Everyday Days at the Winery

Once in a while people tasting at the winery will peek into the office, see everyone working (very hard) away, & then turn to me confused, "Why is everyone so busy? Can't you drink wine all day? Isn't it only harvest that much happens?"

Something's always happening. And usually more than several somethings are happening.

There's bottling - when the winemakers decide it's time to rack the wine out of barrel to be bottled (via tanks). It's not just the bottling, though. They have decide on the lots that will be blended together for a final wine, which involves numerous flights of potential blends.

They're prepping barrels, tanks, equipment for harvest.


And checking on grapes, surveying vineyards, talking with the vineyard managers.

Constantly monitoring wine in barrels & in tank - is it ready to go? Is there anything wrong? Testing samples in the lab.

Buying new barrels for harvest. Supplies.

The sales team traveling the country and talking with distributors and stores and restaurants that carry our wine.

Hosting people who've come to taste.

Current information about wines - making sure everyone has the correct, updated information - from vintages to pricing to tasting notes.

Fulfilling orders for wines - making sure our distributors in 46 states and accounts in 16 countries have the wine they need, keeping track of their inventory.

Paperwork. Paperwork. And even more paperwork.

But we also have some very fun opportunities. I shared our C&B Dancing Crow Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc and C&B Pinot Noir with attendees to the National Kidney Foundation's first annual charity polo tournament in Santa Rosa yesterday. We joined other wineries & vendors and had a grand old time in support of a good cause.


I especially enjoyed the Pinot Noir paired with a cheese spread of smoked mozzarella with slow roasted tomatoes. It may even be my new favorite!

Perfect Pairings: Petite Sirah and Peacock?

We sat down last week to taste six different Petite Sirahs. Winemaker Paul Moser says the varietal is one "built for off-roading" and "built for action." While the berries are small, they don't produce a small wine at all.

At the winery, we are getting set to bottle the 2007 Lot 205 PS tomorrow. That wine was in the tasting lineup, as was our 2006 - and then 4 other wines, both 06 and 07s. We tasted the wines blind, though we knew which producers and vintages they were from.

We liked the 2006 Bogle and the 2006 Lot 205.

Our guesses as to which wines were which were all over the place The unbottled 2007 Lot 205 Petite was the only wine that we all got right. It was also the clear favorite.

Paul's notes on the wine: High notes at first, not too tannic or oaky. Youthful, bouncy, cherry drop, juicy profile, round, grapey. Not overly rustic. Blackberry cobbler and purity of fruit. Bright, clean acidity with excellent balance and a freshness.

YUM!

Digression: Paul writes the tasting notes. And they are very elegant and delicious-sounding tasting notes. The only thing is that the suggested pairings can be a wee bit esoteric, at least for me. I don't generally stand at the store and think, I'm going to pick up some feathered game tonight.

So we got to talking about what would comprise feathered game: squab, grouse, game hen, pheasant, pigeon ... peacock? Someone (I'm not naming names) at the table thought the Bremner crackers would pair well with peacock.

Then this was suggested: crackers, peacock & Petite Sirah. Yikes. I think I'll stick to some of the more "normal" pairings for the Petite. When I chatted with Paul today, he said to go with the bigger foods that wouldn't be overwhelmed by the wine. He says lamb shank, duck confit, heartier pastas, particularly bolognese, but also game: wild boar and venison stew. If you're vegetarian, he suggests ragout of red wine and portobello mushroom, perhaps grilled portobellos, or a five-cheese risotto.