Hooray for May!
The deck awning was installed on May 1st and it is so nice to have it back again. The weather is improving, it is greening up everywhere so fast you can almost see it happening right before your eyes. In fact, you can! Just visit our LIVE Webcam.
We've completed the tasks of trimming and tying the canes for the entire vineyard on schedule, but as always, trellis work continues. Bud break occurred yesterday, with the tiny buds loving the warm temperatures and intermittent sunshine. Our two red French hybrids, Chancellor and Marechal Foch are usually the first varieties to show and they didn't disappoint.
To take advantage of the unique properties of our microclimate, we are adding two new red-wine grape varieties to our vineyard: Lagrein, which is an ancient grape variety from northeastern Italy, and Zweigelt, the most widely planted red-wine grape in Austria. In preparation for the young vines, we are tilling the soil and pulling stones out of two vineyard blocks. We expect the first harvest of these grapes will be around 2024. With time in the cellar, release of the wines will be a year or so later. The path to making great wines is a long one that requires patience!
This month, Vinny and George will be bottling the 2018 Vignoles and 2018 Pinot Gris.
Vignoles
From the semi-sweet 2018 Vignoles, a bright and silky wine, you can expect mouthwatering, complex aromas with flavors of honey, tropical fruit, and caramel apple.
Club Members will receive an exclusive preview of this vintage at our party on June 15th. If you would like to be notified when this delicious wine is available, please sign up here.
Pinot Gris
While the 2018 Pinot Gris will return to the cellar for aging, our 2017 Pinot Gris is now available for purchase. This crisp wine offers juicy notes of sweet and spicy orange blossom mixed with vanilla crème and tangy white peach and pear flavors finishing with a rounded, vibrant feel.
New May wine releases include the 2016 Blaufränkisch which will join our amazing red wine lineup as well as our 2013 Sparkling Gewürztraminer which will replace the sold out Blanc de blancs.
We are proud to share our latest review from Wine Enthusiast which gave our 2016 North Block Five Pinot Noir 90 points!
"Light ruby in color, aromas of tart red berries and pomegranate frame the nose, with delicate accents of red flowers and woodland spice providing depth. There's a real sense of vitality on the palate. It's loaded with fresh acidity that props up all the tangy red-fruit flavors, with shades of spice and granite broadening out the feel." -A.P. June, 2019
For the most up-to-date list of events, please visit our Events Calendar.