December updates

From Lynae:

We've been remiss in posting … there's been lots going on here at the winery, but that's no excuse! Here in foggy American Canyon, the 2007 Cartlidge and Browne Chardonnay is not only bottled but about to be released! Most of the 2008 vintage is in barrel or stainless steel. We went through a lot of Pinot Noir for Thanksgiving … and I'm working on putting up holiday lights.

We sold out of the 2005 Lot 205 Petite Sirah, but the good news is we also just bottled the 2006. It's not ready for drinking yet, though I will say I think it's going to be amazing.

Saturday is the last college football game of the regular season … I can’t believe it’s already over! I'm a Berkeley grad and love my Golden Bears. I've had the great fortune to meet some of the Cal greats (both players and coaches) from Joe Kapp to Mike Pawlawski to Jeff Tedford to Mike White.

Marc, VP of Awesomeness, is also an Old Blue.

A few weeks ago Bob Babbe, our national sales manager, mentioned an investor (and Cal alum) was coming by for a visit … and would we all wear blue and gold one day at the winery?

Well, he wasn't just an alum. Mike Casey played quarterback for coach Pappy Waldorf, who is one of the most storied in Cal’s history.

The fabulous Mike dropped by the office, we all exchanged stories and more than a few "Go Bears!"

He then took Tony Cartlidge to the 111th Big Game … Tony is from Great Britain originally, and this was his first American football game, where we might argue he brought the Bears luck as Cal trounced Stanford 37 to 16. (Disclaimer: While some of us here are huge Cal fans, winemaker Paul Moser did attend Stanford, and where you went to school or who you root for doesn't affect the size of the wine tasting pours here!)