Writing these newsletters to you three times a year temporarily diverts me from the day-to-day work I do in producing the wines and growing grapes. Sometimes it is difficult for me to find inspiration for a theme that resonates between us as humans and across lines of culture, business interests, generations, etc. Once a resonant[…]
I have been thinking a lot about the role of Dynamic Tension in wine and winemaking. My notion is that balance in wine is fundamentally built upon the two main opposing structural forces of ‘angles’ (acidity and tannin) and ‘rounds’ (glycerol, which is proportional to alcohol, and/or residual sugar, if the style relies upon it). Striving for balance means having these two opposing forces in equivalent prominence.
The 2024 growing season started off quite favorably, with a second year in a row of ample winter rains to thoroughly replenish the soil moisture. The vines look great. They have been subject to a couple of well-timed heat spells, early enough in the season to temper the newly developing leaves to those conditions. Bloom[…]
We have ‘enjoyed’ another reasonably moisture-laden rainy season this year (though in our area it was more spread out over the season in contrast to all the flooding in Southern California). This moisture is good for the health of perennial plants, including grapevines. When rainfall is spread out, more of it has a chance to soak into the soil as opposed to simply running off toward the ocean making headlines along the way. I’m going to continue relishing the more generous rainfall years and tolerating the less generous ones, dealing with the ebb and flow of moisture as it comes. From a historical perspective, until super dry seasons begin stringing together for more than 2 years in a row, it is nothing different than what our area has seen for at least 170 years.
For years I’ve wished for another chance to re-do the 1991 vintage. It was our first vintage under our own label, highlighting Zinfandel from the family vineyard. The early part of 2023 became as close to that re-do of 1991 that I have wished for. The Brix was lagging all other measures/assessments of ripeness that folks have recently become accustomed to, plus weather was mild and cool, allowing the vines to make changes slowly.
At long last, we had enough winter rainfall to fill the soil profile to field capacity. Then, as if that wasn’t good enough, we got extra rain in early May which really got the vines into high gear growth. The plants haven’t looked this happy for quite some time. It would be nice to be able to bank some of that ‘extra’ rainfall for the seasons when nature turned the tap mostly off. The reality is that California historically experiences feast and famine in rainfall despite our desires for ‘average’ temperatures and precipitation every year. So, with this herky-jerky ride in mind (somewhat of a rodeo ride vs. a draft horse pulled wagon) we endeavor to keep one hand on the hack rein and the other high in the air with the vagaries of each season, just like our ancestors did. We are becoming accustomed to this one-handed method of riding, for better or worse. Just gotta hang on.
With the recent banking debacles in the world, it has become quite evident that the way we collectively avoid a perceived or revealed risk can become a self-fulfilling prophecy causing dominoes to fall back onto ourselves and/or others. Those of us engaged in short shelf-life agricultural products, like grapes and their conversion to more stable forms like wine, have had to grow accustomed to varied levels of risk. We appreciate your support in helping us navigate these waters as we have striven for stability for over three decades.
Time: We are all born with an unknown amount of “time-wealth” that we trade for other forms of wealth. It’s strange to consider making “purchases” with an asset that one has little idea of how much they actually have to spend. One can only hope that there is more! Timing: This is where the true value of the time spent and the amount of time left to spend can be assessed. Leaving a building, just before the earthquake levels it, is of greater value than planning to leave it an hour later! In this case, the timing determines the amount of time left to spend. Similarly, timing of harvesting determines the outcome of the wine, especially when conditions become extreme.
Old vines, old barns, old tractors and old tools; they were designed with common sense and they still do what they were made for. Of course, there is always a place for a new way that supports the concepts that made the old ways timeless. But they must pass ‘the common sense test’ before throwing[…]
Just as we are mentally ready to declare that the Covid pandemic is over and return to a life similar to before… there are now other existential threats surfacing in Eastern Europe which affect the rest of the world. History repeats itself so regularly and it’s an important reminder that this happens to real people, not just distant ones on the media. The Rolling Stones were young people at the time they wrote the title song, living a day at a time. All the founding members were born in the years during WWII and grew up during the aftermath and recovery in Great Britain. It is remarkable how much wisdom it communicates about the human condition. The message of this song seems quite apt today for reasons beyond the initial thrust of the song.
