Author: Judi Scherrer

Opinions on labels seem to be like faces: everyone has one. And over the past few years we have heard an increasing number of ‘suggestions’ from customers that our label does not do justice to the wine in the bottle…So after sixteen vintages under the same basic design, we were finally persuaded to consider a stronger brand image, an elegant, uncluttered design and most of all, a style that represents the quality of wine in the bottle.

As well we knew with the long cold spring and the generally cool summer (save a couple of hot weeks),
harvest began for us in later September. While in most years Fred has begun to surface by this point, this
year grapes are still coming in and the red fermentations are just reaching the right time for pressing.
With his creativity (and wit!) focused on the winemaking at this point, I’ve only been able to glean a few
newsletter tidbits from him regarding the new releases. I’m afraid the only insights on this vintage I can
provide are those of this side-line observer. Fortunately, I have an inside line! As with every harvest, there
has been a bit more heat than anyone wants, a bit more rain than anyone wants, and some really beautiful
fall weather with warm days and cool nights that everyone wants! And while it’s awfully hard to keep a
steady course in the midst of the turmoil and fatigue that these last critical weeks of harvest bring, Fred’s
vision of what the future holds for the grapes he’s working is so strong, it keeps him true to the course. The picking, the pressing, the racking, the bottling… it will happen when it needs to and not before, all in good time.

There is something that we are beginning to realize at this stage of our lives. It is that winemaking, like parenting, is an endeavor that requires patience, resources, patience, sensibility, patience, responsiveness,patience, and most of all, patience.

While they can show very well young, our style of winemaking rewards some additional time in the bottle. We are fortunate to be able to 1) refine this style without compromise in order to satisfy mundane, yet unavoidable business realities (cash flow), 2) relieve some of your angst over opening that ‘last’ bottle of a recent release and 3) provide reasonably developed wines to restaurants and wine shops.

As a teenager in the mid-1970’s I made wine at home (with the blessing of my parents, of course). My uncle Mario used to tease me about the project, calling it ‘Zinfandoodle’ rather than Zinfandel. He also asked me to make some ‘Muscadoodle’ as well because it would taste better. This from a man who makes vinegar?

What stared out as a beautifully moderate growing season finished up with a rudely
long hot spell and very low humidity. Our ‘fountain of hope’ flowed, and we proceeded with the vintage
with a combination of optimism and tempered expectations. Well, my worst fears were not realized. Newly
fermented wine lots have turned out extremely well, with very few exceptions.

Along with the burgeoning springtime growth, a person’s thoughts turn to…our 2003 Zinfandel futures
release, and other spring releases. Well, maybe not entirely. One must have priorities, I suppose.

Be it agriculture, baseball, music, marketing, comedy, or winemaking, it’s all a matter of timing. When you: plant your crop, swing the bat, set the tempo/attack the note, roll out the product, deliver the punch-line, or pick/punch-down/press, it’s all about the timing. No vintage illustrates this concept better than 2004.

This summer, we were offered a lease on the rest of the building… We are currently preparing the additional space and moving in. Hopefully, we will be well-situated by the open house. However, this doesn’t mean a continued increase in production. The past years’ increases have met my physical limit at this point. Instead, it means barrels will be stacked closer to the ground and I can think more about winemaking, less about shuffling.

We tend to handle our wines sparingly, aging them a little longer in barrel than most producers. We also find a real reward with some additional time in bottle. So, while our bottling and release schedule may be inconsistent with many other wineries, we find this consistent with what our wines want. Some of life’s pleasures, including food and wine, are best undertaken and enjoyed at a slow pace…don’t you think?