Spring Mountain Vineyard’s Harvest Mantras

Before each harvest, I order t-shirts for my crew. For this harvest - my 10^th at Spring Mountain Vineyard (SMV) - the shirts read:

“VAMOS AVER” (We will see) and “SI SE PUEDE” (Yes, we can!)

In the world of winemaking, and as it applies to my great crew, both are appropriate.  We are always waiting, watching and evaluating a vintage, a vineyard block or a newly fermented wine.

To date, we have harvested all varieties except for some Cabernet Sauvignon, a late-ripening, sturdy variety that we often harvest after valley floor Cabernet is picked. I am not worried about the recent rain because our vineyards are located on steep slopes where the air can circulate freely to dry out clusters. 

As for the new wines in the cellar, they are gorgeous.

I couldn’t be happier with the 2012 vintage and harvest. Like other recent great Napa Valley vintages - 1997, 2005 and 2007 – this vintage is bountiful as well as beautiful.

Come see us on Spring Mountain.  There is still plenty of harvest activity here!

Cheers,

Jac Cole, Winemaker

Spring Mountain Vineyard

It's a Grind

Harvesting the Cornerstone Cellars Oakville Station Merlot during harvest 2012.

It's a grind. Another half ton bin of grapes is loaded onto the dumper on the sorting line. Another truck arrives and another twenty bins are added to the twenty or so already there. At our top speed it takes an hour to process four tons or eight bins. We rarely hit top speed. Best guess is another five hours to get through these bins. That's on top of the five hours already in.

Its like that every day. It's a grind. It's harvest. The term "romantic" does not enter your mind: at least until it's all over. The only times when the romance of it all fills your spirit are the first day, the last day and the rest of the year. The first day it’s all about the potential, the last day you are a bit awestruck by what you have accomplished. In between it's a blur as you grind through each day. It is very simply the next bin, the next fermenter and the next day.

In the picturesque harvest in the wine magazines it's all about bountiful lunches with happy workers eating hardy meals and quaffing wine from carafes. In a real world working winery its cold cuts, colds, cold wet clothes and hot, sweaty rubber boots. Most of all you are sticky. Head to toe splashed with super-sweet grape juice, which makes you a yellow jacket's dream lunch.

Then there is all that gleaming stainless steel equipment that looks so efficient and high tech. The reality is more like a Rube Goldberg invention as the whole process is a patchwork of things that don't play well with others. Something always seems to break at just the wrong moment, which makes winemakers the champions of jerry-rigging as equipment is forced to behave with beatings and duct tape. For a winemaker knowing how to convince everything to work in the winery is just as important as knowing when to pick. Let's just say that OSHA would not approve of many of these solutions.

The day comes to an end with the best beer (or two) you ever tasted in your life quickly followed by an all to short, but very sound sleep. Then you wake up and do it again, and again, and again until one day the last bin arrives.

Then, as the last bunch of grapes from the last bin drops into the last fermenter the romance hits you again. Instantly harvest is once again the best and most exciting thing that happens to you every year. It is the concentrated essence of everything you believe in and the fuel that fires your flame for the next vintage. It reminds you how lucky you are to be working as hard as you can to accomplish something you love.

We finished the last bin at about 5 p.m. last night. Winemaker Jeff Keene and I shook very sticky and very tired hands. Harvest 2012 was done at Cornerstone Cellars. 

What a grind. I can't wait until next year.

Craig Camp

Chinese menu selections for Napa Valley wines

The recent receipt of Geograhic Indication Status in China, a landmark protection which will safeguard the use of the Napa Valley name on wines bought and sold in the country, has us thinking about really important issues - like, what Chinese fare should we be whipping up to celebrate?

Thai Beef Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing and Peanuts.  

From Salads by Peter Gordon. Copyright © 2006 by Peter Gordon

As many people find it challenging to pair wines with Asian foods, we went straight to the source for ideas: the menus from the China trade trips we have led with our vintners. What better inspiration than the dishes Chinese chefs themselves have chosen to pair well with Napa Valley wines like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon?

If you're a take-out kind of person, look for similar items the next time you peruse the menu at your local Chinese restaurant. If you love being adventurous in the kitchen, click through on each item to some similar, well-rated online recipes to help 'spice up' your next meal.

Thai Beef Salad with Cilantro, Mint, Lime and Peanuts

Mapo Bean Curd, Ground Pork, Chilies

Yeung Chow Friend Rice

Fried Rice Shanghai Style

Steamed Dumplings with Spinach and Shrimp

Getting back to the big picture, the GI Status Napa Valley has obtained in China is a huge stepping stone in protecting the integrity of the Napa Valley name in China and beyond. Join us in celebrating by opening up a bottle of Napa Valley wine and enjoying one of these delicious dishes!

Scruffy, funky or...hunky? VOTE for your favorite harvest beard!

Submit your vote by October 31st! The winner will receive bragging rights and a $250 gift certificate to a Napa Valley restaurant on our Wine List Recognition Program.

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NVV Invests Deeply in the Health and Well-Being of Napa County

The Sister Ann Dental Clinic at Clinic Ole is one of the many community health programs supported by Napa Valley Vintners.
Read about the good work of this agency here.

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) announced today its first set of grants from the proceeds of the 2012 Auction Napa Valley fundraising event. Beginning with these grants, the organization will invest $7 million over the coming months primarily on two strategic priorities: community health and children's education. The first awards total more than $1.9 million and are for direct medical and dental services.

"These funds are designated for providing those without other options access to timely primary, preventive, acute and emergency care; helping patients prevent and manage chronic diseases; and improving children's health," explained Linda Reiff, Napa Valley Vintners executive director. "By emphasizing preventive and intervention services, we can help residents keep health issues from becoming more serious and costly to treat."

The county's three largest healthcare providers - Community Health Clinic Ole, Queen of the Valley Medical Center and St. Helena Hospital - will receive the grants totaling more than $1.9 million. Combined, these three providers treated more than 62,000 Napa County residents, nearly half of the population of Napa County, last year. And their emphasis on prevention and early intervention programs aligns with the NVV's funding strategy.

Learn more here. 

Harvest Napa Valley 2012...this season has just been perfect

Napa Valley First International Wine Region to Receive Landmark Protection in China

In November 2010,  a delegation from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine - the Chinese government agency that oversees GI status  - visited the United States and as part of an agricultural tour, spent a day in the Napa Valley.  

The People's Republic of China has announced that Napa Valley has been recognized with Geographic Indication (GI) status in that country. Napa Valley is the first region outside of China to be so recognized with this designation. It provides the pivotal element in consumer protection against wines illegitimately labeled as being from Napa Valley in this important and rapidly expanding market. 

The GI was published in the report by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine which was just released.

"We are thrilled by the news that China, an economic world power and growing wine importer, has decided to grant Napa Valley this status, and we are honored to learn that we are the first winegrowing region outside of that country to achieve it," said Linda Reiff, NVV's executive director. "This is an historic milestone for the Napa Valley appellation and speaks to the global respect for our region's reputation and high-quality wines."

"Having the Chinese government's official recognition protects the integrity of the Napa Valley brand, and does so fairly early-on in our efforts to develop this tremendous market. This is a 'win' for Napa Valley and a 'win' for the Chinese consumer," Reiff said.

As was the case when achieving GI recognition from the European Union, the NVV made the request directly from the trade association to the government. Similarly with the EU, this had not been done before in China. Given the world-wide renown of brand Napa Valley, government officials saw the need and the value for this recognition.

The NVV members and staff worked for many years with the Chinese government to achieve the GI including several face-to-face meetings in Beijing. Meeting the winemakers, learning more about the unique attributes and the limited production of Napa's wines helped officials better understand the importance of this initiative.

"The Chinese market is only going to increase in importance to us in the coming years. We needed to make sure we were safeguarding our brand and its reputation. It's clear that they see the value in this from both the prospective of the producer, but also from the prospective of the consumers in China," said Cakebread Cellars' President Bruce Cakebread, who actively participated in the negotiations.

Read more here.

Glorious Chardonnay

Yesterday was a beautiful morning to be harvesting 2.1 tons of this gorgeous Crosby Roamann Chardonnay from an organic vineyard in Carneros.  We are excited about what the future holds for this deliciously ripe and concentrated fruit. 

Sparkling harvest at Domaine Chandon

This is it!

The sparkling wine harvest at Chandon! We started on August 8 bringing in Chardonnay and finished with Pinot Noir from Carneros on September 17 — 41 days of nonstop activity.

Harvest in Carneros (left) and Yountville (right)

The first round of fermentation is now complete and the wine has been inoculated for malolactic fermentation...so after a busy month and half receiving fruit, racking, yeasting, etc. we can now relax and enjoy weekends again!!!

This year for us, at Domaine Chandon, was a special harvest as we inaugurated our new press pad. We quickly became familiar with our new equipment and everything went very smoothly and quite well.

Overall this year, we feel very fortunate. The wines are tasting great with bright acidity and beautiful fruit. We couldn't be happier about the quality of this vintage.

Thank you to our geat team!

 This year 6 countries were represented: US, Mexico, France, Spain, Argentina and Trinidad!

Cheers to a great vintage and good luck to the winemakers still in harvest mode!

Pauline

Assistant Winemaker, Sparkling wines

Hurry Up and Wait

I can’t believe it’s October. Literally, it feels like yesterday we ran into our friends at Barnett Vineyards enjoying a casual Labor Day brunch on the patio at Solage, and today the SF Giants are gearing up to face the Reds in the MLB Playoffs. In retrospect, the only explanation can be that September was better than advertised.

Marbue, Michael and James with Albion 2012

What has quickly become the theme to Napa Valley 2012, the weather continues to be perfect. Exceptional even. I continue to knock on wood, thinking that in some way that will be the underlying secret to continuing these beautiful conditions. Under a moonlight sky on Tuesday, September 11^th we harvested the grapes for our 2012 Albion. Yields were back up from 2011 and the quality was ideal. Fast forward three weeks and fermentation is complete. Some lots are aging in stainless barrels, others in oak, and the subtle nuances from each will have a dramatic impact on the finished wine. Over the next few months we’ll track the maturity of what we anticipate to be a great vintage.

With the whites perfectly situated in the cellar, we’ve transitioned to focus on our estate Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the southern slopes of the Spring Mountain District. Reports throughout the valley suggest harvest for the red varietals is fully underway. Shafer has reported crushing some of the first lots of its Hillside Select fruit, our neighbor Vineyard7 & 8  has been active with Cabernet Sauvignon, and yet we anticipate being roughly a week away from our first blocks to be picked. Following the heat of Monday through Wednesday of this week (99, 104 and 101 degrees, respectively), we have a modest cooling trend upon us that will bring temps down into the mid-80s and the fruit back into balance. Samples taken yesterday and today show amazing promise, and we’re letting the fruit hang to allow the grape skins and tannins to develop ever so slightly. It’s a magical time to hurry up and wait!

Cheers,

James

Marston Family Vineyard

Next Week: The Patience is Rewarded

Oakville Harvest for Spoto Wines

Ari and Stuart Spoto at the early morning harvest of Oakville Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  In this photo, Ari and Stuart are field sorting the fruit prior to the crush.
The fruit was picked at 26.5 Brix (3.5pH) and more importantly tasting fantastic.  After one day in the cold room tank, the fruit is already dark in color and rich in flavor.  2012 is shaping up to be a great wine year!

Vineyard 7&8: Harvest 2012's Exceptional Quality!

Some would say that after the past couple challenging harvest in the Napa Valley, that we were due for a wonderfully "typical" year.  I would say that so far at Vineyard 7&8, that is almost exactly what we have received!

The 2012 growing season was marked by summer temperatures that were back to normal for our region, and continued into the fall with warm days and cooler evenings.  This, paired with a great fruit set in the vineyards, pointed way for what could be a relatively calm and moderately paced harvest!

That was until this past week!  It was simply amazing.  Driving to the winery this week in the early morning before sunrise, the temperatures on the valley floor were in the upper 50's, but when I made it to the top of Spring Mountain, at 2000 feet above the valley floor, the temperatures were already pushing into the upper 70's!

Those "typical" cool evenings and warm days, were replaced by warm evenings and hot days!

This was the perfect recipe for creating a "perfect storm" if you will, and setting the pace for what is currently a fast push to harvest what our Winemaker and I believe is some of the best fruit we have seen in recent years.  Flavors are wonderful, the chemistry is great, and yields are coming in at or above average.

At this point, our 2012 "Estate" Chardonnay has been picked, pressed and now currently fermenting away in barrel as seen in the photos above.  We have then moved to bringing in some exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon from one of our growers here on Spring Mountain, as well from our Estate on Spring Mountain as well!

While only 1 week into the 2012 harvest, we look to be finishing the week having picked nearly 80-90% of our fruit for the season, leaving just a few days next week to complete yet another epic adventure in the Napa Valley!

Wishing all fellow vintners the best of luck this harvest season.  I simply cannot wait to see how great the wines are from this vintage!

Cheers!

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

Harvest Update from St. Supery Estate

Geoff Gatto, Director of Vineyard Operations for St. Supéry  Estate Vineyards & Winery, took a few minutes out of his very busy and rather sleepless schedule to give a quick update on how Harvest is progressing in the St. Supéry  estate vineyards. 

Geoff and his team officially kicked off harvest at St. Supéry’s Dollarhide Estate Vineyard at 10:00 PM on August 27th. Most of our harvesting is done at night and in the cool morning hours here in Napa Valley. Our vineyard team gets to sleep in the mid afternoon (sometimes) and starts again that evening. It’s a busy (understatement) time of year for them and they are  looking forward to November when they can catch up on their Zzzzs.

Here’s what Geoff has to say: “We are bringing in last of the Dollarhide Moscato fruit this Saturday morning, which will complete the white wine grape harvest of 2012 for St. Supéry Estate. Sauvignon Blanc finished earlier this week. Moderate weather led to even, balanced ripening and very good flavors in our white wine fruit. 

We picked the first parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon at Dollarhide on Wednesday, September 26. We will start picking Merlot at our Rutherford Estate Vineyard the first week of October. Continued optimal weather conditions promise great flavors from the reds as well.”

Vintage 2012 looks stellar so far! Stop by our newly renovated winery to catch all the Crush and winemaking in action.

-St. Supéry Estate

Napa Cellars: When a Tank Goes “Dry”

When the juice finally ferments to below 0.01 residual sugars, the “Must” is pressed. This process involves many steps. First of all the juice (we can officially call it wine at this point). Is drained into another tank. What is leftover is all the skins and seeds that have been soaking in fermenting juice for about a week. This is when the fun starts. We shovel out the seeds and stems into a macro bin. This is only a small tank so most of the must can be reached from our little gate here.

On the bigger tanks somebody has to crawl inside to shovel out the must. On the largest tanks we have, (they hold about 45 tons of grape skins and seeds) we play a little game. If you can shovel it out in under 1 hour the company will buy you lunch. Needless to say this creates a very competitive atmosphere. I will keep you posted on the times when those get shoveled out.

Once all of the must is shoveled out it goes into a press. At first the press lightly squeezes the berries and gets any leftover wine out of them. That wine is pumped into its own special tank. Next, we crank up the pressure and really squeeze whatever might be left in the berries out. Since the berries and seeds have all the tannins, squeezing them produces really tanic dark wine. This juice is again pumped into its own special tank to keep all those tannins out of our nice clean wine. Later, if the winemaker chooses to, he will add little bits and pieces of these “pressed” wines to the “free run” wine until it reaches the desired tastes and texture. Things are fermenting well and moving really fast. Yesterday we drained and pressed about 10 tanks. Its a lot of hard work but somebody has to do it. As of the end of September we have received a total of 1344 tons of grapes. That breaks down into 466 tons in white grapes and 878 tons of red grapes.

Only 2506 tons to go.

Living the dream ~ Jacob.

Follow the Napa Cellars harvest interns, Jacob & Andrew, as they work Harvest 2012!

Elyse Winery celebrates 25th harvest!

Napa Valley’s Elyse Winery has two causes for celebration this harvest - in addition to a stellar looking 2012 vintage in Napa Valley, it is the 25th harvest for the winery! It was back in 1987 that Ray and Nancy Coursen crushed 4.5 tons of Zinfandel from the Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford to craft 286 cases of their first wine. The label is named for their daughter, Elyse. 

To A Great Harvest...

With harvest well underway at Raymond Vineyards, Winemaker Stephanie Putnam and Winegrower Eric Pooler provide a brief update on what they believe will be a stunning vintage.

Harvest 2012... It's a Good Year to be a Grapevine

One, Just One, Green Grape

It was just one green grape. It was one green grape too many. It's always something.

It has been a picture perfect vintage here in the Napa Valley and at Cornerstone Cellars. A lovely spring, with warm, dry weather for flowering and fruit-set. A “three bears” sort of summer: not too cold, not too hot, just right. So why was it there? As you passed through the vineyards you could not miss it standing out like a sore green thumb in the middle of a bunch of gloriously deep purple cabernet sauvignon, there would be one, just one, green berry.

No big deal, right? How could just one unripe grape on some bunches make any difference when all the others were perfectly ripe? One green grape is a very big deal if you want to make wines that are special.

Also there was another issue. Everything else this vintage has been perfect. The gorgeous weather has produced fruit capable of making wines from this vintage something very special indeed. When Mother Nature gives you such a gift you must take advantage of it. There is a sense of duty, responsibility, to take this gift and do everything in your power to make not only great wines, but memorable ones.

What could we do? For us there was no choice. Out into the vineyards went our crews with one mission: to remove one-by-one those individual green grapes. Armed with scissors they went down the rows with the precision of a Bonsai gardener. Was this expensive? Certainly, but this is the price you pay to go beyond good, or very good, on to greatness in a wine. For us there was no choice.

We’re getting pickier and pickier every year as finicky is a virtue when it comes to winemaking. Not satisfied with just dropping any less than perfect fruit in the vineyard, we are going beyond just sorting out any bunches that don’t meet out standards and this vintage will be sorting individual berries on a special sorting table specially designed for nit-pickers like us. Note this is not a job we farm out, Jeff and I do all the sorting ourselves.

Like our neighbors here in the Napa Valley, here at Cornerstone Cellars we'll spare nothing, not only in this glorious vintage, but in each-and-every vintage to make wines that we love to drink and, most of all, that we are proud to share with you.

Craig Camp

A perfect bunch of Cabernet Sauvignon is framed by the breaking of dawn.

Sniffing Barrels

Sean McBride, winemaker for Crosby Roamann is doing exactly what it looks like...sniffing the barrels making sure everything smells beautiful and healthy--and it does, wonderful perfume and floral aromas.  The Sauvignon Blanc is half way through fermentation!