been there. At last count, she has resided in or visited 6 of the 7 continents and all
50 US States. In addition to English, Laely speaks fluent French and Danish and
can order dinner, drinks and a cab in Swedish Norweigen, Spanish and Italian.
By the age of 10, Laely had already lived in 12 states. Her father was a mining
engineer and an adventurer and moved the family to Africa for business. After a
couple of years in North Africa, Laely's family hit the road, traveling first throughout
southern Africa in a Volkswagen bus and later backpacking their way through
Madagascar, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Eventually, the family
returned to the States so Laely and her sister could attend high school.
After two years of university, wanderlust called Laely back to Europe to spend her
junior year in France. Her interest in wine led her to enroll at the Institute of Enology
wine giant Lindeman’s. Two years later, Laely moved back to Europe -Denmark specifically - where she started an import
company, opened a restaurant, taught wine classes and began studies to become a Master of Wine.
Laely moved back to San Francisco and launched Heron Wines in 1995. At the time it was rare to see a woman owning a
business in an industry traditionally populated by men. Her first release, a Merlot from St. Chinian in southern France,
debuted in the U.S. in 1995. Her portfolio soon expanded to include California Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet
Sauvignon and Syrah as well as a six-grape blend from the Terra Alta region of Spain’s Catalonia. Heron has become a
“cult wine” among master sommeliers and chefs, a favorite “by the glass” pour in the nation’s top restaurants and a
consistent “Best Buy” in the wine press.
In 2004 Heron started another venture, Bodega 3 Suenos in Spain. The first release is Sexto a six grape varietal blend from
Terra Alta, Catalonia. Like her foray into France making wine ten years prior, she has identified another exciting wine
frontier and has plunged in ahead of the pack.
Heron’s philosophy and wines are direct reflections of Laely’s spirit – pioneering, adventurous, daring, smart, adaptable,
thrill seeking, irreverent, non-traditional and international.
