my act together in the tasting room. Thank you.
One more thing. Those of you who know me well know what I went through last week and the uncertainty I faced leading up to the biggest weekend of the year. THANK YOU for believing in me and never letting me give up.
A big shout out to: Tracy Jong at Evans Fox LLP, Emma, Pam and everyone at NYS Senator Helming’s Office, Stefan Fleming with NYS Empire State Development and my dear friend Will for the always impeccable advice. I truly could not have done it without all of you helping me along.
Lastly, thank you to everyone who came out to the Naples Grapefest 2026. I can’t wait to see you, and all of your friends, next year and many years to come!
-Rob