Napa Valley Vintners

'Exercise Your Taste Buds,' from Peju Province Winery

2012-01-06T14:33:00.000-08:00

PEJU Winemaker Sara Fowler tasted through sixty different barrel lots of the 2009 and 2010 red wines in our cellar yesterday. She called it "checking in with the wine." What was she checking for?

"I'm checking to see how the wine is maturing, how it's progressing, and to see if any of the individual barrels need attention."

Sixty glasses of wine lined the Production office. Incredulous, I asked her how she could possibly maintain the ability to taste the subtleties in numbers fifty through sixty (or even after #20). She chuckled and said,

"Sixty is nothing! I used to have to taste hundreds of wines in a day at one of the other wineries where I've worked. I'll just take a break after the first thirty, do something else for a couple of hours, and then come back to the last thirty."

At Peju, we age our Napa Valley tier reds for 16-18 months, and our Reserve wines for 26 months, so at this time, Sara is tasting through the 2009 Reserves and 2010 Napa Valley tier reds.

"The 2009 Reserves are dee-licious!" She says with glee. Our Reserves are Cabernet Franc- and Cabernet Sauvignon-predominant Bordeaux blends made exclusively from fruit grown certified organically on our Rutherford Estate. "Though each barrel will impart slightly different flavor characteristics-- and we purchase barrels from several different cooperages for this reason-- all the 2009 reserve wines themselves are full of rich, ripe, dark fruit flavors. 2009 was the last great year before the trickier two to follow, but I've been pleasantly surprised at the way the 2010's are tasting today, as well."

"I have the best job in the world," Sara said, as I turned to leave. "It just doesn't get much better than making wine in the Napa Valley. I can't wait to play with these delicious [barrel] lots and start blending later this month!"

by Britt Starr for Peju Province Winery

view the full Blog here: Peju Crush Chronicles

Napa Vintners Announce Partnership with UC Davis

2011-12-21T15:28:00.000-08:00

We are proud to announce that the NVV is partnering with the University of California at Davis to host a unique, professional development course for winemakers and enologists to be held in the Napa Valley focusing on topics relevant to commercial winemaking.

The Wine Flavor class is structured with tastings coupled with discussion, taught by UC Davis faculty.The inaugural class will be held on January 13, 2012 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm at The Culinary Institute of America, Greystone in St. Helena. The cost is $150 per person (including lunch) for NVV members and $225 per person for non-NVV members. Topics will include the recognition of common microbial off characters including sulfur taints, ML/bacterial taints, fermentation-derived taints and spoilage organisms, among others. Please contact Connor Best at the NVV at 707-968-4225 or email cbest@napavintners.com for more information or to sign up for the class.

No More Monkeying Around in the Cellar for Me at Peju Province Winery

2011-12-08T13:01:00.000-08:00

Today, I write to you from my brightly lit desk in the very tame upstairs offices. Actually, ironically, I just heard a cacophony of high-pitched hollers from the other end of the offices. Sounds like a big sale came in, woo-hoo! The holidays are an exciting time for Patti, Jess & Christina who take care of phone sales. Anyway, it is the first Friday in two months that I've had to iron before clothing myself presentably, and that I've come to work to spend the day wielding the almighty mouse and keyboard. Slightly different strengths required than those for wielding the heavy hoses and 20-gallon buckets of juice in the cellar. I am in the office today because finally the seasonal work requiring so many extra hands has come to an end. There is still much going on for the full time cellar workers, but they've got that under control. We drained our very last tank yesterday to press and barrel down today- Cabernet Sauvignon from one of the later-ripening blocks on our Persephone Vineyard. Almost all of the leaves have fallen off the vines, which are now dormant and will remain so until spring when the weather warms, rousing the vines out of their winter stillness to begin again to do what they are meant to- to photosynthesize, to pull nutrients out of the ground to create leaves and eventually to flower and to bear fruit.

'Dormancy', as defined by Wikipedia, is "a period in an organism's life cycle when growth, development, and (in animals) physical activity are temporarily stopped. This minimizes metabolic activity and therefore helps an organism to conserve energy." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dormancy) My organism can relate to that.

Dormant Vines on Peju's Rutherford Estate

Next week Winemaker Sara, Assistant Winemaker Joe, and Production Planner Sheri will begin tasting through the 2011 whites to see how the now two-and-a-half-month-old wine is tasting, and to start thinking about how they'll want to blend it in a month or two. Blending involves systematic tasting through barrel-aged versus tank-aged lots, lots in French versus American and new versus neutral oak, and then blending varietals with any combination of these variations. Love how winemaking involves doing science with your taste buds.

Most of the work that's going on in the cellar these days is to take care of the older vintages of reds that were laying low in their barrels while Harvest's new crop, like a needy newborn sibling, took all of the attention. Mostly, it's the topping I mentioned in a a recent blog post that the crew is busy with now. On a monthly rotation, the crew will bring all of the hundreds of barrels in our Estate cellar out to the crush pad to make sure the headspace in each barrel is at a minimum, lest the wine breathe too much oxygen and lose its youthful vigor.

Naked Vines Soak Up Some Winter Sun

And as the vineyard rests for winter, the sales team springs to action for the most wonderful time of year for us humans! It is certainly true that some of the best gifts in life are free. But wine is always a great gift too. Cheers!

Brittany Starr for Peju Province Winery

View from Peju, December 6, 2011

VIADER has been busy!

2011-12-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

Forgive me bloggers, it has been over six months since my last confession...

I'll give you an update through photos.

Back in April, our winemaker Alan Viader was teaching his young son about pruning in the small section of Syrah & Shiraz that we have growing on our estate.

We also applied our annual allotment of fresh compost at the beginning of the year, using the mulch from our leftover grape skins & seeds from the 2010 harvest. Delia a.k.a. Mom, does not appreciate having the compost site right next to her home at the top of the vineyard, but Alan swears we don't have any other place to put it! NIMBY!

Springtime flew by, and we enjoyed warm evenings and beautiful sunsets, without the threat of frost up on the mountain. A typical saying is that if you make it to Mother's Day without a big frost, you're in the clear. Although we have great sun exposure and constant breezes, I try not to mention the "F-word" (frost) for fear of calling it over! Just like "R-word" (rain) around harvest time... Call me superstitious.

In the summer, we were all things "Auction Napa Valley," preparing our "Black Label" Barrel Lot and participating in multiple events. Alan took a little creative license to decorate our barrel for Friday's Marketplace event, which was a special blend full of "black" fruits. We had all hands on deck for the Marketplace event, with Alan and Cante, our hospitality director pouring at the barrel. Delia was out front pouring our current release of the VIADER "Black Label" and our signature VIADER Proprietary Cabernet Blend, and I was out promoting the E-Auction with my iPad and fellow "E-Squad" volunteers.

Despite the weather, we had a wonderful Auction Napa Valley and raised $7.3m for our community. Mom had a fun interview with her buddy Jean-Charles Boisset and Gavin Newsom under the tents at Meadowood on CRN Radio's "What's Cookin' with Mike Horn." I'm not sure how much of the conversation was actually centered around the wine auction, but I know it was interesting nonetheless!

Fast forward to Harvest 2011. Here are the highlights:

Happy Holidays everyone!

Sincerely,

Janet Viader, Sales & Marketing at VIADER

GI Status Approval in Thailand

2011-11-29T17:20:00.000-08:00

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) non-profit trade association representing more than 420 wineries in the appellation announced today that the country of Thailand has recognized Napa Valley with Geographic Indication (GI) Status that will protect the American wine region from misuse of its name in wine labeling in that country.

The NVV worked directly with Thailand's Department of Intellectual Property on the registration which reads, "The combination of Napa Valley's unique geography, climate, geology, and the winemaking traditions as well as the human skills of the Napa Valley vintners give Napa Valley wine its distinctive taste and unique characters."

"This is a terrific accomplishment for our trade group in protecting our appellation's name from fraudulent use in yet another high-profile, emerging wine market," said NVV Executive Director Linda Reiff. "We have been able to achieve this and other GI recognitions by working directly with these government agencies, such as our successes in the EU and India, which is important to building our export channels for Napa Valley wines."

"It's necessary to know that consumers of Napa Valley wine in Thailand will be able to trust that if it reads 'Napa Valley' on the label, that the wine in the bottle is indeed from California's Napa Valley," said Pat Stotesbery of Ladera Vineyards who chairs the Napa Name Protection Committee for the association.

Read the full press release.

NVV Harvest 2011: Winemaking

2011-11-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

With All Our Grapes Safely in Tank and Barrel, We Begin Our Descent Into Winter Calm at Peju Province Winery...

2011-11-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

With the number of work orders diminishing each day, the cellar dance has changed from a swift and sprightly Viennese waltz to the more moderately-tempoed American variety. I watch the team work now and I imagine the cellar like one giant music box with the song coming to an end and all the players slowing simultaneously to a halt as the box lid closes us inside the dark, quiet of winter. We can no longer celebrate (or commiserate in) the craziness of being ‘in the middle of Harvest’, yet there is still work to do. Interns and temporary workers are starting to prepare for their migration to the other side of the equator for the next one. The high of Harvest end’s cheer and festivity gives way to the realization of what will pretty immediately follow: a cold, wet winter with less time in the day and less people in the Valley. But whoa woe, it is now the Holiday Season! Americans’ favorite time of year! A time when opportunity abounds to spend quality time with family and friends. A time of reflection and joy and thankfulness and snuggling in tight. A time of cooking up old traditions, of getting inventive with those that have gone stale, and a time when red wine never tasted so good.

Much of what is now 2011 red wine in the Peju cellar has been drained and pressed, though a handful of ferments are still finishing up. When a ferment finishes, Peju Winemaker Sara usually lets the wine mingle with the skins in the tank for a bit before pressing off the skins and putting the wine into French and American oak barrels to age. This prolonged contact of the wine with the skins at the end of fermentation is called ‘extended maceration.’ Maceration is simply the name given to the process by which all that good stuff in the skins is extracted by the juice. This occurs naturally upon contact with one another. Phenolic compounds give color to what would otherwise be clear(ish) juice and tannins give structure/body to the wine, which also give it the potential to age. Sara does a cold maceration at the beginning of each ferment, too, to allow the pre-fermented juice to extract water-soluble components. The water-soluble components are less likely to be extracted once alcohol is produced in the juice during fermentation. It is all of these numerous steps taken to ensure that the wine maximizes complexity, concentration and integration which distinguishes ‘fine wine’ from the rest, and makes it so-o fine.

Below is the mouth of a tank that has just been drained and sent to press and then barrel. What you don’t see is that in order to empty the tank to the extent it appears here, a member of the team has to climb into the tank through this very opening to shovel out the skins, all the while attached by a harness to a fellow crew member outside the tank in the event of a Carbon Dioxide overdose, which is an actual cause of death during every harvest!!! Yet another example of just how much goes into the production of a bottle of wine.

Quality Control Lab Tech Nick presses the last truck samples for testing.

The last yeast inoculation.

A truck takes away the last of the fruit-carrying bins.

And resourceful, winemaker Sara sabers a bottle of bubbly with a draining-valve clamp to honor a Phase-One well done.

Cheers!

Stay tuned because there is work left to do and words left to write for Harvest 2011!

Until next time,

Brittany Starr for Peju Province Winery

May you always have cheer in your cheeks and great wine in your glass!

The Napa Valley Designated Official Wine Region of the 34th America's Cup

2011-11-16T12:21:00.000-08:00

Legendary Napa Valley Wines and Tourism to be Exclusively Featured at 34th America's Cup Events in United States

The Napa Valley has been named the official wine region of the 34th America's Cup. In partnership with The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) and The Napa Valley Destination Council (NVDC), America's Cup events in the United States through 2013 will exclusively feature Napa Valley wines, while the Napa Valley will be the only wine region featured as a getaway destination for attendees of the San Francisco-based America's Cup events.

"The America's Cup is a fantastic way to showcase the wines of Napa Valley. This high-profile, world-renowned sporting event's stature perfectly aligns with the high quality and world renown of Napa Valley, America's premier wine region. We are delighted to bring our wines to the table in celebration of this great partnership," said Napa Valley Vintners Executive Director Linda Reiff.

"Many of the America's Cup enthusiasts love the same things that the Napa Valley is known for--great wine, food, arts and wellness activities. We are very excited to have the opportunity to invite them to experience our beautiful region while they are in the Bay Area, and we look forward to sharing the best we have to offer," said Clay Gregory, NVDC CEO and President.

The Napa Valley is home to the founders of America's fine wine industry--legendary entrepreneurs who showed the world that the art of winemaking had crossed continents--and the region is prized for its natural beauty, 14-Michelin Star culinary scene, world-class hotel accommodations, robust arts community, and one-of-a-kind wellness experiences including the region's famed spas, mud baths and healing geo-thermal hot springs.

Over the next two years, Napa Valley wines will be poured and tourism to the region will be promoted, beginning with the America's Cup World Series event in San Diego this November 12-20, as well as at the AC World Series Newport and San Francisco events in 2012, and in San Francisco during the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup--the America's Cup Challenger Series--and America's Cup Finals.

"We are very pleased to partner with the Napa Valley on our America's Cup events in the United States, as it is one of the world's premier wine growing regions," said Craig Thompson, CEO of the America’s Cup Event Authority. "The 34th America's Cup is focused on creating a one-of-a-kind experience for every fan, so we look forward to showcasing the bounty that the Napa Valley has to offer to our guests."

Click here for the press announcement on the America's Cup Website.

Watch a video on the America's Cup Preview in San Diego, currently underway through November 20th.

Fourth and Final Harvest Update

2011-11-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

The winemaking team has been furiously busy since I last wrote on Tuesday, October 11th. As you may or may not remember, that was the day after the final rains of this growing season. That Monday was supposed to be dry, and if the weather models had played out as predicted, the pace of this harvest would have been more leisurely. When this vintage is looked back upon in two or three years, as its wines are being released, many people will refer to October 10th as the fulcrum point that tipped the vintage towards its close.

Harvesting started in a panic as many winemakers, this one included, realized the scope of the challenge that the mold pressure presented; a block with trace amounts of botrytis could become completely enveloped in twenty four hours. The thin skin, tight cluster varieties were the first to succumb to the fungus. Petit Sirah and Petit Verdot were particularly hard hit and were triage priority when making pick calls. The Round Pond Estate however, has the fortunate ability to harvest any block any day that’s needed or desired—a resource that proved particularly crucial this year. Throwing courtesy and convention aside, I called many picks the same day I walked out into the fields and realized that another block absolutely must come in. For that I would like to extend many thanks to the vineyard team for their flexibility, and my cellar crew for their tenacity.

Following the rains, we had a string of warm, windless days that were perfect for fungus growth. On the valley floor, the sun heated the saturated soil, which raised the relative humidity in the fields. Those vines trellised in curtain forming fashion trapped the evaporating water and created a sauna-like environment, which further exasperated the tendency for mold to spread. When temperatures fell at night, the surface of the grapes cooled and the trapped moisture below the canopy condensed on the fruit so that by daybreak, the clusters were dripping with dew. Vines trellised in a vertical fashion did not suffer the “sauna effect” and fared better against the mold. Also of note, the more gravely sections of vineyard blocks dried out more quickly, and were subsequently less susceptible to mold pressure.

Winemaking, like any science, is an exercise in observation. Walking the vineyards, it was critical to understand why some blocks were more affected by botrytis than others in order to make decisions on optimizing fruit quality and harvesting efficiency. Having learned from our early picks, it was apparent that the benefit of a few extra days of ripening was negated by the sensory influence the mold had on the wines. As such, I tended to pick at the first signs of mold development, which I believe preserved the fruit character in the grapes and has given us the foundation for producing wonderfully elegant and seductively aromatic wines.

November 1st marked the last day of harvest on the Estate and in that twenty-two day period, the production crew broke records three consecutive times for number of tons processed in a day, and the amount of fruit received at the winery in a week’s span. These statistics do not come as a surprise to me; all vintages at the Estate are fast and furious but late ones, like this year, especially so. Harvest at Round Pond is most certainly a sprint and not a marathon.

Thanks to all of the staff in other departments who came to lend a hand on the sorting line, delivered food and libations, or simply gave a kind word of encouragement. Those sentiments never go unnoticed and are certainly appreciated. I look forward to sharing our collective efforts with everyone in the years to come, and feel the climatic challenges of this vintage will prove to be a historic bellwether for the exceptional consistency of quality achievable on this Estate.

Humbly,

Brian Brown
Winemaker
Round Pond Estate

Napa Valley Wraps-up Harvest 2011

2011-11-10T10:13:00.000-08:00

Challenging year in the vineyard reaps rewards in the cellar

"Although it may be stretching to compare our harvest with one of the greatest ever games in the history of baseball...but like the 2011 World Series, we had our ups and downs, and finally pulled it out. This was one of our most exciting harvests ever!" said Cain Vineyards' Winemaker and General Manager Chris Howell. And once again the excitement of the finale of the American baseball season seems to parallel that of the vintage at harvest from America's premier winegrowing region, the legendary Napa Valley. Today the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) non-profit trade association of more than 420 wineries representing 98% of the appellation's wine production offers its annual report on harvest.

"2011 was a challenging and as well as what I am calling 'an educational vintage,' the third in a row," said Oakville Ranch Winery General Manager Paula Kornell who was born and raised in the Napa Valley wine industry. "What we found this vintage were flavors that developed at lower brix, giving us an opportunity to make truly elegant wines at lower alcohol levels."

"Harvest 2011--from tears to glory!" is how renowned vintner Tim Mondavi, owner of Continuum capsulized the year and winemakers appellation-wide are in agreement.

What began with a wet winter and spring continued with rainfall into mid-June that delayed bloom and disrupted fruit set resulting in shatter in parts of the region set the stage for a long, cooler-than-average growing season with a later-than-average harvest beset with autumn rain storms. The precipitation measuring season ending on June 30 found the region more than a third above normal in rainfall. While this is good news for water resources, the cloud cover and cool temperatures delayed vine development by several weeks at the onset of the growing season.

This timetable continued through the somewhat cool summer season where harvest for the first varieties for sparkling wines found the latest harvest start in anyone's memory, beginning August 29. Few high heat events occurred at any point this year, but growers managed more open vine canopies to ensure sunlight, warmth and good air circulation around the grape clusters. The shatter resulting from the rain events in June was variable by vineyard location hitting some locations harder with projected crop diminished by more than 30% while leaving other sites nearly untouched with near-normal crop.

New Media Resources Tell Story of Year in Real Time

New this year, wine lovers around the world were able to follow the Napa Valley harvest like never before. Twitter was a-buzz at #NVHarvest with thousands of tweets from the vineyards and cellars. Read the ongoing Twitter feed at the www.napavintners.com/harvest.

Napa Valley filmmaker Bret Lyman chronicled the vintage in a series of harvest videos beginning in August with the start of harvest for sparkling wines to the white varieties, Merlot and then Cabernet Sauvignon. Check out today's release of the final chapter of the harvest videos below.

The region's winemakers and vineyard managers participated in a week-long "Harvest Live" streaming video the week of October 17 with six days of morning and afternoon live chat painting the picture in clear detail of what was happening in the vineyard and in the winery in real time. Check out U-Stream to watch the archived programs hosted by Christophe Smith of Titus Vineyards along with his esteemed guests.

And, more than ever before the vintners themselves blogged all season on their experiences in written, photo and video posts on the NVV's official blog "Unfiltered."

Click to read the full release

Click to view the all 2011 harvest videos

Night Harvesting at Shafer Vineyards

2011-11-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

2011 Harvest Complete at Vineyard 7 & 8!

2011-11-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the top of Spring Mountain!

As we close yet another harvest from Vineyard 7 & 8, I look back on what was a true test of patience. A season filled with extra efforts in the vineyards working on crop and canpy management, a couple early October rain storms, but finished up with a period of beautiful weather.

Over the last couple of weeks the sun returned, and the dry northwest winds returned, allowing us the ability to harvest what looks to be another very successful vintage.

Cabernet from our Estate vineyards and the fruit we harvest from select neighboring vineyards on Spring Mountain came in with more moderate sugar levels, beautiful acids and wonderfully refined tannins.

Fermentation is just beginning to take shape in the tank room, and hats change from the management of the fruit in the vineyards to pumpovers and punchdowns, monitoring of tanks and prepping barrels for later in the month when the wines will go to rest.

Congrats to all fellow vintners for yet another wonderful harvest in the Napa Valley!

Cheers,

Wesley Steffens, Vineyard 7 & 8
Winery Manager & Assistant Winemaker
http://www.vineyard7and8.com/

Yeast Whisperer of Newton Vineyard

2011-11-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

The first days of the Newton Chardonnay harvest are stressful.

We pick it, we press it, we choose the best French barrels and… nothing happens. For days, the juice is quiet, viscous, cloyingly sweet.

Nothing… No matter how much I stare inside the barrels or glue my ear to the bung holes until the side of my face shows a ring of toasted oak smoke.

It’s only when I start getting that recurring dream of hot tubs filled with bubbling grape juice, around the 6^th or 7^th day, that our tricky indigenous yeasts deign offer some hope. Suddenly, the whole cellar is filled with the gurgling sound of the starting fermentation and I breathe a sigh of relief.

That makes Julian laugh.

Julian Cendejas (pictured at right) has worked at Newton since 1989. Over his more than 20 harvests, he’s learned to be patient and that the fermentation will start. Some years it’s fast -just a couple of days- some years it takes up to 10 or 12 days. Once a lot of Chardonnay is fermenting, the whole cellar follows.

Julian always knows when this will happen: I have a theory that he’s somehow communicating with the yeasts that come from our vineyard. He’ll say “Tomorrow, this lot will start”. I’ll look in the barrel he is showing me, shaking my head: “Naaah, there is not even any froth.” The next day, he’ll be right.

Now, all the 2011 Chardonnay is fermenting, some lots well on their way to dryness. It was a cool growing season and even if the sugars remained lower than in the past years, the flavors are exotic and complex. There are apricot and grilled pineapple notes but no hint of the quince paste that characterizes over-ripe vintages. The musqué lots are delicately floral without being too wisteria or lilac-like.

This should be a vintage for aging. But shhhh… Don’t tell our yeasts: they are not done with their job until Julian says so!

Cheers!

Frederique Perrin
Associate Winemaker, Newton Vineyard

Crush is 76% Complete, and It's a Happy Halloween at Peju Province Winery!

2011-10-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

Every year for Halloween, Peju employees furtively collaborate within their respective departments to vie for the title of Costume Competition Winner at the annual Halloween Family Meal. This year, as has been the case almost every year since winemaker Sara Fowler has been at Peju, the Production Team garnered the departmental win! Their group effort in a time of such harvest hectic-ness is inspiring. Other costume creations comprised Jersey Housewives, a couple of pirates, one Zorro, one Sumo Wrestler, and owner & founder Tony Peju delighted us all with a shockingly accurate, surprise Papa Smurf performance.

As of today, we've brought in 76% of our total crop. Sara aims to harvest all remaining fruit by this Friday. It's all fermenting, pressing & barreling down from there!

Sheri, our Production Planner, gave me some "fun facts" today. (Visit the 'Meet the Team' page on our blog for photos and titles of everyone on the Production team.)
These are the dates on which we had brought in the last of our fruit over the past four years:
October 11, 2007
October 28, 2008
October 25, 2009
November 1, 2010

And if all goes to plan, it will be November 4 in 2011. Not bad considering we started harvest 4 weeks later this year than in 2009. And by 'not bad' I mean 'this was one logistical nightmare' with the same number of tanks as in years past and around the same amount of fruit coming in, only this year in a much more condensed period of time. Sara and Joe had to use acute foresight to plan their tank assignments and rotations, making sure to align when to bring the fruit in (dependent on nature) with how much fruit had been predicted to come in (a tough (inexact) science) with what kind of tank space would be available at that time. Who knew such a big part of wine-making could be about the logistics of coordinating ripening with fermentations with tank space.

At the Family Meal today, Sara gave us a harvest-time update:

Signing off and wishing you a Happy Halloween! It's Trick-or-Drink in many of the small towns that line the Napa Valley. Adults go door to door with plastic, portable wine glasses and greet their neighbors over splashes of delicious Napa Valley wine. It's something one hears over and over out here, and has truly been my experience: that in Napa Valley, people really know how to live. (More specifically, people prioritize enjoying life everyday. And I think this is good.)

Halloween Cheer and Cheers!

britt

for Peju Province Winery

Napa Valley Harvest Update - Merlot

2011-10-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

Raymond Vineyards - 2011: A Winemaker's Harvest

2011-10-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

2011 has truly been a winemaker’s harvest. From dealing with the late season rains and lack of ripening hours to trying to figure out how to make the best out of difficult conditions, rest has been elusive and the hours long. Watch Stephanie Putnam, our winemaker, and Eric Pooler, our vineyard manager, discuss how they’ve been able to make the best out of a challenging harvest.

--Raymond Vineyards

Shafer Vineyards: Selecting the best fruit during harvest

2011-10-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

Talcott Vineyard Cabernet Franc (St. Helena) Night Harvest

2011-10-22T16:32:00.001-07:00

Cornerstone Cellars

Harvest Hustle & Making Chardonnay at Peju Province Winery

2011-10-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

Finally! The cellar is cranking!!! Today is the first day that it feels like harvest is in full gear. Most other times when I’ve skipped over to the Production office to chat Sara up about what’s going on, she is excited to talk to me. She beams and expands willingly on what we’re doing and why we do things the way we do. (Always for superlative quality.) She talks about the grapes with a Science-minded mother’s balance of rational analysis and though somewhat-concealed, nonetheless fuzzy, tender babymama love. As any good mother, she knows she has little control over the laws of Nature and will love the grapes, all of them and every vintage, for who/what they are, while she guides them to realize their potential slash achieve perfection. (So there’s a streak of Tiger mom...in the name of perfect wine!)

When I ask Sara what is going on in the cellar today, I get bullets:

• “draining and pressing,

• “barreling down,

• “crushing,

• “sorting,

• “topping,

• “stirring the Chardonnay,

[pause.]

• “Rocking and rolling!” She exclaims. “It feels like Harvest!”

All of our Chardonnay has finished its primary fermentation, has been consolidated into oak barrels, and is now going through Malolactic Fermentation (MLF), or as it’s sometimes referred to, quite simply secondary fermentation. Primary fermentation is when yeast convert the sugar in the juice into alcohol and CO2 to produce wine (obviously a drastic oversimplification). MLF is when (via specific bacteria) we convert the Granny Smith-reminiscent malic acid into the lactic acid that is found in milk. Diacetyl, a prominent compound in butter, is produced, which is what gives so many California Chardonnays their characteristic ‘butteriness’. By stirring the lees once per week (lees are the dead yeast cells and un-soluble solids) for approximately 6 months in what’s called sur lie aging, our winemaking team allows the diacetyl to dissipate a bit, resulting in the more elegant, subtle hint-of-butter sensation that you might have noticed in our Chardonnay.

Though Sara had to be concise with me today, after a few moments of rattling off the facts, she couldn’t help but gush a little over how delicious the Malbec and Petit Verdot are tasting. This is the first year that we’ve gotten much yield from those small blocks on our Rutherford estate since they’re just a few years old and it takes three years for a vine to start producing. Last year we got less than a ton of each. This year, however, we got enough fruit to put to good use, and apparently, it is tasting excitingly delicious. Sara is not sure where she will blend these lots once they are ready, but looks forward to being able to make a true Bordeaux blend with such high quality fruit in all five requisite varietals.

It’s sorting fruit, inoculating yeast, and pumping over the ferments for me tomorrow in the cellar. (YAY!!) Stay tuned.

britt starr for Peju Province Winery

see this post in its context

Never Boring

2011-10-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

Their shrill barking woke me from whatever dream I was having. A pack of coyotes was having a debate in the vineyard outside my window. In my sleepy stupor I tried, but could not remember the day of the week. It sounded like dozens of them, but it was probably just a few being particularly rambunctious. Suddenly the report of a rifle echoed sharply across the valley and the coyotes were silent. Just a few hundred yards from our house, in the other direction, the first crew of cooks were arriving for work at The French Laundry.

Such is life in Yountville during harvest. There is this incredible mixture of nature and urban sophistication, which only intertwines so completely in the Napa Valley. The reason I could not remember the day was simple: during harvest all days are the same. There are no regular patterns, hours or life. It's exhausting, stressful and the best thing that happens to you every year.

So what does this vintage mean to us? It means another debate with Mother Nature, much like the coyotes outside my window had last night. As winemakers we all bark at the weather, but in reality we live within it and in the end treasure what we have been given each and every year. Like a parent we don't have a favorite child, but revel in their differences and the memories of their unique strong and weak points. The critics will give this harvest a rating, but numbers have no soul and harvests, like all things in nature, do.

So what should you expect from a wine or from a vintage? I think you should expect personality. Those who rank vintages by number in the modern era miss the fundamental character of wine and truly do not understand wine itself. The question should never be what is the greatest vintage of this wine can I have with my dinner tonight, but should be what vintage will taste the best with my dinner tonight. The disaster vintages of days past are no more due to the dramatic advances in enology and viticulture over the last decades. On top of it we live in the Napa Valley where, let's face it, the weather is never really that bad. The ranges of vintages today runs more from producing earlier or later maturing wines and from bigger or more elegant styles. It's a fact of the matter in the Napa Valley an overly hot vintage has a more negative impact on wine quality than ones that are overly cool.

It often strikes me that critics want all vintages to be the same. I cannot think of anything more boring: or unnatural. Tomorrow morning at 4 a.m. we start picking our Talcott Vineyard Cabernet Franc in St. Helena. It will make a wine different from last year and from the one it will make the next. I would not have it any other way.

Craig Camp - Cornerstone Cellars

NVV Harvest 2011: The Jackse Vineyard

2011-10-19T17:02:00.001-07:00

October 17 - 22: Harvest Live

2011-10-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

A Groundbreaking Six-Day Webcast Combining Harvest with Real Time Q&A

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) non-profit trade association is excited to bring you "Harvest Live 2011," the Napa Valley's first week-long, live harvest webcast that will allow viewers to interact in real time with winemakers, vineyard managers and special wine industry co-hosts to hear and see all that's news with this year's crush in America’s premier wine region.

"These innovative, interactive webcasts will be breaking new ground in social media wine education," said Linda Reiff, NVV executive director. "It will be a terrific opportunity to have a conversation with these renowned vintners in real time, all week long."

"Harvest Live provides an opportunity for anyone, anywhere, to experience a Napa Valley harvest--even on their phone via the Ustream mobile application," explained Christophe Smith of Titus Vineyards. "This is a chance for wine lovers to connect with the Napa Valley beyond what they have tasted in the bottle and have a behind the scenes look into the 2011 vintage. We look forward to a great exchange between wine enthusiasts and those of us in the winemaking business during this most exciting and important time of year."

Produced by Christophe Smith along with David Gowdy of Dirt on the Vine, Randy Hall of VOM Productions and the NVV, Harvest Live offers participants a behind the scenes view into the Napa Valley harvest that even many locals don't get a chance to see. During the morning broadcasts viewers will be taken outside into the vineyard to learn about picking decisions and what's current in the field, then during the afternoon journey into the cellars to follow those grapes through the winemaking process. Capitalizing on the real-time webcast, viewers will have the ability to ask questions of winemakers and hosts via the Ustream webcast and receive answers instantly. For Twitter and Facebook users, questions will be monitored and answered via the #HL11 hashtag.

The interactive, one-hour webcasts will occur daily October 17th through 22nd at 9am PDT and 2:30pm PDT, and will be hosted at a different winery each day, showcasing varied winemaking techniques as well as multiple American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) throughout the Napa Valley AVA.

The winery participants by day are as follows:

Monday, October 17: Robert Mondavi Winery with Keith Horn, director of vineyards and Genevieve Janssens, director of winemaking

Tuesday, October 18: Staglin Family Vineyards with Garen Staglin, owner, along with Fredrik Johansson, winemaker and Chris Platt, assistant winemaker

Wednesday, October 19: William Hill Estate Winery with Raif Holdenried, winemaker

Thursday, October 20: Round Pond Estate with Chris Pedemonte, vineyard manager and Brian Brown, winemaker

Friday, October 21: Titus Vineyards with brothers Eric and Phillip Titus

Saturday, October 22: Chappellet Vineyard & Winery with Phillip Titus, winemaker

To access the interactive webcast, visit the NVV's Harvest 2011 website at www.napavintners.com/harvest . A detailed schedule including on-camera talent and topics can be viewed online in advance of broadcast, and sessions will be archived here as well so viewers can watch and hear all the sessions.

To read and watch all the Napa Valley Harvest 2011 videos, blog posts and photo galleries, and to take the fun and interesting quiz, find out about tasting events in celebration of October's Harvest Napa Valley month, please visit www.napavintners.com/harvest

Harvest 2011: A Word in from Winemaker Steven Rogstad

2011-10-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

"Another late harvest kicked off in a small way for Cuvaison on the 21st of September, with fruit just trickling in over the first four to five days. It ramped up in a big way when long range forecasts predicting rain firmed up early last week. We have been pulling in fruit as fast as we can. For example, on Sunday we crushed a record 57 tons of Pinot Noir and 60 tons of Chardonnay. Thus far we’ve done, 313 tons of Chardonnay (estimating another ~160 still to pick). Ninety seven tons of Pinot Noir, and 8.6 tons of Sauvignon Blanc.

Yields have been quite low, and there has been a real concern about the rains. We’ve been using the Pellenc Optical Sorter again this year (or as National Sales Manager Steve Richards calls it, “the Pedunk a Lunk”) to great effect, and it has been a life saver in terms of processing speed.

The light rain produced 0.22 inches of rain so far, with more expected through Thursday. High pressure will then fill in, but it does appear that our winter cycle may be beginning, or - “Welcome to California, it’s the new Oregon.”

Along with the Chardonnay, we still have our Merlot and Syrah, as well as all of Mount Veeder and Bald Mountain yet to come… Hopefully the sun will dance for us over the next three weeks and we will get it all picked in good shape.

Lastly, we did press off the first fermentor of Pinot Noir today, and it is mighty tasty, with good color and extract… boo yaa!

Steve”

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Mutinous Mother Nature

2011-10-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

It’s a real nail-biter, this 2011 harvest. Or as assistant winemaker Joe says, it’s “one year that Mother Nature is not cooperating.”

The sun has come out this afternoon, and it’s almost as though the breeze that left with the rain this morning was a collective sigh of relief from winemakers throughout the Valley. It has been raining for over a week with a tease-of-a short, sunny respite this past weekend. Most of the grapes simply aren’t quite ripe yet, so it’s a gamble as to when to bring fruit in. Wait and hope the right weather comes to ripen fruit to its potential, and risk rain that’s unrelenting? Or play it safe and bring in now what you’ve already got? The fruit is not as concentrated and scrumptious as anyone would like, but picking now would pre-empt the potentially major loss of yield that would occur if these damp grapes continue to get no love from the sun and start to mold.

Luckily for us and for our wine (and it’s no accident), Sara is a unique, dynamic blend of an optimist and a perfectionist. She’s also this awesome combo of serious scientist, positive energy force, and sensory-sensitive sweetheart with super smarts, sass, and a proclivity to fun. Anyway, she believes the weather will change, that the fruit will ripen beautifully, and that the wine will be delicious as always. And she won’t settle for anything less. “We’re taking the risk!” she says. “To ensure the best quality of fruit. With ripe tannins and good sugars and all the other delicious things. Mmm…” She pauses, smiling with an excited glint in her eye. Then she continues seriously, “It will just mean an action-packed couple of weeks of harvest, as we have fewer days than ever before to process all of our fruit.” But I can’t think of anything more rewarding than busting your boots with a group of people for a common goal. I’ll be out there tomorrow!

In the vineyard, the crew is busy opening the vines’ canopy, or removing leaves to concentrate the plant’s energy into ripening the fruit.

And this afternoon is turning out to be a bright blue beauty, so nail-bitten fingers crossed it stays. It’s amazing how quickly a little direct sunlight evaporates the melancholy ennui of a week of rain. Let’s hope it does the same for the grapes’ moistened skins!

Peju Sycamores with Sunshine

Clouds for a Daydream

We are indeed.

by Britt Starr for Peju Province Winery
from 10.11.11

see this post in context: www.pejuwinery.blogspot.com

Round Pond Harvest Update #3

2011-10-11T15:56:00.001-07:00

Rutherfordians,

As I sit at my desk patiently waiting for a high pressure system to brush aside the upper level trough that has brought us this less than welcome wet weather, our Estate and Reserve Sauvignon Blancs are quietly and coolly fermenting in tank, drum and barrel. The white wines of 2011 are looking marvelous as they progress through primary fermentation. Being an optimist to the core I am hoping that the quality of the Sauvignon Blancs are tea leaves for the rest of fruit that has yet to come in.
The phrase “when will we start bringing in the Reds,” has recently been replaced with “will we ever bring in the Reds?” To that, my coy response has been, “We’ve already harvested some red fruit.” And indeed we have, albeit not for red wine production. We have picked part of the Sangiovese and Nebbiolo crops to produce Rose. While the Sangiovese was predetermined to be a Rosato, the Nebb’s fate was a bit more ad hoc.

Because the weather has been so inclement, rot has started to form in tight cluster varieties such as Nebbiolo. Faced with the prospect of losing the fruit to mold and being forced to cull it onto the ground, where it would then release more spores into surrounding vineyards, I thought it best to bring the fruit into the winery and press it in the same fashion I did the Sangio. This has the dual benefit of preventing cross contamination in the vineyard and allows us to experiment with the Rosato di Nebbiolo. I am excited about the prospects of producing another refreshing wine to serve on the terrace, and as they say, when life gives you lemons you should make Rose…

Back to the Reds, yes, we will bring them all in. At this point we are watching the forecast fastidiously and walking our vineyard blocks compulsively. From a management stand point we have applied all the protective sprays applicable at this phase in the season; we have leafed out the fruiting zone to promote airflow; we have even gone to the point of using leaf blowers like large hairdryers to dry out more susceptible varieties like Petit Sirah.

I mentioned in earlier updates that the Winegrowing team learned much from the previous two cool vintages. One of those lessons was “don’t put your eggs in one basket.” As such, we have diversified the blocks from where we pull fruit. Should one block ripen quicker than another, we can capitalize on this phenomenon. This is indeed what we are seeing and as we enter into the final phase of the growing season we will segregate each pick according to its potential to produce Reserve, Estate, and Napa Valley styled wines.

I suspect that we will be bringing in fruit towards the end of the week and certainly the week after. I will update you again in the near future with developments as they occur.

Si Se Puede,

Brian Brown
Winemaker

Crush 2011: Stewart Vineyard Merlot and Davis Block Merlot and Cabernet Franc

2011-10-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

Cornerstone Cellars

The Team That Picks Together Stays Together

2011-10-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

We all gained a mega-appreciation for our super-skilled vineyard staff today. It took us 1.5 hours to pick 1.5 tons of grapes. According to Manuel, our Director of Facilities, in 1.5 hours, the vineyard crew of 16 guys will pick 8 tons to our 1.5. And we were 30 strong out there today. We’ll have to get a video of the vineyard crew doing their thing. It’s mesmerizing the way their fingers fly through the vines while the voluptuous grape clusters go thunk thunk thunk in their bins. Today my grape clusters went thunk…[30 seconds later]…thunk… It’s hard to get your little blade through all the intertwined leaves and vines to make a quick, efficient slice at the hidden juncture where the cluster grows, and then move on without missing a beat. For us amateurs, it was a lot of bending over, squatting down, feeling and fumbling and fighting with the vine to get to the stem of the cluster only then to try to untangle it from the vines it has grown around. The pros in the vineyard practically keep a steady walk as they pick. I don’t know how they do it.

Next week, we will begin bringing in the bulk of our fruit, and it is going to be crazy. I’m running out the door to go pour at a wine and food event in San Francisco, so more updates will have to wait until next week. I wish everyone at least one delicious and memorable wine experience over the weekend!

Cheers!

britt.

Employee Pick Participants, 1.5 hours and only 1.5 tons later...

All Whites Are In, Reds Begin at Peju Province Winery

2011-10-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we processed the last of our Chardonnay. All of our white grapes, both Sauvignon Blanc and Chard., have now been plucked from their vines and have begun their journey to becoming delicious white wine.

The first bit of Sauvignon Blanc that we picked on September 6 and inoculated on September 9, allowing a few days for the lees to settle out, is dry! (‘Dry’ in winemaking means that all of the sugar in what was once juice has been converted to alcohol in what is now wine. In wines with what we call ‘residual sugar’, not all of the sugar was converted to alcohol, and the wine remains ‘off-dry’ or slightly sweet. There are a number of reasons that this will occur, some intentional, some not…) With much of our Sauv. Blanc dry, this means that technically, we have 2011 wine!

But it’s not quite finished wine. It’s baby wine. Born and alive, tangible and functional, but so fresh off the boat (out of the womb/off the vine and the lees) that it hasn’t really come into itself yet. Foregoing a discussion (monologue) on nature and nurture, suffice it to say that wine and humans make for amusingly comparable subjects for consideration. The point is that you take what ‘God/Nature/Insert-Name-Here gave you’ and then you take advantage of what Life throws your way. You try to cultivate your best self and you enjoy pondering how you got to be that way. Wine lacks the ability to introspect, of course, so we have to ponder its constitution for it.

Our 2011 Sauvignon Blanc has been born tasty, bright, and fresh. Soon a small percentage will hang out in neutral oak barrels for complexity, flavor, mouthfeel and structure. Then it will be time for Sara to work her magic, blending from the different tanks of S.B. separated by vineyard blocks and ripeness-levels-at-crush, to create what we are proud to call Peju Sauvignon Blanc. Forgive the shameless self-promotion, but it really is delicious!

The first Zin to come in (hill-side vineyard block - less water retention in the soil)

Oh, and also, we brought in our first red grapes on Friday, which was very exciting, as it has been a long time coming. The reds still aren’t quite there yet, however, in terms of ripeness. And the rain yesterday and today has everyone feeling a little nervous. As long as we get sun after the rain though, all should be well. Friday, we brought in the little bit of Malbec and Petit Verdot from our Rutherford property. Yesterday, it was Zinfandel grapes from the Persephone Vineyard. Friday, I’ll be working crush with the crew so stay tuned! Can’t wait!

- Britt Starr at Peju Province Winery

Click on me to read this blog in its context.

Pablo, Lony, Juanito & Frankie wave 'Hello!' from the sorting table

Flora Springs Winery: Harvest Superstitions

2011-10-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

Night Harvest: 4 a.m. Boyd Vineyard Syrah in Oak Knoll

2011-10-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

We like night picks at Cornerstone as the best way to bring the fruit into the winery as cold as possible. This helps preserve the fresh fruit flavors and aromatics. As the reds first get a cold soak and the whites and rosé are fermented at very cold temperatures the cold fruit gives us a head start getting the must to the desired temperature. As usual with this vintage, the quantity of the fruit we got from this vineyard was low, but the quality was exceptional. We may not make much wine this year, but what we make will be wonderful.

Craig Camp, Cornerstone Cellars

Sparkling harvest at Domaine Chandon is over!

2011-09-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

Most wineries in the valley are just starting their harvest, but for us at Domaine Chandon we are done with sparkling wines!

We received the first grapes on Monday, August 22nd and the last on Friday, September 23rd. During this month, we have been very busy receiving and processing the fruit 24 hours a day. Everything went very well, we had a great team. This year we have interns from France, Italy and also two people from Domaine Chandon Australia and Argentina. It is great to have people from all over the world as it is an excellent opportunity to exchange information about our techniques, wines, cultures...

Most of the wines are now dry, just three fermenters left to go. We already inoculated the wines for malolactic. We are not doing malolactic on all our wines but just on the lots we selected. This year again has been a great year for sparkling wines at Domaine Chandon. The grapes had a lot of acidity which will make excellent wines - we are very excited about this vintage.

Now that we are less busy with the sparkling wines, we are bringing in our still wines made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier this week. At Domaine Chandon we never stop!

For me, I am happy that the sparkling harvest is over as I just completed my second vintage of 2011 after spending the first 4 months of this year in Australia working for Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley. I am now looking forward to some time off and my first weekend!!!

Good luck to all the other Winemakers in the Valley as you start harvest!

Pauline Lhote
Assistant Sparkling Winemaker, Chandon

Video: Napa Valley Chardonnay Harvest & Flavor Profiles

2011-09-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

With the heat spike over the last two weeks, the 2011 Napa Valley Harvest is switching into high gear! Throughout the valley wineries are picking white varietals (as well as a few early reds) and have generally moved from Sauvignon Blanc into Chardonnay territory.

In the spirit of the Chardonnay harvest, check out the fun video below featuring Bo Barrett (Chateau Montelena), Cameron Parry (Chateau Montelena) and Armando Ceja (Ceja Vineyards) sharing their thoughts on Chardonnay flavor profiles.

Good ideas and bad decisions

2011-09-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

Up here at Chateau Montelena we like to think that we know a good idea when we see one, even if it sometimes takes us awhile to get on board. So in what is proudly a blatant rip-off of the Schramsberg "Harvest Dress" we present to you the "Harvest Hat!" A real gem that I found in Chinatown and just couldn't pass up - who doesn't love a fuzzy white pig? The rules are the same as for the dress - wearer must have done something to deserve it. In this instance one of our interns (Matt Johnson) in a case of bad judgment failed to hang the "man in press" sign on the outside of the press while cleaning it, so now gets to wear the hat as a reminder to himself and the rest of the staff to follow the rules for their own safety. Goes nicely with his outfit don't you think?

On the more serious side, today was our 3rd day of fruit this year, and we've got just shy of 60 tons in so far. All white grapes to this point (Chardonnay and Sauv Blanc), but we're looking at potentially harvesting the first few tons of Estate Cabernet Sauvignon tomorrow. Today's hot weather is moving everything along quite nicely, and should help push several blocks into pickable condition. Rain next week? That's the next big question...

Stay tuned and happy harvesting!

Round Pond Harvest Update 2.0

2011-09-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

After patiently waiting nearly all of September, the commencement of harvest finally arrived on Wednesday of last week. Sauvignon Blanc picking and pressing is in full swing and I am thrilled to report that the quality looks very good this year. As most of you know, shatter was a big factor in the size of the crop this vintage and Sauvignon Blanc was particularly hard hit. Early estimates pegged the damage at fifty percent reduction, but after harvesting the first two blocks it looks like the crop load was affected to a slightly lesser degree.

One of the challenges that we have encountered this year has been to bring the canopy and crop load into balance. Sauvignon Blanc has a naturally vigorous vegetative growth habit and when combined with the deep heavy soils where the vines are planted, the crop size can be prolific. Because of the shatter the natural balance between leaf surface area and crop load was thrown askew. Too many leaves and not enough fruit causes sugars to accumulate quicker than flavors. To mitigate this we hedged the vines early and often to remove actively growing shoot tips and control the overall number of leaves.
The cool growing season delayed the commencement of harvest by twenty six days. However, this late season heat spell kicked the pace of ripening up a few notches and Sauvignon Blanc throughout the valley is being picked at a furious pace to keep sugars and flavors in an appropriate range. Round Pond’s trellis set-up has allowed us to weather this heat with minimal detrimental impact to the fruit. The fruiting zone is well protected by the canopy so that sunburn does not occur. The flavor intensity in the fruit is exceptional and the multiple picks should allow for a very expressive and complex wine. I am hoping to wrap things up early this week for the Estate Sauvignon Blanc; the Reserve fruit should come in shortly there after.

Until the next installment...

Brian Brown
Winemaker
Round Pond Estate

Harvest Underway at Trefethen Family Vineyards

2011-09-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

The harvest at Trefethen Family Vineyards is well underway! The weather during September has been fantastic adding a great chapter to a pretty mild season. On our estate in the Oak Knoll District, high temperatures for the past thirty days have exceeded 80F on all but five days. In fact, there were nine days that topped out over 90F and we expect a couple more this week. With the long hang time coming from the mild summer, flavors were already well on track and this recent warmth has brought the chemistry into balance - the sugars jumped up a bit and the acids finally began to drop off. What does that mean? It means we're picking! Over the past few days, we have brought in Pinot Noir, Riesling and Chardonnay. While some of the blocks of Riesling and Chardonnay will certainly linger a bit longer, we also expect to see our first Merlot this week!

In our quest to make the best possible wine, with the smallest possible environmental footprint, we harvest many of our vineyard blocks in the cool early morning hours, often starting as early as 2:00AM. The air temperature is much cooler at this time and so are the grapes. Last week, when the highs reached 100F, the nighttime lows were still in the 40's! Cool grapes better preserve the delicate aromatics which are vital for our fresh white wines and they are less likely to undergo oxidation before being safely pressed to tank or barrel. There is also a tremendous energy savings at the winery because white wine fermentations are all conducted at cool temperatures (50F - 60F) and even most of our red fermentations begin with a "cold soak". Since our grapes arrive cool at the winery, we don't have to spend the energy to cool them down in tank. Night picking even helps with local traffic issues! When our teams are working a shift from 2:00AM to 10:00AM, that means fewer cars on the road during the rush hour commute. And, lastly, the vineyard crew actually enjoys it. Sure, it takes a couple days to get in the rhythm but we light the vineyard well so they can see the grapes and doing the heavy work of harvest is easier at night compared to working on a hot afternoon.

Now, I'm off to check out the fermenting juice as the first wines are already bubbling away. Cheers to vintage 2011!

Jon Ruel
Director of Viticulture & Winemaking
Trefethen Family Vineyards

Napa Valley Harvest Update - White Wines

2011-09-23T10:09:00.001-07:00

Follow 2011 Napa Valley Harvest updates on our blog, www.napavintners.com/blog, or on Twitter with #NVHarvest.

News Brief from Cuvaison's Vineyard Manager James

2011-09-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Cuvaison's Vineyard Manager James reports on the 2011 Harvest. James has managed Cuvaison's vineyards for over 15 years, is a Lead with Walsh Vineyard Management, and is very experienced with Napa Valley winegrowing. Needless to say, this isn't his first rodeo!

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3...2...1...

2011-09-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

The launch codes have been given and the pad prepared, we are T-minus 21 hours to the start of our 40th crush! The new cellar is finished, the headlamps are cleaned and checked, the crews are rested and ready for tomorrow (early) morning when we will begin Harvest 2011. The first fruit across the scale this year will be about 10 tons of night harvested Sauvignon Blanc from our Takahashi Ranch in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Vallley.

A long standing tradition on the first day of harvest here at Montelena is the Blessing of the Grapes. Tomorrow mid-day before we begin pressing the Sauvignon Blanc, we will invite our friends and neighbors to join all of Team Montelena for an invocation and blessing of this year's crop, the new cellar, and all of us working with them. Two priests will be on hand to help us out, followed by a few toasts, and lunch by Jade Lake. A fine way to start what is bound to be an interesting and intense Harvest 2011.

Cameron Parry
Winemaker

(Meet Cameron in our latest Harvest 2011 Video!)

Why Not? Let's Throw a Party!

2011-09-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's happening! Harvest is getting underway all over the valley. The sweet smell of fermentation is becoming more noticeable in the cool night time air, grape trucks and limos are filling up Highway 29, and everyone is excited/anxious for the coming months of hard labor. It is a busy time of year, not only because we have grapes to make into some of the world's best wines, but because people love to come out to Napa to see the process. It is the perfect excuse to throw a party!
On October first we will be hosting our annual Harvest Party, not only to celebrate this wonderful time of year, but also to release our 2008 reds. We have an amazing line up for the evening, Chef Casey Thompson, one of the finalist from season three of Bravo's Top Chef, is coming out to do the food. Not only is she amazing chef (I have been blessed on a few occasions to enjoy her food), she is also a joy to be around. For entertainment we have Dave the Butcher from Marina Meats and Avedano's coming up from San Francisco to demonstrate the fine art of butchery, and it truly is an art. Dave treats each animal with the utmost respect, and loves sharing his knowledge with anyone that is interested.
If you are interested in joining us tickets are available on our website. Hope to see you here!

Late, Light and Luscious

2011-09-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

While harvest started at Raymond on Monday, September 12^th with the picking of our Sauvignon Blanc, our winemaker, Stephanie Putnam, and our winegrower, Eric Pooler, wanted to share their thoughts on the 2011 growing season and offer some predictions on the year’s harvest. Here’s a hint…it going to be “late light and luscious.”

--Raymond Vineyards

Meet the Interns at Cuvaison

2011-09-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

Cuvaison interns are organized by CAEP (a host organization that connects students and professionals with global paid internships). The applicants specify what they want to learn, the varietals they are interested in, the region of California they want to work, and the size of winery they are interested in.

Cuvaison’s Assistant Winemaker Matt Sunseri, receives the applications and selects candidates based on their profile and interest in winemaking. On occasion, candidates may choose the winery they are most interested in working at.

This year’s harvest interns each hail from very different places around the globe, yet they share a unifying interest in learning more about winemaking and improving their English, except of course for Josh the Australian, who already speaks English.

Meet Our Interns!

Eleanora from Italy

Ines from Uruguay

Firmin from France

Josh from Australia

When asked what they anticipated to be their greatest challenge while working crush, each intern shared a unique response. Ines’ concern is on learning new lab techniques, while Eleanora dreads washing tanks. Josh is concerned with driving on (what is to him) the opposite side of the road, and Firmin is concerned with his ability to communicate in English.

All of Cuvaison’s interns are excited to experience harvest in Napa Valley. It will be fun to see how their relationships evolve and what new insights they have to share in the weeks to come.

BREAKING NEWS!
Winemaker Steve just announced harvest started last night at 1am!

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And So It Begins…

2011-09-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

As with any industry, winemaking is filled with its traditions and annual occurrences. At Raymond Vineyards, one of our favorite traditions revolves around the beginning of harvest. Moments after the first grapes arrived, destined to become the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, the entire winery staff gathered for our annual Blessing of the Grapes. Msgr. Joseph Alzugaray, Jean-Charles Boisset, our proprietor, and our head winemaker, Stephanie Putnam, led the ceremony that included a celebration of the coming harvest and recognition of the hard work to come.

The blessing of the grapes dates back to the Old Testament when farming was considered one of the noblest professions. Of all the fruits grown, grapes held the distinct honor of being blessed in a large ceremony since they were the first fruit to be harvested of the season. The tradition has continued and is one that many winemakers hold dear to their hearts.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Raymond Vineyards

Pre-Harvest Report from the Round Pond Winemaker

2011-09-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

This is a letter we received from our winemaker this morning to help us all to understand "where we are" with harvest:

Dear Team Round Pond,

On what is the last week before we get this party started, I think it’s appropriate to give a recap on where we are and how we got here.

This year’s catch phrase: "Cooler than normal temperatures"

In the spring, if we experience cool weather, the vines will remain dormant and bud break will be delayed. This is in itself is challenging, because like a thoroughbred getting out of the gates a furlong or two behind, it can be difficult to make up lost ground. Thus the 2011 vintage began...

Cooler temperature will also draw rain clouds in from the ocean. If, at this time, the vines are in cap drop, the effect from both the cool weather and the rain will interfere with the ability of the vine to pollinate. This is commonly referred to as shatter. On the Estate we experienced shatter in interesting patterns. Old vines were affected more than young. Some varieties were affected more than others. Some clones were affected more than others. Soil variability had little effect and rootstock was seen as being neutral. This was obviously a scion reaction to an atmospheric condition.

The cooler than normal weather persisted the entire growing season, which did not help us catch up in the ripening department. An interesting phenomenon of note is that we have not experienced a single heat spike the entire growing season. An occurrence that is unprecedented according to the old timers. Marching into September, we are tracking about three weeks behind schedule and it appears that my prediction of a record-breaking heat index for this month will not come to pass…

Now that everyone is sufficiently depressed I’d like to state that not all is doom and gloom. Not even close.

As cool and late as this vintage may be, this is the third year in a row Mother Nature has dealt us this same hand. The winegrowing team learned much in 2009 and gained on that knowledge in 2010. We have reacted quickly and sufficiently to guarantee the growth of the most exceptional crop this Estate can produce. I look forward to what this vintage still holds in store and will update you at the major milestones. You won’t have to wait long… Sauvignon Blanc is coming in next week.

Humbly Yours,

Brian Brown
Winemaker
Round Pond Estate

Shafer Vineyards: Our fruit is on track

2011-09-14T10:44:00.001-07:00

Cornerstone Cellars - Harvest 2011 Day 1

2011-09-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Cornerstone Cellars winemaker Jeff Keene on the first day of our 20th Anniversary Harvest, Talcott Sauvignon Blanc in St. Helena.

CornerstoneCellars.com

It only happens at harvest time!!!

2011-09-13T19:50:00.001-07:00

The flood gates have been opened, with grapes rolling in at a rapid pace. We are now pressing four or more lots per day. Four loads is a manageable day and five loads requires clock work precision receiving the grapes and loading the press. Six loads per day is what makes interns cry and seven loads is just plain crazy.

Well that's the kinda Monday we had, five loads we're scheduled and there was the opportunity to sneak in a sixth early in the morning. However we were surprised when the early delivery was late, which was kind of strange as this management company always delivers on time...then, when I was told there was another trailer at the bottom of the road, I knew we were in for an interesting day. The sixth load picked heavy and required a seventh. The good news is that the fruit came from a desirable vineyard and that more was better than less, the bad news was that seven loads is seven loads. With a mountain of fruit to process the cellar team put their heads down and got to work. They all had such a great "Let's get it done!" attitude. You never know what's going to happen on any given day during harvest, but with a great team nothing is impossible!!

Keith Hock
Winemaker
Schramsberg Vineyards

Girard Winery Kicks Off Harvest 2011

2011-09-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

It's Time

2011-09-13T06:04:00.001-07:00

It's 4 a.m. It’s time.

You wait all year and know it’s coming, but it always feels like it sneaks up on you. How can it be harvest already? What happened to summer? However, harvest time it is and at Cornerstone we are starting Crush 2011 right now at 4 a.m in the cold and dark of this September the 13th morning. That realization wakes you up and you start to notice a few leaves on the ground, the shorter and shorter days and a different type of coolness in the evening air. Fall is indeed arriving.

This is a very special harvest for us at Cornerstone Cellars as it is our twentieth anniversary vintage. We've come a long way in twenty years. These decade marks make you take stock of yourselves. As we look back there is one thing we know for sure; we're making the best wines we've ever made.

It’s been an unusual growing season, at least that’s the conventional wisdom. In fact, it’s a lot like last vintage, which means its been cool by recent Napa Valley standards. Is this the new “normal”? In my opinion a little cooler is not a bad thing. Cooler vintages give more balanced wines that are more transparent; wines that clearly show where they came from. Fruit bombs are not our goal.

The major problem so far with vintage 2011 in Napa is the cool, rainy weather in early June during flowering and set, which dramatically reduced the size of this year’s crop. Our Howell Mountain vineyards escaped this fate as the later flowering up on the mountain meant they missed the early June storms. Oddly our cabernet franc vineyards in St. Helena, Oakville and Carneros ended up with good fruit sets too as they also bloomed late.

So we head into mid-September around two weeks behind normal. That’s really not too bad: as long as the fall rains hold off long enough for everything to ripen. This, of course, is a very big “if”.

I often think there is an over-reaction to these slightly cooler years in Napa. Anyone who has spent time in some of the world’s most famous wine growing regions knows that Napa does not face the weather dangers those growers deal with on a regular basis. We will ripen our grapes. I truly believe that these “cooler” vintages make better wines in the Napa Valley. However, certain critics who define wine quality by girth disagree with me, preferring wines from hot vintages.

These cooler vintages excite me because of the opportunity they give us to make truly balanced, elegant wines designed to taste their best at the dinner table. The weather report forecasts mid-seventies and dry for the next week; perfect fall grape ripening weather. Just like last vintage I know we’re going to make wines that I love. I can’t wait.

It's 4 a.m. It’s time.

Cornerstone Cellars

Craig Camp

Ramping up!!!!

2011-09-09T08:24:00.001-07:00

We are less than 2 weeks into Harvest 2011, which happens to be our 47th harvest here at Schramsberg Vineyards!!! We have already pressed about 250 tons of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

It has been a nice and easy warm up. The cellar team is eager and raring to go, their only complaint is that they haven't had enough overtime and that harvest hasn't been that challenging yet. I have assured them that the normal days are about to end. We are scheduled for 4 to 5 loads per day through next Tuesday and I expect the next 10 to 14 days to be biggest and longest days of the season.

I get a rush out of this time of year! It's the anticipation for the first pick and then the logistics of getting the grapes off the vine and to the winery at their optimal ripeness.

We walked the tank room yesterday - tasting the fresh juices, ones just starting fermentation and the first wines from vintage 2011. They all taste amazing!!! These first impression's are the foundation for Vintage 2011, and we like what we taste!!!!

Bring it on!!!!

Keith Hock
Winemaker
Schramsberg Vineyards

(Note from the Napa Valley Vintners: Check out Keith in our first Harvest 2011 video!)

Governor Brown Proclaims September California Wine Month

2011-09-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

Governor Jerry Brown has proclaimed September 2011 as California Wine Month, the seventh consecutive year the state has recognized the contributions of the state’s growers and vintners by proclamation. To celebrate, many of the Golden State’s wineries, winegrape growers and regional associations are hosting special consumer wine events, which can be found at the Discover California Wine website. Members are encouraged to add their winery events in September and year-round to the site to take advantage of ongoing publicity efforts.

“As an industry, California wine brings innumerable benefits to the state. Our scenic and historic wine-growing regions, a renowned cuisine based on food and wine pairings, and the opportunity to taste and purchase our world-famous wines bring an estimated 20.7 million tourists to our state each year,” said Governor Brown in the proclamation. “Our state’s wineries create jobs for 330,000 Californians and revenue from retail sales of $18.4 billion, including $1.14 billion in exports sales to 122 countries.”

California Wine Month, established and coordinated by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers, is also supported by hotel, restaurant, retail and association partners including:

National/Regional: California Travel and Tourism Commission; California Grocers Association; Safeway; Vons; California Pizza Kitchen; Kimpton Hotels; Amtrak; P.F. Chang’s China Bistro; Morton’s The Steakhouse; Vino Volo.

California: Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant (San Francisco); The Ritz Carlton, Los Angeles; JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE; Corkbar (Los Angeles); Napa Valley Grille (Westwood); Inertia Beverage Group (Napa).

New York: California Wine Merchant; 67 Wine & Spirits; Chelsea Wine Vault; Morrell & Co; Morrell Wine Bar & Café (Manhattan); Brooklyn Wine Exchange; Custom American Wine Bar; Red, White and Bubbly; Thirst Wine Merchant (Brooklyn); Bedford Wine Merchants; Rye Brook Wine & Spirits (Westchester).

For further information, contact communications@wineinstitute.org or visit the California Wine Month website.

Drop It Like It's Hot

2011-09-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

The grapes I mean! Bunch thinning, or dropping fruit, is a common practice in the vineyard that must be done before harvest, even if it may break grape growers hearts. The end goal for any grower or wine maker is to produce the best product, which means we usually have to intervene and help the vines out to ensure they ripen their fruit. So, after verasion (the process in which grapes turn from green to whatever color they are destined to be) we head out into the vineyard and cut off any bunch that clearly will not ripen in time. My winemaker, Joel Aiken (super smart dude) pointed out bunches (like the one pictured) that were only sort of pink and said they would never fully get through verasion, so off with their heads! We also make sure to cut off bunches that have been either damaged from sun, pests or mold. The idea is we do not want the vine wasting energy trying to ripen them when they will never be good enough to become wine.

So far everything seems logical, if it looks bad, take it off, if it looks good, leave it on. Now here comes the hard part, at least for growers, we also go through and drop perfectly good fruit. The idea is the same, we want the vine to be able the fully ripen the fruit so if there is too much fruit we have to take some of it off. It is all about protecting the balance in the vine.

Walking down the rows after they finish can be hard, it is sad to see all that seemingly perfect fruit in the dirt, but you have to remember it is for a good cause, to make the best damn wine we can! So maybe its best if you avoid the vineyard for a few days..

Happy Harvest All!

Chase Cellars

We're ready... are you??

2011-09-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

There is a familiar buzz here at Round Pond. It's like you can feel it in the air... Harvest is just around the corner, and boy are we ready for it! This season, we have an entirely new cellar crew that is working with winemaker Brian Brown. Our 4 new "crushers" come from all different backgrounds in wine, from locally born and raised in wine, a Masters degree in enology, and a few international harvests between them. We feel so fortunate to have such a stellar team in place for this year, and we can't wait to see them in action!

Although we are still a couple weeks out from picking our first grapes, Sauvignon Blanc, we are finding ways to kill some time around the winery. Meticulous checking of all the equipment, extensive cleaning of each tank, and a few BBQ's on the crushpad to soak in the late Summer sun. For Labor Day weekend, we have invited our wine club members to come celebrate with us in our Winery Sensory Garden that is bursting at the seams. Our chef Eric Maczko will be grilling his famous lamb kabobs and creating special garden treats using the bounty from our garden that we have been blessed with this season. All the bites will of course highlight our Estate wines and use our olive oils for a smooth finish. We love any chance we get to share with others. The winery will also be hosting a "Day in the Life" on October 15th if you are looking for a way to get hands-on with harvest. Check out a little video we put together to give you a glimpse at this one of a kind opportunity. Happy Harvest to all and we hope you will come say hi to our crew this season. Cheers!

Napa Valley Kicks Off Harvest 2011

2011-09-02T14:26:00.001-07:00

Follow 2011 Napa Valley Harvest updates on our blog, www.napavintners.com/blog, or on Twitter with #NVHarvest.

Harvest Prep on Spring Mountain!

2011-09-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

HARVEST PREP ON SPRING MOUNTAIN!

Greetings from the top of Spring Mountain!

With the month of September beginning tomorrow, and the first sparkling wine grapes making their way off the vines in and around Napa, the final preparations have begun at Vineyard 7&8 to get ready for the 2011 harvest.

As of this morning, our estate grown Chardonnay is finally nearing completion of veraison, while our estate grown Cabernet continues progressing nearing 75% veraison. Like many growers in California this year, harvest will be later, crops may tend to be slightly lower due the the late spring rains during flowering, but we are very enthusiastic about the fruit we have growing on the vines.

With maybe one month to go until harvest beings here at the winery, we have been working on getting geared up for our fall release of our two "Estate" only wines including the release of our 2008 "Estate" Cabernet Sauvignon and our 2009 "Estate" Chardonnay. Both wines that we are truly jazzed about sharing very soon!

This summer we readied the cellar by bottling our two 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon labels from Vineyard 7&8, and have sent them off to rest in the warehouse until they are ready for release in 2012. See below for some fun photos of the bottles traveling along the bottling line.

For now, its back to walking the vineyards, continuing to give them a drink of water as they need it, get ready to put up the bird netting on the chardonnay, and being cleaning and sanitizing the winery for the grapes to come.

Wishing the best of luck to everyone this harvest! Looking forward to another challenge for the harvest of 2011, and yet another great vintage of wines in the Napa Valley.

Cheers!

Wesley Steffens
Vineyard 7&8
http://www.vineyard7and8.com/

A Bittersweet Time of Year..

2011-08-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hello all from The Drudge at Chase Cellars in St Helena, offering a unique view of working at a winery from the bottom up! The grapes are changing from green to purple which only means one thing, harvest is near! At an instant I am both excited and anxious. I love Napa Valley during crush; you can feel the energy, smell the fermentation in the air and enjoy the sudden influx of interns from the southern hemisphere. Unfortunately that also means that I will soon be working a lot harder during some very long days.

The grand scheme of things it isn’t all that bad, and I really love the fact that I make something that people will treasure for years to come. To be a part of something that people open for a special occasion (like a bad day) is a very cool thing. So, okay I am excited for the upcoming harvest!

Chase Cellars is a pretty small place, only 1,800 cases, so it doesn’t take that much to get us ready. In the next few weeks we will begin pulling out all the equipment that has been stored for the winter, putting it back together and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.

For now I am going to sit back, sip some beautiful rosé and appreciate the wonderful summer weather that is ripening our grapes.

Cheers!

Harvest Preparations at Signorello Estate

2011-08-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

Here at Signorello Estate we are watching Cabernet Sauvignon finish up its veraison period, which started a few weeks ago, so it looks like we will be picking them in mid to late October as we did last year.

The crop is fairly small due to heavy rains during the "bloom" period in the spring. Due to this, there was almost no cropping for us beside the "green" second crop as well as a little bit in our Syrah and Merlot vineyard blocks.

Currently, the cellar crew is checking, cleaning and sanitizing all crush machinery and fermentation tanks...and our vineyard repairman is servicing all tractors, forklifts and trailers to get ready for the upcoming harvest.

So far, this harvest looks like it is going to be a good one and we are all hoping for a nice warm end to the summer growing season.

Right now, we are enjoying the summer, relaxing on the patio, drinking some great wine and waiting for the HARVEST 2011 fun to begin! Won't you come join us?

Cheers!

Pierre Birebent, Winemaker
Signorello Estate

Something Old, and Something Older

2011-08-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

I don’t mean to brag but we have some pretty old Zinfandel vines, I mean really old, 108 years old, old. As far as I know these are some of the oldest vines in Napa Valley that are still in production. I say some of the oldest because the records aren’t that great from back then I and just don’t want to get in trouble!

What’s incredible about these vines, besides the fact that they have managed to stay in the ground for this long, is they are pretty much self sufficient (besides a nip here and a tuck there). Thanks to our incredibly alluvial soil the tap root has grown 35 feet down into the earth and found the water table. This is a huge plus for us because that means we don’t have to water them. Somehow they are able to pull water up 35 feet to ensure their survival.

What does this mean for the end result, the pretty little grapes? Well, just like in humans, all that hard work builds a whole lot of character! The old vines, compared the 25 year olds that we also have planted in the Hayne Vineyard, show a lot more complexity and depth in flavor. The next time you find yourself in St Helena during harvest stop in and try a grape from each, I dare you!

The Drudge

Chase Cellars

Harvest 2011 is looming!!!

2011-08-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year, the time all winemakers have waited for, Harvest!!!

We've bottled previous vintages, and the winery has been prepared meticulously with the help of eager interns, ready to get their hands dirty. Harvest at Schramsberg is no different than harvest at other wineries in the Napa Valley, except that we start several weeks earlier due to our work with sparkling wine grapes.

Harvest 2011 is without a doubt going to have another late start! However, the beauty of a late harvest, especially in the Sparkling Chardonnay and Pinot Noir world, is that sugar accumulation has been slow while acidities are sky high. In addition, we winemakers like hang time for flavor development. I'm not one to count my chickens before they hatch, but,I am optimistic that Harvest 2011 is going to provide us with the goods to craft another vintage of delicious sparkling wines. If vintage 2010 is any indication, which I believe it is, I am feeling pretty good from where I sit. Although I haven't hit the dial button on the phone, my finger is getting antsy, and I can't wait to call my growers and get Harvest 2011 started.

Keith Hock

Napa Vintners Provide Climate Change Update

2011-08-16T09:29:00.001-07:00

Complex Topic Requires Ongoing Thoughtful Review

Amidst another cool summer, Napa Valley again finds itself featured in various media outlets as the poster child for the potential results of climate change as it relates to, not just wine, but agriculture in general. Culturally, people are drawn to the romance of vineyards and since wine grapes, among all crops, are sensitive to vintage conditions and climate, there is more interest than say soy or oats or other crops.

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) acknowledges the climate research published this summer by an associate professor from Stanford, as well as all of the work done in this area over the recent decades, believing that the more attention and study given to this important global topic, the better off we will all be in developing ideas and tools for dealing with the potential impacts. Clearly, this is an issue of paramount importance to everyone, especially those of us in agriculture.

It was almost exactly five years ago that the Napa Valley Vintners Board of Directors established the Climate Study Task Force, comprised of a small group of vintners that had an awareness of, interest in, and passion for climate science and its possible effects on growing premium wine grapes, as well as wine production. The focus was to look specifically at Napa Valley, with its unique geographic position and resulting climate. It was this group of dedicated vintners that recommended the NVV work with Dr. Dan Cayan and his renowned team of climate scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. That officially launched the NVV's Climate Study Project, whereupon historical temperature and phenological data specific to the Napa Valley were gathered, analyzed and reported upon.

Over the next three years, the Climate Study Task Force collected data from 12,000 points in Napa Valley--from vintners, growers and weather stations. It was from this massive, grass-roots data collection that the Scripps science team assembled the "Climate and Phenology in Napa Valley: A Compilation and Analysis of Historical Data" report (Dan Cayan, Kimberly Nicholas, Mary Tyree and Michael Dettinger). This report, released in February 2011, indicated that Napa Valley has warmed slightly over recent decades, but not to the degree that has been previously reported. The warming we have experienced, 1-2° degrees Fahrenheit has taken place only in overnight temperatures between the months of January to August.

Not only did this study prove that we are not currently "tasting" climate change in a glass of Napa Valley wine, it also demonstrated what we all know to be true: the Napa Valley is indeed a unique place. Napa Valley is neither a coastal nor an interior climate, but shares traits of both: southern Napa Valley is more maritime-like, while central northeastern Napa Valley features some climate traits similar to California's coastal valleys. Daily and seasonal temperature changes in Napa Valley are higher than cool coastal climates, but less severe than warmer inland climates. Even though Napa Valley is not considered a coastal region, it is highly influenced by the marine layer, especially in the summer. Marine-influenced morning cloud cover mitigates daytime high temperatures, even though the clouds dissipate by early afternoon.

"Climate and Phenology in Napa Valley: A Compilation and Analysis of Historical Data" report's original media release and executive summary are linked below.

Climate change can and will affect all fine wine-growing regions worldwide, but the results will not necessarily be a blanket effect, as climate change is not a "once size fits all" phenomena. This is a very long-term issue which vintners and growers in Napa Valley need to continue to pay attention to and be directly involved with.

About the Napa Valley Vintners
The Napa Valley Vintners is the non-profit trade association responsible for promoting and protecting the Napa Valley appellation as the premier winegrowing region. From seven founding members in 1944, today the association represents 400 Napa Valley wineries and collectively is a leader in the world-wide wine industry. To learn more about our region and its legendary American wines, visit www.NapaVintners.com.

Read the executive summary of the Climate Report

Harvest Preparations - a bit different for all of us

2011-08-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

Having just barely broken into August and only just now feeling like it is summertime, it is difficult to really start thinking about harvest (unless you're making bubbly), especially in this later than normal year. In any case, harvest preparations look fairly similar wherever you may be - lots of cleaning, purchasing supplies, stocking the beer fridge, etc. - but for us here at Chateau Montelena "preparing for harvest" this year means something else entirely.

Not long after I was promoted to winemaker in 2008 I was tasked with the (then theoretical) task of redesigning the fermentation cellar inside our historic Chateau (see photo above left). Over the intervening time that design was refined, tweaked, and eventually finalized. This past February construction began on a complete cellar retrofit and seismic upgrade. So while we are busy ordering in yeast and sanitation chemicals for harvest just like everyone else, we are also neck deep in construction. With no tanks in the cellar currently, it is hard to start thinking about fruit... Thankfully everything is on schedule with no major surprises (we hope). So stay tuned for more updates on the progress of our construction and on our first harvest in the new cellar (see current status photo below)! There are also more details and images on our blog if you're interested.

The Hunt is on at #WBC11!

2011-07-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

This week we're packing our bags and heading to Charlottesville, Virginia for the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference (#WBC11). This annual event - a gathering of those that love wine, blogging and social media - is always a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet the new kids on the block.

This year we're trying something new - throughout the conference, Napa Valley Vintners will be on SCVNGR, a social media scavenger hunt in which participants do challenges, earn points and collect rewards.

At #WBC11, let SCVNGR be your guide to learning more about what makes the Napa Valley a premier wine growing region. Complete challenges on your iPhone or Android to take home an exclusive gift. It's a free download and fun to play!

1. Download SCVNGR via your app store or at www.scvngr.com
2. While at the Omni hotel in Charlottesville, click on ‘Treks’ in the main menu and select ‘Napa Loves Wine Bloggers ’
3. On the next screen, click on ‘Napa Loves Wine Bloggers’ above the map to complete challenges and earn points
4. When you've earned 10 points, unlock your reward under the ‘Info’ tab
5. Find Julie at #WBC11 (@NapaVintners) to collect your reward

Happy hunting!

NASCAR's Kurt Busch Takes Martin Estate into the Winner's Circle

2011-06-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

When Kurt Busch invited the Martin Estate team to join him in the pit during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on Sunday, it not only included true front row exposure to the NASCAR action, but also the sweet taste of victory inside the Winner’s Circle, where Busch and his girlfriend Patricia Driscoll raised a Jeroboam of Martin Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon to celebrate his first place triumph.

Petra, Greta and Greg Martin greeted Busch with a three liter bottle of Martin Estate Reserve at Sonoma’s Infineon Raceway as a thank you for the amazing day ahead of them, and for sending a helicopter to pick them up. It was an action packed and thrilling day on the race course, as Busch walked Greg Martin through the pre-race check list and confided his plan of only making two pit stops in the 219 mile race. Later, during the race, the Martins watched the crew in awe as they changed the tires and refueled the car in less than 30 seconds. “We just knew that Kurt was going to win this year”, Petra Martin said, “ but we did not want to say anything in order not to jinx it. But when he took the lead in the beginning of the race, we had no doubt and kept our eyes glued to the leader board. We believe in excellence, and Kurt is a master of the race course.”

It's been a thrilling summer for Martin Estate off the race track, too. The Martin Estate team toasted a decade of growing and making wine on June 18, with a poolside release party. Petra and Greg pulled out all the stops for Martin Estate's 10th anniversary celebration. Renowned New York designer Erin Fetherston and bespoke Italian leather shoe designer Michael Toschi joined the Martins for the occasion, along with a host of the winery's friends and family and one of San Francisco's favorite food trucks, RoliRoti. The porchetta was mouthwatering, especially with a glass of 2009 Martin Estate Rose of Cabernet.

Au Natural: Going Wild at Martin Estate Vineyard

2011-06-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

At first glance, Martin Estate's eight acre Puerta Dorada Vineyard appears to be lacking good house keeping this summer. The truth is, while we’ve taken our weed eaters to the perimeter of our 12-acre property, the vineyard itself still has a wild and unruly cover crop of what only looks like weeds growing vigorously between every other row. What appears to be neglect, however, is our natural approach to managing the unseasonably late rainfall this year. These grasses and grains are working hard to wick excess moisture out of the ground.

“This semi-permanent cover crop also creates competition with the vines, which reduces the vigor, keeping our quantity down but our quality high,” Martin Estate Winemaker Frederic Delivert says.

“Once we feel the soil has dried out to just the perfect point,” Martin Estate Proprietor Petra Martin says, “our Carraro tractor will finally make its way through the rows to make everything look tickety-boo.”

In the meantime, we welcome the weeds as a working cog in the Martin Estate Vineyard Management Team.

Shafer Vineyards: Napa Busts Loose for Auction Napa Valley

2011-06-14T16:26:00.001-07:00

Shafer Vineyards: Our Vineyards are in Bloom

2011-06-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

History-Making $100 Million Milestone Surpassed as Napa Vintners Bring in $7.3 Million at Charity Event

2011-06-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

For the first time in its 31 year history, rain--and lots of it--fell on the main event of Napa Valley's renowned charity wine auction held on the lawn of Meadowood Napa Valley in St Helena, Saturday, June 4. While Mother Nature opened up the skies and let it pour, the bidders rallied together opening their wallets and pouring $7.3 million into auction revenue that will provide for the region's charities.

Perennial bidders John and Sandra Thompson of Woodside, CA were caught up in the excitement of the rainy Auction Napa Valley. Mr. Thompson said, "What was most interesting about this year's Auction was that, in light of the weather, people turned out and really, really opened up and had a good time. The weather didn't seem to deter the bidding at all."

Mrs. Thompson: "Actually I think it brought people together and they had fun with it."

Mr. Thompson: "So it was an amazing experience--absolutely amazing."

The fairway at Meadowood, which has served as the Live Auction's venue since its inception in 1981, has seen typically beautiful weather with daytime highs in the low 80s most often--and even a few notable warmer years--but never rain and temperatures in the mid-50s in June, which is typically one of the three driest months of the entire year in Napa Valley.

The member vintners offered up forty lots at the Live Auction on Saturday for bidding that followed the ultimate Napa Valley picnic prepared by Napa Valley star chef Cindy Pawlcyn with inspiration from her three iconic restaurants: Go Fish, Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen and Mustards Grill. Originally planning to offer open-air seating, the event organizers quickly rallied to find additional tents to create complete coverage from arrival to the main tent. So while heads were dry, the lawn turned in spots to mud and the well-planned auction fashion included rubber boots of every style and color. All of the planned 800 attendees joined the festivities.

The Live Auction opened with a flair as professional dancers took to the stage to entice bidders to raise their paddles on a collection of wine in magnum from dozens of Napa Valley producers that were packaged with professional ballroom dance lessons and a trip to the next season's finale of "Dancing with the Stars" in Hollywood. The lot sold for $70,000 to a bidder from Menlo Park, CA.

Hands-down the most heartfelt lot of the day was the one with no prize to be won other than the goodwill of helping provide for programs for children's health and wellness: the Fund a Need Lot 24. Carrying balloons and cupcakes for a high stakes bake sale were 25 children who have benefitted from the wellness funding. Taking the stage with the youngsters was the Rombauer Family, 2011 Auction Napa Valley honorary chairs, led by patriarch Koerner Rombauer. A total of 132 bidders brought in a total of $1.1 million including five $100,000 bids.

Read the full press release
View Auction Napa Valley photos

Live Auction Napa Valley Coverage

2011-06-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Auction Week!

As Auction Napa Valley kicks into high gear, check out our website for videos, photos and tweets that capture the weekend's festivities.

Auction Napa Valley 2011 Honorary Chair - Koerner Rombauer

2011-06-01T12:39:00.001-07:00

Boxers or Briefs?

2011-05-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Napa in your pajamas.

Sounds like some fun! Barrel tasting with a group of Victoria’s Secret Models! But wait, it’s only fifty five degrees in the barrel room. I guess they’re all wearing flannel. Bummer, dude!

Perhaps I’m being too literal. What I’m actually trying to get across is that it's easy to participate in Auction Napa Valley! This year our E-Auction features over 150 lots. Even better than the convenience of browsing, bidding, and even winning these lots from home is knowing that all the money goes to support health, youth, and affordable housing non-profits in the Napa Valley.

…and oh, how technology has changed since we started…

When the E-Auction was introduced in 2005, there were no iPhones, iPads, Androids, and what Blackberrys were around were clunky monstrosities. DSL in your home was a luxury. If you asked someone about “WiFi”, the response would probably be “WTF”.

Today, we are so connected, you can reach out and connect to the 2011 E-Auction with so much ease…it’s all around you. You can bid from any number of places:

While sitting on the beach
From the gym
Join the Mile High Club! Many airlines now offer WiFi on board.
During a dental cleaning
Inside a confessional booth

While I hope you all share my unbridled passion for the E-Auction, there are certain places I highly recommend you please do not check on the status of your bid, including:

During a job interview
While breaking up with someone
A public restroom at the airport…that double click may be mistaken for a foot tap.
From a funeral

…and, in all seriousness, please do not bid while driving.

The quality, diversity, and sheer fun creativity behind all the lots this year are unparalleled. Have fun browsing! Bid early, bid often, and have a great time with us online as we strive to pass the $100 million mark in funds raised for our community!

Andy Schweiger
Schweiger Family Vineyards
E-Auction Chair

Auction Napa Valley 3.0

2011-05-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

This year marks the 31st anniversary of Auction Napa Valley and as with most things, the auction keeps improving with age. While we've dabbled in technology and social media in past years, in 2011 we decided to jump in - feet first. So whether you're joining us next weekend for the wine charity event of the year or following all the action from home, read on for all the new tech-friendly ways you can plug into Auction Napa Valley.

SCVNGR

SCVNGR is a cool new iPhone and Android application in which participants do challenges, earn points and collect rewards. To up the 'technie ante,' we decided to jump on the bandwagon and develop a fun SCVNGR game for our guests at the Friday Barrel Auction & Marketplace event. So get your camera phones ready and brush up on your texting skills - SCVNGR will be your guide to a new Auction Napa Valley experience!

1. Download SCVNGR via your app store or at http://www.blogger.com/www.scvngr.com
2. Click on ‘Treks’ in the main menu and select ‘Auction Napa Valley’
3. Click on ‘Auction Napa Valley’ above the map to complete challenges and earn points
4. View point progress and unlock your reward under the ‘Info’ tab

#ANV11

Auction Napa Valley is on Twitter! Whether you're tweeting at the event or keeping up with the latest news from home, be sure to use the hashtag #ANV11 to share your experiences with other Auction Napa Valley followers.

Unless you have a penchant for mentally blocking big screen TVs from view, you won't be able to miss the #ANV11 tweets at the Friday event - three Twitterwalls placed throughout the event will follow the #ANV11 conversation.

QR Codes & the mobile E-Auction

Don't want to type a long web address into your mobile phone to bid at the e-Auction (which, by the way, is open to bidders across the globe)? No problem! Simply scan the E-Auction QR code at the right to be brought to the e-Auction bidding page. And oh, did we mention that the E-Auction site is mobile phone friendly? Check!

Online 3-D Catalog

Left your Auction Napa Valley catalog at home or simply looking to browse (and drool) over the Live Auction lots? It's all online - no really, the whole thing! Check out the 3D version of the catalog here.

So the moral of the story is...if you love technology, social media and Auction Napa Valley, don't forget your cell phone charger next weekend!

Meet the Winemaker: A Q&A with Martin Estate's Frederic Delivert

2011-05-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

Martin Estate's eight acre Rutherford vineyard and the winery nestled among the vines have never looked better, and large amounts of credit are due to Martin Estate Winemaker Frederic Delivert (pictured at right, with Meadowood Resort's Master Sommelier Gilles de Chambure). The French born and trained enologist with a Masters in agricultural sciences has been slowly transforming the property since his arrival several years ago. It always amazes us that Frederic managed to improve upon wines that were already excellent to begin with. Of course, he credits Petra and Greg Martin with much of that success, saying "they have spared no expense in order to give me the tools to achieve such prestigious levels."

Frederic took some time away from the vines - where he and vineyard manager Josh Clark have been t-budding a few blocks with new Cabernet clones along with some Petit Verdot - in order to answer a few questions about his winemaking genesis and what makes the vineyard at Martin Estate so extraordinary. We invite you to pull up a chair, pour yourself a glass of wine, and get comfortable.

1. First, tell us about your winemaking background, both here and abroad.

I took extensive courses on winemaking and viticulture during my college years while completing my Masters in Agricultural Sciences. Each school year included an internship requirement, and I used them to immerse myself in the wine industry. I worked my first harvest in 1991; this year will be my 18^th. In France, I worked predominantly in the southwest regions and the Languedoc. When I relocated to Northern California, I knew that when it came to the best soils, climate and what we Frenchmen call terroir, the Napa Valley was the preeminent AVA (American Viticultural Area). Over the last two decades, I have worked for five different wineries in this valley.

2. Were you raised in a winemaking family? What was the genesis for your love of wine, and when did you decide to enter into the winemaking profession, which is not as luxurious as it is often portrayed.

I was not raised in a winegrowing or winemaking family. I grew up mostly in the countryside, where wine was always a part of our culture. My friends were from farming families; their parents had a block of vines from which they made their own wine. It is essential to realize that wine is an everyday drink in France. It is always around. Don’t ask me what is the legal age to drink over there…

Growing up surrounded by farmers, I fell in love with agriculture. And, the more I studied the wine industry, the more I realized it mixed a variety of intriguing aspects – farming, science, marketing, art; even the barrel programs and elements of packaging from the corks to the labels and glass. Of course, I always enjoyed drinking the final result, too.

3. How did you meet the Martin family? What drew you to them and to Martin Estate? Why did you decide to leave a more corporate winery atmosphere for a small estate winery?

I met the Martins through a common friend. A small estate affords you the opportunity to concentrate on the entire process, from vineyard to bottle. It was important for me to be able to put my feet back into the vineyard. The roots of a good wine are good grapes. In fact, 75% of winemaking happens in the vineyard, yet so many positions offered to me did not include any real vineyard work. In order to make world-class wine, the vineyard needs to be spectacular, and the perfect example is Martin Estate.

Managing a small single vineyard estate allows us to have complete control of our fruit. Because the vineyard is literally steps from the winery, we can intensely observe all facets of the growing season. We don’t have to rely upon someone else’s farming standards, which means we are never surprised by the condition of our fruit. The viticultural practices we perform – when and how we prune our vines, our irrigation methods, the decision to green harvest each year – in order to raise the quality of the grapes are crucial to the end result. Martin Estate’s size is ideal for this intensive style of winemaking; in many ways it is an extended garden. I can go from vineyard to winery in a couple of minutes.

Last but not least, Petra and Greg Martin are as committed as I am to making the highest quality wine, and have spared no expense in order to give me the tools to achieve such prestigious levels.

4. What is it that makes the Martin Estate vineyard so special?

First: the fact that we have only the first generation of vines on the property. I know of no other Napa Valley property that can make that claim. Second: the size, which makes it a true boutique winery. Third: the rich history of the property, that inspires me every day I drive through the gate. How many people can say they work in a 19^th century chateau where Georges de Latour made his first wine, on grounds that in the 1850s belonged to Captain George Yount.

5. What are the greatest joys in working for a small, family winery?

Human size, flexibility, tight relationships. The peace that comes with knowing I have everything under control.

6. What are the greatest challenges?

When something unexpected happens, things can get hectic very fast; we are a small team. That is when the tightly knit relationships and flexibility prove invaluable, as everyone is committed to staying after hours and helping each other, even if it is not in his or her official “field.”

7. What is your winemaking philosophy?

Getting the healthiest grapes to perfect maturity, and then using the tools that have proven their value to get the best expression possible from these grapes.

8. The French word “terroir” is so difficult for the layman wine drinker to define. How would you best explain “terroir?”

Let’s keep it simple and say that I consider it to be the combination of your site and its unique soils with the weather you get – but I would also like to add myself, as the human factor, to the package. Without the winemaker, terroir is just terroir. But what you taste in a Martin Estate wine is the terroir I bottled. Am I making sense or have I left you confused?

9. Just a little but I see your point. Since your arrival four years ago, Martin Estate has made some major changes in the way wine is produced – barrel fermentation, concrete tanks, state of the art sorting equipment for harvest. Can you tell us how these new pieces have affected the winemaking process?

While it is true that the only thing you really need to make a great wine is great fruit, I believe certain pieces of equipment and techniques can further enhance its quality. My main thought behind any change on the production end is that it has to benefit the wine’s quality. I also take into consideration the fact that we are a small company, so if it makes some tasks more efficient, that is a definite plus. Finally, the pieces have to be visually appealing, as preserving the aesthetic of this 19^th century property has always been essential to the Martin family.

Let’s look at some changes I made and how they affected the winemaking :

- We now use clippers for our hand harvest, instead of the usual picking knife. We pick the grapes into small bins (30 lbs each versus half a ton in the past). This means the grapes don’t get damaged by hasty pickers, or crushed by being piled on top of each other. They arrive on the crush pad in pristine shape, and we don’t have oxidation problems or juice running off and getting lost.

- The advantage of our new state-of-the-art sorting system is tha it allows us to only put berries in the fermentation vats; any piece of leaf, stem or raisin has been thoroughly removed. The table allows us to process the fruit faster, too, so we don’t have grapes sitting in the sun for hours. Because our equipment doesn’t require light to properly sort the fruit, we are able to start picking our grapes at night, so the grapes come into the winery cool and fresh.

- We custom designed French concrete tanks, and the insulation and micro-oxygenation they provide, gives us a softer and fruitier wine. Because they were custom made in France to my specifications, it gives me the tool I need to accomplish my goal of making Martin Estate the best new world wine, using old world techniques.

And these are just a few examples. Since my arrival, we have improved our barrel program, which is now 100% French oak, as well as the wine chilling capacity, which allows us to perform cold soaks. But you better stop me right here, before I become too technical. May I suggest we have a glass or our wine, and let it speak for itself?

Auction Napa Valley Beneficiary Story: Welcome Every Baby

2011-05-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome Every Baby is a is a free service available to all newborns and their families in Napa County that focuses on the very important relationship between parents and their babies.

Welcome Every Baby Story

This client was in her twenties and was considered significantly high-risk by the providers caring for her during her pregnancy and delivery. This was her first pregnancy and child. She had used drugs before she found out she was pregnant, had been the victim of domestic violence and the father of her baby was incarcerated. She had a history of difficulties in school and depression.

She was referred to the Welcome Every Baby program after delivery. The hospital staff was concerned that she had a very difficult labor and did not want anything to do with the baby. She had attempted to breastfeed but sent the baby to the nursery and did not want to spend time with her. Everyone was concerned about poor bonding and attachment.

A Public Health-Welcome Every Baby nurse began visiting her at her parent’s home soon after delivery. The PHN formed a supportive and empathic relationship with the client and helped her understand her baby’s cues, temperament and development. The nurse assisted and supported the new mom in becoming a good parent and “falling in love” with her baby which is a critical task for the baby’s future social, emotional, and cognitive well being, ability to learn in school and be successful in life. The nurse also assisted mom in getting the care she needed for herself and her baby including getting treatment and counseling for postpartum depression, and needed referrals to resources in the community.

The baby is now nine months old and is a healthy, happy girl who is developmentally on task and thriving. Mom has developed excellent parenting skills and is nurturing, tender, and affectionate with her daughter. They share a strong attachment and mom is appropriately worried about her child and also very proud of her accomplishments. The client was able to get an apartment on her own. The PHN stated that this client has come so far and done such a good job when most people did not think it was possible. The PHN also stated that this is the only client she has ever had that filled out every single Ages and Stages Developmental Questionnaire and has been so excited about her child’s development. The PHN feels like this is the first time the client has ever felt so successful and proud, and that she now truly understands what a good parent she is and what a wonderful relationship she has developed with her daughter.

How to bid at the Auction Napa Valley Barrel Auction

2011-05-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

At the Barrel Auction at the Taste Napa Valley event on June 3rd, there will be 100 barrel lots for guests to taste and bid up. How does one evaluate a barrel lot? How many cases are available? How does one place a bid? Demystify the Barrel Auction by watching this short video!

Not able to attend this year's Auction Napa Valley? There are more than 150 amazing e-lots that you can bid on as part of our e-Auction! Learn more here.

Auction Napa Valley Beneficiary Story: Rianda House

2011-05-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

Rianda House provides seniors in our community with an environment for social, educational and recreational activities in order to enhance dignity, encourage community involvement, support independence and promote healthy, active living.

Rianda House Story

A Rianda House regular invited an older woman (mid 80’s) who lives alone to join her for a game of dominoes that is offered weekly at the Center. Cautiously the woman showed up to play and realized she was having a lot of fun.

As time went on however, the woman clearly showed signs of ill health, frustration, dementia and her friends from “dominoes day” began to worry. When the woman didn’t show up one day, they were told by another group member that the woman wound up in the hospital after taking a bad fall.

Her friends wanted to take action and were able to made contact with a relative and learned that she was indeed in mental decline and as a result, was not eating well or taking care of herself. Knowing the resources available at Rianda House, her friends encouraged her to get more involved. Motivated by this outpouring of support and feeling comfortable with the familiar surroundings at Rianda house, she signed up for brain fitness and exercise classes, attended a Falls Prevention workshop and began to join in on the thrice weekly congregate meals.

Five months later, she now comes to the center almost daily, has greatly improved health and is laughing with her friends.

Auction Napa Valley Beneficiary Story: ParentsCAN

2011-05-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

ParentsCAN (Parents-Child Advocacy Network), a beneficiary of Auction Napa Valley funding, is an organization that provides hope, peer-to-peer support, resources and educational opportunities for families in Napa County who have children with learning, mental, emotional, developmental or physical disabilities. This is a story about a family who found the support they needed through the ParentsCAN network.

ParentsCAN Story

Guadalupe and Jose have two children. Their oldest son Mario is 9 years old and was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 2. Mario’s school referred Guadalupe and her family to ParentsCAN because they felt Guadalupe needed to find a support group.

During our initial assessment we quickly learned that indeed Guadalupe and her family were very isolated. They had no family in the area, nor did they know anyone else that had a child like theirs. But as we continued talking, Guadalupe began to express that she was very overwhelmed with the challenging behavior her son exhibited and many times she would stay behind with her son while her husband and daughter went out. The simplest outings, such as going to the grocery store, were filled with so much chaos and turmoil due to her son’s behavior that she would just rather stay home. She was also very fearful to leave Mario with anyone other than her husband. She was frustrated with her son’s school - Mario did not seem to be making any progress. Even after attending numerous meetings with his teachers, nothing seemed to be helping her son.

Although Guadalupe was referred to ParentsCAN to find a support group, after our initial assessment, she decided that a more immediate need for her was to find help for her son to be able to manage his behavior, without this there was just no way for her to even think about going to a support group. In turn, Guadalupe was assigned to a ParentsCAN advocate who is also a mother of a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. For the first time Guadalupe talked to someone who she felt could really understand her situation and an instant connection was made. Guadalupe and her advocate developed a plan to help her find services and support for her son. Guadalupe was given information regarding Mario’s disability, she was able to understand why it was that he was having trouble in certain situations. She was registered for a workshop on special education that taught Guadalupe her rights and responsibilities so she could be more effective in her conversations with the school. Additionally, her advocate made several referrals to local agencies that could provide Guadalupe with in-home behavioral therapy.

Several months later, a smiling Guadalupe attended her first support group. Although things were not perfect and her son was still having behavior problems, the school and her home program were now working together, her son’s behavior was slowly improving. As a result of a referral from ParentsCAN she had also qualified for respite care, with both of these services in place Guadalupe was able to leave Mario with a trained care provider giving her confidence to leave her home and attend the support group.

Recently Guadalupe has started volunteering for ParentsCAN; she makes phone calls to parents to invite them to the monthly support group, she arrives early to help the group facilitator set up and is always the first to volunteer to help with other projects. Mario is also doing much better at school and at home, on occasion he has tantrums but now Guadalupe knows what to do to manage his behavior. Guadalupe has been able to be at every support group meeting and shares her story with every new parent that attends the group.

Guadalupe found support that is much more than just a monthly meeting she can attend, she has found a place that gives her confidence, hope and a sense of empowerment to accept her son’s disability, be able to cope with her situation and has equipped her to advocate for the needs of her son and her family.

Auction Napa Valley - Beneficiary Stories

2011-05-13T10:49:00.001-07:00

Since it's inception in 1981, Auction Napa Valley has given nearly $100 million to scores of non-profit programs throughout the Napa Valley. That's a pretty big number to digest - what exactly does $100 million mean to our community?

To help answer that question, we've collected stories from the organizations that receive funding through Auction Napa Valley grants. In the weeks leading up to this year's auction, June 2-5, we want to share these stories with you.

Our first story comes from Napa CASA - a voice for children. Napa CASA provides court appointed advocates for abused and neglected children who, through no fault of their own, have become dependents of the court. This story from Mary, a CASA volunteer, demonstrates how essential these services are to the children in our community.

A story from Mary, a CASA volunteer

I had heard about CASA and after I saw an ad in the paper, I called to learn more about the program. I did not realize that there was such a need until I was told of the number of children waiting for a CASA volunteer. I took the training after I retired from teaching school for 25 years. I had seen some of these children in my classroom so I had some understanding of their needs.

Being a CASA volunteer is a lot like being a detective. You have to talk to everyone involved. To help a child you have to really know what is going on and gather all the information you can. First I read the child’s complete case file. Then I meet with the foster parents and find out how the child was doing in the foster home. Then I meet with the child. The child thinks they are at fault. They worry about what is going to happen to them. They can’t understand why their mom can’t take care of them. They ask “Why does my daddy treat me like he does”?

Next, I meet with the parents. I tell the parents, “I’m here to help your child; I hope we can cooperate with each other." I tell them, “The goal is for you to parent your child. I want to see you be successful but my job is to focus on your child’s needs. I’m going to do what I think is right and I’m going to write a report to the court with my recommendations."

In my case the mother was not able to safely parent her child. She had alcohol and mental health issues. There also were allegations that the young boy was being abused by his father. They didn’t have enough information about that and were getting ready to send him back to his father. I talked to the boy’s foster mother and she said “you know they’re letting him visit on the weekends with his daddy. And after every visit, when he comes back to our house, he can’t sleep.” So I spoke to his counselor and told him that I was concerned about the visits. The young boy was asked, “When you go home to be with your daddy, why can’t you sleep when you go back to your foster home?” And he told us what had been happening. A lot happened after that, but today that child is doing well. He’s happy and he’s safe, and now he is going to be adopted.

As a CASA volunteer you show the child there is someone that cares about what happens to them - that there are good people in this world, that maybe they are not getting what they need at home but that somebody knows they are special. They grow up knowing that they are good people. By showing them something different, by making sure they are cared for, we can put these children on the right track.

Auction Napa Valley - Journey of the Weird Guy

2011-05-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

How does Auction Napa Valley affect the local community? Judd Finkelstein of Judd's Hill Winery is out to educate everyone in Napa about Auction Napa Valley giving - no matter what it takes!

Auction Napa Valley 2011 - Coming soon!

2011-05-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

There are still three and four day packages available for Auction Napa Valley 2011, June 2-5! Learn more here.

Is it over? Or is Napa Valley simply helping to sell publications?

2011-04-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

In the recent issue of Wine Business Insider, (April 21) there were a lot of charts and graphs and some sensational headlines that looked to tell a story of the challenges to Napa Valley from competing wine markets here in the US and from around the world.

“Wine Spectator 2010 Top 100 Wines Reflects Increased Competition for Napa” - The premise was to look at wine scores and wine pricing from Wine Spectator comparing the year 1988 to 2010 in the “Top 100 Wines of the Year.” For example the Napa Valley appellation had 14 wines in Spectator’s Top 100 in 1988 and only 11 in 2010—down by three. All other California appellations which include Sonoma, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Mendocino among others, had 19 in the flight in 1988 and now 13 in 2010—off by a third.

Additionally, Bordeaux had 18 wines in the Top 100 in 1988 and only 1 in 2010, yes one—yikes, apparently not so good for Bordeaux. Burgundy had 17 in 1988 and 5 in 2010. Italy took a hit from ’88 as well. Take a look at the chart to see what wine regions of the world placed in the Top 100 in 1988—many had no placement where today they have one or more.

Additionally have a look at the point scores and pricing and one will see that Napa Valley is the only region to have its point scores actually increase over the past 22 years, again, poor France. Also have a look at the value of Napa Valley wine and again, note the high value of the region’s wines—a direct correlation to demand in the market…and not to beat the horse, but poor France.

So what does all of this mean to the reader, the consumer and to those of us in Napa Valley who scratch our heads and wonder why the story looks to be about poor Napa being cut off at the knees by world-wide competition. Not much really, since the numbers are anecdotal, one list of wines from one year and another list of wines from another. It may give us some trends to follow and that’s helpful, but the idea that this is a cloud over the Napa Valley is simply titillating journalism. If the reader really wanted to look for the wam-bam of the story, the numbers don’t serve France, Italy or the other appellations of California well at all. Given the point and placement spreads for these regions, the headline would more appropriately read, “OMG--What happened to France.”

The real story is that we live in a global market and wine drinkers have a lot more choice. The Napa Valley is just 4% of California’s wine grape harvest and just 4/1000th of the world’s wine production—a small player with a large reputation for quality and innovation and obvious consumer demand. Perhaps the reason for the 2010 list’s wines might have something to do with the depressed economy and Wine Spectator looking to review value wines from around the world in response to that. Dunno.

Ultimately, two pages of discussion on the demise of Napa Valley that has no basis in fact and the reader is left wondering what it all means—I agree, pull a cork on a great Napa Valley wine and enjoy the afternoon.

Cheers,
Terry Hall
Napa Valley Vintners

Wine, Guns & The Mythbusters Converge at Martin Estate

2011-04-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

This Spring, Mythbusters’ Grant Imahara, Kari Byron and Tory Belleci joined renowned antique arms expert Greg Martin to see how centuries old firearms fared against the crew’s replication of ancient Chinese paper armor. We turned the winery lawn into a battlefield, cracked open a few bottles of Martin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, and let the sword-wielding robot "take a whack" at the replication armor. Despite pouring rain, it was a fascinating day…and, we anticipate, an equally enthralling episode featuring wine and guns.

“Earliest references to paper armor date back to the Tang Dynasty, about 600 years BCE,” Martin says. Made from the bark of a mulberry tree, this paper, he adds, provided several tactical advantages to metal armors, including a resistance to rust and increased mobility. “In addition, it was extremely flexible as well as cheap to produce.”

But could a fragile material like paper be as effective as steel against spears, arrows and guns? According to Martin, the armor’s flexible, layered lamellar construction actually gave paper armor a leg up on the competition. “Armor with a single sheet of material is compromised by a single crack. But with layers and pieces, any damage on one layer doesn’t compromise the other. Plus, the softer materials yield and neutralize much of the impact energy before they damage.” According to Martin, armor of this type would not be pierced by arrows or spear thrusts and could withstand a musket shot from 100 yards away.

The Discovery Channel team decided to test these claims. After constructing their own armor by cutting paper into strips and folding them back and forth into multiple layers to create protective scales, Imahara, Byron and Belleci packed up their new suit and traveled to Martin’s Napa Valley winery, which also houses extensive antique arms and medieval armor.

Martin pulled some of his ancient flintlock firearms from their cases, and the Mythbusters team went into town to arm themselves with bow and arrow. Then, the quartet set up the “battlefield” outside on the estate lawn. Two dummies, one outfitted with a steel suit and the second with the Mythbusters’ paper armor, served as sacrificial lambs.

Just how well did the armor fare against the arrow deluge and ancient Chinese firearms, not to mention the robot swordsman? Stay tuned for the episode air date to find out.

For more information, please contact Brooke Gadke, brooke@MartinEstate.com or 479.414.3951.

Forty Napa Valley Vintners Head to China for Trade Mission

2011-04-20T15:01:00.001-07:00

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), the 67-year-old non-profit trade association charged with promoting and protecting America's most renowned wine growing region will once again lead a multi-faceted, week-long trade mission to the Republic of China beginning April 25 with stops in both Shanghai and Beijing.

"This will be our eighth official visit to China and Hong Kong since 1998 and this year we have vintners from 40 Napa Valley wineries, the most robust participation in this market to date," said NVV Executive Director Linda Reiff.

"China is an incredibly strategic market from a number of perspectives, including its steadily growing economy that finds more and more of its people with income to purchase fine wines from around the world. For this reason, it's important for Napa Valley wineries to be in the market and on the world stage representing the best from the United States."

Some 40 vintners will meet with wine trade, media, targeted consumers and political leaders at a variety of tasting venues in both cities throughout the week. Exposing these key audiences to the innovative, quality-driven wines of Napa Valley, educating on the unique attributes of the appellation and meeting the people behind these iconic brands will be top of the agenda as vintners look to open trade or enhance their shares in the import market.

Creating and reinforcing positive relations with key importers is critical to the success of the market. Ensuring a proper "route to market," whereby product is shipped, warehoused and transported in-market with appropriate handling at proper temperature that is vital, and integral to expanding the export of wine from Napa Valley to China.

Reiff continued, "We use these market visits as an opportunity to work on important industry issues as well. In China we have been working diligently with the Chinese government to protect the Napa name in wine branding. As we do around the world, in China we have had issues with some of their domestic wine brands using the name Napa on wine labels. As consumers become more savvy, more aware of world wines, their demand for truth in wine labeling is coming to light--just as it has in the U.S., as consumers understand the distinction of wine place names of origin."

"It is critical from our perspective that wine brands, no matter where they originate, if not from Napa Valley, should never lead a consumer to believe the wine in that bottle is from this unique California wine region. As we build our appellation's presence in China, we must work on trademark protection of our region and its wines. Through trade and consumer education and awareness and working with government leaders and influencers we hope to set a solid foundation for Napa Valley wines as the market expands going forward," said Reiff.

Working the market will be vintners from, Amuse Bouche Winery; Cakebread Cellars; Coup De Foudre Winery; Cuvaison Estate Wines; Dalle Valle Vineyards; Duckhorn Vineyards; Franciscan Estate; Grgich Hills Estate; HALL; Heitz Wine Cellars; Helena View Johnston Vineyards; Hestan Vineyards; Honig Vineyard and Winery; Howell at the Moon; John Anthony Vineyards; Jones Family Vineyards; Larkin Wines; Long Meadow Ranch; Luna Vineyards; Miner Family Wines; Moone-Tsai Vineyards; Peju, Realm Cellars; Robert Mondavi Winery; Rocca Family Vineyards, Rubicon Estate; Saintsbury; Salvestrin; Schramsberg Vineyards; Signorello Estate; Silver Oak Cellars; Silverado Vineyards; St Supery Vineyards and Winery; Somerston; Stag's Leap Wine Cellars; Viader Vineyards and Winery; and Waterstone.

Bud Break at Shafer Vineyards

2011-04-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Knock, knock. Hoo's there?

2011-04-01T11:27:00.002-07:00

Mr. Owl joined us a few years ago, and has a hoot in his little box. We invited him to watch over the vineyards throughout the evening and keep the vermin population down. Occasionally we catch him in flight, and spot his massive wing span against the backdrop of the twilight sky. He feasts on those pesky ground squirrels, gophers and moles - the same pests that ruin your home garden. A vineyard is just a massive garden after all.

My brother Alan has been carefully tending to the vines, which are just starting to wake up from their deep winter hibernation. We've got fuzzy little bumps on the vine canes, which were pruned down to a few inches at the end of January. Budbreak is coming very very soon. Right now they're just soaking up the delicious composting material we applied, and enjoying the warm Spring weather that has graced us this past week, with summer-like temperatures.

All the excitement is really happening inside the cellar, with Alan and Delia finalizing the blends for our 2009 DARE by Viader Cabernet Franc, which can't be bottled soon enough to meet the demand! We also racked the 2009 VIADER Proprietary Red Blend (Cab/Cab Franc) to clean out any sediment from the barrels. Our mother-son winemaking team is closely watching the development of our 2009 vintage, and are super pleased with the results. Bottling may occur sometime in the summer, if not post-harvest. TBD!

Warm regards,

Janet Viader, sales & marketing at VIADER

HR 1161 introduced in Congress: Wholesalers continue to try to protect their monopoly at the expense of wineries and consumers

2011-03-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

The intra-industry battle between producers of wine, beer and spirits and wholesalers that distribute many of those products was reignited yesterday with the introduction of HR 1161 in the US House of Representatives. The bill is once again dubbed the “CARE act.”

Similar to legislation put forth by the wholesalers last year (HR 5034), the new bill, sponsored by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R- UT), addresses state-based alcohol regulation and strengthens states’ control of alcohol sales, almost certainly jeopardizing consumers’ rights to directly purchase and receive wine. HR 1161 would open the door for states to enact anti-competitive laws that may discriminate against wine consumers and their right to purchase wine products.

Congressman Mike Thompson strongly condemned the new bill today.

“The federal government has no business picking winners and losers in the wine, beer, and distilled spirits industry,” Thompson said. “Yet the Comprehensive Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness Act would do just that by banning the direct shipment of wine and other forms of alcohol in the US. The impact of this bill would be devastating for brewers, vintners, distillers, importers, and consumers across our country.

“Specifically, this bill would allow states to replace federal standards with their own, making it harder for out-of-state producers in California and elsewhere to comply with other states’ laws. Wholesaler interest groups, the CARE Act’s biggest supporters, are lobbying aggressively to unravel the existing regulatory structure. If successful, they stand to monopolize the alcohol market at the expense of other industry members and American consumers.

“I will not allow this discriminatory bill to go unchallenged. Existing state and federal regulations have created a fair and competitive marketplace for wine and other alcoholic beverages. Nothing has changed. That’s why I am prepared to fight to protect our wineries, our businesses, our local economy, and our consumers’ right to purchase these beverages.”

In a collective statement released yesterday, associations representing wine, beer and spirits producers, including Wine Institute, concurred: “We urge Congress not to unravel a successful regulatory structure to the detriment of consumers, the industry and the federal interest in a fair, competitive and orderly marketplace for alcohol beverages."

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) believes that consumers in all 50 states should have the ability to directly purchase and receive fine wine. Many medium to small wineries have very limited distribution and garner little attention from the large distributors, especially now as distributor consolidation is severely impacting the three-tier system. These wineries survive by selling wine through mailing lists, wine clubs, and over the internet.

NVV agrees that the existing three-tier system should be augmented, not eliminated, and should provide controls and regulations necessary to respect local laws, avoid underage access and provide provisions to make tax payments.

What the NVV is doing:

The NVV has been deeply engaged in the Direct Shipping issue for more than a dozen years. After several years of championing the cause through its own programs, the NVV formed Free the Grapes! and spun it off as a separate organization in 1998. Free the Grapes! was created so that there would be a complementary consumer advocacy side to direct shipping legislative and legal efforts. Since the creation of Free the Grapes! the NVV has donated $400,000 in direct cash contributions to the organization.

Additionally, starting in 2008, NVV has been a main financial sponsor of the Direct to Consumer Symposium, the wine industry's premier summit on direct marketing and sales. Funds generated by the symposium benefit Free the Grapes! as well as the Coalition for Free Trade, the organization responsible for the legal aspects of Direct Shipping.

How you can help:

Contact Your Customers!

Congressman Thompson is already fighting on our behalf. However, it is important that Members of Congress from all across the country hear from your customers (their constituents) as to why HR 1161 is bad for them. Use your consumer e-mail database and Facebook page to encourage them to visit www.freethegrapes.org where they may personalize a letter to their congressional representatives.

Follow the Law

The NVV encourages all members to follow the letter of the law at all times. For a state by state update on direct shipping, visit www.wineinstitute.org. More information may also be obtained at www.freethegrapes.org.

European Grapevine Moth - Steps toward eradication in 2011

2011-03-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

In September of 2009, the European Grapevine Moth (EGVM) was discovered in Napa County. Native to Italy, the pest is one of the most disruptive to grapevines, multiplying three times within a single growing season and producing larvae that feed on grape clusters. The first year it was discovered in Napa the moth destroyed an entire vineyard in Oakville, leading to widespread concern about future crop damage in the Napa Valley.

Harnessing the urgency of the situation, Dave Whitmer, Napa County’s Agricultural Commissioner, and Monica Cooper, Napa County’s Farm Advisor, along with Napa Valley Vintners, Napa Valley Grapegrowers, Napa County’s Farm Bureau and local environmental groups, coordinated a county-wide effort to control the moth during the 2010 growing season that included over 5,000 traps, a quarantine during harvest, spray applications of ovicide and larvicide, and pheromone mating disruption. As a result of these efforts, vineyard crop damage was greatly reduced in 2010, turning what was largely seen as a potentially catastrophic threat to Napa vineyards into a success story in pest and environmental management.

While significant progress was made in 2010 in quarantining and reducing EGVM populations, experts agree that continued vigilance in combating the moth in 2011 is key to completely eradicating the moth in the Napa Valley.

For the 2011 growing season, it is recommended that all grape growers within 500 meters of a moth trapped in 2010 treat the first two generations with ovicide and/or larvicide and put up Isomate pheromone mating disruption twist-ties in their vineyards. The county will again set traps throughout the Napa Valley to asses the location and volume of the moths throughout the season and quarantines during harvest are recommended.

Home winemakers also play an important role in eradicating the moth and complying with EGVM standards. For example, as EGVM can be spread via green waste, any residue from home winemaking should be double bagged and placed in a trash can and should not be added to compost piles. To comply with the quarantine, home winemakers who use custom grape facilities for their wines should use facilities within their quarantine area. More information for Napa homeowners can be found here.

Questions or want to be on the County’s mailing list for further updates? Contact Napa County EGVM Grower Liaison Martin Mochizuki.

Follow updates on Kick the Moth Out! on Facebook

Additional Resources

EGVM Management – County of Napa
EGVM Management – UC Davis Cooperative Extension
Presentation on 2010 EGVM Management efforts

(Photo Credit: Kick The Moth Out! Facebook Page)

Shafer Vineyards at Premiere Napa Valley

2011-03-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

Get a look at Shafer's participation in this year's Premiere Napa Valley mid-winter barrel auction for the wine trade.

The 2011 Vintage Begins: Pruning at Fantesca

2011-03-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

Pruning is one of those milestone events in the year. It is a low stress event since the vines are dormant and there is a large window of opportunity to get the work done. I am amazed at the skill and speed of the workers who know how to make the precise cuts that will yield just the right number of shoots all pointed in the correct manner. This is critical to the health of the vineyard and the quality of the wine.

Welcome to 2011! We will keep you posted on the vintage's progress, but you won't be able to taste it until September of 2014!

Duane Hoff

15th Annual Premiere Napa Valley Auction for the Trade Breaks Records, Bringing Nearly $2.4 Million

2011-02-28T11:07:00.001-08:00

The Napa Valley Vintners' (NVV) annual wine futures auction to the trade held February 26 in the Napa Valley, broke records finishing at nearly $2.4 million in sales. At 1,000-strong, the crowd of vintners along with retailers, restaurateurs, distributors, brokers and media from across the country and around the world, assembled at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St Helena topped last year's take by more than 23% during the three-hour live auction.

"Premiere Napa Valley (PNV) is often viewed as a barometer of confidence in current, as well as future sales of Napa Valley wines. Saturday's auction totals reflect a continuing trend of improved sales in the market for fine wine from the renowned American appellation, as well as optimism for the coming months and years," said NVV Board President Kathleen Heitz Myers of Heitz Wine Cellars.

By the Numbers
The statistics show a continual trending up. Last year's PNV auction brought nearly 30% more than 2009's take, and this year closed at 6% more than 2008's record-setting $2.2 million, clear indicators that confidence in investing in Napa Valley wines is strong. Overall this year there were 68 successful bidders, a third of whom were first-time bidders, who purchased 1530 cases at an average case price of $1546, an increase of 37% over the recession-stressed take of 2009 and 20% more than 2010's average case price.

The barrel futures auction capped a day where the 500 trade attendees representing 85 retailers, 66 restaurants, and 81 distributors/brokers began early in the morning with a tasting of the 200 offerings, followed by lunch in the school's teaching kitchen. Along with bidding, the day is the "must attend" networking event for these influential trade people.

"You could feel the buzz from the time the doors opened--the weather report called for snow in the Napa Valley--seriously--and thankfully it turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day. The energy was upbeat," continued Heitz Myers.

"I am thrilled that our fundraising has been such a great success this year," said 2011 PNV Steering Committee Chair Michael Honig of Honig Vineyards and Winery. "The soul of Premiere is the opportunity to network, peer to peer for the trade and for the vintners in making new and reinforcing existing relationships with our key ambassadors in the wine trade. The Saturday event sets the stage for a lot of business being done beyond the auction. It's great for our vintners and great for these trade who sell our wine to their customers."

New Records Being Set
Saturday's auction also broke PNV's previous single-lot record bringing $125,000 for a five- case offering from Scarecrow Wine, selling to Tokyo-based Nakagawa Wine Co. The previous single-lot record of $80,000 was set in 2007. Perennial auctioneer Fritz Hatton worked the bidding war that roared quickly into six figures as the audience of bidders and vintners cheered. When the gavel fell, the crowd jumped to their feet in rousing applause.

Ichizo Nakagawa when asked why he battled for the lot said, "When I came to the auction, I intended to get that wine no matter what it took." Nakagawa purchased five lots in total.

"I'm amazed, I'm shocked," said Scarecrow owner Bret Lopez stepping outside to catch his breath. "We never dreamed we'd reach this stature and (winemaker) Celia Welsh is a genius, a humble genius who coaxes the sublime flavors from the old men," referring to the 66-year-old-vines that produce just a 1/2 ton per acre.

Gary Fisch of Gary's Wine and Marketplace with three stores in New Jersey continues as the auction's top bidder, capturing 300 cases from 32 producers, spending more than a half million dollars this year alone. Fisch holds the title as the retailer offering the most prestigious list of Premiere Napa Valley wines in the world. This year among his successful bids, Fisch captured top-grossing lots from Ovid, Duckhorn Vineyards and Robert Mondavi Winery, as well as the chair's lot from Honig Vineyards and Winery.

The value of PNV wines for a wholesale buyer like Fisch is that the wines provide offerings to clients that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, and from America's most renowned wineries that no prestigious cellar should be without.

Also among the top ten bidders of the day were; The Wine House, Los Angeles, CA; Cliffewood Wine Syndicate, Little Rock, AR; The Bounty Hunter, Napa, CA; Meritage Wine Market, Encinitas, CA; Golden Gate Wine Cellars, San Francisco, CA; Beverage Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA; Cache Road Liquor & Wines, Lawton, OK; The Metz Group, Dallas, PA; Bearfoot Bistro, Whistler, BC., Montesquieu, Napa, CA.

Rounding out the top ten highest earning lots of the day include Schrader Cellars, Ovid, first-time Premiere-participating winery, Levy and McClellan, Shafer Vineyards, Robert Mondavi Winery, Reynolds Family Winery, Duckhorn Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars and Beringer Vineyards.

Click here for the full press release.

Click here for Premiere Napa Valley photo coverage.

A Look Back at the 2010 Chardonnay Harvest with Ceja Vineyards

2011-02-17T13:08:00.000-08:00

Footage of the Ceja vineyard crew hard at work picking Chardonnay in the Carneros district of Napa for Ceja Vineyards' 2010 vintage.

Bottling 2009 Chardonnay with Elias Fernandez at Shafer

2011-02-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

It's time for Shafer’s Chardonnay to move from barrel to bottle in an annual tug-of-war between winemaker and chaos!

Napa Vintners Release Findings of Climate Study

2011-02-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) non-profit trade association announced today the release of the Napa Valley-specific climate study titled Climate and Phenology in Napa Valley: A Compilation and Analysis of Historical Data by Dr. Daniel R. Cayan, Dr. Kimberly Nicholas, Mary Tyree, and Dr. Michael Dettinger.

In 2006, a researcher garnered national media attention by predicting that Napa Valley would soon become too warm to grow fine wine grapes. These reports noted signs of warming in California and the western United States in recent decades, calling attention to several changing indicators in weather, hydrological and biological systems. Evidence from other Mediterranean climate regions around the world indicated that climate warming may be taking hold in these settings. However, the experience of Napa Valley growers has been contrary to the notion that Napa Valley has warmed substantially. A problem in applying this previous research to the Napa Valley is that it has considered just a few weather station records in Napa Valley, which has long been known for very diverse micro-climates and growing conditions.

This just-released Napa-specific study by Cayan and colleagues scrutinized weather and phenology (the growing cycle of grapevines) records based on many more stations within Napa Valley, and arrived at a number of important new conclusions. Over the four years of the study, more than 12,000 data points were collected from measurements made at geographically diverse sites in the valley, using information ranging from hand-written journals kept by long-time growers to digital data from current-day automated weather stations positioned valley-wide. Most of the observations were from records taken since the late 1970s, but some of the hand-written entries were from as early as the 1950s. The Executive Summary of the study is attached; in brief, it finds that the region has experienced some warming, approximately 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit over the past several decades, but considerably less warming than would be inferred from the standard cooperative observer weather stations in Napa Valley. The warming has been primarily in winter, spring and summer, and it has concentrated during nighttime rather than daytime. Over the last several decades in growing season temperatures, there has been little warming in the daytime and the available observations provide little evidence that the growing cycle of the grapevines has changed substantially.

The results, overall, provide good short-term news that consumers are not "tasting" climate change in Napa Valley wines. It reinforces the firmly held belief among growers and winemakers that the taste profile of Napa Valley's wines is driven by its place of origin, as well as by the solid direction of the in-field practices related to viticulture (clonal and rootstock selection, canopy management, irrigation, crop load and hang time, among others) along with stylistic preferences in winemaking.

Click here to read the full story.

In the Cellar reviewing the 2010 Ceja Chardonnay Vintage with Winegrower Armando Ceja

2011-02-01T15:24:00.001-08:00

Napa Vintners' Premiere Event for the Wine Trade Sold Out

2011-02-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) non-profit trade association announces today that its annual Premiere Napa Valley (PNV) mid-winter barrel tasting and auction for the wine trade taking place February 26 is sold out.

"We are delighted with the response from the wine trade--retailers and restaurateurs, wholesalers and brokers from across the country, as well as the UK, Canada and Japan--who will attend the 15th annual Premiere tasting and auction," said PNV 2011 Chair Michael Honig of Honig Vineyard and Winery.

"This continues to be the must-attend event for the wine trade each year. It raises money for our trade association's work to promote and protect the Napa Valley appellation, but more importantly, the event provides the opportunity for the best networking event anyone could ask for. All under one roof at The Culinary Institute of America in St Helena will be hundreds of winemakers and winery owners pouring their offerings to the 200+ wholesale wine accounts represented by the attendees," said Honig.

"Selling out four weeks in advance of the tasting and auction is a clear signal of the demand for Napa Valley wines, as well as the recognition of the value of networking and relationship building that PNV provides. What we always understand in Napa Valley is that building and maintaining personal relationships with the top accounts that attend Premiere is integral to our success in the market," said PNV steering committee member Jeff McBride of Stag's Leap Wine Cellar.

"Premiere Napa Valley is where winemakers get to have a 'gloves off' approach to what they make," said PNV steering committee member John Skupny of Lang and Reed Wine Co. "These wines are ultra-boutique wines crafted in as few as sixty and never more than 240 bottle lots from 200 renowned Napa Valley wineries, each sold to one buyer like a restaurant or retail store, who then offers these wines to their savviest customers. So while the event is only for the wine trade, the product--the portfolio of Premiere Napa Valley wines-- provides wine consumers with not only truly one-of-a-kind wine, but some of the very best wines from the Napa Valley."

Consumers can see the wines offered as futures at www.PremiereNapaWines.com and engage their favorite wine retailer, whether in attendance or not, to purchase wines on their behalf. Another way for consumers to purchase these rare wines is by visiting the website after the wines have been sold at the February 26 event to see who will have them on their shelf or wine list.