Trading in a career of daily mental gymnastics for one of daily physical toil might not be for everyone, but Tony Crabb and Barbara Grasseschi were ready for a change when they purchased a somewhat neglected vineyard just north of Healdsburg, California.

Tony, an English born and educated engineer, enjoyed a productive and diverse career that took him from England to South Africa to Scotland and finally to California’s Silicon Valley. After starting his own companies and working for other major corporations, the life of a vineyard owner grew more appealing. Meanwhile, his wife Barbara, a sales and marketing executive, was growing weary of airports, rental cars and hotels. Working in a vineyard, raising goats and letting the weather dictate her schedule rather than the airlines held more interest for Barbara every day.

In 1999, Tony and Barbara discovered a vineyard property with gentle rolling hills covered in Cabernet Sauvignon vines, a Mallard family gently swimming in a pond and a pasture for the goats Barbara always wanted. They were hooked. The transformation from hi-tech to agriculture was underway.