Within the past six weeks, I’ve been to Europe twice! Tuscany was a successful adventure with our Wine Club friends. I watched Anjie roll her pasta and I’ve got it on tape! After Tuscany, I flew to Croatia for daughter #1’s wedding on a little tiny island called Iž Veli (translated “big island”). It’s the big island between both Iž islands, which are both small! Both trips had super weather and we were accompanied by super people, including in-laws and outlaws! We tasted many good and interesting wines from both countries.

Today it is 100°F in Solvang, and we are supposed to get even hotter over the next five days. We have been irrigating furiously, which helps a little and makes us feel better. We’ll know the outcome in 10 days.

2023 Rosé of Pinot Noir: You’re going to like this one a lot. To start with, it scored 93 points in Wine Enthusiast magazine, a high number for a Rosé. We made it a little differently than in the past with a little less color but with a brightness in the juice. It has an exceptional nose that most rosés lack. This one inspires us for what we can do in the future. Built for volume drinkers!

2019 Pinot Noir, Goodchild High 9 Vineyard: When I talk about this vineyard, it’s one that I carved out of the top of a hilltop that had never been farmed. It is planted to Clone 667 and has produced consistently outstanding Pinot Noir grapes that exemplify the variety. This one shows that picking grapes at the peak of ripeness contributes to good mouthfeel, bright color, and complex flavors. Drinking this wine is a memorable experience.

2019 Syrah: If you have been reading this wine column, you know that I try to get high on what I do. With only 60 years of experience in growing grapes, and traveling the world of wine, this wine sums up a lot of things. Here is a variety that can be grown in all growing districts, making many types of wine, and in most cases they are good. And then you find the exceptional place. I sold grapes from this vineyard to Heidi Barrett, who may be the best winemaker in California, for six years. She made great wines, but Syrah doesn’t sell like Cabernet, especially when it comes down to dollars. This Syrah is close to “as good as it gets” - grown right, picked right, made right, and blended right with the addition of 5% Viognier, which is done in some of the most exclusive Syrahs coming from the Rhone in France. All I can say is that it’s yours to enjoy.