Clearing Brush
Here are a couple photos from last week - clearing brush, making head way, getting ready for the rainy season, and being mindful of the fire season. First photo is before, second is after at the same location/spot.
Cactus Flowers
Well it’s not a direct vineyard update - but we witnessed this awesomeness right next to a vineyard in Northern Napa Valley. In addition to being grateful for fresh air and blue skies this past week, we had a chance to see these cactus flowers in full bloom.
Pressing Off the Wine
Note - this post was originally published 11.14.2014
It's been a busy harvest season. This morning we're pressing off some wine. The wine has finished fermentation and we're pressing the grapes and draining off the wine. Cheers!
September = California Wine Month
Note - this post was originally published 09.11.2014
It's official. The governer decreed it: September 2014 is California Wine Month. Not every September, just this one as an effort to boost morale and let tourists know that we're still here and we still have lovely grapes to harvest and wines to pour and sell.
Governor Brown includes a history of the wine industry in this State (and we thought he'd talk about economic impact): http://gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=18686
Below are a couple photos we took this week of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes ripening in the afternoon sun in St. Helena. Cheers!
Picking Pinot Noir
Note - this post was first published 09.09.2014
It’s a great feeling when you get to see a project through. That’s how we felt last week when we had the opportunity to pick a Pinot Noir vineyard in the Russian River Valley that we had started working in January of this year.
When you work with grapes, the job is to nurture each vine individually and manage the vineyard as a whole. When to pick the finished product – ripe grapes – is actually up to the winemaker. Whoever is purchasing the grapes is using them as the raw materials for a beautiful wine. The growing season, elements, geographical features of the vineyard, and vineyard management techniques will all have effects on flavor. But the style of wine (bursting fruit flavors, bigger wines with higher alcohol contents vs. more traditional lighter alcohol wines with more restrained characteristics that might develop more over time, etc) starts with when to pick – at what levels the acidity and sugar exist in the grape.
Pinot Noir is a thinner skinned grape that ripens before thicker skinned grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah.
Here’s to the 2014 vintage, cheers!
Foraging - Pomegranates
Note - this post was originally published 09.08.2014
Foraging for food is eating local, culinary nouveau - it's so old it's back "in" again. I’m always terrified of the prospect because I live under the assumption that I’ll be one of those who picks a pretty poisonous plant and literally dies of ignorance. Enter my better half, who grew up on a ranch, working and enjoying the outdoors.
Long story short, we’ve savored a number of sweet natural treats, exotic to me, mundane for him. Little treasures hidden in plain sight. This week: Granadas! Pomegranates!
Earthquake
Note - this post was originally published 09.05.2014
As you probably know two weeks ago we had and experienced a 6.0 earthquake in Napa Valley. The epicenter was in the town of American Canyon just south of the town of Napa at the southern end of the Valley. We’re up at the northern end of the Valley and luckily did not experience as much damage, but definitely felt the quake.
So, we weren’t hurt and our home is intact, just a bit shaken up (forgive the pun). In the southern end of the valley, especially near the old part of downtown Napa buildings of all kind were damaged. In a valley that now depends on tourism, especially this time of year, the worry now is that people are canceling their plans to visit.
We’re ok. Wineries are open for tasting and grapes are being picked daily now that harvest has started. It’s still an exciting time to be in the valley. Happy September!