A Calistoga AVA Celebration!

Congratulations to Calistoga on their long-awaited AVA status!

On Monday, April 20th, Napa vintners and community leaders gathered at Chateau Montelena to celebrate Calistoga's recognition as one of America's most historic wine places. Speakers included Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena, Linda Reiff of the Napa Valley Vintners and US Representative Mike Thompson.

Word on the street was that Representative Mike Thompson, who was integral in having the Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the US Department of Treasury recognize Calistoga as an AVA, had given Washington, DC politicians a run for their money on the topic of Calistoga during a congressional hearing. In his opening remarks (see video, above), he referenced the hearing but couldn't recall giving the men a 'drumming' - well, we've got the original hearing video to prove it and we'd like to thank Mike Thompson, Bo Barrett and all the people who played a part in the Calistoga AVA for their unwavering commitment to putting Calistoga on the AVA map!

Napa Valley Vintners Toasting as Feds Approve Calistoga AVA

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) announce that the long-awaited recognition of one of America's most historic wine places, Calistoga, an area within the Napa Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) has been approved by the Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the US Department of Treasury as the Calistoga AVA. This milestone represents years of hard work and unwavering leadership of US Representative Mike Thompson (D-St Helena).

"We could not have achieved this incredible victory for wine consumers and the wine industry had it not been for Representative Mike Thompson. He has worked tirelessly to ensure truth-in-wine-labeling for consumers and intimately understands the need for forthright protection of wine's place of origin," said NVV Executive Director Linda Reiff.

Learn more at the Napa Valley Vintners website.
Read Rep. Thompson's statement.
Read today's statement from the TTB.

Zahtila Vineyards - In The Fray

Finally, we've actually picked some fruit! Now, for me, it's officially started as we've received our first small lot of cabernet sauvignon.

And, to show some girl-power, please see the photos of yours truly, in the green sweatshirt and Maundra, the wife of one of the part time workers, in the hat, as she and I cut clusters from the vines in Rutherford early this morning. The green netting was used to dissuade birds from helping themselves to the luscious, ripe berries.

The fog didn't lift until we were done, so the two hours from 7am to 9am were just cool and wonderful - great, grape picking weather.

Now I feel like I have a right to be tired!

Happy Harvest!

Laura

Our total, .92 tons of cabernet which will make it into the Bentley program (not even the 2007 vintage is released!).

Still Waiting In Calistoga

The picture is of zinfandel growing in Calistoga. As you can see, the clusters are very full and the grapes grow up against each other. This is what makes zinfandel such a challenge to grow. Moisture can build up between the grapes and in the interior of the cluster, promoting mold. We combat this by thinning the canopy, pulling leaves from the eastern face of the vineyard and making sure the "shoulders" or "wings" of the cluster are removed. It's a painful day, the day we have to drop the shoulders, but a necessary step to ensure the health of the crop.

These grapes are still growing in my vineyard in Calistoga. Last brix measurement was about 25, but seeds and pulp of the grapes still lack maturity. We'll continue to irrigate and let the fruit hang until we see the pulp turning more clear, less green and the grapeseeds become brown.

Soon, but not yet!

Laura Zahtila,
Zahtila Vineyards

I Love The Smell Of Fermenting Chardonnay In The Morning...

From Daniel Orrison - Intern at Chateau Montelena
9/16/09

Things around the winery sure are picking up. Over a 160 tons of Chardonnay has been crushed in the last week alone and several tanks have started fermentation. Workdays have gone from 8-hour shifts to an average of 13... and our (the interns) long weekends spent wine tasting and relaxing around the Valley are officially over. I know, the tragedy! This aside, though, life is good-- actually, life is great. The experience we are gaining is priceless and the work is incredibly rewarding. Our responsibility level has also been greatly increased – which means no more babysitting, constant monitoring, or safety tutorials as the amount work at this time of year simply wont allow. But on to a few things I’ve been surprised by thus far.

I’m amazed at how quickly the circumstances of any particular day can fluctuate. There is absolutely no formula or set of guidelines one can follow if he/she wishes to live the harvest lifestyle. Anything can happen! This week alone two presses have broke down, grapes have shown up late, more have come in than expected, rain has been in the forecast (followed by extremely high temperatures), new machinery needs to be adjusted, and the interns are asking about everything… which undoubtedly takes up precious time. Flexibility is key to any great wine we have been told.

I think it’s safe to argue that the winemaker is today’s version of a Renaissance Man… that is, he/she has to do and know a bit about everything. He must be an engineer (who can fix a press when it breaks on the spot… well done, Cameron), a scientist (concerning the who, what, when, where, why, and how to pick the grapes), a romantic (naturally, due to the nature of the business…), an artist (as a wine is most certainly painted), and a craftsmen (for there is always something’s around the winery that must be adjusted by hand). The position is truly interesting as making wine is the perfect mixture of exactly that – craft, art, and science.

In other exciting news around the winery, yesterday we crushed our first batch of Estate Cabernet. The grapes are MUCH smaller and also more thick skinned than the Chardonnay. Which, for the interns, means much easier to sweep and clan up. We also just received a new sorting table (MOG separator) for the crush pad. I’ve been told this too should make our life a bit easier. Spoiled, I know.

But as Cameron has said, the crew really is coming together as a team. Harvest looks to be picking up more so with the heat wave coming through and things should really start to get interesting. Lunches are better than ever… 2260 pounds and counting.

Up or down? What’s you call?

Best from Montelena,

Cheers,
Daniel

Almost, Not Quite Yet - In Calistoga

So I wait and I wait and finally it's almost here. I know I sound redundant, but the sugars are still too low and the fruit isn't showing the maturity we want. This weekend's 90 degree heat will help, but I still think we're about 10 days off.

In the meantime, I had my first, pre-6am day. Let me precede this by saying I didn't get to sleep until 2am last night - I had a kitten problem that pushed last night's plan to much later, and then I couldn't sleep. I had to drive 40 miles to walk a vineyard and deliver bins: stop at the vineyard manager's, then the vineyard, then the warehouse - I had traveled about 80 miles before most of my friends got their first cup of coffee at the office. I sometimes long for those days!

I'll take sugars again this Monday and see what the week's done for us. I'm traveling to sell wine this week, getting in some sales before harvest locks me down in Calistoga.

I Think I'm Tired Now

So I wait and I wait and finally it's almost here. I know I sound redundant, but the sugars are still too low and the fruit isn't showing the maturity we want. Maybe today's 90 degree heat will help, but I still think we're a couple of weeks off.

In the meantime, I had my first, pre-6am day. Let me precede this by saying I didn't get to sleep until 2am last night - I had a kitten problem that pushed last night's plan to much later, and then I couldn't sleep. I had to drive this morning to walk a vineyard and deliver bins: stop at the vineyard manager's, then the vineyard, then the warehouse - I had traveled about 75 miles before most of my friends got their first cup of coffee at the office. I sometimes long for those days!

I'll take sugars again this Saturday and see what the week's done for us. I'm anxiously planning to travel to sell wine next week - and there's a rumor flying that we might see some rain next week - yes, it's harvest. So all I can do is include a picture of the offending kitty - her name is Dusk and she's on restriction - no more late night tree climbing for this miniature cat!

Almost, Not Quite Yet In Calistoga

I want to be informative and tell you all about our harvesting, but, we aren't doing it yet!!! The bins are clean and being moved to the vineyards from which I purchase, the equipment is all prepped except for the final cleaning. The generator and forklift are primed and ready. I'm standing around like a 9 1/2 month pregnant woman waiting for the dang delivery....such is the life of a winemaker.

In the meantime, I continue to walk the vineyards, test the fruit, watch the weather, sell wine, hmm... all the things we do to keep busy while the grapes ripen.

I thought I'd share an integral part of my operation - Zoe, the wine dog. She meets and greets, leads folks up to the tasting room, has her own method of checking the grapes (not MY favorite method) and generally keeps me laughing.

To my brethren in this business - busy harvesting Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir - sleep is now allusive, I'll just rest until MY harvest starts!!!!!

Until next time, Laura

Dutch Henry Ziplocks and Grapes

Dutch Henry Brix Update for 9/4/09:

• Mt. Veeder Pinot Noir: 23.7 brix. Not Ready.
• St. Helena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: 22.4 brix. Not Ready.
• Estate Tomatoes and Veggies: PERFECT!

Harvest Preparations at Chateau Montelena

Well, it’s that time of year again…the decking has come off the crush pit, and we’ve dusted off the destemmers. The presses have rolled out of the warehouse and the shaker table is all bolted in place. The new barrels have all arrived and the grapes are getting sweeter by the day. Now how do all these puzzle pieces fit again? We’ll figure it out - not without a few surprises along the way I’m sure, but it’s the challenges that keep it interesting, right?

The crush season is upon us and the interns are in full force (see testimonial below) cleaning everything and anything they can get their scrubbies on – we wouldn’t have it any other way. Everything’s got to be bright an clean before the first grape hits the scale. Speaking of the grapes, they’re looking great! We’re expecting another excellent vintage and with more tonnage than last year. The Chardonnay crop should be about 115% of normal and the guestimates from the Estate suggest that we’ll have about 180 tons of Napa’s finest to work with this season, including the much anticipated first crop off of the replanted J-block. While we're on replants, we’ve got about 13 acres off-line this year that are in various stages of replant, and the second half of C-block is slated to come out after this harvest. What’s it all mean you say, well, it is all part of our master plan to produce the best possible grapes from this extraordinary vineyard, so as the production from the older plantings (1973 and 1974) declines we are gradually replanting those blocks to ensure that we have sufficient grape tonnage to ensure consistent production levels. But remember folks, this is farming, so check back to see what we actually get…

We expect to receive our first grapes – Chardonnay – in about 7 days, but that all depends on mother nature and what she has in store for the next week or so – any prognostications? The conditions down in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley where we grow most of our Chardonnay have been very good this season – a bit cooler than normal, but that’s good for Chard. No new growers this year, but we will have a few new (to us) clones to play with courtesy of an existing grower that T-budded over some Merlot to Chardonnay Dijon clones last year.

Aside from new Chardonnay clones, there is actually quite a bit of “new” here at the old Chateau. We have 9 new tanks in the cellar this year, a new basket press, and a few more new pieces of grape handling equipment. What’s with all the new you ask, well, what it boils down to is that all this new stuff is designed to do one or both of these two things: either make the wine better or make the job easier. This simple philosophy has deep roots here at Montelena and is in line with our growing philosophy as well: the right grape in the right place. All that to say that we are continuing to tweak and improve all aspects of what we do here in order to not just maintain, but improve upon the excellence expected from Chateau Montelena.

Check back in to see how everything plays out here at the top of the Napa Valley! One of our interns and I will be posting updates once a week (maybe more) as we progress through this harvest.

Cheers!

Cameron Parry

Winemaker

Chateau Montelena Winery

1429 Tubbs Lane

Calistoga, CA

www.montelena.com

Now here's an entry from Daniel Orrison - one of this year's interns here at Chateau Montelena:

Summer Harvest: Entry 1 9/1/2009

Montelena Monday:

My name is Daniel Orrison, though these days I more appropriately go by Intern, or Harvest Intern, Intern who almost flips the forklift four days into the job, etc. Yes, that is correct, I am one of the harvest interns at Chateau Montelena (or how I refer when meeting a young lady in the small city of Calistoga… “I am an apprentice to the winemaker at Montelena”). Jokes aside, this is a dream position. There is not a winery in the world I would rather work and a staff I would prefer to learn from.

In the following weeks you are going to hear MY story behind the 2009 Montelena harvest. Not your everyday recap, that I can promise, but the REAL side of a Napa wine harvest, from the eyes of 22-year-old kid who is crazy about wine and obsessed with new experience (a little too much some may say). I plan to document the ups and downs, highs and lows, and ins and outs of the entire adventure. Wherever that may take me…

But a little bit more about myself before we get started: I love wine – the style, art, culture, science, and tradition all sown into the subject. This love has taken me across the globe. Tasting in the south of France, sipping in South America, touring in Portugal, Spain, Italy, and has now landed me in the epicenter of the American Wine Trade – the Napa Valley. Which, appropriately, seems to be then most beautiful of all the regions in the world I have had the privilege to visit.

How I wish I could put the beauty of this area into words – the beauty of Napa Valley – the beauty of Calistoga. A place such as this remind you how pure and clean the world can be – how extraordinarily far the pleasures of thought and imagination can take you if you are only willing to dream! It really does seem quite perfect… I’d be willing to argue the only discomfort one experiences when visiting is in the realization of how tragic it is the likes of Van Gough or Monet will never get to the stories of these hills with their brush. That may be the tragic romantic in me… but who’s counting. We’re in wine country, right?

Now onto Chateau Montelena… From the instant you step foot on the property, winding your way down a charming path lined with Eucalyptus (and stumble upon the castle I now call home), a feeling of excitement surrounds you – a feeling of passion – a feeling of care, pride, and tradition. It’s amazing to see the level of excellence that radiates throughout the building. From top to bottom there is not a detail missed and it is because of this that the winery has remained among the World’s elite for so many years. If you could only see how excited I am sitting down to write this post, for it is a reminder of how special I foresee this harvest. Chills are running through me as we speak. Away from myself, though, and back to the quality that is Montelena… an area I feel has a great deal to do with then quality of young staff they employ (the Interns).

I live with two others in an amazing old farmhouse (hidden between rows of vines on Old Toll Road), owned by our boss, Bo Barrett. One is a Portuguese lad by the name of Ricardo. He has worked seven harvests in different places around the world. Him and I are becoming good friends. He has such a passion for wine. It is inspiring to watch him work are care for the grapes for his attention to detail is like nothing I haven ever seen. The other intern is a lovely young girl by the name of Janice. She has recently graduated from Cornell University, where she studied Viticulture and Enology. Another amazing young mind who knows farrrr too much about wine (compliment in these parts). But both are incredible people I look forward to taking this ride with.

So far life as an intern has been easy. Harvest is still a few weeks out as the summer’s temperature has been a bit cooler than usual and the grapes still need a few more weeks to ripen. The quality of fruit though looks to be outstanding. We can’t wait to get started! Until then… I hope this introduction treats you well. Much more to come. Much more to come.

Wine tasting this weekend? See you around the valley.

Cheers most sincerely,

Daniel

Zahtila Vineyards Ramping Up for Harvest 2009

Zahtila Vineyards, located in Calistoga at the top of Napa Valley, is busy preparing for this year's harvest. We are permanently installing a propane based generator to provide power to all of the crushing equipment. Zahtila Vineyards was originally built as a residence, not enough to run a working winery. Each year we bring in a temporary generator, this year it's being made permanent.

Zahtila Vineyards purchases 90% of the fruit we use to make our delicious chardonnay, zinfandels and cabernets. This year, your author, Laura Zahtila, has been visiting the contracted growers in anticipation of this year's harvest. Cabernet from Rutherford for the Bentley program (the first vintage of 2007 to be released next year), Dry Creek zinfandel, Napa cabernet and Napa chardonnay growers are all a part of the extended Zahtila team.

More will be shared about those grapes as harvest gets closer. We are still a couple of weeks out from picking the first crop. Chardonnay and Dry Creek zin will be first!