Skip to main content

Feel Good Friday: Head High Wines and Sustainable Surf

head high wines
Drinking wine and surfing are pastimes with little overlap — and that’s how it should be. Being sloshed around by waves is a lot more dangerous if you’re already sloshed. Still, Bill Price and Sam Spencer, the partners who run Head High Wines, have managed to partake of both wine and surfing — just not at the same time.

Head High Wine Team Member Portraits

Head High Wines is a sustainably operated winery located along California’s North Coast. If you’re a surfer, then you may know “head high” as a surfing term denoting a wave that is as high as the surfer’s head. We suspect that it’s also a nod to the feeling one gets while drinking wine.

Related Videos

One way Price and Spencer (pictured) show their love of surfing is by partnering with Sustainable Surf, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the waves. For every two bottles sold, Head High Wines donates $0.50 to Sustainable Surf and $0.50 to the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation.   

Related: Watch the Story of Ramon Navarro, Professional Surfer Turned Activist

“As avid-surfers, partnering with Sustainable Surf was a natural decision for me and Bill,” says Spencer in a press release. “Just as we treat our vineyards with the utmost care, we believe the ocean and beaches deserve the same attention. It’s an honor to be involved with this group.”

Sustainable-Surf-sign-1024x464HeadHigh_2013_NCRedBlend burned

Sustainable Surf is currently involved in a number of projects, including a styrofoam recycling initiative and a drive to construct surfboards out of more sustainable materials. The non-profit also seeks remedies to major problems affecting the world’s oceans, including acidification and rising sea levels.  

Head High currently makes three wines: a 2013 Pinot Noir ($35), a 2013 Red Blend ($30), and a 2014 Rosé ($24). If you’re looking for a long-term discount, you might consider checking out Head High’s generous membership options.

Click here to purchase a bottle of wine from Head High

Click here to learn how you can support Sustainable Surf.  

Editors' Recommendations

Catch Some (Sound) Waves With An Intro to Surf Rock
Friends relaxing outside mini van at beach

Not all genres in music are self-explanatory, just ask baroque pop or post-metal. With surf rock, however, it’s pretty much as advertised.
The sun-soaked sounds of the genre are very much the product of its environment. This is the music of southern California in the late 50s and early 60s, an adaptation of early rock ‘n’ roll influenced almost entirely by the beach life. Inland, the swinging sounds of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and more were defining new type of sound. Along the boardwalks and famous breaks of So-Cal, surfers were getting their own soundtrack.
A few major traits separate surf rock from rock in general. First, the reverb-driven guitar work inspired by the fluid sounds of the ocean. It’s the bubbly twang that sticks with the genre today, first popularized in 1961 when Fender amps first accommodated such an effect. The tempo and guitar-picking style is on the faster side, mimicking the adrenaline rush of riding a good wave.
Another major trait — one some argue creates an additional sub-genre within surf rock — is the layered vocal harmonies. The Beach Boys should jump to mind as Brian Wilson and Co. perfected the approach, with squeaky vocal stacking from all sides of the band. It’s a style that would go on to inspire so many other styles. It’s also one that borrows from old American folk elements, which in turn borrow from traditional communal African sounds.
Think of surf rock as the campfire sing-along-at-the-beach equivalent to American rock ‘n’ roll. Interestingly, the genre’s heyday was short lived. It faded nearly as fast as it exploded, going from mainstream in 1962 to nearly forgotten in 1964 thanks largely to the Beatles. But a second wave has bubbled to the surface lately, suggesting that surf rock may be here to stay. Here are some acts to explore as you look to better understand the summery feel of the category:

Dick Dale and the Del-Tones
Dick Dale & The Del Tones "Misirlou" 1963
Dale is credited with bringing surf rock to the forefront, initiating the "wet" reverb sound by way of the electric guitar. His band, the Del-Tones, specialized in the pulsing, wave-like rock one could associate with the ocean tides. Born in Boston, Dale would go on to earn the title "The King of the Surf Guitar." His band's upbeat discography is a great look at the genre, kicked into gear by a dose of rockabilly and some grander sounds thanks to the incorporation of brass and even string sections. If you see a hot rod on the road, there's a good chance it's bumping some Dick Dale. 

Read more
Find a Laid-Back Retreat for a Surfing Adventure in the Heart of Portugal
noah surf house centro portugal design presentation 1

Portugal’s stunning coast is Europe’s summertime playground. While the rest of the world is just now catching on to all it has to offer, surfers have known for decades that to catch the most extreme waves, you have to head to this tiny coastal country.

Those in the know head to Centro, the central coast of Portugal located just north of the capital of Lisbon. It offers up a whopping 17 locations, each with a different type of surf and able to accommodate everyone from beginners to pros.

Read more
Shaq’s Florida Mansion Is for Sale and the Price Just Dropped by $6 Million
shaqs florida mansion for sale price shaq 8

NBA legend Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal, better known as "Shaq,” listed his Neo-colonial Florida mansion to the tune of $28 million back in May 2018. Sad face for the 7’1" athlete, because roughly seven months later, the multi-million-dollar home still has a “For Sale” sign staked in the grass.

Shaq dropped the price to $21.99 million in December, joining a slew of celebrities who slashed the asking number of their mansions, including Serena Williams for her Bel Air estate, Birdman’s luxe Miami Beach crib, Scottie Pippen’s suburban mansion, and Selena Gomez’s Texas retreat. Not to mention the iconic “Scarface” mansion that dipped from $35 million to $17.9 million.

Read more