 WELCOME!!
It's with great pleasure that we announce Rancho Alegre
Lavender has a new home with new owners!
Sandi Bohner and Bill Webster, who've made their mark in
wine industry with their Little Valley Winery in Sunol have
expanded their operations by becoming lavender growers and
adding the Rancho Alegre product lines to their Little Valley
Lavender brand. Their three acre farm is now home to over
4000 English lavenders and popular hybrids-- Provence for
culinary use and Grosso which is used for essential oils
and in a wide range of natural home, spa, and pet products.
This picture was taken at the blessing of the fields this
summer in Sunol.
Already well known in the wine industry for their award-winning
White Rabbit brand varietals, Little Valley Lavender began
introducing innovative herbal products last year primarily
at Tesla Vintners Cooperative Tasting Room in Livermore,
California where their wines are sold. "We visited Rancho
Alegre last summer just to purchase a few soaps and sachets,
and we ended up buying the whole business!" Bill remembered,
laughing at the irony. " Last fall we replanted mature,
bare root Rancho Alegre stock, adding to our own and then
this summer we moved all the products and operations equipment
to Little Valley before the harvest."
To learn the nuances of running an herb business, Sandi and
Bill have worked closely with us all year and we are staying
on a consultants while they make Rancho Alegre their own.
It will now be called Rancho Alegre at Little Valley Lavender.
We've made every effort to ensure our valued customers get
the same personal service and high quality products while
the transition is taking place.
Sandi and Bill bring many years of gift merchandising, sales
and food service experience to this business and I know they
will add their own creative flair as they take Rancho Alegre
to new levels of success. Sandi was previously the leading
outside sales manager for coffee and espresso roasting firm,
Mr. Espresso of Oakland. She has also started and managed
four popular cafes in the area, has been the events and wedding
coordinator at Garre Winery, managed product development
for Paradise Bakery and was with well known chocolatier,
Cocolat.
Bill, a self-described "serial entrepreneur," has
been the vice president of business development and engineering
in a number of Bay Area technology firms. He will take over
the distillation of essential oils which are the foundation
of the products and also will assist Sandi in marketing and
product development.
Being lavender growers fulfilled a lifelong dream for both
of us and it has been an incredibly meaningful adventure
---a true and unexpected gift. We are amazingly blessed to
have learned so much and made so many wonderful friends along
the way. Both Fred and I will continue to be involved in
the industry in new and different ways and look forward to
maintaining the connections we've made. We know Sandi and
Bill are enthusiastically anticipating the chance to get
acquainted with all the Rancho Alegre customers and friends
across the country and we encourage you to contact them at
their new toll free number: 1.877.LVNDR4U (1.877.586.3748) or
via email: lavender@tdl.com.
Best regards,
Susan Ditz and Fred Brittle
Sandi Bohner and Bill Webster
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