Blogs

October, 2014

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

About four days of harvest to go! We have about 100 tons to pick, mostly Cabernet, Nebbiolo, Petit Verdot, and our small lot of Freisa. This will be one of the earliest harvests I have experienced in the last 44 years for a variety of reasons, none of which are bad. Our Harvest Party is planned to be right after harvest but this year, it will be four weeks later, which is also ok. We have a great deal of time to get things ready for all of you attending.

September, 2014

From the Ground Up

We’re well into harvest. Over the past 40 years, very seldom have we picked grapes in August. This is the year. Our crop is about three weeks earlier than normal due to the weather, our previous crop, fruit set, berry sizing, and vines wanting to mature early. We have finished picking five varieties and are this week picking Pinot Noir, the variety we have the most of. One of the issues that is making this year a bit different is that some of the varieties are maturing out of their normal sequence. For example, one block of Sauvignon Blanc in Los Alamos had never been picked before the 23rd of September. This year we picked it the last week of August.

August, 2014

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

Seems like we always talk about the weather. It is definitely a major factor in farming. This may become the earliest harvest in my 44 years in Santa Barbara County. The drought is only partly responsible. We are already finishing spraying and will irrigate more but bird netting is already taking place. We have a good chance of picking grapes mid-August instead of the usual mid-September. So things like our late August bottling schedule will now become part of harvest. Megan and the winery have their hands full between trying to get one harvest in the bottle and the next harvest back into the tanks.

July 2014

From the Ground Up

Our grapevines are on the fast track. We’re about four weeks ahead of schedule so we’re starting shoot removal, hedging, leaf removal, and spraying for mildew control. Irrigation is on our minds this year. We will make it but we do have a water crisis and we really need rains this coming winter. Supplies are low and wells are producing less.

June, 2014

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

As always, I blame Mother Nature! A very short winter followed by a warm spring puts us about three weeks ahead of schedule. Most of the varieties look very good. Unusual heat hurt the fruit set in some of our Sangiovese and Syrah, but overall I am very pleased at this point. Harvest in 80 days.

May, 2014

From the Ground Up

We have had a different kind of a winter with not much of anything in the way of frost, rain, or cold. Our vines look great. Our water supply so far is holding steady, and it looks like we’re going to have an early harvest.

April, 2014

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

Last year’s 2013 vintage looks to be one of the better vintages. The wines are showing much promise. It always helps to have perfect growing and weather conditions during harvest. Varieties like Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Sangiovese, which cannot tolerate wet weather, were picked at optimal levels thanks to the beautiful fall. Next year we will get our first chance to visit this vintage.

March, 2014

From the Ground Up

We finished pruning last week, about three weeks ahead of schedule. This was necessary because of the warm winter that we have been experiencing, so warm that bud break has already begun.

February, 2014

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

This is the 10 Year Anniversary of the Toccata Tasting Room. We have special plans on March 8th. With 10 being the magic number, we will have some 10 dollar wine specials on various wines, like the 2010 Classico we’re adding to your shipment this month. Interest in our Italian wines has grown. No longer unknown, they’re making their mark both in our Tasting Room and in the marketplace.