Erosion Control
In the vineyard - On a steep hillside vineyard we brought straw before the recent rain storms. Photos from our work below. May it rain again soon!
Burning the Burn Piles
This past week, before the warm weekend weather and wind forecast, we were able to help out on a few burns. Burning the burn piles we’d created earlier; clearing out brush, and keeping the land clean. Here are a few photos:
A little rain, hopes for more
This week we had a few days of rain. A few good soaks, puddle jumps, cozy evenings, and bejeweled plants. As we kick off the pruning season… a few photos from out and about this week:
Beat the Weather
Note - this post was originally published 02.20.2015
Unlike the East Coast, here in Northern California Spring is coming early. We're finishing up pruning vineyards and tying them to their trellises before the vines start showing their new growth.
This picture is of Pinot Noir grapes in the Russian River Valley:
Out with the Old
Note - this post was originally published 02.15.2015
After finishing taping & tying the vines - time to remove the brush and leave everything nice and clean.
A Feeling of Expectation
Note - this post was originally published 02.07.2015
Hope: a feeling of expectation and a desire for a certain thing to happen. This week in the vineyard we spotted a leaf. In the middle of winter, a pop of color, a sign of life, and the first look at the 2015 vintage. Cheers!
Winter Yellows
Note - this post was originally published 02.01.2015
One of the seasonal wonders of Napa Valley that we look forward to each year is the yellow mustard. After the first serious rains of winter - usually in January - these bright yellow flowers, knee-high in height, bloom throughout the vineyards. Miles of yellow, a sea of flowers divided into waves among the rows of grape vines.
In the Vineyard - Pruning
This post was originally published 01.31.2015
Winter, when the plants are dormant, is the time to prune the vines and focus growth for the coming vintage. We generally prune vineyards in January and February. This week we're in the Russian River Valley working with Pinot Noir.
All About the Barrel, All About the Barrel
Note - this post was originally published 01.29.2015
Life slows down a little bit in Napa Valley in the winter. The tourists are mostly at home, the vines are dormant, and we get prepare for the coming vintage. This week Francisco helped worked at a winery clearing out the cellar and moving old barrels out.
Cherry Blossoms
Note - this post was originally published 2/21/2014.
The cherry trees are in full bloom. Took some photos just as they were showing off their beautiful pink petals:
Valentine's Wine
Note - this post was originally published 2/11/2014.
It’s Valentine’s Day on Friday! What ever your thoughts, beliefs, conflicting holidays (Happy Birthdays, Jodi and Walter!) it’s a reason to celebrate and take a little extra time to enjoy.
Of course, when it comes to wine the classic choice is to opt for sparkling. We were in a wine shop recently that specializes in California wines specifically those hard-to-find amazing wines from around the state. In their sparkling section, however, the options were more international, because, well, you have to have Champagne. Legally, sparkling wine can be called champagne only if it was made in the Champagne region of France.
Our vote for this year is to go a little sweet and linger and savor your dessert with port or a dessert wine. These wines are often sold in half bottles, which are perfect for two and an evening, one with a sweet tooth, or a unique gift. There are two general categories of port style wines – tawny and ruby. Unless you really prefer the taste of hard liquor and the earthiness of something aged for years and years and years, we suggest trying a ruby this year. Ruby ports are often made from just one vintage, only aged a couple years (like a traditional red wine), and have a more fruity flavor (not dried fruit flavor). Ports are fortified wines, with alcohol contents ranging from 17 – 24%.
Ports traditionally come from Portugal. Like the French with Champagne, they’ve now trademarked the name, so to speak. So unless it’s made in Portugal or the winery was somehow grandfathered in, the wines will be labeled Dessert Wine or port-style. It’s always good to ask and talk to your local wine shop when making a selection. Ruby ports pair wonderfully with your favorite chocolate or a nice cheese plate with intense cheeses (blue cheese for example) and nuts.
In Portugal, port is generally made from a blend of red wines. Here in California we’ve found and enjoyed more varietal specific ports made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, or Syrah. For those of you who don’t enjoy reds, white port is not as common, but available and often made from Chardonnay. Also, you could opt for a late-harvest dessert wine; for these, the grapes are picked at the end of harvest and have more sugar content, which then translates to a sweeter end product.
Salut!
Another Wet and Gloomy Day
Note - this post was originally published 2/5/2014.
There’s no thunder, but the sounds strike you with awe nonetheless. Listening to the rain pound the earth in waves. It’s beautiful. Rain’s not just for the ducks and the vines. It brings life and makes us happy too. Another wet and gloomy day under the blanket of clouds… Yippee!
Some day we'll have our own little weather station, but for now the best data we could find online for this area was based out of Santa Rosa - Sonoma County (west over the Mayacama mountain range from Napa Valley). We haven't gone for a driving tour, but here's betting there's a good bit of flooding around the vines in the Russian River Valley. We did run into a little flooding ourselves while out for a walk:
Juice and Salad
Note - this post was originally published 2/5/2014.
Well it’s not wine, but it’s made from local fruit and we could easily nerd-out and use some wine descriptors to share this nectar. This week we picked oranges. Great as a snack, but divine as juice.
In effort to keep healthy this winter, we’ve adopted the big salad on our house menu. We start with romaine leaves washed and halved and then pile on what ever we have, trying to make an appealing color wheel. Our latest toppings: carrots and lemon slices sautéed in olive oil with a little salt and pepper, canned corn, avocado, feta cheese, shrimp, garbanzo beans, radishes, and chopped fresh Roma tomatoes (thank you, Mexico). Served with a light ranch and Parmesan dressing.
Recommended wine pairing: Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc. If the dressing is a little richer, we could also see a semi-dry or dry Riesling. Salut!
Winter Found Us
Note - this post was originally published 2/3/2014.
Who knew we would be so excited to welcome winter? The weather has chilled and the clouds moved in for a good down pour and crisp wind. On the Vaca Mountains (the mountain range on the eastern side of Napa Valley) there was even some snow!
Rain Drops
Note - this post was originally published 1/30/2014.
It rained. .. a little. January is usually the wettest month of the year. This year we are in a governor-declared drought emergency.
In the image above, Napa and Sonoma Counties (North Bay) are in extreme drought. There’s only one more drought level higher. But it rained, just enough to get the roads wet and slippery and hang the mountains and valleys in the clouds.
My husband was out taping vines despite the consistent rain drops. We tape the new vines to the trellis (the tape is green in the photos below) to train the vines to grow straight and encourage more fruit production. We also tape older vines to the wires of the trellis to support them, so when they bear fruit the vines can hold up their own weight.
I had the opportunity to take a trip up Spring Mountain, which straddles Sonoma and Napa counties as part of the Mayacama range. I brought my camera, hoping I might get up above the clouds far enough to take a nice photo for you, but no luck. I could barely see where my car was parked. As I came back down the mountain, I did see seven deer and three turkeys. Only a little water and life is slowly returning.
The cool cloudy weather inspired warm comforting soup for dinner:
“Broccoli and Potato Soup
1 Tbs unsalted butter
2 Tbs olive oil
½ white onion, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into coins
1 bay leaf
3 Russet potatoes, peeled, washed, and chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
4 cups vegetable broth (I used boiling water and added two boullion cubes to the soup)
Over medium-high heat, melt the butter and oil together in a large pot. Add onions, garlic, and carrot. Stir to mix with oil, but then allow to cook 4 minutes over medium heat – want the onions to start to become translucent, not burn. Add bay leaf, potatoes, broccoli, and broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes. That’s it!
Adapated from this recipe I found online.”