I was asked, why Chenin Blanc?

My first thought was the sarcastic answer, why not Chenin Blanc? But then I thought about it. When I first started in the wine business Chenin Blanc was planted throughout the north coast. But as the popularity of Chardonnay and other varieties grew the acres in Sonoma and Napa started to shrink and so did the amount of wineries producing Chenin. There are very limited plantings in Sonoma/Napa these days, also Monterey, Mendocino, & Santa Barbara counties. We produced a Dry Chenin Blanc when I worked at Kenwood Vineyards, and it was a great wine but like so many other producers Sauvignon Blanc & Chardonnay were dominating the white wine market. So the Chenin Blanc that we received was used as a blending grape in the Vintage White Table wine. So when we started our winery it was a chance to make a wine I enjoyed drinking and to try to pay it the respect that I think it deserves.

Chenin Blanc is thrives in Clarksburg in the California Delta and is still widely planted in other parts of the central valley. Like many grape varieties the quality of the bottled wine depends the farming and the decision of when to harvest the grapes. It is a vigorous, reasonably high-yeilding variety that left unmanaged can dilute the grape’s distinct characteristics. 2011 will mark the 3rd vintage that I will be bottling this incredibly diverse grape variety.

Chenin Blanc is always being called one of the most diverse grape varieties there are. Grown in the Loire Valley in France it is produced in all styles from sparkling wine to desert wines. In South Africa, where it goes by the name of Steen, Chenin Blanc accounts for nearly one third of all grape vines. It is also widely planted in Mexico, South America, Australia and New Zealand. But is used primarily used as a blending grape and varietal bottling’s rarely make it to the US market.

My Dry Chenin Blanc is fermented in stainless steel to preserve the great fruit that the grapes express and then aged in the tank on the lees to integrate the fruit and the acid. Our current release from the 2009 vintage is tasting really good.

So the next time your in your favorite wine shop looking for a bottle of white wines ask about Chenin Blanc

Crush Lunch in honor of a great friend.

When I worked at Kenwood Vineyards (1986-1998) during harvest they fed us Crush Lunch. Now this was a welcome break during the middle of the day which was usually a 12-16 hour day. When Mike Lee hired me he told me about lunch but I had no idea what an amazing experience it was. These lunches were not sandwiches ordered from the local deli or burritos from one of our local taco trucks. We were talking Pomegranate Chicken with Rice Pilaf, or spaghetti and Meatball the size of baseballs. There were always very nice wines and the conversation was always entertaining. I think it’s some thing we all loved and valued. And no one loved it more than our boss Mike Lee, he would hold court, always sat in the middle of the and coworkers, grape growers, sales reps and various other friends. Mike passed away on May 2nd on a golf course, oddly enough he was not playing but the caddy, none the less he was somewhere that he loved. Mike loved Kenwood Vineyards and we all loved Mike, he was alway quick to say hello, perhaps give you a hard time about something or ask you when you were going to buy him lunch. Of course it was a rare occasion that he let you buy lunch, you had to excuse yourself from the table to go slip the server a credit card.
Since I was not able to attend the memorial and wasn’t going to see so many people that we shared meals with there was only one thing to do. So a list was started, and no doubt I could have made a list of hundreds of people who contributed to what Kenwood Vineyard grew into from where it began in 1970. Put this was a group with in that amazing group, most of us were in production. This ment sometime in our careers we had stained cracked hands, overfilled a tank, was tasting wine at 7:00am, and took a break during a crazy day to have lunch.

So last Friday I invited about 30 people over for Crush Lunch, we had Caesar salad, Garlic bread, and Rigatoni with an amazing meat sauce. It truly was what I had hoped, a group of friends, colleagues and co-workers sharing stories and memories. The laughter was contagious and the stories remembered were priceless. Some still work at Kenwood Vineyards, most of us have moved on to other things. I could go on and on with a list of what people have done in their careers, but that’s not really important. What’s important is that the “rootstock” for the vine is Mike Lee, it has roots that go deep into the soil and the “canes” of this vine continue to grow and share their experiences.
Here’s a couple of pictures of some bottles that we had at lunch, it was a great day, it had rained all day but the sun came out when it was important.

I think I can speak for everyone that knew Mike in saying that he will be missed more than anyone can imagine. And I can’t thank him enough for giving me my start in the wine business. I learned so much from him that had nothing to do with making wine, and I hope that I can share those things in the future again with my friends from Kenwood Vineyards and all the people I meet in the future.

I’ll raise a glass of wine to Mike and I hope you will join me.

CHEERS!

If you knew or met Mike, I’d love to hear from you. Share a story or thought here…

Save the Bees

Last Saturday, I was walking across our property and I could hear a very distinctive buzz, there was not doubt what is was the question was where were they. Up on the hill over a valley oak there was a swarm of bee’s the side of a small car. I tried to capture the swarm with a “camera” but this is one of those things that you have to see in person. Now our yard has a very healthy bee population, they love the Alove Vera, Santa Barbara Daisy, lavender, Rosemary and all the other pollen producing plants around. We so many things to feed on they never bother us while we are outside. But this swarm had me concerned, I hate getting stung! I was aware of a vineyard owner in Glen Ellen that had started to establish some hives on their property, so with their help we contacted their “bee keeper”. When they arrived the swarm had become a mass attached to the oak tree that they were swarming around. I now understand that what was happening is that a the swarm is looking for a new hive. The swarms job is to protect the Queens while the “scouts” are searching for that new hive. In our case the hope was to capture the hive and give it a great home on an organic vineyard and ranch in Glen Ellen. As we listened and learned the swarm released from the “mass” and started to move. Again something that can not be caught on film or explained, you have to see it. When a honey bee swarm looks for a hive they do not fly far at first. They may gather in a tree or on a branch only a few meters from the original hive. There, they mass around the queen and send 20 -50 scout bees out to find a suitable new nest locations. The scout bees are the most experienced foragers in the cluster. We figured that the scouts had found a possible hive and was moving towards it, we followed.

At one point we thought we had lost the swarm in the tree’s but all you had to do was listen, the “buzz” led us to a old Valley Oak that had a dead branch, covered in moss and a crack in the bark. The branch was covered in bee’s all stepping over each other to get inside, it seems that the scouts had for a new home for this group, the Queen was already inside and they were all back to work.

It is estimated that one-third of the human food supply depends on insect pollination, most of which is accomplished by bees. Contract pollination has overtaken the role of honey production for beekeepers in many countries. But as we continue to see a decline in the bee population seeing this very organized community work together for a common goal was really exciting.

Take a look at http://www.save-bee.com/blog/index/type/2/ there are some really interesting articles. And remember to help Save the Bee’s

more hives at the Jardin Du Luxembourg in Paris

Charcuterie class with the Chefs from Estate & The Girl & the Fig

I had an amazing experience a couple weeks ago, I took a class at the catering kitchen for The Girl and the Fig. Growing up in Petaluma with my mom’s Swiss/Italian heritage my family was always sharing dried salami and other charcuterie. At any give family gathering there was always a large plate of “Anti Pasta’ which was a selection of dried salami’s and pickled vegetables. My uncle and his friends make both dried salami and sausages made pork and venison. The aroma and the taste is one of my earliest memories of a comfort food. There is something to be said about hand-made product, weather it be bottle of wine, a meal made from fresh locally grown ingredients, a piece of art that catches you eye or a custom bicycle build for just you. All of these thing are works of art, and it seems as our world keeps getting more and more busy the one place we can slow down and really enjoy is in the food we eat. Do thing that are hand-made taste, look or perform better? I believe so yes, but you will have to make up your own mind.

I am not going to try to explain to you what is was that we did in this very hands on class. But will try to convince you that if you enjoy and appreciate thing hand-made, with the finest products then go out and learn how it’s done. On this day we made Coppa, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Pancetta, and Sabe & Oregano Salami. Don’t get me wrong this is not easy, preparing a food originally intended as a way to preserve meats before the advent of refrigeration, they are prepared today for their flavors derived from the preservation processes.There are many ways to prepare types of charcuterie, the two processes we used were salt cured or brined and fermented.

Salt serves four main purposes in the preservation of food in the charcuterie kitchen. The first is inducing osmosis: this process involves the movement of water outside of the membranes of the cells, which in turn reabsorb the salted water back into the cell; this process assists in the destruction of harmful pathogens. The second is dehydration, which means that the salt pulls excess water from the protein, which aids in the shelf-life of the protein as there is less moisture present for bacteria to thrive in. Fermentation is the third, in which salt assists in halting the fermentation process in meat which would otherwise completely break it down. Finally, salt assists in denaturing proteins, which in essence means that the structure of the proteins is effectively shifted, similar to the effects of cooking.

Pork Belly dry rubbed

Apple Wood Bacon after being smoked

Beef and Pork ready to ground

Fermented sausages are created by salting chopped or ground meat to remove moisture, while allowing beneficial bacteria to break down mild flavored proteins into highly aromatic and flavorful molecules. Bacteria, including Lactobacilli and Leuconostoc, break down these proteins and produce lactic acid which not only affects the flavor of the sausage, but also lowers the pH from 6 to 4.5-5, preventing the growth of bacteria that could spoil the sausage. These effects are magnified during the drying process, as the salt and acidity are concentrated as moisture is extracted.

There is a lot of science that goes along with making any of these products so they are safe to eat and share. So I encourage you to try to make your own Bacon or Coppa sometime, but pick up a book about it, or better yet take one of the classes that Chef John Toluze teaches it’s a lot of fun and you will have a great appreciation for Mano Formate.

http://www.estate-sonoma.com/events.html

ZAP Zinfandel Advocates & Producers 19th Grand Tasting

Founded in 1991, ZAP is a non profit organization dedicated to expanding public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel. The common focus is the preservation and recognition of Zinfandel as America’s wine. ZAP organizes seminars, educational programs, and tastings at wineries and other settings across the United States to explain the uniqueness of the Zinfandel grape. ZAP promotes the continuing research surrounding the origins and history of the Zinfandel grape, and it all culminates at the Zinfandel Festival held the last weekend of January. Tastings started on Thursday evening with the Good Eats tasting where winery’s are paired with restaurants and then on Friday night for a dinner/tasting called Flights. But the most popular event is the Grand Tasting held at Fort Mason on the beautiful San Francisco Bay.

In 1992 I came to the tasting and pour wines for Kenwood Vineyards, the tasting was held in a small room at Ft. Mason and was well attended but nothing like the +5000 people who attended Saturdays tasting. As many events that involve tasting wine and people who are ready to have a good time somewhere along the way it changes from a tasting to a drinking. The Zap organizer’s do a great job plenty of baguette’s of French bread, great selections of cheese plenty of water and dump buckets, but even the most conservative taster has would be amazed at the number of wines to taste. It doesn’t help that there are not many wines under 15.0% alchol.

Here’s a few of the wines that I really enjoyed.

Amapola Creek 06 Monte Rosso & 07 Vina Antiquas, Sonoma Valley

Bedrock Vineyards, 08 Old Vine Blend, Sonoma Valley

Benessere 06 Collins Old Vines, Napa Valley

Franz Hill Vineyard 06 Napa Valley

Haywood Winery 07 Morning Sun & 07 Rocky Terrace

Novy Family Winery, 2008 Russian River Valley

Papapietro Perry, 07 Timbercrest Farms, Dry Creek Valley

Ridge Vineyards, 08 Geyserville, Sonoma County

Seghesio, 07 Old Vine & 07 Cortina, Dry Creek Valley

St Francis Winery 07 Kaaren’s Terrace, Sonoma Valley

Tin Barn Vineyards, 07 Dalraddy Napa Valley & 07 Gilsson, Russian River Valley

Turley 08 Hayne Vineyard, Napa Valley

This is a small list of the wines being offered on Saturday, but these are the wines I stood out to me. Trust me this tasting is not the place to go and decide if you love or hate one of the wines. Zinfandel more than any other variety is produced in many different styles and no where is it more clear than at ZAP. I selected these wines for their balance, meaning that the alcohol was in check they were not cloying sweet, or tasted like Chateau Two By Four. And because they just tasted really good. A good friend asked me once “Why is it that things that are considered defect’s in other wines are accepted with Zinfandel?” My reply was we don’t have to make them that way. It’s not to say that Zinfandel make with high alcohol and still slightly sweet aren’t enjoyable wines, they are just a bit overwhelming, and show better with foods that can stand up to the wine.

If you haven’t been to this great tasting, start training for it. Next year is the 20th anniversary, I am sure it’s going to be epic.

Cheers

Bart

Los Chamizal Vineyard

The first time I remember tasting a wine from Peter Haywood’s Los Chamizal Vineyard it was at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair in 1987. I knew that I was really interested in Zinfandel’s and was amazed at how different they were. That night one of my favorites was from Sonoma’s Haywood Winery owned my Peter Haywood and made by winemaker Charlie Tolbert Los Chamizal Vineyard was their Estate Vineyard.

One of California’s most highly regarded Zinfandel vineyards, Los Chamizal is situated in the mountains of southern Sonoma Valley, one mile north of the town of Sonoma. Its beautifully terraced vines are carved into steeply sloping hillsides reaching 800 feet in elevation. The vineyard’s 42 acres of Zinfandel, grafted with budwood selections from seven North Coast vineyards pre-dating Prohibition are planted in nine distinct blocks with soils ranging from well-drained sandy clay loams at the lower elevations to thin, shallow, fractured basalt soils at the highest elevations. Most vines are head-trained in the old style and planted on St. George or 1103 Paulson rootstocks, which help keep average crop yields to 2-3 tons/per acre.

The vineyard has a moderately warm climate (a Region 11-111 in the UC Davis heat classification system), but the vines enjoy cooler evening air, which preserves higher acidity levels in their grapes. Peter Haywood farms Los Chamizal sustainably, using compost and organic fertilizers to nurture the soil, permanent cover crops, and no insecticides. The grapes harvested over a six-week period, with individual sections of the vineyard often picked more than once.

We received 2 tons of Zinfandel from Los Chamizal from the Upper Weise clones on the western side of the vineyard. The grapes were destemed and then cold soaked for about 5 days. As the grapes started to warm the fermentation kicked in. When the wine was dry it was pressed directly into barrels. I selected one and two year old French oak barrels and a single brand new American oak barrel from Seguin Moreau Cooperage in Napa.

Getting grapes from this vineyard is very exciting, and the first of a list of vineyards here in Sonoma Valley that we will be seeking for our growing Zinfandel portfolio. I look forward to tasting this wine with you.

Cheers

Bart

Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers

When I started working at Kenwood Vineyards there were two different organizations Sonoma Valley Vintners Association and the Sonoma Valley Grape Growers Association. At the time there were 15 winery’s in the Vintners Association. In 1992 the two organizations combined to for the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers. The SVVGA currently represents 73 (make that 74 now) vintners and 166 grape growers in the Sonoma Valley. The purpose of the SVVGA is to promote Sonoma Valley wines, grapes and the Sonoma Valley appellation while fostering cooperation among Sonoma Valley vintners and growers and the local community. The Alliance works to promote the importance of the wine industry to the local economy and to ensure a healthy social and political environment conducive to grape growing the wine making. The organization has come along ways since then, but as some organizations grow they sometimes become less focused and more distracted. The SVVGA has done just the opposite, Sonoma Valley wines have never been better represented.

Dane Cellars joined today, we look to being part of this great organization as our new winery grows. We will be pouring our wines at the next event Vinolivo on February 12th, 2010 at The Lodge at Sonoma. Part of the Annual Sonoma Valley Olive Season, the VinOlivo fundraiser is a Gala Celebration and Feast. Enjoy all that Sonoma Valley Wine Country has to Offer: Sip Sonoma Valley’s best wines as you get to know the personalities behind the wine; Ignite your Taste Buds with Culinary Delights from over 20 of Sonoma’s Finest Restaurants, Caterers, and Artisans; Sample Local Savory Olives and Olive Oils at the Olive Bar. get more details here.

http://www.sonomavalley.com/OliveFestival/index.html

Bud Break

The grape starts its annual growth cycle in the spring with bud break. In Sonoma Valley, this stage begins around March. Pruning usualy is done in late winter, when the vines are dorment. As the ground warms and the saps begin to raise in the vines we start to see the vines start to “bleed”. This bleeding occurs when the soil begins to warm and osmotic forces pushes water, containing a low concentration of organic acids, minerals and sugar, up from the root system of the vine and it is expelled from the cuts (or “wounds”) left over from pruning the vine.

Tiny buds on the vine start to swell and eventually shoots begin to grow from the buds. Buds are the small part of the vine that rest between the vine’s stem and the petiole (leaf stem). The energy to facilitate this growth comes from reserves of carbohydrates stored in roots and wood of the vine from the last growth cycle. Eventually the shoots sprout tiny leaves that can begin the process of photosynthesis, producing the energy to accelerate growth. After about 4 weeks the growth of the shoots starts to rapidly accelerate with the shoots grow up to 1 inch a day.

No really, I am going to write something on a regular basis

It always starts with best intentions. And before harvest starts there all these ideas about what I want to share with you about harvest and winemaking. I have so many subjects started in my Moleskin. But lets face it I am not Oscar Wilde or Ernest Hemingway, though their writing makes we want to write and try to express my thoughts and ideas. Still every year at budbreak I can’t help put think about the journey that we embark on until fall when the grapes have been harvested, and the fermentations are complete. So this year I did take some time each week to refect on what was going on in the winery and in the vineyards. The only thing I didn’t do is actually express it here.

As of this afternoon I only have one more tank of grapes that need to finsh fermenting, our 09 Syrah from the Lasseter Vineyard in Glen Ellen. This vineyard is farmed organicaly by Palo Alto Vineyard Management. The rest of the wines are in barrels begining to settle and develop.

I would love to hear what sort of things you want to know about. I would love for this to be interactive, we should all leave feeling like we have learned something.

2009 has been a amzing year I can’t wait to tell you about it.

Cheers

The first signs of Verasion

Originally posted August 2009

  

First signs

I took this picture on Friday afternoon. Our Old Vine Zinfandel vineyard looks really good this year. And even though I have seen some single berrys starting to turn, Friday was the day I am calling the start of verasion. Technically, verasion is a term that applies to one of the periods of the ripening process. During this period the grower must be alert and sensitive to what is going on in the vineyard. In June and July the bunches and individual grapes gradually grow and develop. During this period the sugar level is about 6%. This year as most years in August the grapes begin to accumulate sugar, this period is called verasion. Red grapes like Zinfandel and Syrah begin to turn purple, white grapes like Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes turn from an opaque emerald green to a beautiful translucent golden green. And during all this the sugar level is steadily increasing, moving in a matter of three to six weeks from 6% to 22 -24% sugar. This is the magic of photosynthesis, and the grapes will generate about a ton of sugar per acre. 

 

This is a critical time for both the winery and vineyard managers. Weather wise, the grapes need warm days with temperatures between 85 and 95 degrees and no rain. Nighttime temperatures should be 65 – 75 degrees. This year we have had a very cool spring and early summer. As of today harvest looks like it will be later than “normal”.