Sunday, August 21, 2011
My Last Day at Chateau Montelena
Friday, August 12, 2011
American Dream
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Veraison
Friday, July 22, 2011
Montelena's Happy Vineyard Crew
Thursday, July 14, 2011
My Favorite Vineyard Day
Monday, July 11, 2011
My New Job!!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Summer Vineyard Activities
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wine Alert!
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)!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Summer Arrives at Chateau Montelena
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!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
First Day at Chateau Montelena
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!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Summer in the Vineyard!
Shone Farm 2011 Wine Release Event
Korbel Field Trip
Monday, May 2, 2011
Budbreak at Shone Farm
Wine Exhibit at the MOMA
Bottling Day at Shone Farm
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Chateau Montelena Revisited!
Spring Break!
Champagnization
Friday, March 11, 2011
Chateau Montelena - Visited!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Bluebirds are our Friends!
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
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!”
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Highlights from Last 2 Weeks
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!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Spring Winery Practices
Basic Winegrape Viticulture
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).
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Back to School - Week 1 Recap
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.