It’s not quite the calm before the storm. The winery has been busy bottling, taking care of last year’s wines, and preparing for this year’s harvest. The grapes have finished blooming and the set of berries looks good. We are continuing to manage the canopy, still doing some shoot and leaf removal, and hedging. Hedging is something that most people do not talk about but to me, it’s quite interesting. You see, most of the energy in the vine is in the growing tips. When we go through and hedge, we remove about a foot from the shoots which redirects the energy from the growth of the wine to caring for the grapes. It also tells the vine that we are reaching another level of maturity. I never read this in a book.

In six to eight weeks, we will be harvesting.

2019 Rosé of Pinot Noir: Refreshing and with a touch of class, this Rosé was made from our Pinot Noir grapes in Los Alamos with a splash of Viognier (6%). It is crisp, has a lot of aroma, and is very berrylike. It was made with mature grapes with good acidity. Enjoy in the heat of the summer, or year-round.

2017 Pinot Noir, Goodchild Vineyard High 9: Damn, she is a beautiful wine. I just happened to be tasting this wine and putting up with Anjie. The wine definitely helps me with the latter. (I am afraid to look over to see what she’s typing!) This is a classic. It seems like we have been doing it forever. How about 20 years? This is 100% Clone 667 Pinot Noir from the highest nine acres on top of a hill at Goodchild Vineyard which overlooks the Santa Maria Valley. It has won or scored high in just about every tasting we have entered it. I am reminded of the day I told Royce that I would like to plant the top of the hill to Pinot Noir. And he looked at me and said “Let’s do it now!” This is a true Burgundian experience, expressing a layer of oak that complements the fruitiness of the grape. You could sip it or enjoy it with a meal. This wine is what memories are made of.

Now that we are born again and free, let’s be careful and have a lot of fun! Enjoy your summer.