You've probably noticed we haven't been posting blogs for a few weeks. We've been working on getting a new website and blog site together and didn't want to complicate the data import more than we needed too. We're now ready to go live with the new sites and this will be the last post here at this URL!
First the website address will not change.
Stefaniawine.com
There are many changes on the site and new colors and pictures. The biggest thing though and a key thing we wanted to accomplish was to integrate the blog with the website. We've done that! The blog will now show up on the front page of the website and can also be accessed at:
New Integrated Blog Site
All of the old blog posts will still be available here and they will also be available on the new site. All new postings though will be on the new site. We like the blog changes a great deal. You'll now be able to see previews of the latest blogs, the top blogs, and we've added categories and tags to make searching the blog easier.
There are still lots of editorial changes Stefania and I will be making over the next few weeks. We're updating all of the background information and making it crisper. The section on our wines will be made easier to follow and all of the information there will be updated and put in a common format. In general we're trying to focus on keeping the content in the blog section where it is 'fresh' and information elsewhere on the site will be more concise and basic.
For instance there will no longer be an Events page (which we could never keep updated anyway), instead there will be a category called Events in the blog. We're also hoping that it will be easier for people to interact with us and ask us questions through the blog and website. Let us know what you think and look for blog postings on the new site to start showing up over the next few days.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Enchilada Pablo
When we were in Miami there was a restaurant that had 'stacked enchiladas' on the menu and claimed they were a 'unique invention'. I was seriously insulted. Layered enchiladas are traditional in Northern New Mexico and the only way I've ever seen my aunts make them. I never saw Aunts Isabel, Loyda and Alyce make them any other way and in any good restaurant from Espanola north to the Colorado border, including Sante Fe, when you order enchiladas this is what you'll get.I have to warn you, this is not Rachel Ray - 'Easy Breeze' or '30 minute simple' meal. It takes some work to pull off. Stefania will need to chime in too and share with you how to make the sauces. You can of course use canned sauces and save 2-3 hours of prep time.
Ingredients:
12 smallish corn tortillas
1/2 cup of oil
4 cups of red enchilada sauce
2 cups of green enchilada sauce
1 pound of cooked turkey
1 can of refried beans
8 oz of Jack Cheese
3 green onions
1/4 cup Crema Fresca
A note on the red and green sauces. Usually I just make this with red sauce. Normally in New Mexico you are asked if you would prefer red or green. If you want both that's called 'Christmas' or 'Christmas Tree', so you don't say 'both' you say 'Christmas' to get both. This last time I made some red and some Christmas. As the green sauce is generally much hotter, it's a good idea to cut it with some red sauce.
Chop your turkey into small bits. You can also use ground beef, ground game (I've had elk and venison), chicken or shredded pork, what ever you prefer. Turkey is kind of traditional in my family as these are usually served on the day after Thanksgiving or day after Christmas. Add the turkey to a small pot and add just enough red sauce to cover. Heat on low.
Heat the beans with a small amount of water in a second pot.
Heat the oil in a large fry pan. Fry the tortillas lightly for 8-10 seconds on each side and then drain on paper towels.
To assemble:
In a large baking dish lay two tortillas flat on the bottom of the dish. Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of beans and spread them out with a spoon to coat the tortilla. Add 2-3 tablespoons of meat and spread that out over the beans. Scoop out 1/4 cup of sauce and cover the meat and beans. Add a small bit of cheese then cover with a tortilla. Repeat the process.
To top the enchilada add one more tortilla (each enchilada will have three total). Cover with sauce until fully coated, some will drip down the sides. Then add a generous amount of cheese. The cheese inside should be just a small amount, most will go on top. Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and add chopped green onions and a tablespoon of Crema Fresca.
This recipe will make four enchiladas and they are VERY filling. Count on one per person. Another note on the Crema Fresca. Any recipe that calls from Creme Fraiche you can use Crema Fresca. The only difference is Creme Fraiche is sold at Whole Foods for $9.95 a quarter cup and Crema Fresca is sold in Mexican markets for $1.25 a quarter cup.
Friday, April 29, 2011
May Event @ Twist
We are filling up the calendar fast!!
On tap for May 22nd (Sunday) is a winemaker dinner at Twist in Campbell. We are hosting the Friends of the Winemakers but have reserved a small table for our friends.
If this is something you might like to attend, send me an email: stefania@stefaniawine.com
Sunday, May 22nd at 6pm
Twist Bistro
Starter:
Daily Fresh Roasted Vegetables OR Baked French Vegetarian Onion Soup OR Eggs Meurette
Main:
Marinated Tritip & French Fries OR Catch of the day OR Vegetarian dish or vegan plate
Your choice Dessert:
Semi Sweet Chocolate Mousse OR Espresso Ice Cream OR Dominique’s cheese platter
$56/Person all inclusive (wine/tax/gratuity/yadda yadda)
On tap for May 22nd (Sunday) is a winemaker dinner at Twist in Campbell. We are hosting the Friends of the Winemakers but have reserved a small table for our friends.
If this is something you might like to attend, send me an email: stefania@stefaniawine.com
Sunday, May 22nd at 6pm
Twist Bistro
Starter:
Daily Fresh Roasted Vegetables OR Baked French Vegetarian Onion Soup OR Eggs Meurette
Main:
Marinated Tritip & French Fries OR Catch of the day OR Vegetarian dish or vegan plate
Your choice Dessert:
Semi Sweet Chocolate Mousse OR Espresso Ice Cream OR Dominique’s cheese platter
$56/Person all inclusive (wine/tax/gratuity/yadda yadda)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Upcoming Event, May 21st - Downtown Saratoga
Paul and I have signed up to pour at "Bonnets & Blooms" in Saratoga on May 21st.
We haven't decided which wines we'll pour (we usually only take two at events like these) but we have committed the last magnum of Haut Tubee for the Wine Magnum Auction.
http://business.saratogachamber.org/events/details/saratoga-springtime-wine-stroll
The website says 2-5pm, the flyer says 3-6pm......Advance tickets are $35 and available online
Hope to see you there!!
We haven't decided which wines we'll pour (we usually only take two at events like these) but we have committed the last magnum of Haut Tubee for the Wine Magnum Auction.
http://business.saratogachamber.org/events/details/saratoga-springtime-wine-strollThe website says 2-5pm, the flyer says 3-6pm......Advance tickets are $35 and available online
Hope to see you there!!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Shipping Complete!
Quick Shipping update. Stefania got the last boxes out the door yesterday. There are a few on vacation hold for people, or holding for pick up at the winery, but unless you've asked us to hold your box, it's now gone out.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers Japan Benefit Concert
Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers Japan Benefit Concert on April 29 (Fri)
Play for Japan USA, a project launched by Japanese working mothers in the SF Bay Area, presents a benefit concert featuring Anne Akiko Meyers, one of the most celebrated violinists who has been the featured soloist with the world’s leading orchestras and collaborated with such artists as Michel Bolton, Chris Botti, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Anne was flying over Japan when the earthquake hit the country (for her performances in Osaka, which eventually got canceled) and thus has graciously agreed to perform for us.
All proceeds will go to the Japan disaster relief efforts through the American Red Cross, Give2Asia, and the Japan Center for International Exchange.
Date: April 29th, Friday
Place: Woodside High School Performing Arts Center [Map it]
Time: 8pm (doors open at 7pm)
Ticket: starting $35 -
For more information & buy tickets, visit: www.playforjapanusa.org
SF Chronicle Article: Japanese Working Mothers Orchestrate Benefit Concert Featuring Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers for Japan Relief Efforts
Play for Japan USA is started by Japanese working mothers in the Bay Area who wanted to take action to contribute to the Japan relief efforts (for details, please read SF Chronicle's article). This concert is officially endorsed by the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco and fiscally sponsored by the Kurosawa Piano Music Foundation, a 501(c) (3) tax exempt organization. All proceeds will go to Japan disaster Relief effort through American Red Cross, Give2Asia, and Japan Center for International Exchange.
As you may know, Anne is one of the most celebrated violinists who has been a featured soloist with the world's leading orchestras and collaborated with such big names as Yo Yo Ma, Michel Bolton, Chris Botti, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Anne was flying over Japan when the earthquake hit the country. As a mother of a young child herself, she has graciously agreed to perform to support our cause. Please come join us to enjoy her beautiful performance by ex-napoleon stradivarius!
I've attached a short description of the concert and E-flyer below.
You can also find our paper flyers at http://playforjapanusa.org/press/.
This is a great opportunity for you to stand in support with hundreds of individuals and organizations in the Bay Area for the Japan Relief efforts.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Road Trip Part II
One of the things I wanted to do on this trip was see 'fly over' country from the ground. I've been across Nevada and Utah many times but never through the back country except for one trip up Hwy 95 to 168 with Stef in 2001. We decided to take 2 1/2 days getting back and stay off the interstate.
It would be a good time to travel in the desert as it was cool and there had been lots of recent rain which left everything green instead of brown. The first leg of the trip would be through the town of Santa Clara and up old hwy 91 through Gunlock to Vejo and Hwy 18. This was the only time we got lost on the trip, missing the turn to Gunlock and not knowing we were lost until we hit the 'Welcome to Arizona' sign about 9 miles past our turn.
An interesting thing about Santa Clara was that many of the yards in town had grapes growing. We guessed they were not wine grapes but probably planted for jelly making by the early Mormon settlers in the area.
Once we got on the right route to Gunlock we came across this rare sight of the Gunlock Falls.
Stef and I hiked down off the road and up the falls away to take these pictures.
We heard many of the locals hiking the falls that day and on the road say they had never seen them flowing. The reservoir was full and the falls serve as an overflow. It's been a very wet year in the west.
From Gunlock we continued on hwy 18 through Enterprise and to hwy 56. This is 'Crop Circle' territory. When you fly over the desert and see the giant round circles and wonder who in the world is farming out there? This is the place, Western Utah, and every farm seemed to be owned by someone from the 'Holt' family.
As we entered Nevada hwy 56 became hwy 319. We turned in the town of Panaca north on to hwy 93, the 'Great Basin Highway'. Other than the town of Ely, which I would guess has 4000-5000 residents each town we'd go through was no more than a few hundred people. Some that showed on the map would turn out to be modern ghost towns, with 10-15 empty buildings and just 3-4 occupied.
At the hwy 93 turn we stopped at Cathedral Gorge for some more hiking and picture taking.
We'd hike up to the little overlook below only to find out you can access it from the highway. There are hundred of little caves in the sandstone and original facilities built by the CCC in the 1930's.
On Sunday we saw more elk, deer, antelope and a golden eagle among the highlights.
Sunday night we stopped in the Hotel Nevada in Ely and had dinner at the Jailhouse Restaurant. This is completely Chevy Chase/Vacation movie stuff. We stayed in the Micky Rooney room at the hotel. Each room is named after a star who once stayed in the hotel.
Monday we headed west on hwy 50, 'The Loneliest Road in America'. I didn't take pictures as we went that day, just enjoying all the mountain passes covered with snow as we went through them and more deer, antelope, wild horses and wildlife. The entire time from leaving St George in Utah, until arriving in Fallon Nevada I would pass just two cars and be passed twice also.
The highlight of day two came about 90 miles outside of Austin Nevada, a town marked with a large hand painted 'Speed Trap Ahead' sign. As we rounded a large turn Stefania said; "Why are there so many cows moving along the hill?" As we cleared the turn right along the road there were five cowboys moving the cattle on horse back. I know this is a rare sight. In New Mexico when my uncles moved cattle, horses where mostly brought just for nostalgia. Most of the work was done with trucks and ATV's. I always felt like the horses came out just so the kids from California could ride them and I always looked like Billy Crystal in 'City Slickers' with sneakers and a ball cap. There were no trucks or ATV's in sight though.
We arrived in Tahoe about 3PM and I had reserved us a room in the Marriot Timber Lodge with a full kitchen. Stef and I cooked dinner that night and enjoyed the luxury. The next morning we continued on hwy 50, then 5, 580, 680 and 87 to home. We arrived back at 2:30 PM with 1527.6 miles behind us.
It would be a good time to travel in the desert as it was cool and there had been lots of recent rain which left everything green instead of brown. The first leg of the trip would be through the town of Santa Clara and up old hwy 91 through Gunlock to Vejo and Hwy 18. This was the only time we got lost on the trip, missing the turn to Gunlock and not knowing we were lost until we hit the 'Welcome to Arizona' sign about 9 miles past our turn.
An interesting thing about Santa Clara was that many of the yards in town had grapes growing. We guessed they were not wine grapes but probably planted for jelly making by the early Mormon settlers in the area.
Once we got on the right route to Gunlock we came across this rare sight of the Gunlock Falls.
Stef and I hiked down off the road and up the falls away to take these pictures.
We heard many of the locals hiking the falls that day and on the road say they had never seen them flowing. The reservoir was full and the falls serve as an overflow. It's been a very wet year in the west.
From Gunlock we continued on hwy 18 through Enterprise and to hwy 56. This is 'Crop Circle' territory. When you fly over the desert and see the giant round circles and wonder who in the world is farming out there? This is the place, Western Utah, and every farm seemed to be owned by someone from the 'Holt' family.
As we entered Nevada hwy 56 became hwy 319. We turned in the town of Panaca north on to hwy 93, the 'Great Basin Highway'. Other than the town of Ely, which I would guess has 4000-5000 residents each town we'd go through was no more than a few hundred people. Some that showed on the map would turn out to be modern ghost towns, with 10-15 empty buildings and just 3-4 occupied.
At the hwy 93 turn we stopped at Cathedral Gorge for some more hiking and picture taking.
We'd hike up to the little overlook below only to find out you can access it from the highway. There are hundred of little caves in the sandstone and original facilities built by the CCC in the 1930's.
On Sunday we saw more elk, deer, antelope and a golden eagle among the highlights.
Sunday night we stopped in the Hotel Nevada in Ely and had dinner at the Jailhouse Restaurant. This is completely Chevy Chase/Vacation movie stuff. We stayed in the Micky Rooney room at the hotel. Each room is named after a star who once stayed in the hotel.Monday we headed west on hwy 50, 'The Loneliest Road in America'. I didn't take pictures as we went that day, just enjoying all the mountain passes covered with snow as we went through them and more deer, antelope, wild horses and wildlife. The entire time from leaving St George in Utah, until arriving in Fallon Nevada I would pass just two cars and be passed twice also.
The highlight of day two came about 90 miles outside of Austin Nevada, a town marked with a large hand painted 'Speed Trap Ahead' sign. As we rounded a large turn Stefania said; "Why are there so many cows moving along the hill?" As we cleared the turn right along the road there were five cowboys moving the cattle on horse back. I know this is a rare sight. In New Mexico when my uncles moved cattle, horses where mostly brought just for nostalgia. Most of the work was done with trucks and ATV's. I always felt like the horses came out just so the kids from California could ride them and I always looked like Billy Crystal in 'City Slickers' with sneakers and a ball cap. There were no trucks or ATV's in sight though.
We arrived in Tahoe about 3PM and I had reserved us a room in the Marriot Timber Lodge with a full kitchen. Stef and I cooked dinner that night and enjoyed the luxury. The next morning we continued on hwy 50, then 5, 580, 680 and 87 to home. We arrived back at 2:30 PM with 1527.6 miles behind us.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Road Tripping Part I
Last Friday Stef and I headed out to visit her brother and mother in St George Utah. We got on the road and took our traditional picture. 5:44 AM and 44 degrees. Most of the trip would have temperatures in the 40's or lower. A cold front was passing through the desert as we traveled.
Our first stop for gas was in Tahachapi Pass. In all we'd go through about two dozen mountain passes on our trip and almost all of them had snow. On the way to the Central Valley we saw Tule Elk along the road. Interstate 15 had the worst drivers I've ever seen. Friday afternoon from Los Angeles to Las Vegas brings out a terrible group of drivers. There were always 15 cars in the fast lane for every car in the slow lane, which meant the slow lane moved faster. Still no one would get right.
We made it through Vegas with just a slight traffic delay and passed through the Virgin River Gorge. We rested that night and the next morning went out visiting and then on a hike to Snow Canyon in the Red Rock Mountains. The storm was breaking up and it stayed cool with high clouds all trip.
One of the trails on the trip was called 'Butterfly', so I kept my eyes open for caterpillars and spotted this little blue colored one almost right away. I was thwarted in all attempts to figure out what this little guy is because 'blue caterpillar' is a character from Alice in Wonderland and every Google image was either from the movie or scores of mommy blogs featuring their little precious dressed for Halloween.
The desert was in full green bloom. A pretty rare thing from my trips through and this little cactus I particularly liked.
We hiked out to an overlook of the main valley and across a series of lava flows.
Stef and I took turns taking pictures of each other.
I spotted this little tunnel and climbed up the rocks to get a better view.
This was the view from the top after the tiny bit of rock climbing.
And these little red flowers had just bloomed in a crack in the rock.
The activity was full justification for Stef's brother to BBQ up a huge plate of ribs for dinner that night!
And he opened one of my favorite wines a 2001 Cline Mourvedre Small Berry Vineyard.
Saturday afternoon we visited a few art galleries in St. George after the hike. Sunday we packed up and had brunch with Stef's mom then headed out across the desert, deciding to avoid the Interstate's. More pictures tomorrow.
Our first stop for gas was in Tahachapi Pass. In all we'd go through about two dozen mountain passes on our trip and almost all of them had snow. On the way to the Central Valley we saw Tule Elk along the road. Interstate 15 had the worst drivers I've ever seen. Friday afternoon from Los Angeles to Las Vegas brings out a terrible group of drivers. There were always 15 cars in the fast lane for every car in the slow lane, which meant the slow lane moved faster. Still no one would get right.
We made it through Vegas with just a slight traffic delay and passed through the Virgin River Gorge. We rested that night and the next morning went out visiting and then on a hike to Snow Canyon in the Red Rock Mountains. The storm was breaking up and it stayed cool with high clouds all trip.
One of the trails on the trip was called 'Butterfly', so I kept my eyes open for caterpillars and spotted this little blue colored one almost right away. I was thwarted in all attempts to figure out what this little guy is because 'blue caterpillar' is a character from Alice in Wonderland and every Google image was either from the movie or scores of mommy blogs featuring their little precious dressed for Halloween.
The desert was in full green bloom. A pretty rare thing from my trips through and this little cactus I particularly liked.
We hiked out to an overlook of the main valley and across a series of lava flows.
Stef and I took turns taking pictures of each other.
I spotted this little tunnel and climbed up the rocks to get a better view.
This was the view from the top after the tiny bit of rock climbing.
And these little red flowers had just bloomed in a crack in the rock.
The activity was full justification for Stef's brother to BBQ up a huge plate of ribs for dinner that night!
And he opened one of my favorite wines a 2001 Cline Mourvedre Small Berry Vineyard.
Saturday afternoon we visited a few art galleries in St. George after the hike. Sunday we packed up and had brunch with Stef's mom then headed out across the desert, deciding to avoid the Interstate's. More pictures tomorrow.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Mineral Hill Update
Sunday morning the whole crew was out at Mineral Hill to complete the installation there. Jerry and Millie had finished the wiring on Saturday morning after Millie spent all day Friday prepping the wire and connectors.
My job was to dig holes. Stefania was officially the 'supervisor'. She made sure all the wire work was polished off, trained the homeowners on how to plant (they did 90% of the planting) and see to all the details including pounding in 90+ rebar supports. Millie finished up support nails for the catch wires and rigged up the drip line so it was off the ground. Jerry cut rebar for Stef and helped with planting.
I also planted a few of the plants including the three table grapes at the end of the vineyard. The table grapes need some expert care and pruning so that's how I ended up with that job. Below is me finishing off hole #91. I did about 60-70 of the holes. Stef is in the background making sure the catch wires are attached correctly.
It was a really great morning. Blue skies and temperatures in the high 60's and low 70's. Great conditions to work in. Below are a couple of shots of the almost finished vineyard before we started digging holes to put in the plants.
The site is now complete. We installed 5 additional plants as a nursery in case any of the main plants don't grow. We also set up a watering schedule for the first few weeks. For the rest of the summer we'll have a few check ups to do to see on progress.
My job was to dig holes. Stefania was officially the 'supervisor'. She made sure all the wire work was polished off, trained the homeowners on how to plant (they did 90% of the planting) and see to all the details including pounding in 90+ rebar supports. Millie finished up support nails for the catch wires and rigged up the drip line so it was off the ground. Jerry cut rebar for Stef and helped with planting.
I also planted a few of the plants including the three table grapes at the end of the vineyard. The table grapes need some expert care and pruning so that's how I ended up with that job. Below is me finishing off hole #91. I did about 60-70 of the holes. Stef is in the background making sure the catch wires are attached correctly.
It was a really great morning. Blue skies and temperatures in the high 60's and low 70's. Great conditions to work in. Below are a couple of shots of the almost finished vineyard before we started digging holes to put in the plants.
The site is now complete. We installed 5 additional plants as a nursery in case any of the main plants don't grow. We also set up a watering schedule for the first few weeks. For the rest of the summer we'll have a few check ups to do to see on progress.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Open House Review
Last Saturday we held our Spring Open House. Usually we send out an announcement to everyone on our mailing list within the Bay Area. This year though we had rain the entire week before the open house and one day in particular that Jerry said was the most rain he'd ever seen in a 24 hour period.
The net result was that the little field we usually use for parking was too wet to mow and too soft to park in. We decided rather than trying to do traffic control on the street, or worse have to tow cars out of the mud, we'd cut back on the email invites and just send them to people who had checked off 'hold for pick up' on their order forms.
This gave us a small group of visitors and a much more low key event. The first picture I took was for some people on the Wine Spectator forum. There was a question about 'gunk' in wine and I thought I'd take a picture of some Syrah we have in a carboy. This is the net result of letting 5 gallons of gross lees settle for a few months. The lees are on the bottom and the wine is on the top.
Now a better picture of our hostess with a bottle of wine in the cellar getting ready for visitors.
Here is our little low key tasting table. I actually forget sometimes I'm supposed to do the pouring and tend to think people will just help themselves. Not your normal tasting room experience I'm sure. I was feeling like celebrating the opening of a new Chavez Supermarket near our home so the treat were chips, red salsa, nopales salsa and queso fresco.
I opened 5 wines in total the three from the current release: 2009 Chardonnay Chaine d'Or Vineyard, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Crimson Clover Vineyard and 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains. The other two wines where a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek Vineyard and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains.
The Uvas Creek was best after being open about an hour. I think that means it's almost out of the odd stage that this bottling has always gone through from age 3 to 4. If you want to open one over the next few months I'd decant it for about an hour to let the cherry fruit open up. Right out of the bottle the fruit is a little muted but with air it comes back around. I saw this in the 05 and 06 also at about the same age so I think it's something with the aging profile of this particular vineyard.
The net result was that the little field we usually use for parking was too wet to mow and too soft to park in. We decided rather than trying to do traffic control on the street, or worse have to tow cars out of the mud, we'd cut back on the email invites and just send them to people who had checked off 'hold for pick up' on their order forms.
This gave us a small group of visitors and a much more low key event. The first picture I took was for some people on the Wine Spectator forum. There was a question about 'gunk' in wine and I thought I'd take a picture of some Syrah we have in a carboy. This is the net result of letting 5 gallons of gross lees settle for a few months. The lees are on the bottom and the wine is on the top.
Now a better picture of our hostess with a bottle of wine in the cellar getting ready for visitors.
Here is our little low key tasting table. I actually forget sometimes I'm supposed to do the pouring and tend to think people will just help themselves. Not your normal tasting room experience I'm sure. I was feeling like celebrating the opening of a new Chavez Supermarket near our home so the treat were chips, red salsa, nopales salsa and queso fresco.
I opened 5 wines in total the three from the current release: 2009 Chardonnay Chaine d'Or Vineyard, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Crimson Clover Vineyard and 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains. The other two wines where a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek Vineyard and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains.
The Uvas Creek was best after being open about an hour. I think that means it's almost out of the odd stage that this bottling has always gone through from age 3 to 4. If you want to open one over the next few months I'd decant it for about an hour to let the cherry fruit open up. Right out of the bottle the fruit is a little muted but with air it comes back around. I saw this in the 05 and 06 also at about the same age so I think it's something with the aging profile of this particular vineyard.
Monday, April 04, 2011
Bud Break at the Home Vineyard
I've been having some terrible issues getting pictures off of my Samsung Fascinate so I've been slow on putting blogs up. Verizon and Samsung like to send out updates to the phone regularly. Here's a picture of the Engineering and QA teams at Verizon and Samsung preparing for their next update.
So basically every updates totally and completely breaks picture transfer and it takes hours to sort it back out. With that little rant out of the way, here's some happier thoughts.
We've had bud break in all the vineyards now and as usual the home 'Haut Tubee' vineyard led the way. This is a Thompson Seedless vine in the front parkway. One of our neighbors asked us if we would plant some table grapes so we did.
This is one of the remaining 'old boys' from the original planting. This is a Grenache. That's Italian Parsley growing around it. Stefania planted all kinds of herbs and flowers around the vines. We've been using the parsley a lot and I actually discovered that the stalks get pretty thick and if you peel them they are a good addition to stews.
This is a Mourvedre vine with some California Poppy's in the foreground. This little plant will send runners down the line this year that will become cordons. The plants in the background are a mix of Crimson Clover and wildflowers. It will be another two weeks or so for the colors to really start coming out.
Here's a more mature vine closer to the house and some Crimson Clover that's already started to bloom. This plant will send out the start of spurs this year and should produce about 10 pounds of fruit.
This is one of the 'old boys' in the backyard that we've retrained to cordon and spur training. I used this particular plant in past blogs about pruning and thought I'd give an update on how it looks this year.
Another one of the 'old boys' in the backyard sending up two new shoots from its spur. This little growth here will eventually produce four clusters of grapes that will weigh in at about 6 pounds. Everything in the backyard now is Syrah.
So basically every updates totally and completely breaks picture transfer and it takes hours to sort it back out. With that little rant out of the way, here's some happier thoughts.We've had bud break in all the vineyards now and as usual the home 'Haut Tubee' vineyard led the way. This is a Thompson Seedless vine in the front parkway. One of our neighbors asked us if we would plant some table grapes so we did.
This is one of the remaining 'old boys' from the original planting. This is a Grenache. That's Italian Parsley growing around it. Stefania planted all kinds of herbs and flowers around the vines. We've been using the parsley a lot and I actually discovered that the stalks get pretty thick and if you peel them they are a good addition to stews.
This is a Mourvedre vine with some California Poppy's in the foreground. This little plant will send runners down the line this year that will become cordons. The plants in the background are a mix of Crimson Clover and wildflowers. It will be another two weeks or so for the colors to really start coming out.
Here's a more mature vine closer to the house and some Crimson Clover that's already started to bloom. This plant will send out the start of spurs this year and should produce about 10 pounds of fruit.
This is one of the 'old boys' in the backyard that we've retrained to cordon and spur training. I used this particular plant in past blogs about pruning and thought I'd give an update on how it looks this year.
Another one of the 'old boys' in the backyard sending up two new shoots from its spur. This little growth here will eventually produce four clusters of grapes that will weigh in at about 6 pounds. Everything in the backyard now is Syrah.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tasting Notes on Older Wines.
Last night we opened two wine from the 2006 vintage.
2006 Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch. - This is in a really good drinking window right now. The tannins are soft and lots of secondary flavors coming through with the plum and berry fruit. Originally I put a shorter drinking window on this and I think now to 2013 is prime for this wine.
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek Vineyard - The was also really good last night, with round tannins, lots of berry and cherry fruit and a long finish. Worth trying at 5 years old and rounding out really well. There's a nice spice on he finish.
I'm going to open a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek soon. The 05 and 06 both went through rough patches from age 3 1/2 to 4 when they seemed disjointed without a long decant. The 07 has been the same for a few months now and I want to check if it's coming out of that.
2006 Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch. - This is in a really good drinking window right now. The tannins are soft and lots of secondary flavors coming through with the plum and berry fruit. Originally I put a shorter drinking window on this and I think now to 2013 is prime for this wine.
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek Vineyard - The was also really good last night, with round tannins, lots of berry and cherry fruit and a long finish. Worth trying at 5 years old and rounding out really well. There's a nice spice on he finish.
I'm going to open a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek soon. The 05 and 06 both went through rough patches from age 3 1/2 to 4 when they seemed disjointed without a long decant. The 07 has been the same for a few months now and I want to check if it's coming out of that.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Shipping Update
We're almost ready to start shipping for our Spring Release. Stefania has cleared out the garage and tabulated the orders so far. She placed an order for boxes and those will arrive next week. As soon as the boxes arrive she'll start having the wine picked up from CWT. I'll probably do this in the FJ Cruiser after work as CWT is on my way home. We can only handle about 40 cases of wine at a time in the garage with all the shipping material so we'll have to do a few runs.
She'll pull the wine and pack boxes and we'll send them to UPS in groups of 10-15. More than that and it overwhelms the UPS Store. Shipping will be on Mondays and Tuesdays to avoid having the wine sit in any warehouses over two weekends. That means the entire UPS portion of the process will likely spread out over three weeks.
California, Arizona and Nevada Orders will go out via GSO. We have more options with those as it's overnight (CA) or two day (NV, AZ). That means we can ship out Monday through Thursday. The GSO driver also is able to handle more cases at a time, so it's possible all the CA, NV and AZ orders will be done in a week and a half or so.
We still do have wine left from the Spring Release. We're very low on Crimson Clover Cabernet Sauvignon, but have good number of Chardonnay and Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon left. It's not too late to get an order in and we usually get a little grouping of orders right after Tax Day on April 15th.
She'll pull the wine and pack boxes and we'll send them to UPS in groups of 10-15. More than that and it overwhelms the UPS Store. Shipping will be on Mondays and Tuesdays to avoid having the wine sit in any warehouses over two weekends. That means the entire UPS portion of the process will likely spread out over three weeks.
California, Arizona and Nevada Orders will go out via GSO. We have more options with those as it's overnight (CA) or two day (NV, AZ). That means we can ship out Monday through Thursday. The GSO driver also is able to handle more cases at a time, so it's possible all the CA, NV and AZ orders will be done in a week and a half or so.
We still do have wine left from the Spring Release. We're very low on Crimson Clover Cabernet Sauvignon, but have good number of Chardonnay and Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon left. It's not too late to get an order in and we usually get a little grouping of orders right after Tax Day on April 15th.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Small Vineyard in Monte Sereno
There are just about 40 plants in this vineyard just outside of downtown Los Gatos. The address is Monte Sereno, but it's just 2 blocks from the main drag in Los Gatos.
The plants are Merlot from our best guess and are about 15 years old. There's a mix though of cordons from very mature to brand new which makes me think the vineyard was probably not taken care of at some point in the past, then restored.
Stefania and I went out and did all the pruning a few weeks ago. It took both of us about 35 minutes to finish and carry out the cuttings. We'll have more pictures from this vineyard as we go through the year.
The plants are Merlot from our best guess and are about 15 years old. There's a mix though of cordons from very mature to brand new which makes me think the vineyard was probably not taken care of at some point in the past, then restored.Stefania and I went out and did all the pruning a few weeks ago. It took both of us about 35 minutes to finish and carry out the cuttings. We'll have more pictures from this vineyard as we go through the year.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Snow!
This was from the storm that came through February 25th - the one that got everyone excited that it might snow on the valley floor. No such luck down below, but the foothills got a nice coat of the white stuff.
Everyone asks if the snow is bad for the vines and the standard answer in California is "not really". Frost on the other hand can zap an entire crop if the tender buds and shoots get burned.
I threw a couple of snowballs for the dogs to chase but after the second one they were on to me and then went back inside the winery to see what Paul was up to. We spent just a few hours in the morning racking the '09s and catching up on paperwork, a really light day which was nice.
We hit the Chavez market by our house and grabbed lunch at the taqueria before heading home to the kitties.
Everyone asks if the snow is bad for the vines and the standard answer in California is "not really". Frost on the other hand can zap an entire crop if the tender buds and shoots get burned.
I threw a couple of snowballs for the dogs to chase but after the second one they were on to me and then went back inside the winery to see what Paul was up to. We spent just a few hours in the morning racking the '09s and catching up on paperwork, a really light day which was nice.
We hit the Chavez market by our house and grabbed lunch at the taqueria before heading home to the kitties.
Monday, March 07, 2011
New Housemates
Meet the new kids:
This is Rupert aka Fat Cat.
She's enjoying her new couch and in/out privileges. Most afternoons I
can find her sitting among the roses just keeping an eye on things.
And this is Buster aka Little Bubba.
When he's not getting into mischief he's a social little lover with
plenty of purrs. For awhile I was calling him my my little alarm
clock. He gets up very early and likes to talk.
Rupie in the garden....
Little Bubba on the couch...
It's been just over four weeks and so far everyone is getting along. There have been minor adjustments to our normal routine but nothing dramatic. They're a lot of fun and great company to have around. I'm learning that computer work in the afternoon is impossible until Mr Loverboy gets his 15 minutes of purring and attention out of the way before he settles in for another nap. Fat Cat is happy being solitary and would prefer I not pester her all day long with constant pets, attempts at mouse play and general house noise. She's very interested in food and treats though.
This is Rupert aka Fat Cat.
She's enjoying her new couch and in/out privileges. Most afternoons I
can find her sitting among the roses just keeping an eye on things.
And this is Buster aka Little Bubba.When he's not getting into mischief he's a social little lover with
plenty of purrs. For awhile I was calling him my my little alarm
clock. He gets up very early and likes to talk.
Rupie in the garden....
Little Bubba on the couch...
It's been just over four weeks and so far everyone is getting along. There have been minor adjustments to our normal routine but nothing dramatic. They're a lot of fun and great company to have around. I'm learning that computer work in the afternoon is impossible until Mr Loverboy gets his 15 minutes of purring and attention out of the way before he settles in for another nap. Fat Cat is happy being solitary and would prefer I not pester her all day long with constant pets, attempts at mouse play and general house noise. She's very interested in food and treats though.
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Peacock Vineyard
One of the new vineyards I didn't get a picture taken of last week was this small 250 plant vineyard in Morgan Hill. Coming up with a nickname for a vineyard can be a little tough sometimes. It's also hard to describe them to Jerry so he knows where I'm sending him. So we might call something a fanciful name like' 'Vista Vineyard', but Jerry will know it as, "The Vineyard with the Crazy Lady'.
This new site though was pretty easy to come up with a nickname for and the nickname will be an easy way for Jerry to remember it too. A muster, and they are called musters if it's mixed males and females, of peafowls have made this backyard their home.
Here's a closer view of the lead Peacock. Peacocks are completely unafraid of humans when they are feral in California like this group. I don't know how they behave in India but here they largely ignore human's, cats, cars, and any other distractions.
Stefania and I were out at 8:00 AM Sunday morning (It was 32 degrees when we arrived) to show the owners how to prune. They had a vineyard management company who put it in and was taking care of the vineyard for them but this year they wanted to do most of the work themselves.
That's something we're happy to help out with. We'll answer emails and phone calls when they have questions and go out and show them how to do key things in the vineyard like pruning. Sunday we spent about an hour showing them how to prune these three year old vines.
The site is actually similar to our home vineyard. It's on the eastern side of the Santa Teresa hills in deep rich black clay. The vines will have a lot of vigor and yield well with little watering. The owners aren't actually sure if it was Zinfandel or Cab Franc that was installed. Their paperwork says Cab Franc, but the lead installer told them it was Zinfandel. Right now it's hard to tell the difference. It looks like Cab Franc to me. As soon as the plants get leaves I'll be able to tell the difference very quickly.
We're hoping the yield will be high enough to process the grapes on their own. Right now it's likely going into the Haut Tubee blend. In the future though with other vineyards we have coming on line it might be part of a Santa Clara Valley Cabernet blend.
This new site though was pretty easy to come up with a nickname for and the nickname will be an easy way for Jerry to remember it too. A muster, and they are called musters if it's mixed males and females, of peafowls have made this backyard their home.
Here's a closer view of the lead Peacock. Peacocks are completely unafraid of humans when they are feral in California like this group. I don't know how they behave in India but here they largely ignore human's, cats, cars, and any other distractions.
Stefania and I were out at 8:00 AM Sunday morning (It was 32 degrees when we arrived) to show the owners how to prune. They had a vineyard management company who put it in and was taking care of the vineyard for them but this year they wanted to do most of the work themselves.
That's something we're happy to help out with. We'll answer emails and phone calls when they have questions and go out and show them how to do key things in the vineyard like pruning. Sunday we spent about an hour showing them how to prune these three year old vines.
The site is actually similar to our home vineyard. It's on the eastern side of the Santa Teresa hills in deep rich black clay. The vines will have a lot of vigor and yield well with little watering. The owners aren't actually sure if it was Zinfandel or Cab Franc that was installed. Their paperwork says Cab Franc, but the lead installer told them it was Zinfandel. Right now it's hard to tell the difference. It looks like Cab Franc to me. As soon as the plants get leaves I'll be able to tell the difference very quickly.
We're hoping the yield will be high enough to process the grapes on their own. Right now it's likely going into the Haut Tubee blend. In the future though with other vineyards we have coming on line it might be part of a Santa Clara Valley Cabernet blend.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Saturday Vineyard Pictures
I did pretty good on Saturday, I actually took a few pictures in 2 of the 4 vineyards I visited. The 5th appointment was canceled as it was raining all day and the owner thought the vineyard was too muddy. I think the mud and rain worked to my advantage all day. Usually it's hard to stay on schedule with these types of visits as the property owners have dozens of questions.
With the rain Saturday though no one really wanted to stay outside and chat, which worked just fine for me. The first stop was a 3 acre vineyard near the Uvas Creek vineyard site. It's in the same small valley between the Santa Theresa hills and Santa Cruz Mountains that we like so much. This vineyard though was in foreclosure and has not been taken care of for two years.
The vines are black from mildew and we've nicknamed it the 'Black Hole Vineyard'. The new owners are trying to get it cleaned up and repaired. I was visiting on site to show their vineyard helper how to try and prune the vines in an attempt to recover them.
This is a closer look at just how ugly it is right now. None of the fruit was harvested last year. I doubt it could have been used with the amount of mildew on the vines. You can see there is a serious gopher problem and the trellis system is in need of a major overhaul and upgrade.
On my next two stops I didn't take pictures. The first was just about 1/2 a mile from the 'Black Hole Vineyard'. It was 250 Cab Franc plants. The vineyard was in excellent shape and the owners are just looking for someone to train them how to take care of the vines so that they can do it themselves. I'll have pictures from that one this Saturday when we go out to show them how to prune.
After that I was in Los Gatos talking with another homeowner who had just purchased a house with 40 Merlot vines in the backyard. That went fast and I had time to stop at Cooper Garrod for a visit on my way to my last appointment of the day. This is the tasting room there.
My last stop was at a 2 1/2 acre vineyard in the Mount Eden area of the Santa Cruz Mountains. This vineyard is at 900 feet and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It would be a good addition to our Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet, so we're trying to work out a deal for the fruit this year.
With the rain Saturday though no one really wanted to stay outside and chat, which worked just fine for me. The first stop was a 3 acre vineyard near the Uvas Creek vineyard site. It's in the same small valley between the Santa Theresa hills and Santa Cruz Mountains that we like so much. This vineyard though was in foreclosure and has not been taken care of for two years.
The vines are black from mildew and we've nicknamed it the 'Black Hole Vineyard'. The new owners are trying to get it cleaned up and repaired. I was visiting on site to show their vineyard helper how to try and prune the vines in an attempt to recover them.
This is a closer look at just how ugly it is right now. None of the fruit was harvested last year. I doubt it could have been used with the amount of mildew on the vines. You can see there is a serious gopher problem and the trellis system is in need of a major overhaul and upgrade.
On my next two stops I didn't take pictures. The first was just about 1/2 a mile from the 'Black Hole Vineyard'. It was 250 Cab Franc plants. The vineyard was in excellent shape and the owners are just looking for someone to train them how to take care of the vines so that they can do it themselves. I'll have pictures from that one this Saturday when we go out to show them how to prune.
After that I was in Los Gatos talking with another homeowner who had just purchased a house with 40 Merlot vines in the backyard. That went fast and I had time to stop at Cooper Garrod for a visit on my way to my last appointment of the day. This is the tasting room there.
My last stop was at a 2 1/2 acre vineyard in the Mount Eden area of the Santa Cruz Mountains. This vineyard is at 900 feet and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It would be a good addition to our Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet, so we're trying to work out a deal for the fruit this year.
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