The golden hour. It’s really a majestic time of day (and year) here in Sonoma County, especially when set against the brilliant red clay on top of Bradford Mountain, where our Grist Vineyard Syrah sits. So, when we donated our VERGE Vineyard Hike & Syrah Tasting auction lot to the 2008 Menu For Hope, this […]

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We may sound like a broken record by now, but this year we had no shortage of pickled, canned, preserved, and relished goods. Way more than usual. Am I becoming addicted to vinegar? I’ve really always hated the stuff - hideous smell…until recently. I’ve turned some savory, pickled corner in life, where everything (especially crunchy […]

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It’s not exactly like Harvest can sneak up on you. I mean, the vines are right there all year. But this year for some reason (for me),  it seems like WHAM - OK - now it’s GO time. There’s always this energy, this excitement you feel. Checking the weather compulsively. Worrying about rain, about heat, […]

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Right now nothing sounds better than the roasted duck at Frisee Restaurant down in San Francisco. I’m going there tonight and I can hardly wait. Like Mike said, part of the joy of wild yeast fermentation is learning to be patient.  I’m just going to be patient in front of duck. Before I headed out […]

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Picking, de-stemming, cold soaking (which really isn’t all that cold at all)…now what?  My good buddy from way back, Darren, would say “cold chillin.”  This means hanging out, not much really going on.  Sure, there is certainly some maceration and phenolic extraction going on, but now is the time as a winemaker I need to […]

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There are some days that carry a bit more weight than others.  Not sure why in most cases, but the day of harvest makes it quite obvious.  We brought in just over 8 tons of terrific syrah from the Bradford Mountain vineyard.  Stunning stuff with classic syrah characteristics (dimpled berries, green rachis, plenty of acid and sugar). […]

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That magical time of year has arrived.  Harvest 2008 is in full effect here in Healdsburg. You can sense the change in the valley. There’s anticipation, excitement, and an overall sense of “now is the time to get to business.”  Mike has already begun picking white grapes at the day job and I can somehow […]

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