Napa Valley Vintners & America's Cup: The thrill of a lifetime

Saturday June 30

When Eric Sklar, Will Smith and I arrived at the America’s Cup Village Saturday morning, we were looking forward to another enjoyable afternoon watching the America’s Cup World Series from Club 45, just a few feet from the shore.  Eric was still pumped with excitement from his ride as a guest racer with Emirates Team New Zealand on Friday – if you want to know how exciting these 45-foot catamarans are, ask Eric or Clay Gregory to tell you about their guest racer rides – but we all expected a more laid-back Saturday.

We were wrong.  I was just sitting down to enjoy an iced tea and the view of Narragansett Bay, when Eric walked up to announce we had been invited to spend the afternoon out on the race course.  No one ever said yes faster than Will and I.  We all promptly gathered our belongings and headed to the dock to meet our boat.

I should explain that in order to make the most out of the relatively small areas within which the races are run, and to aid in the effort to keep as much of the action as close to shore as possible, the America’s Cup World Series uses boats – referred to as “mark boats” – to set the turning marks for the race.  This enables the race directors to move the marks as needed to adjust to changes in wind speed and direction over the course of an afternoon, and to have a finish line that is different from the starting line.  Our seats for the afternoon were on the twin-hulled power boat America, which would set up at one end of the starting line for the speed trials, and at the leeward (downwind) mark for both the fleet races.

Which means that when those 45-foot catamarans came sailing by, we were close enough to hear the singing of the wind over the sails, the voices of the crew as commands and responses were called out, the grunts of exertion as they trimmed the sails – well, to be more precise, the boats sometimes passed within just a couple of feet of America.  Watching a sailboat race simply doesn’t get more exciting than that.  It was the thrill of a lifetime.

Once again, the racing was fantastic.  Jimmy Spithill, skipper of the number one boat for Team Oracle USA, won the time trial with an average speed of 24.77 knots, which works out to 28.5 miles per hour.  I checked the true wind speed on America’s instrument panel, and I’m pretty sure it was no more than 15 knots, if that.  In other words, Spithill was sailing at least 1.65 times faster than the wind. There are limits to how fast these catamarans can go, but I’m pretty sure that when they come to San Francisco in August we’ll see boat speeds at 30 knots or better – on San Francisco Bay in the summertime, 15 knots of wind is a pretty light day.

So, if you haven’t already made your plans to be there in San Francisco in August and October, don’t delay.

Cheers!

Lester

Lester Hardy, lawyer by day, author by night, is the husband of Janet Pagano, Managing Partner at Ovid Vineyards.  An avid sailor, Lester crews for vintner Eric Sklar on Spindrifter at the Sausalito Yacht Club's Tuesday night races, and is currently working on a biography of Tom Blackaller, a San Francisco sailing legend who competed in three America's Cup events. You can reach Lester at ltrainhardy@yahoo.com

Napa Valley Vintners & America's Cup: The excitement begins!

Friday Morning, June 29

Yesterday the racing began. I had read about the NASCAR-like excitement of the America's Cup World Series, but now I've experienced it.  Wow!

The Emirates New Zealand team capsized in their match race against Luna Rossa Piranha, only to have their gleaming high-tech catamaran turn onto its rudders in a failed attempt to right it. By the time the boat was back on its hulls an hour later, the carbon fiber wingsail was severely damaged, and official reports were that the crew would be working all night to make the repairs necessary to get Emirates New Zealand back in the water in time for today's races.

Destination Napa Valley Council President Clay Gregory experienced the excitement first hand during the fleet race, as guest racer on Team Korea's catamaran. Clay told me afterwards that he got an aerobic workout while sitting still. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure he was referring to the fact that his heart was racing the entire time. One thing for sure, he looked like a guy who had never had such fun in his life.

And this, for me, was the greatest part of the day: the excitement of the day's races was shared by everyone from the Napa Valley Vintners and Destination Napa Valley who came out to Newport, regardless of whether they were sailors or non-sailors. The organizers of the 34th America's Cup competition have long said that their goal was to create an event that was accessible to everyone - to create a spectator-friendly arena on the water - and if the event here at Newport is anything to judge by, they have succeeded in a big way.

Just ask Linda Reiff, Eric Sklar, Clay Gregory, Will Smith, Allison Simpson, George Peterson or Darcy Tunt.

Or me, for that matter.

Cheers!

Lester Hardy 

Lester Hardy, lawyer by day, author by night, is the husband of Janet Pagano, Managing Partner at Ovid Vineyards.  An avid sailor, Lester crews for vintner Eric Sklar on Spindrifter at the Sausalito Yacht Club's Tuesday night races, and is currently working on a biography of Tom Blackaller, a San Francisco sailing legend who competed in three America's Cup events. You can reach Lester at ltrainhardy@yahoo.com

Napa Valley Vintners & America's Cup: The excitement is building here in Newport…

The America’s Cup race park opened this past Saturday to curious spectators looking to see what all of this “new racing” was about.  Sitting in our Napa Valley Wine Lounge, you could hear the excited buzz. “The boats are racing so close!” “Look at how they turn on a dime!” “These wines are great!”  I have to admit, this was my first chance to see the boats up close, too, and watch how they perform on the water - I am getting excited to see the races myself. 

The whole experience draws you in.  As you file past the team bases, technicians are assembling the massive but beautiful catamarans. After the pontoons are fixed together, then the mast is secured, and a crane lifts the boat into the air overhead and gently puts it into the water to wait for the crew.  

Time to get to the Napa Valley Wine Lounge, to get a great viewing spot!  From our lounge, glass of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc in hand, I start to see one, then two, followed by the other three boats practicing today making their way to the course, gaining speed…gaining tremendous speed.  I can honestly say that I have never seen anything without a motor move that fast.  Because it is not an official race day, the course is not closed to other boating traffic, and as much slower boats are swerving out of the path of these boats that they came to see, I am pretty sure they are thinking the exact same thing that I am.  The boats practiced for a few hours, their colorful sails zipping back and forth across the bay before once again being lifted out of the water to be disassembled and cleaned for the next day.

I’m officially hooked! It didn’t take long watching the boats on the water this weekend to say that.  Unfortunately, I’ll be back in the Napa Valley for the official race days, starting this Thursday, but I can guarantee that you will see me on Sunday at one of our local viewing parties, glass of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc in hand, cheering on the boats.

Suzanne Gay

Napa Valley Vintners

Napa Valley Vintners & America's Cup: Newport is a revelation

Thursday Morning, June 28

My first visit to Newport is a revelation.  I have never seen a harbor packed with so many beautiful boats, from super yachts to 12-metre race boats, and every sort of sloop, schooner, ketch and yawl, modern and classic, large and small, wood and plastic - Newport has them all.

And the setting is no less impressive.  Storied mansions line the waterfront, telling tales of the glory days of yachting - long before corporate sponsors and helicopters - of tycoons and times gone by.

Downtown Newport speaks of east coast summers, with ice cream shops, t-shirt stores, pizza places, beer joints, and everything else that caters to youth on vacation and to sailors on shore.  But there, too, one has a sense of the past - that this summertime enterprise has some history behind it.

The America's Cup Village is located at Fort Adams, an old naval defense installation that once protected the harbor at Newport.  The naval artillery is long gone, but the fort's location on the waterfront couldn't be better for the kind of spectator-friendly action that the current America's Cup organizers aim for.  In every direction the view is fantastic, and entire race course is visible from the public viewing area.

Last night the Napa Valley Vintners and Destination Napa Valley sponsored a wonderful wine reception for VIPs at the Club 45 VIP lounge at Fort Adams. The Club filled with sailors and sailing dignitaries, Linda Reiff and Clay Gregory gave an outstanding presentation on the Napa Valley to the guests, and wonderful wines from more than a dozen Napa Valley wineries were poured to an enthusiastic group.  As the tasting wound down, the sun slowly set, and we were treated to a magnificent example of the beauty of the Newport skies.

Newport is a revelation.

Cheers!

Lester

Lester Hardy, lawyer by day, author by night, is the husband of Janet Pagano, Managing Partner at Ovid Vineyards.  An avid sailor, Lester crews for vintner Eric Sklar on Spindrifter at the Sausalito Yacht Club's Tuesday night races, and is currently working on a biography of Tom Blackaller, a San Francisco sailing legend who competed in three America's Cup events. You can reach Lester at ltrainhardy@yahoo.com

View from Spring Mountain Vineyard by Ron Rosenbrand, Vineyard Manager

May 2012 Vineyard Update After a very wet and cold March and April, May was beautifully warm to hot. Day time temperatures were mostly in the 80’s and 90’s. We only had one rainy day with only 0.25 inches of rain. This brought the season total to 37.30 inches. This is some 9 inches below normal for the season, but we are in good shape for irrigation water for this year. The warm temperatures pushed vine growth along tremendously. Bloom started two and a half weeks earlier than last year and the year before. The entire bloom process went from start to finish in about 12 days. We are checking fruit set currently and should have a good feel for the degree of success soon. Early indications are quite positive. This earlier bloom puts us on a much more normal pace. If the summer temperatures are fairly normal, harvest times should do the same and we could expect to complete harvest by the end of October. How nice would that be for a change?
Another very noticeable thing in the vineyard is the increase in the number of clusters on the vines this year. We expected an increase in the trellis-converted blocks, but we are also seeing increases in Vertical Gobelet blocks. As always, as long as the weather doesn’t create a major problem, total tonnage this year should be up from the past 4 years.

May has been a very busy month out in the vineyard as is the case every year. But when you have warm weather it pushes us along even faster. During the month, we completed all the suckering and have been very busy mowing down cover crop, undertaking mildew control, tying and training of the vertical gobelet vines, shoot tucking and positioning in the vertical-shoot-positioned trellising, field-grafting some 7000 vines to Malbec, Chardonnay and converting clones in Pinot Noir. The warm weather has helped those grafts take successfully and they are currently taking off. Soon, we’ll start working on leaf removal to get some sunlight on those developing clusters and help get them acclimated to direct sun exposure before the real summer heat begins.
We have begun our insect releases for various vineyard pests including releasing lady bugs for leaf hoppers. The bluebirds have once again taken over the bird houses along with the swallows. There are many, many babies out there which have a tremendous appetite. We have a researcher from UC Berkeley working with the bluebirds. She is doing extensive studies on insect populations and the blue bird’s diet. We will have some great information when she completes this 12 week study. We also have another group of researchers from UC Berkeley studying three different flowering cover crops and the beneficial insects that are attracted to these flowers. This study is in the second of three years. They are also studying bat populations, the species of bats that we have here at SMV and their diet. Interesting stuff. We’ll keep you updated on the results.

Auction Napa Valley Proceeds: Enhancing Lives

Rianda House

Located in the heart of St. Helena, Rianda House a thriving senior activity center, offering a one-stop shop approach to connect the community’s senior population to the programs, services and resources needed to support independence and successful aging. With the population of adults ages 65 and older expected to rise by 50% in the next twenty years, the need for such a Center has never been greater.

***

Last year Jim lost his wife of almost 50 years very suddenly. His grown children would visit occasionally and yet they were all a plane ride away. He stopped eating well, would not leave his house and was showing signs of severe depression. A concerned neighbor suggested that they make a visit to Rianda House to inquire about the daily delivered meals and weekly card games; Jim had always loved to play pinochle with his wife. During their visit, the Executive Director connected Jim with the grief support group offered at Rianda House by Napa Valley Hospice. As a result he has developed new coping skills, met others in his situation and was able to bring himself out of his shell. Today he visits the center 3 to 4 times a week as an active volunteer and program participant who especially enjoys the weekly congregate lunches, pinochle game and Sit & Be Fit exercise class….and who we always see with a smile on his face.

***

Now that we've shared a few of the hundreds of Auction Napa Valley beneficiary "Success Stories" we invite you to be part of creating the success stories yet to come. Mark this down: Sunday, May 27th at Noon Pacific Time: the 2012 Auction Napa Valley E-Auction shoots off the blocks with 150 Ways to Kick Your Cellar up a notch, while supporting health care and youth development programs. www.napavintners.com/auction.

Role Models You Can Support

Napa Emergency Women's Services (NEWS)

The mission of Napa Emergency Women's Services (NEWS) is to provide a nurturing refuge to women and children escaping domestic violence and and/or sexual abuse and to be a catalyst for change through prevention, intervention, and advocacy.

We believe that those who have become victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse have the power to strengthen and heal. Every day we bring respect, understanding, and resources to survivors, because we see that with kindness and support, we can create peaceful homes and healthy communities. As the executive director of this organization, I feel very fortunate to be a witness to this transformation.

Tracy Lamb
Executive Director

***

Every week when the children's group at NEWS meets, it has a topic for the day. The topic for this particular day was role models. Children were asked by the facilitator what their understanding of role models was and the facilitator then concluded the session with a collaborative definition of what a role model meant to the group.

After the discussion, children were asked to write a lettter to their role models. Some immediately expressed who they had in mind, while others needed some extra time and help to identify who that person could be. Still others struggled to find someone at all, which made the exercise difficult to observe.

It was very interesting see that each child was able to identify what a role model should be, but that when it came time to write the letter some group members struggled to find a person in their life that they could look up to. Unfortunately, some of the kids we serve lack exposure to positive people.

At the end of the session, with help, everyone was able to identify a role model and write a letter. Sitting around a table, each child had the opportunity to share his/her letter. Some of them wrote to their parents, others to their teachers, and one of them wrote a letter to the group facilitator and KEDS Shelter program manager and group facilitator.

This group facilitator was honored to see the impact that the program has had in the life of this child. This letter is just one example of many others that we have seen exemplifying how important this group is to to the lives of these children, as due to the difficulties they are experiencing, this group might just be the only space where they feel safe enough to just be kids.



Sister Ann Dental Clinic "Success Story"

Community Health Clinic Ole

Sister Ann Dental Clinic

Clinic Ole's Sister Ann Dental Clinic supports the provision of quality, affordable preventative and treatment dental services and dental education to Napa County's low-income, uninsured residents and children enrolled in governmental programs such as Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. 

I hear many stories about the lives we touch every day by providing affordable health care to our community. This is a story recently told me by a foster parent whose son had a mortal fear of the dentist.

Tanir Ami

Chief Executive Officer

***

Diego came to live with us when he was eight years old. He had been in foster care for seven months after being removed from his mother for physical abuse by her boyfriend. Prior to that, as with so many situations like this, there had been some serious neglect and Diego's teeth were evidence of that. Because he had come to us from foster care, he was eligible for Medi-Cal, but we added him to our private insurance because we wanted him to have "the best" care available. We knew about Sister Ann Dental Clinic and Clinic Ole, but we didn't know anyone who had used their services so we took Diego to our own dentist and a private practice pediatrician. Diego needed multiple fillings, a couple of baby teeth had to be pulled, and his oral hygiene needed much improvement. We spent thousands of dollars out of pocket the first few months just to catch up and Diego HATED the dentist we were using, so taking him to the dentist became a huge battle. Somewhere along the line, Sister Ann Dental Clinic came up so we thought "What the heck? Let's give it a try."

The support staff and dentists are all great and worked so well with Diego that he even fell asleep once while in the chair being worked on. He told me it was like the dentist was a "Ninja" dentist and asked me to YELP Sister Ann Dental Clinic!

I will not say that he loves coming to the dentist--I don't know too many 13 year old boys who do--but he has a level of trust with the staff and dentists here that he did not find in the private practice. Everything went so well with his dentistry that we thought we would give Clinic Ole (medical) a try and it too was a great move. There is a much shorter appointment wait time than with his private practice pediatrician and he loves Dr. Lee, who has become his primary care physician.  

Auction Hoopla Begins!

Auction Napa Valley, the Napa Valley Vintners' annual community fundraiser is the most celebrated charity wine auction in the world, having given more than $100 million to health, youth and affordable housing non-profit programs.

So, that's the really big picture, which is made up of many individual stories of those whose lives have been touched by the generosity of all who contribute to Auction Napa Valley: everyone who bids on e-, live and barrel auctions, all of our guests, the volunteers without whom Auction would not be possible, and the seemingly endless generosity of spirit of the vintners of Napa Valley.

Starting on Monday, May 14, we'd like to share a few of these "success stories" from Auction Napa Valley beneficiaries with you as we head into the Hoopla that has at its heart Hope for so many people.

"What If": Here We Go to Auction 2012

An Auction Napa Valley 2012 Welcome Letter from the Chappellet Family

Thirty-two years ago our family, along with many others, worked hard to implement a

novel idea, “What if we could raise money to help our hospitals by auctioning some of

the great wines of the Napa Valley?” asked Robert Mondavi at a vintner luncheon. Many

rose up to the challenge.

Even the great visionary Robert Mondavi would have had a hard time imagining how

many lives would be affected by that “What if?” question. To date more than $100

million have been distributed to dozens of healthcare and youth development non-profit

programs. Not only have a great many members of our community benefited from the

proceeds generated from Auction Napa Valley, but participants from all over the world

have learned about the magnificent wines that come from this region and enjoyed the

hospitality and beauty of The Valley.

Working from the inside, we continually marvel at the generosity of our bidders and

strategic partners, as well as the enormous talent, time and energy of the vintners and

the hundreds of volunteers.

Our family grew up in the middle of a vineyard, giving us a deep appreciation and

understanding, not only of the changing seasons, but of the devoted people who daily

tend the vines. Although it has been 45 years since we first came to The Valley, we still

get excited every day to witness the growth of the vines.

Now we know the answer to Robert’s, “What if?” The answer is–when a community comes together in generosity and joy, we can harvest all the best life has to offer.

Rise up!

                                  

The Chappellet Family

HONORARY CHAIRS, AUCTION NAPA VALLEY 2012

NAPA VALLEY VINTNERS

***

For more Auction Napa Valley 2012 inspiration, and to preview e-auction and live auction lots , visit http://www.auctionnapavalley.org/

ECVM Update

One new moth was found last week in a trap in a vineyard On Greenfield Rd, in Conn Valley east of St. Helena. All growers within 500 meters of the find were notified. This was an area that was not within 500 meters of finds in 2010 or 2011 so pheromones had not been placed in the vineyard. The grower has since put up pheromones for mating disruption. This brings the total number to 4 for the first flight of 2012 in Napa County. We are past the peak of the flight in most areas so we should not expect to see many more moths.


The majority of vineyards in the county are now at the ideal timing for the spray for the first generation. All growers who put up pheromones for mating disruption should still treat for the larvae of this generation. All other growers who did not put up pheromones but are in the treatment area should also treat. This includes the growers in the treatment area in Pope Valley, Chiles Valley, Howell Mountain, and Gordon Valley. Treatments should be applied in your next scheduled mildew spray in the next two weeks. For growers in late developing areas this spray should go on one week later in 1-2 weeks. For conventional growers, one application of Intrepid at 12-16 oz/a or Altacor at 4.5 oz/a should have enough residual to control this insect for this first generation. Organic growers should start now with applications of BT products at 1-2 lb./a or Entrust at 2.5 oz/a and cotinue for three applications. Olive trees in the treatment area should also be sprayed at this time with either Dipel or Altacor as they are a host during bloom. Please follow all label instructions when applying any of these products. And just a reminder to report all applications on your pesticide use reports including the Isomate-EGVM pheromones for mating disruption.

Thank you all again for your cooperation so far, as pheromones were distributed to nearly 99% of growers in the treatment area. Keep up your efforts with the spraying of the larvae for the first two generations and we will have a very good shot at getting rid of this pest.

Martin Mochizuki

Napa County EGVM Grower Liaison

707-975-2133

707-252-9218 fax

martinmoch@sbcglobal.net

The first European Grapevine Moth males of the 2012 season were caught in two traps in the Hagen Rd/Olive Lane area east of the city of Napa. This is close to the Third Avenue area that was heavily infested in 2010. All growers within 500 meters of these finds have been contacted and only two had not yet installed their pheromones for mating disruption. It is very important that all growers in the treatment area install their pheromone dispensers and also spray the first two generations of larvae of EGVM. Pheromones alone will not be effective enough to eradicate this insect. So even if you have not caught moths near your vineyard over the last year you will still need to treat.

The timing for the first spray is at the pre-bloom stage. For very early varieties this will be in 1-2 weeks. For the majority of growers this spray timing is still 2-3 weeks off. Materials of choice for conventional growers are Intrepid or Altacor. Organic growers should use multiple sprays of BT products or Entrust.

From a historical standpoint, in 2010 there were 99,000 moths caught in Napa county in the first flight, In 2011 that number was 96 moths, and so far in 2012 there have only been 3 moths caught. We have come a long way but we still have some work to do if we hope to eliminate this pest.

Martin Mochizuki

Napa County EGVM Grower Liaison

707-975-2133

707-252-9218 fax

martinmoch@sbcglobal.net

Protecting Our New Buds from Frost

Spring is such a wonderful time of year; a time when we all feel a sense of renewal, at least until Daylight Savings comes and then we all just feel tired. As wonderful as it is to feel the warm breeze after some long, cold, (and usually wet) winter months, spring can be a very stressful time around here thanks to the looming threat of frost.

Frost… a word that strikes fear in the heart of every farmer. Without getting too technical (because I went to culinary school therefore I can’t be too technical) the temperature drops causing ice to form in the plant’s cells which causes them to burst, killing the bud. These new born buds are very susceptible to frost damage because they are made up of very young tissue. In fact new vines can also be damaged by heavy frost because they have yet to build their own natural insulation.

There are, however, a few methods farmers (or if you want to use the fancy term, viticulturists) have found useful for protecting our future bottles of wine.

Wind Machines

A very common method in Napa Valley is air mixing with wind machines (they look like airplane propellers mounted on top of sticks, actually some look like old plane engines). One huge drawback is they are very loud, imagine a helicopter landing on your house, but they do a good job. Once the temps drop to just above freezing the fans are turned on (by some very unlucky individual as it happens in the wee hours of the morning) and the cold air is mixed with warmer air raising the temperature and inhibiting the formation of frost. If you have a property that isn’t affected by frost very often you can hire a helicopter to buzz your vineyard all night, it will have the same effect, although I am not totally sure that is kosher in Napa County.

Another method used is overhead sprinkler systems. I know that seems a bit strange, if is cold enough to freeze how is water going to help? Amazingly it does! Think about a glass of ice water. Even though there is ice in there the water never gets colder than 32 degrees. As long as there is a constant flow of water the buds will be okay, but it does take a lot of water, about 50 gallons a minute per acre. A winery needs large water reserves for this method.

Smudge Pots

Although their use was restricted in the 1970s smudge pots were once a very popular method of frost protection. The large iron pots were placed in the vineyard and filled with fuel oil and ignited once the temperature dropped. The heat from the fire would keep frost from forming. They were restricted (not banned) because of air pollution concerns and also fell out of favor as fuel prices increased, but are still used by a few wineries in Napa.

Those are the main active methods of frost prevention, there are also passive methods such as soil management, trellis height, delayed pruning, protective covering, or most importantly picking the correct site for a vineyard. Using a combination of active and passive methods will help those little buds, but no matter what we do frost season will always be a stressful time around here.

Rebecca Martin, Chase Cellars

Earth Day Meditations from Peju Province Winery

Wine is the consummation of human nature-love. People care so passionately about the quality of the fruit produced to make the wine that the care we take of the vines is unsurpassed in its attentiveness and devotion. In wine, the whole concept of terroir communicates how winegrowing encourages humans to be attuned to the Earth, the systems at work and the interconnectedness of it all. How often do you think about how the climactic conditions your banana withstood affected its flavor(s)? We care more now as a collective society than we did in the recent past about where things come from and how they came to be, but we’re probably not quite there yet in terms of thinking holistically about all of our choices. Anyway, terroir is more than just the soil, the microclimate and the location. It is the mark made by all the aspects of the Earth around that vine. Think: the ‘nurture’ influence on humans in the nature/nurture duality. No two wines will ever be the same and what's more fun than discovering the subtle differences with your palate?

In Rutherford our soil is full of sandy loam. Blocks farther from the Napa River at the back edge of our property produce the most concentrated fruit, as they have to burrow deeper to find a water source.  The little section of vine which grows under the shadow of the Eucalyptus tree behind the winery takes a bit more time to ripen than the rest. The south facing vines ripen more quickly than the north facing vines. There are an infinite variety of observations to make. And again, one discovers these facts through one’s senses. Tasting the grapes and paying attention. Wine is an ode to the human capacity to smell, to taste, to feel, to see, to discover and to enjoy.

I grew up in a society that spends more of childhood in a classroom learning about nature from a book than discovering it at the source itself.  Maybe that’s why being in nature is so precious to me. I experienced its majesty for the first time in early adulthood. It’s been captivating, wondrous and new every time ever since.

I write to you now with my belly in the dirt, splayed out in the middle of the vines, listening to the birds chirp, watching the grasses and the just-sprouted leaves on the vines move in tandem as the wind whispers through them. A spider scurries across my notebook; ants scuttle over tiny clumps of dirt and teeny rocks and miniature sticks along an unknowable but evidently determined path to fulfill their purpose. Contemplating our own ‘purpose’ can feel like an inscrutable burden of our elite human consciousness, but for me, being in nature makes me feel closer to it- whatever it is. The ‘purpose’ of being alive. And it feels almost simple. When the birds sing and perch on the vines and flutter around each other in instinctual patterns, and the wind blows warm, dry air through my hair and across my face, and when as far as the eye can see, plants move like jazz music in the infinite patterns created by the wind. I feel still and at peace. The American conception of what is happiness is a confusing one at times, but nature is always there to remind us of what is real. Perhaps the fact is simply that we exist.

In gratitude, I pledge to be better about using my travel coffee mug (did you know these are called ‘tumblers’?) rather than turning a blind eye to the number of to-go cups I rack up in one week. And I plan to fight against the New Year’s Resolution Syndrome and actually still be in the habit of using said tumbler a few months down the road. Check in with me.

Peju farms certified organically in Rutherford and sustainably elsewhere with CCOF certification on the horizon, has 10,000 square feet of solar panels contributing 36% of our annual energy, composts, recycles, offers incentives to employees to buy hybrid cars, and is generally committed to continually converting our daily practices to always improve on our sustainability. We started using biodegradable flatware when silverware is not a viable option this year. Every little bit really does count. What will you do differently? Starting TODAY!

I'm back at the computer now, but it was nice to take a moment with the Earth to honor her on her  special day. It’s a pretty rich sense of belonging to feel once you tap in to the fact that you are very much a part of this Earth and a part of the whole system and that we are all in this together.

Watched a beautiful movie recently which communicated this visually. ‘Life in a Day.’ Directed by Kevin Macdonald. Produced by Ridley Scott. Distributed by National Geographic Films. Made from 4,500 hours of footage submitted in 80,000 submissions from 192 nations. Watch it.

Thank you, Earth and Nature.

Thank you, Life!

Now go outside and enjoy being alive!

Cheers,

Britt (e-mail me or post a response!) for Peju Province Winery
view this post in its original context here

Bud-break in Rutherford

Elephant-Inspired Spitcups and More on the NVV's Shanghai Success

Our day began as it did just five days ago in Beijing - with three concurrent seminars focused on Napa Valley's diverse terroir, its wide variety of wine grapes, and a demonstration of the age-worthiness of our wine. More than 70 trade and media attended.


As always seems to be the case in China, we had one last minute kerfuffle - no spit cups. So, Cessa from the NVV staff grabbed one of the hotel's bi-lingual bellman (did I mention they wear 1920's-inspired uniforms with little pill-box style hats?) and off they went down the streets of Shanghai looking for small paper cups we could put out at each seminar seat as a spittoon.

They were successful, returning with cups that were probably intended for a child's birthday party - each was decorated with an array of cartoon elephants! Well, one can't be too particular when your program is about to start, so away we went, tasting and spitting Shafer, Cain Five, Silver Oak, Pine Ridge, Swanson, and more into our little elephant cups! One learns to be flexible when traveling in a country like China.

After lunch it was back up to the 9th floor, this time in the Cathay Room overlooking the Bund, for a wine and food pairing lunch. Abundant dishes of Western and Asian treats were served to go with Napa wines - smoked pork, grilled beef tenderloin, stir-fried tofu, sautéed "fungus" (mushrooms), poached fish, and more. If you walked away hungry or thirsty, it was your own darn fault.

About 400 local trade and media came out for the afternoon trade tasting in the beautiful, historic ballroom. Many attendees commented on how much they enjoyed spending the afternoon at this beautiful, historic hotel.

Tonight we did the "divide an conquer" routine once again with a walk-around tasting for about 100 consumers with Napa Reserve (owned by the Chow family, long-time friends of the Auction and the NVV) and three concurrent vintner dinners at top Shanghai restaurants. I've heard rumor of an after-party at a very exclusive private club, but I'm afraid it's off to bed for me. Tomorrow most of us board a mid-day flight for SFO...back to the place we've been bragging about all week. Back to the place we all love. Back to the place we call home. Back to the Napa Valley...

Patsy McGaughy, CSW
Marketing Director
Napa Valley Vintners

Nine Heaven and More from the NVV's Shanghai Success

Our day began at 10:30 this morning at Nine Heaven - the perfect name for a little event space on the ninth floor of the Fairmont Peace Hotel, on the Bund. The hotel is an historic property, authentically restored, featuring stunning art-deco styling. Although it is a bit of a maze getting around, it is so beautiful, no one seems to mind.


At our alumni brunch, our guests and vintners were treated to a breathtaking view of the Shanghai skyline and the Huangpu River. Boat traffic on the river was almost as congested as the car traffic on the freeway! Barge after barge, each loaded with materials and cargo, passed by with tourist boats weaving in and out. Vintners and the Shanghai contingent of our Experience Napa Valley: China alumni group caught up on everything new since seeing each other last September.

Experience Napa Valley alum Alvin Gho and vintner Michael Honig at Thursday's brunch

Immediately after brunch, it was time for lunch! Today's guests: representatives from the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS), Agricultural Trade Office (ATO), and US Embassy joined the vintners and NVV staff for a tutorial on the Chinese wine market, ways we can work together, and suggestions to enhance our success selling Napa Valley wine in China. There were lots of great questions from vintners, and a promise at the end from both parties to keep in touch and try to do more together to further the position of US wine exports in this dynamic market. My favorite quote of the day: "Things happen very fast in China. What takes 10 years to do in the US, takes one year here."

Keith Schneller, agriculture director of Shanghai office of the ATO

This evening, we partnered again with Chi Fan for Charity for a dinner for about 100 high net-worth consumers at Shook! Restaurant, across the street from our hotel. Private wealth management company Austen Morris Associates co-sponsored the event, which began with a sparkling wine reception on the terrace overlooking the Bund and the evening skyline of Shanghai.

Now we're winding down (or for some, winding up!) with a Nightlife Napa Valley tasting back at Cin Cin Lounge at the Fairmont. There's not a view of the river from here, but the inlaid ceiling, ornate art-deco light fixtures, black marble floors, and plush velvet sofas and chairs make for lovely scenery of their own.

NEWS FLASH: This just in - our logistics crew in Beijing reports that we actually had 500 attendees (not the 300 we originally estimated) at our trade tasting in Beijing on Monday - no wonder vintners ran out of wine! I can't wait to see how many turn out in Shanghai tomorrow.

Patsy McGaughy, CSW
Marketing Director
Napa Valley Vintners

On to Shanghai: NVV Vintners and Wines On the Road 

Today we traveled from Beijing to Shanghai for the second half of Taste Napa Valley: China. We left behind the heat and smog of Beijing for cooler temperatures and some rain in Shanghai.

This city is, literally, electric. The high-rises are all brightly lighted with neon, flashing lights, and bold and dramatic graphics. I'm trying to figure out how we can get "Drink Napa Valley Wines" projected on the side of one of downtown Shanghai's 50+ story buildings for the whole world (or at least this part of the world) to see!

As today was a travel day we only had one NVV-organized event - a tasting with about 25 wineries organized by Experience Napa Valley: China alum Marcus Ford, director of high-end retailer Pudao Wines. Marcus gathered his neighbors on Ferguson Lane on Wukang Road for an indoor/outdoor walk-around event, including A Cote' Pizza (owned by Franck's Bistro) and Globus Wine. The nearly 200 consumer attendees wandered up and down the quaint alley, wine glasses in hand, seeking their next Napa Valley wine discovery while nibbling on bites provided by Franck and his culinary team.

It drizzled off and on throughout the evening, and thankfully the real rain held off until moments before the tasting ended. But the wet weather definitely didn't dampen spirits - Marcus thought we'd see 100 or so of his customers tonight, but nearly twice that many dropped by for some Napa Valley wine and tasty bites. Hopefully this is a sign of more good things to come on Thursday and Friday, our final two days of wine events in Shanghai.

Patsy McGaughy, CSW

Marketing Director

Napa Valley Vintners