Harvest-Season-Looms-County-Fire-Extinguished

Harvest-Season-Looms-County-Fire-Extinguished

August is when we begin to feel the seasonal pace of things pick up a notch, and everyone knows the deadline of fruit on the vine drives the calendar.  There is a wine to go into the bottle, barrels to sort, new barrels to medicine and number, and vineyard visits to...
September 2015 – Harvest Happens!

September 2015 – Harvest Happens!

If its September, it must be harvest – Napa actually began harvesting grapes for the sparkling wine houses in July.  One of the earliest harvests in the last fifty years, it’s worth remembering that it began with an early bud-break this warm, very dry spring.  The...
December 2014

December 2014

The Sun Stand Still at SOLSTICE 2014 Welcome the sun back – the vineyard was absolutely sparkling this morning.  Soon our days will become longer, heralding a new year for the vines.  Yountville has had almost 20 inches of rain so far, a wonderful bounce back from...
December RAIN

December RAIN

We’ve had RAIN – the little bit of accumulated wet from the last several weeks has made a big difference.  Cover crops in the vineyards are popping up bright green between the vines and on the winery driveway I noticed clumps of brilliant mustard, all because recent...
November 2014

November 2014

Am I the only one lamenting the diminishing daylight?  Month by month, our light has flattened out low over the southern horizon and slowly reduced the size of its arc.  The front picnic area no longer has any sun after 11AM as the winery roof now shades what used to...
Post Harvest Power Washing at BELL

Post Harvest Power Washing at BELL

Our newest wines have made it through initial fermentation and are taking their first of several long naps in barrel – ahhh, the wonders of beauty sleep.  While they snooze through a secondary fermentation that changes acid structure, we’re taking the opportunity to...