My Last Day at Chateau Montelena

This past Wednesday was my last day at Chateau Montelena – I go back to school on Monday for my final semester of viticulture study at Santa Rosa Junior College. While I am happy to be returning to classes, I am sad that my Montelena summer vineyard “internship” is over, and want to thank everyone who played a role in making it the valuable experience I hoped it would be. I learned a lot of things about growing grapes that I expected to learn – methods of irrigation, canopy management, and pest control, among others. What I did not expect to learn: how hard the work really is! Now when I hear someone say “the vineyard is where wine is made,” I will understand firsthand what they mean. I also did not expect that I would enjoy the company of my coworkers as much as I did – they helped to make each vineyard day a good one for me with their positive attitudes, good nature, and guidance. Jamie Rothberg, Marketing Coordinator, allowed me to share her blog space and was always helpful and responsive to my questions. But my biggest thanks has to go to Montelena’s Vineyard Manager, Dave Vella. Dave related to my desire to learn, and was willing to give me this opportunity, something for which I will always be grateful. On my last day, I posed for this picture with some of the vineyard crew. Only half were available at the time we took the picture, but my thoughts were with all 13 of them…Hasta la vista!

American Dream

Placido Garcia Hernandez, Montelena’s vineyard foreman, tells the quintessential story of the American dream. I sat down with this integral member of the Chateau Montelena team to learn more about his life and work in the vineyards. Placido, whose birthday is July 4th, came to California from Mexico in 1961. As a teenager, he worked hard, picking tomatoes, melons, pears and peaches in the fields and orchards of Sacramento, eventually working his way west to his first grape harvest in the Napa Valley. He has been with Chateau Montelena for 37 years, since 1974. When I asked Placido what the best thing is about working at Montelena, he replied without even thinking about it - “every day.” Every day he is happy to be here, and thanks God he still has the energy to work. He explained that Montelena is a very special place, a “nice place to work,” where there is good communication and support, and where it feels like family. Most of all, Placido told me, Montelena is what enabled him to realize his American dream: that of buying a home and sending his children to school. He is proud that he has been able to share his dream with his wife Maria and their family of four girls (including a set of twins) and a boy, all grown now with children of their own – his six grandchildren. He is also very proud of the fact that he has been a part of the many changes that have taken place here since he started. He told me how different Montelena looked back then (fewer vines) and also how different Calistoga was – he can remember when you could buy a pitcher of “cerveza” for one dollar! I was curious to get his take on the Paris tasting and what happened in 1976; Placido remembers that it was a “big deal” – but not just for Chateau Montelena. That event put Napa on the virtual world wine map, and everyone who made wine in the Napa Valley was forever inspired to strive to make the best wine they possibly could. Placido admits he doesn’t really know much about making wine or even describing wine – he “can only say if it’s good” – but he does know about grapes and vines. I’ve admired his expertise and have been fortunate to have his guidance and support this summer. It would be hard to imagine Chateau Montelena without Placido!

Veraison

Today, Montelena’s vineyard signaled the first sign of veraison – every year, one of the most important events in the vineyard that starts the countdown to harvest. Exactly what triggers this remarkable event isn’t fully known, but it may have something to do with seed maturity. Veraison means, literally, the “change of color of the grape berries” – basically, the onset of berry ripening. During this period, the vine switches its resources to ripening the fruit, and leaf and cane growth subside. The berries soften, seeds turn from green to brown, acids decline and sugars accumulate and fruity aromas develop. Not coincidentally, this is nature’s way of making the fruit appealing to animals! This morning’s assignment was leaf pulling in the fruit zone – to increase air circulation around the berries and give them more sun exposure. It was during this exercise that I pulled away leaves on one cluster to reveal, for the first time, purple berries. I ooh’d and aah’d with delight, and had to run back to my car to get my camera, afraid if I went back later and tried to find that exact bunch, I wouldn’t be able to find it. The vineyard crew carried on, unphased – though I think they were somewhat amused at my enthusiasm for something they have all seen already many times. The result of that effort is the photo here, which I think you’ll agree is a thing of beauty! p.s. these are Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Montelena's Happy Vineyard Crew

My co-workers - the people who make up the great, hard-working vineyard crew at Chateau Montelena – really help to make my time in the vineyard enjoyable. They are also good, patient teachers, and a lot of the fun for me has been practicing my Spanish as we try to understand each other. Placido and Beto (foreman and supervisor) do speak English but most of the crew are as limited with their English as I am with my Spanish. Yet we carry on conversations as we work, and somehow I know about their lives and they know something about mine. Most importantly, the language barrier hasn’t hampered their ability to explain something, or mine to comprehend. Last week I was partnered with Jose for the morning and he showed me a very efficient way to do leafing in the fruit zone. Clusters are getting big now, and it’s important to allow appropriate sun exposure and adequate ventilation around the berries. Jose demonstrated how to lift the canopy with one hand, kind of like looking under the hood of a car, and using the other hand to “comb” through and pull off leaves, working fast but taking care not to accidentally pull off a cluster of grapes. With experience it is possible to work quickly and avoid the fruit, but the key of course is to end up allowing enough sun exposure on the clusters but not so much you risk sunburn. I told Jose he was “muy rapido” but that I was “lento(a)” – slow. Somehow he made me feel that I was still doing a good job. On Wednesday, I was part of a small team tasked with dropping fruit from some young vines. Even knowing why this has to be done (keeping vine yields low to produce grapes with more flavor and intensity) still doesn’t make it any easier to snip off a perfectly beautiful cluster and throw it in a pile where it will shrivel and die in a matter of hours! Depending on the size of the shoot, I was told to leave two, one, or no cluster. The heat was back with us today, and the work was hard. But I continue to be impressed and amazed that my coworkers are always smiling, singing, and happy. Amidst their laughter and chatter, I can sometimes pick out a word or two or a phrase I understand. Most of all, listening to them passes the time and makes me smile, and I am grateful for this experience.

My Favorite Vineyard Day

One day last week I spent my morning at Chateau Montelena working on some Petite Syrah vines. The Montelena estate vineyards are exclusively Cabernet Sauvignon and old Zinfandel; the Petite Syrah vines are experimental (maybe the winemakers will try them in some new blend?) Arriving at the vineyard at 5:50 a.m., I learned that the rest of the crew was working offsite. I wondered what I would be doing, since that meant I would be working alone. Did they actually trust me to work on my own in the estate vineyard with no supervision? Beto asked if I would like to work on the four rows of young Petite Syrah vines that needed a little “tidying up” - vines creeping out into the row middles needed to be tucked into the catch wires and trimmed above the top wire. Sure! I said, happy to have any opportunity to use my pruning shears. I love pruning and cutting and trimming and snipping – as someone who has never really worked in a garden of any kind before, I had no idea how empowering it is to “discipline” a vine….maybe it’s because I can’t seem to establish the same control over my two obstinate Pugs. At this stage, when the vineyard seems to be growing like crazy, the vines are like unruly children. Fortunately, and unlike my dogs, they respond well to just about anything you do to them! It was a glorious day in Calistoga – very warm, but not too hot, with a soft breeze and a postcard-blue sky. As I was talking to the vines in the peaceful silence and listening to the birds chirping, Mr. Barrett rode by on his little motor scooter, and it made me happy to see him out and about. After a bit Dave Vella, the Vineyard Manager, stopped by to ask how things were going for me. In addition to what I was already doing, Dave suggested I start “dropping” berry clusters – in effect, pruning to leave just one cluster per shoot. When vines are young, this allows them to put their energy and resources into producing berries with more concentrated flavors. Montelena purposely keeps their vine yields low because smaller crop yields produce wines with more intensity and complexity. I was excited about this new task, until I started trying to decide which clusters would live and which would die. The problem, I discovered, was that by and large, all of them were beautiful and soon I realized I was spending far too much time trying to pick and choose and that it probably was not an effective use of my time. Where there were clear and obvious choices, I snipped off the “lesser” bunches, but I have to say that I did not enjoy murdering those little clusters that will never grow up to become fine Chateau Montelena wine! All in all, though, a perfect day.

My New Job!!

As if it wasn't exciting enough to have a working internship at Chateau Montelena for the summer, I was just offered a position as Assistant to the Vineyard Manager at Paul Hobbs Winery in Sebastopol! Incredibly, this job basically fell into my lap - the Vineyard Manager is a former SRJC student who contacted my current professor to ask if she knew of any current student(s) she would recommend for this new position just created for the winery...and she suggested me! I wasn't looking for a permanent or full-time job at this point because I still have a few more classes this Fall to complete my viticulture degree, so timing wasn't ideal, but it's something I couldn't pass up. And they made it easy by agreeing to let me work part-time (2 days a week) until I finish school; then, if I want to stay and they want to keep me, it will become a full-time, permanent position. I have to admit, I did not know much about Paul Hobbs when this came up. I'd heard of his winery but didn't realize how well-known and regarded he is, not only in California but throughout the world (he also makes wine in Argentina). Paul was the winemaker at Opus One and Simi before founding his own winery in 1991 with small lot, hand-crafted, vineyard designate Pinot noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. His wines are among the highest-rated - not your "everyday" wines....."world class, and priced that way too" - ! But the good news for me is that I will have a nice employee discount, so I plan on stocking my wine cellar while I can! The winery itself is gorgeous - the architecture is very modern, sleek, and stylish. And I've never seen cleaner tank and barrel rooms - definitely my kind of place! My new position will be the best of both worlds - half in the office and half time in the vineyard. There will also be opportunities to participate in harvest and cellar operations. My goal for the next 6 months will be to work hard and learn, learn, learn!

Summer Vineyard Activities

Hope everyone had a good 4th of July. At Chateau Montelena, the vineyard has really been flourishing – the warm, sunny weather has given the vines everything they need to grow, and grow rapidly! It is very exciting to see the berry clusters taking shape and increasing in size; “peppercorn” diameter now (about 4 mm), they are actually beginning to look like bunches of grapes. “Berry set” occurred in June and this month wineries can begin cluster counts to determine their crop projection for the year. Because everything is growing like crazy at this time, it’s also necessary to keep up a busy pace of tucking vines up into the catch wires as well as continue with suckering – removing unwanted shoots we don’t want and the vines don’t need. Extra shoots “rob” the vines of the vigor and productivity that has to go into growing, ripening and maturing the fruit, so this is a very important task. We have also started some shoot “thinning” to eliminate crowding and allow the leaves – i.e. the little solar panels of the vines – full sun exposure and again, to give the vines the opportunity to focus their energy into fruit production instead of green (vegetative) growth. We did have a day of real rain last week; happy for the cooler temperatures, we started work as usual at 6 a.m. under a light drizzle but within an hour the skies opened up to a full blown deluge. I had my rain gear on and wanted to continue but Placido, the crew supervisor, wisely summoned us out of the vineyard and told us to go home – no sense jeopardizing anyone’s health or safety. The sun and high temperatures have returned, and we are back at it – yesterday was spent doing more vine tucking and suckering. These things grow like weeds!

Wine Alert!

I attended a classmate's birthday party this weekend, and the highlight of the event, for me, was being introduced to a new wine that is both delicious and affordable! This generic California red table wine - Cocobon (it even SOUNDS delicious!) - is mostly Zin (61%) with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Petite Sirah comprising the rest. It is rich, silky, V. smooth and easy to drink - aromas are ripe cherries, vanilla and plum, and on the first sip I detected oak, vanilla, cherries and mocha. Light tannins. It probably wouldn't pair well with a steak (or most dinners!) but it was perfect with chocolate cake. I would serve this with dessert - or AS dessert! Really yummy esp. if you're a chocolate lover, and at $5.99 a bottle (Trader Joe's) it makes a great every day or party wine.
p.s. when you open this wine, let it breathe for an hour before drinking - and make sure you swirl it in your glass too - will release the aromas and it will taste v. smooth indeed (does make a difference w/this one, I found)!

Summer Arrives at Chateau Montelena

Yesterday was officially the first day of Summer, and in the vineyard here it was appropriately HOT...97 degrees. It seemed fitting that we spent the morning tending to the irrigation needs of the vines. Irrigation involves more than simply keeping the plants alive. In viticulture, the strategies for watering depend on the desired style of wine that will ultimately be achieved – there are different effects of irrigation on berries from budbreak to bloom and fruit set and all the way through to maturity. One of my favorite lessons from vineyard management class is that vines are like cats – they don’t like wet feet! At Chateau Montelena they practice deficit irrigation, providing just enough water to keep the vines from becoming overly stressed. Heriberto, (Beto, as he is called by the staff here) who I spent the day shadowing, explained that when the vines are young they are irrigated more to grow a strong healthy vine and as they get older and start to produce fruit, the water is greatly reduced. I always think of what Jim Barrett, i.e. Bill Pullman, said in the movie Bottle Shock – making the vines “struggle” intensifies the flavor. Who would know better? And this is where I put in a shameless plug for the movie…if you have never seen, go get yourself a copy and share it with friends. You don’t have to be a wine lover to appreciate this wonderfully entertaining, feel-good movie. If you are lucky enough to live in the area, you can pick up a copy (autographed by Bo Barrett) in the Montelena tasting room if you take the “Bottle Shock Chardonnay Experience” tour. As with the movie, once is not enough!
Returning to the day’s events, I accompanied Beto as he turned on valves for several irrigation pump stations throughout the vineyard blocks. Just when I thought to myself, oh, this will be an easy task….there is actually much more to irrigation and fertilization (fertigation when both are applied simultaneously) than I imagined. As I said to Beto, learning about something in a classroom is never the same as doing it. Beto has been with Montelena for more than 20 years, and it’s easy to see that he loves what he does. We began in a hillside block, walking the rows to inspect the drip lines and replacing any failing, or plugged, emitters (the small, round cap-like spouts through which the water flows). Next, travel to the various pump stations where, in some cases, valves need to be turned on. At other stations, filters need to be removed and cleaned out. Valves are shut off at the end of the work day, then the whole process repeats again the next day. I also observed as organic fish fertilizer was applied through the irrigation system to one of the blocks of baby vines (this is done once or twice a year on young vines). The huge 300-gallon tank has to be transported to the application site with a forklift, and then a myriad of hoses connects the tank to the irrigation system with a portable pump. Quite a remarkable way to apply fertilizer, considering how painstaking it must have been in the days before all this wonderful machinery was developed!

First Day at Chateau Montelena

I can't move....

Yesterday was my first day of work in the Chateau Montelena vineyard - my "dream job" - ? Wow, this old body isn't used to physical labor - for 8 hours! We started off suckering the vines - pulling unwanted green shoots off of the trunks below the drip lines. No problem. Then someone handed me a shovel - !? Oh yes, using a shovel to break up/dig out weeds in the berms. If you have ever pounded a metal shovel into hard, dry dirt, you know it's not a lot of fun! But I persevered. I couldn't keep up with the men, but at least I had their respect that I wanted to pull my weight and do my share. The heat did not help matters - yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far, 90. The good news is that I probably sweated off at least a pound! Also, the foreman told me there wouldn't be any more shoveling - they were pretty much done with this for the summer. (They spray RoundUp for the small stuff.) So now it should be the typical kinds of activities - pulling leaves around the fruit clusters, tucking the vines up into the wires, etc. Anyway, it was a good day - the workers are all very nice to me, several (at least the ones who speak English) took the time to explain different things to me, etc. Placido, Paulino, Jose, Carlos, Heriberto - those are the names I learned yesterday. I'm also hoping to learn some Spanish along the way - some of my high school Spanish is already starting to come back!

Summer in the Vineyard!

Well, Spring semester is over. And I finished with grades I was entirely happy with - as opposed to the previous semester when my 4.0 was ruined with one B! I will take one short class this summer, in canopy management, but I'm very excited to report that I have TWO vineyard gigs lined up! First, I applied and was selected for the American Vineyard Foundation 2011 Shone Farm Viticulture Scholarship/Internship. I will be working 6 hours a week in the Shone Farm vineyard doing cluster counts, pest monitoring, vine leaf stress monitoring, calculating degree days, etc. This is a full-on academic program, where I will have to compile information into a final report that will be submitted to the department head. In addition, I am particularly excited that I will be working two days a week in the Chateau Montelena estate vineyard in Calistoga! I had asked them to consider me for an unpaid summer internship, just to get the hands-on experience, but they ended up offering me a paid position which will include two days working in the vineyard AND writing about my experience on THEIR blog! What a nice surprise, and what a great opportunity for me. I hope to keep up on this blog through the summer, but also want to encourage my followers to look for my blogging on the Chateau Montelena website under "Blog"......it should be posted every Thursday or Friday. So I'm looking forward to a summer of hard work and valuable learning experiences. Also, losing some weight - I just hope my body doesn't go into shock but instead adjusts to my new lifestyle of manual labor!

Shone Farm 2011 Wine Release Event

On May 21, Shone Farm had its 2011 Wine Release event, introducing our 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 Syrah Rose, 2009 Chardonnay and 2009 Pinot noir. Shone Farm wines are made by SRJC students under the direction of winemaker Chris Wills. My favorite was the 2009 Chardonnay, bright with apple and citrus - very lovely. The wines were accompanied by a wonderful array of hot and cold appetizers, made by local culinary legend Anne Vercelli, who also teaches in the SRJC culinary arts department. This well-attended event was free to the public and wine sales topped last year's!

Korbel Field Trip

The month of May was BUSY at school! Between finishing up two major term projects and studying for final exams, I really neglected my blog! I did want to report on our WINE 42.2 (Spring Winery Operations) class field trip to Korbel Winery, though. This was our "last class" together and it was a very interesting and informative afternoon. Shone Farm's winemaker, Chris Wills, used to work for Korbel, so he was able to get us a special tour. Korbel produces sparkling wine (champagne) using the oldest and most traditional method - Methode Champenoise. Basically this means that the champagne is made in the same bottle as it is sold. Once the cuvee - blended still wine - is bottled, a dose of yeast and sugar, or liquer de tirage, is added, and the bottles are capped with a metal "soda cap" and laid horizontally for several weeks. A second fermentation takes place, and CO2 is trapped as bubbles as the yeast eat up the sugar and die. The bottles are then turned upside down so the dead yeast cells can collect in the neck of the bottle as sediment, which takes about a year. Then the bottles are ready for "disgorgement." The necks of the bottles are lowered into a cold solution that freezes the sediment "plug" and when the metal caps are popped off, the plug is forced out. A second dosage of sugar is then added, the bottle is topped off and the standard large champagne cork and wire "cage" are added. This second sugar addition determines how sweet (or not) the final product will be - whether it will be Brut, Extra Dry, Demi-Sec or Doux. We were able to see bottles at every stage of production, all the way through to labeling, and afterwards we were treated to a private tasting of their current releases. What a great way to end a fun class!

Budbreak at Shone Farm

Budbreak, the first significant phenological stage of the new season, occurred about March 31st at Shone Farm. "Phenology" is the study of relationships between climate & the biological phenomena (like budbreak, bloom, ripening, veraison, etc.) that take place throughout the growing year. It's an exciting time here in wine country! These pics were taken in Block 10 (Chardonnay vines) where I am working on my semester lab report, documenting all the changes taking place and the vineyard practices and activities that have started.

Wine Exhibit at the MOMA

On April 17th I drove down to San Francisco to see the final day of the wine exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. Photos here include the mural of the 1976 Paris Tasting (they had a bottle of the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won the event but the pic I took came out fuzzy) and the "smell wall." Though I could have written the brochure description myself, I'm nonetheless plagarizing it here!......"How Wine Became Modern explores the visual culture of wine and its stunning transformation over the last three decades. Designed in collaboration with renowned architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the exhibition combines historical artifacts, archi- tectural models, design objects, newly commissioned artworks, and enticing installations, including a "smell wall" to probe the many aspects of wine culture, among them the globalization of wine, concepts of terroir, wine in popular media, and new strategies in glassware, and winery design."

It was a wonderful exhibit (my pictures don't do it justice). If it comes to a city near you, go see it!!

Bottling Day at Shone Farm

This is my first post in a while! One week after brother Nick's visit, and the day after I participated in Bottling Day at Shone Farm, I was knocked on my butt for nearly three weeks with the flu. Horrible. The worst part was being totally sapped of energy - that, and not having any desire to drink! I know I'm really sick when I go 3 weeks without a glass of wine!Anyway, our Wine 42.2 class participated in the bottling of Shone Farm wines on March 31st. It was a lot of fun and a treat to see a "mobile" bottling line in operation. These mobile units rent out to wineries that are too small to have a bottling facility of their own - what a great idea! We helped by placing empty bottles on the conveyor, putting the foil caps in place, packing the finished bottles into boxes, and smacking labels on the boxes. The bottling line did the filling, bottle labeling, corking and sealing. If anyone is interested in a nice bottle of Shone Farm Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah or Pinot noir, and you

are not able to shop locally, I can hook you right up!

Chateau Montelena Revisited!

The highlight of Spring break was my much-anticipated 2nd visit to Chateau Montelena with brother Nick and friends Pat, Daniella and Ryan for the "Bottle Shock and Chardonnay Experience" tour on March 20. It was outstanding, due in no small part to our host David Devan (center in 1st photo w/Pat and Nick) - their Retail Sales and Hospitality Supervisor. David was engaging, entertaining, and thoroughly knowledgeable. He told us the fascinating history of the Chateau - a story that spans 129 years: in 1882 Alfred Tubbs bought 254 acres of prime grape-growing land at the base of Mount Saint Helena. He planted his vineyards first, then built the Chateau; for the next 76 years (interrupted only by Prohibition), he and his family harvested the vineyard, made wine, and sold grapes to other winemakers. In 1958 the property was purchased by Yort and Jeanie Frank, who left their mark by excavating a Chinese-inspired lake and gardens - "Jade Lake" is today one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in Napa Valley. Jim Barrett, Chateau Montelena's third owner, is responsible for clearing and replanting the vineyard and outfitting the Chateau with modern wine-making equipment. He and his son Bo have been making award-winning wines since 1976 - their story (winning the historic 1976 Paris Wine Tasting) was the inspiration for the movie Bottle Shock.

Following our history "lesson" we watched a special feature on the movie, and then David poured the 2007 and 2008 Chardonnay wines for all to taste. Both were excellent - beautiful, straw-colored, fruit-forward (pear, apple) wines of good density. VERY drinkable! On a nice weather day, our tour would have continued with a walk outside around the lake and gardens, but I think we all agreed that the rainy day turned out to be a lucky break for us, as David decided to finish our tour with a private tasting of Chateau Montelena's red wines! What a treat. My current favorite, their 2008 Zinfandel, was poured, as well as their two Cabernet Sauvignons.

The 2007 Estate Cab is described by Robert Parker as "full-bodied and dense, with Montelena's typical power...this is a big, rich, formidably endowed red." I describe it as "to die for!" (Tasting notes: intense, deep crimson color; huge powerful nose; spice, cedar, earth - all over a rich base of ripe black cherry, black currant, cassis and blueberry jam; rich, round, juicy with a clean, crisp, spicy finish.) Nick was so taken with this wine that he joined the "Futures" wine club - "for those ready for a higher level of commitment"....he purchased wines that have yet to be released. Not a wealthy man, and not one to spend his hard-earned money foolishly, I would say

this is quite a testament to the quality of Chateau Montelena's wines, and I for one can't wait to taste these treasures in two years!

The tour ended with gifts (choice of a signed Bottle Shock DVD or split of their 2008 Chardonnay) and we hated to go home! Two hours of pure pleasure, and well worth our time and money. If you are a fan of Bottle Shock and/or REALLY GOOD wine, a visit to Chateau Montelena is a MUST. This particular tour is currently given only on Thursdays and Sundays ($25 per person) - and you need to make reservations. Make sure you ask for David Devan!!

More Spring Break Fun

Spring Break!

Having my brother Nick and his friend Pat here during my Spring break was a real treat - they were the perfect wine-tasting partners! We made it to Korbel, Battaglini, Martin Ray, Gary Farrell, Thomas George, Rocchioli, Harvest Moon, and De Loach wineries - and of course Chateau Montelena (which I'll report on separately). We also did a fair amount of "tasting" at my place (where I tapped into my personal 'wine cellar' - i.e. kitchen closet - selections!) and in San Francisco. We all noted how GOOD the local wines are here. All of the wineries we visisted had at least one selection that really appealed to us, but I think we agreed that our favorites were Chateau Montelena and Martin Ray - we didn't have one wine we didn't like at either place. I'm looking forward to their return.....in the meantime, I'll be checking out other wineries and compiling a list of the best ones for next time! So much wine to taste, so little time....

Champagnization

I've been on Spring break. during which time my brother Nick and his friend Pat were here - their first visit to Sonoma County and northern CA. Both were so impressed with this beautiful place and, despite the mostly rainy weather, managed to have a great time. Wine tasting was the major activity (!) but on their third day, I took them to my Wine Operations class (last one before the break) - it was "Sparkling Wine Made Easy" day. After our regular lecture that covered production methods (Charmat, or bulk; Transfer; and Method Champenoise) and terminology (cuvee, tirage, riddling, disgorging, dosage), instructor Chris Wills proceeded to demonstrate in real time the disgorging process on some experimental sparkling wines, and we were able to taste before and after the dosage (sugar addition). As usual, it was a fun class, as the photos attest...

Chateau Montelena - Visited!

So I FINALLY got out to Chateau Montelena Winery in Calistoga this week. After seeing the movie "Bottle Shock" last Fall (true story about the Paris Wine Tasting in 1976 that virtually put California wines on the world map), Chateau Montelena has been on my "to do/to see" list. I wanted my visit to be 'educational' as well as fun, so I determined I would try to get an interview with either Jim or Bo Barrett (owners/winemakers) to ask some serious questions for a term paper and/or my blog. Not surprisingly, they don't give interviews to the likes of people like me (!).....I was very fortunate, however, to snag a couple of hours with their Vineyard Manager, Dave Vella (that's us in the photo outside their tasting room) and I am being completely sincere when I say I could not have asked for a better visit, or hoped to spend time with a better representative of the winery. Dave generously gave me an hour in his office, then drove me around the vineyards, and we ended up at their tasting room where I enjoyed a tasting of some of the best wines I've had here. I tasted one Chardonnay, a Zinfandel, and two Cabs. I thought all were excellent......the estate Cabs were really outstanding, in my humble opinion, and it was only because they were a bit out of my price range ($135-40) that I purchased a bottle of their 2008 Estate Zinfandel, which is delightful - spicy, ripe berries, rhubarb flavors - with a gorgeous color and very affordable at $30. Brother Nick will be out from the east coast next week with his friend Pat, and we have a "Bottle Shock & Chardonnay Experience" tour/tasting scheduled - the night before I think we will watch the movie again and enjoy this wonderful Zin!

Dave grew up near Modesto farming grapes, almonds and row crops - his Italian ancestors, grape growers and winemakers, came to California in the late 1800's. Dave attended Fresno State University and graduated with a degree in Viticulture and Enology. While there, he was awarded the American Society of Enologists Scholarship - becoming the first Fresno State student to be awarded the prestigious honor. It was also at Fresno State that Dave met Bo Barrett; the two became good friends and, years later (since 1985 to be exact), Dave now manages all of Chateau Montelena's vineyard operations (that's the very short version of it!).

Suffice it to say, Dave has a priceless wealth of winemaking and vineyard experiences to share - and I was certainly hanging on his every word. One of the topics I wanted to ask him about was terroir - the French term that means "taste of place." It is used to describe the special characteristics of wine that are derived from the soils, topography and climate of the site where the grapes are grown. Also the decisions made by the viticulturist (grower) during the vine's life. This is a concept that has been around for hundreds of years - the French believe it is the dominant influence - but with modern winemaking techniques and the ability of winemakers to "alter" flavors & colors, there is now debate on whether or not terroir still means anything or is simply a "romantic" idea used in marketing to the public. This is going to be the subject of my term paper this semester, so I was very interested to get Dave's take on it. HE certainly believes the special and unique qualities of Chateau Montelena's location give their wines their incredible quality.

Chateau Montelena is blessed to have "great soils" - alluvial, volcanic, and well-drained. Add to this the fact they are situated right at the base of Mount Saint Helena, where the cold air comes down the mountainside and their vineyards enjoy a temperature variability (90 during the day in the summer with 50-degree evenings) in the growing season that maintains the acidity and structure of their wines. Their goal is "to bring the vineyard and the vintage to your table" - in other words, they strive for the flavors of their wines to be representative of the fruit in the vineyards. Unlike huge wineries that "manufacture" and mass-produce popular wines (a heavily-oaked Chardonnay from California can taste just like the same style wine from Australia or Chile, for example), they don't attempt to make "cookie cutter" wines that taste the same every year - they actually let their wines express the differences caused by weather variability from vintage to vintage. To me, this absolutely reinforces that even though a winemaker can influence the taste of wine, the concept of terroir is a valid one, and appears to be alive and well at Chateau Montelena. Dave says that they are growing "better fruit than ever" - which means we can expect even better wines (if that's possible) to be forthcoming!

Bluebirds are our Friends!

In last week's IPM (Integrated Pest Management) class, it was a treat to do a walkabout in the Shone Farm garden to inspect and clean out the bluebird boxes to get them ready for Spring. Bluebirds travel south for the winter and return in March and early April, so their houses need to be cleaned and repaired if necessary by then.

Bluebirds are insectivores and eat a lot of garden and vineyard pests, so they are a vital and integral part of any pest management plan. (Berries are a less preferred food, and grapevine netting helps to deter many types of birds.) They are "cavity nesters" but not capable of creating their own, so they look for already-established places to live. Sadly, urbanization has destroyed a lot of the natural nesting environments that were once available. Bird houses give them perfect alternatives, but have to be constructed correctly: because starlings and sparrows are aggressive and will attack and destroy bluebirds and their eggs and young in order to claim nesting space, the openings in bluebird houses have to be the exact size to prevent larger birds from entering. The holes also need to be jagged and rough so that the baby bluebirds can grip onto the hole for stability as they are learning to take their first steps out of the house. The wood used should be light in color for hot climates (cedar is ideal) and a 5" roof overhang will provide shade and prevent predators like cats and racoons from being able to reach inside. Houses also have to have ventilation and a drainage hole, and be placed facing away from direct sunlight and prevailing winds. The hole should also face a tree or shrub so that young bluebirds can practice their flying!

The houses we checked all opened on one side, so it was easy to remove the nesting from last season - it was quite amazing, 6-8" thick, and made from all sorts of twigs and soft materials like animal hair and fur. In addition to the cows, horses and lambs, we also have a llama at Shone farm, so the lucky bluebirds that come here have a lot of good nest-building resources. It was interesting to learn that bluebirds nest in pairs - the males locate the house and place the nesting materials close to the opening, and the females complete the nests and lay the eggs. The incubation period is only 2 weeks, and the little nestlings are ready to leave the nest within just 18-20 days from hatching.

Viticulture Spring Practices - Guest Speaker

March 3, 2011 Speaker Summary


Terry Wright, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at Sonoma State University, and a specialist in vineyard soils, spoke on terroirs of Sonoma County AVAs - the geology, the soils, and their wine “profiles” - how they relate to vigor and vineyard suitability.

We already know that “great soils and the right climate” are essential to growing quality winegrapes, and we also know that Sonoma County has the perfect combination of soils and climate and enjoys a long, slow growing season for optimally ripe fruit and small berries (Dr. Wright emphasized, more than once, that low vigor vines and small berries result in concentrated flavors.) But it was very helpful to understand, from a geologic standpoint, how these soils were created, the variety that exists, and where they are located.

The “Franciscan Complex” lies under most of Sonoma County and is 120 million years old. It consists of oceanic rocks that have been faulted and mixed; the soils here are largely sandstone and mudstone – sandy clay loam soils that have a good chemical and textural balance. The Wilson Grove Formation lies along low, rolling hills; it consists of shallow, fine-grained sea sandstone along with layers of volcanic ash (well-drained and balanced) and some fossil layers that contain high calcium. The famed Goldridge Soils in the Sebastopol/Forestville area are prime for growing Pinot noir. Sonoma Volcanic rock, which stretches further east to Napa, boasts volcanic, alluvial soils which are well- drained and balanced. Dr. Wright passed around samples of these various rocks and soils, which were very helpful to look at. One of the most interesting things Dr. Wright said was that the Russian River existed before the mountains, having established its path 3 million years ago.

The topics presented were definitely related to year-round viticultural practices and the information presented would be important to incorporate into a vineyard plan (i.e. soil mapping by experts). As Dr. Wright emphasized, the makeup of soil on any given site affects balance (the key to wine quality) – having a slow water supply (both sand and some clay); a good chemical balance (lots of calcium, less potassium and even less magnesium); and a moderate climate with an ocean influence. He also suggested the book Soils for Fine Wines as a good resource for more information.

One comment I particularly liked because it’s easy to remember: “vines are like cats – they don’t like wet feet!”

Highlights from Last 2 Weeks

Well, I've been SO busy for the past two weeks...I apologize for not keeping my blog fans up to date! At my age, it's a challenge to remember and recap two weeks' worth of classes (!), but here goes...


Viticulture-Spring Practices: We've been out in the vineyard pruning vines; I love pruning because you have to make decisions and take control of the vine you are pruning...and when you are finished and look back at your beautifully pruned vine row, it's a feeling of real satisfaction. The blocks at Shone Farm are planted with a variety of trellising systems (single canopy, split canopy) and are also trained and pruned in several different styles (cordon trained, spur pruned; unilateral, bilateral and quadrilateral; spur pruned with canes). We have a training block where almost anything goes, and it's a little less intimidating because mistakes are expected and everyone can learn from them. Competent pruning is extremely important as it can "make or break" vine balance (leaving too many buds which produce more than the vine can ripen, or leaving too few buds which results in a small crop). Good pruning ensures each shoot has adequate space to get enough sunlight for leaves and developing buds, that fruit will be evenly spaced in the fruit zone, that the canopy will be open enough to allow air circulation in the fruit zone, and that the vine is maintained in its proper shape. Did you know it takes 15 leaves to ripen the fruit on one vine?


We have also been discussing vine growth and vine balance. Vegetative growth (leaves, shoots, tendrils, roots, permanent wood) and reproductive growth (seeds and berries) can sometimes be in competition with each other. The grower's goal is vine balance - vegetative vigor and fruit load are in equilibrium and consistent with wine quality - which is achieved by the positive interaction of proper cultivar & rootstock selection, the environment, and their management practices.

Integrated Pest Manaagement: IPM is the science of preventing, supressing, or eradicating biological organisms that are unwanted. This includes everything from weeds to bugs to gophers. Methods include physical or mechanical (like squishing a bug with your fingers), cultural (planting pest-resistant varieties), biological (attracting beneficial insects or putting up bird boxes for owls), and chemical (pesticides). Our first assignment was to bring one bug and one weed to class....everyone put their 'finds' on a big table and we each chose 4 bugs to look at under the microscope, draw, and hopefully identify. Same with the weeds. We also went out into the garden at Shone Farm (maintained by students in the sustainable agriculture program) and looked for (and found) pest damage - specifically, by snails. Lots of ways to get rid of snails, none of them pleasant, but for a grape grower, not much of an issue - we have other things to deal with like grapeleaf hoppers, mealybugs, mites, phylloxera, nematodes, and vertebrates like rabbits, gophers and deer. I don't mind destroying bugs, but I don't see myself killing little gophers!

Spring Winery Practices: This is my favorite class! I call it my "happy hour" class - 1-4 on Friday afternoons, because we begin each class with wine tasting! :-) We have been tasting three wines, then figuring out which of the three is the "mystery wine" in the paper bag, the last tasting. In our first class we sampled some sparkling wines - Rose, Brut and Extra Dry (this is the only one I've missed, guessing the mystery wine was the Extra Dry - it was the Brut). Next was a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay and a Riesling - I guessed correctly that the mystery wine was the Chardonnay (not that difficult because all three are distinct). Then we had to distinguish between a Pinot noir, a Zinfandel and a Cabernet Sauvignon - again I guessed correctly that our mystery wine was the Zin. Last week was a bit more of a challenge with three Pinot noirs. One was from Alexander Valley, one was from Russian River (both Sonoma County) and one was a Santa Rita from Santa Barbara County. This was a little more challenging, but I managed to figure out again which was the mystery selection. I'm getting good at this!


Following our tastings, we have an hour lecture, then go into the laboratory classroom for some experimentation, which also involves more tasting! In our Wine Adjustment Lab, we did some trials with fining agents and additives - the "tricks" winemakers use to remove tannins, add alcohol, adjust acidity, enhance color, reduce odors, etc. Very enlightening! It's easy to understand why enologists need to know so much about chemistry!

Spring Winery Practices

Last week's topic in class was Evaluation of Wine in Storage and Wine Maintenance - visual inspection of wine in tanks and barrels (spotting microbial activity and leaks); tasting the wine's progression through the aging process (concentration and extraction of oak flavors); chemical analysis (red flags and what to do about it); wine "maintenance" (topping, additions); and housekeeping (barrel cleaning, etc.) As always, the best part of class was tasting! This time we tasted one Chardonnay, one Sauvignon Blanc and one Riesling, and then had to determine which of those three was the "mystery wine" in the paper bag. The Chardonnay and SB were close in flavor, surprisingly, and half of the class guessed incorrectly that it was the SB; I got it right this time - it was the CD! Lastly, we got to taste five reds that are in the aging process (the Shone Farm label wines made from our own Syrah, Cab and Zin grapes). They were all quite good even at their early stages. That particular day, I somehow "forgot" to eat breakfast or lunch (class started at 1 p.m.) so I sure felt the effects of all that wine tasting pretty quickly! Good thing this class ends the week on a Friday afternoon :-)

Basic Winegrape Viticulture

Last Monday was our first session of this class (because the 17th was a holiday) and it was a good review of some of the concepts I learned last semester. I was supposed to have taken this class in the Fall, but postponed until this semester because of scheduling issues.....I think this class will bring more clarity to a lot of what I was introduced to last semester. Last week we covered historical and climatological perspectives of the grapevine - where Vitis vinifera (genus and species of the most popular wine grapes) originated - the trans-Caucasus mountains, between the Caspian and Black Seas - and how it ended up all over the world. The most significant fact about V. vinifera is that it is very susceptible to phylloxera, an aphid-like insect that loves and lives on grapevine roots and which has no natural enemies. It is called the world's worst grapevine pest. In the late 19th Century, a phylloxera epidemic wiped out 9/10 of Europe's vineyards when cuttings from American vines were planted. Because phylloxera are native to N. America, the roots of American grape species were largely resistant, but those in Europe were not. Fortunately for the Europeans, researchers discovered that their vines could be grafted onto disease-resistant American rootstocks. The discovery saved their grape industry, and this method of grafting onto pest-resistant or cold-hardy rootstocks is still used today.

We discussed the concept of terroir - a French term meaning "taste of place" - which is the idea that the environment (soil, climate, and viticultural practices) in which vine and fruit develop determines how fruit (and ultimately wine) will taste. Climate includes "macroclimate" - that of a region (California); "mesoclimate" - that of a particular site (Russian River Valley); and "microclimate" - that within the canopy (leaves) and fruit zone of the vine. The system of Degree Days is an important system that is used to determine a region's climate in order to select the most appropriate cultivar (i.e. Chardonnay, or Pinot noir) to plant in a particular place. Because different cultivars have different heat requirements to optimally ripen their fruit, it is essential to be able to quantify and calculate a region's heat units during the growing season (April 1 - Oct 31). For all days, the average of the daily maximum temperature and the daily minimum temperature is reduced by 50 (50 degrees F is the Degree Day threshold for grapevines). All numbers (days) are added together and fall into one of five regions (Region 1 being the coolest and Region 5 being the warmest).

Back to School - Week 1 Recap

It was nice to see a lot of familiar faces from last semester returning for Spring classes. This semester I will be taking Basic Winegrape Viticulture, Integrated Pest Management, Spring Vineyard Practices, Spring Winery Operations, Spring Budding & Grafting, and Fruit Quality Assurance: Working with the Winemaker.

Looks like this is going to be a tougher semester, academically. More work, more "science" and one class in particular I'm not really looking forward to: IPM (Integrated Pest Management)...insects, diseases (bunch rot, powdery mildew), rodents, etc. Lovely. But, no getting around it, I must have it to complete the program. Fortunately, to balance that out, is WINE 42.2, Spring Winery Practices (last semester 42.1 was my favorite class)....yesterday afternoon was the first class, which we began by toasting with some sparkling wine - first 'challenge' was to taste three different sparkling wines, then identify which one of them was concealed in the paper bag. Between a Brut and Extra Dry, I guessed the wrong one! Well, in my defense, I have a head cold....

The highlight of the week was being able to attend a Sonoma County Winegrape Commission seminar and trade show on the first day of Spring Vineyard Practices class. There were some excellent presentations like "Increasing Dollars Per Acre" and updates on local ordinances, marketing, sales trends and winery prospects. The trade show was interesting too, and I collected lots of free "goodies" - a mug, a stress-reliever squeeze ball shaped like a bunch of grapes (!), keychains, lip balm, bandaids, a water-gauge for my lawn, a compass, a thermometer, a cell-phone holder for my car, a bumper sticker, writing pads, and a supply of ballpoint pens that should get me through the next year! Interesting crowd of 500+ for 'people watching' - lots more denim, boots, plaid shirts and straw hats than I would have imagined. I keep forgetting that grape growers are farmers and this is, by and large, an agricultural community.

Back to School

Well, tomorrow is the first day of Spring semester! I'm looking forward to getting back to it. Have to be out at Shone Farm by 8 for AGRI70...Integrated Pest Management. Yuck.

Wine Alert!

Happy to report that I found a wonderful new sparkling wine, just in time for my January 2nd Birthday: Gloria Ferrer VA de VI ("It's About the Wine") - a soft, lovely delicious cuvee with a very reasonable price of $22. I love discovering locally-made wines that I can get excited about because they are both good AND affordable. Standing in BevMo trying to make a decision, I found myself staring into the locked case with all the bottles I couldn't afford - i.e. a 1998 Taittinger for $249, and wondered, how good could it really be? Maybe some day I'll be able to answer that question for myself, but in the meantime...

I've been wanting to try the Gloria Ferrer label for several months now. The Ferrer family, Jose and Gloria, were already well-established sparkling wine producers in Spain (they co-founded Freixenet) who came to California in 1982, fell in love with the Sonoma Carneros wine region, and started Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards. Their beautiful Spanish-style winery overlooks a 335-acre estate, most of which is planted to Pinor Noir grapes. Wine Spectator magazine claims that they produce some of the best California sparkling wines, and I can't wait to try all of them!

This VA de VI Ultra Cuvee, a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, has aromas of apples, pear, and Bing cherries. It's very soft on the palate with peach, Meyer lemon, berries and vanilla, but what I liked best was the very "creamy" finish. It is described as "dry but not too dry" - for me it was perfect. We had it with some savory appetizers, but it would also be good with some spicy food, and fruit-based desserts. This won Gold in 2009 at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, and also the Best in Show at the 2010 Sommelier Challenge. Jose Ferrer says, "When you serve sparkling wine you are serving a smile." In this case, it's true!