Ah!  If we could all become wiser from a glass of wine.  Well, maybe there’s hope for the human race yet if we could all drink a glass of old vine zin once in awhile.  I’ve been reading the newest issue of Wine & Spirits magazine and the highlight is a spirited and informative article written by David Darlington entitled:  “Sonoma Valley Zin:  The ancient, mixed black of Monte Rosso, Old Hill and Pagani”.  Mike Martini — wise wine man and wine industry “survivor” extrordinaire — has a great quote about the character expressed in grapes from old vines.  He says:

What old vines give you is wisdom….That wood is twisted and gnarled from any number of things– tractor blight, pruning wounds, animals racing through — that alter the structure of the vines, which have consequently built up phenolics.  Phenolics are a healing agent; they’re used in medicine as a bactericide, so any time you have something that creates scars on wood, it races phenolics to the area.  It’s a natural compound to protect the woody structure against a hostile environment.

You get complexity from that — a bigger array of basic building blocks coming from the vine to the grape, helping to counter excessive oxidation and lots of different things.  A younger vine doesn’t have anywhere near that breadth of components.

  I love this kind of stuff — this is what gets me out of bed and into the winery or the vineyard most every morning!!  (It also reminds me of an excerpt from Colette’s writings that I mentioned in a previous post — please see Old Words as a Reminder of Delightful Simplicity)  The concept of grapes and consequently wine as a tonic or medicinal that translates not only soil and weather, but time and the wisdom conferred through the experience of the vine is extraordinary and one, I fear, we have left by the wayside, at least in our culture.  Kudos to Wine & Spirits for this kind of much-needed wine writing.  Good job also to David Darlington for a very well-written article and for presenting some of the folks who make up, at least as I see it, the true character of the wine industry.  After reading the article, I only have one wish:  if old vine zin can truly transfer some kind of wisdom through wine, I only wish there were enough for all the folks on Capitol Hill and, needless to say, the White House to imbibe…….

San Antonio Valley….in California?

Finally, the San Antonio Valley AVA was approved this month, and there are many happy folks walking around in Monterey County because of it.  I’m definitely one of them.  This area has fabulous potential for growing a wide range of varietals — from Petite Sirah and Cabernet Franc to Syrah and Marsanne.

There are three things that make this area a great growing region:  climate, soils and the vineyardists themselves.  It is a “high” valley (it ranges in elevation from around 900 ft up to almost 1400 ft), is relatively close to the Pacific Ocean (about 15 miles as the crow flies), and surrounds Lake San Antonio — a reservoir of some size.  So, this region experiences highly moderating effects from the maritime influences in the area.  It gets hot here — hot enough to ripen varietals that demand some sun and heat — but it cools down at night, and the fog comes in most evenings.  The difference between daytime highs and nighttime lows is usually 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  Soils consist of gravelly loam and clay, and can sometimes be quite rocky as well.

So, why San Antonio Valley (this region has also been referred to as “Lockwood Valley” as well)?  It has mostly to do with the history of Spanish explorers and missionary settlers in the region.  The San Antonio river runs through the region and the San Antonio mission (and some very old grapevines, I might add) still stands only a few miles from where most of the current vineyards are planted.

Oh yeah — those San Antonio Valley folks!

I almost forgot the third reason that makes this region great – the visionaries who are planting and managing the vineyards and making San Antonio wine.  I enjoy working with the growers of the region because what they all share is a certain spunk, sense of individuality and strong commitment to what they are doing.  They are very willing to work with the winemaking community as well.  Examples?  Those that come to mind are Lockwood Oaks, Newell and Escafeld.  Look for either these vineyard designations or their estate wines in the future — they are all producing mighty fine products, in my humble opinion.

For more information about this region and it’s vineyards and growers, check out The San Antonio Valley Vintner’s and Grower’s Association or the Monterey County Vintner’s and Grower’s Association.

If you happen to be in Central Illinois and would like to try our 2004 Monterey County Pinot Noir, it is at these fine establishments:

Hilton Garden Inn, Effingham

Gateway Liquors, Charleston

Charleston Country Club, Charleston

Firefly Grill, Effingham

If you would like to contact our distributor there, contact “Rutter” at Koerner Distributor,
 

 

 HOT, HOT, HOT

Doug, our super salesguy, made a trip up to the city (the “city” to us in Northern California is San Francisco) to make a delivery of Cima Collina Pinot to The Wine House, to introduce our wine to the wine buyers in the area and, most importantly, to investigate the vibrant wine bar scene (check out San Francisco magazine for an in-depth report of this incredible revolution in the social winedrinking scene).  All he could say when he got back was “Wow“!  Each of the these places has it’s own character, theme, emphasis, and most importantly they are serving great food to go along with these wines, and one can often find unique, “boutique” wines that one may not be able to try otherwise.  You are highly encouraged to check the wine bar scene out the next time in SF. 

Hold on to me britches — Wine Reviews out yonder!

OK.  OK.  We winemakers like to say that wine reviews just don’t matter.  But, when all is said and done, and a wine critic is willing to put their reputation and words behind one’s wine, I have to admit it feels darn good.  Shiver me timbers!

Check out the latest edition of Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine for a lovely, highly descriptive, “one puff” review of our 2004 Monterey County Pinot Noir (and other fine Monterey wines, as well!):

90 Cima Collina Pinot Noir Monterey County 2004

In what is a most auspicious debut, Cima Collina has come up with an exceptionally well-made Pinot Noir that hits the mark in terms of definition and depth.  Its youthful aromas slowly unfold to show layers of ripe cherries, coffee and very sweet oak, and its like-minded flavors bring together elements of generous fruit and complementary oak spice.  It is fairly full on the palate and already shows a bit of velvety smoothness, but it closes with a nice bit of balancing grip that augers quite well for a few years of further development.

Here is a review by Steve Pitcher in Wine News:

89 Cima Collina, 2004 Pinot Noir Monterey County Forward, bright, clean red cherry-cranberry-pomegranate fruit laced with a touch of black cherry define the aromas, which carry over to the palate of this well-crafted, fruity Pinot that’s round and plush, tending toward viscous and quite easy to drink. More delicate and elegant than powerful, but with refreshing acidity and a cleansing aftertaste that enables the wine to pair well with a variety of dishes, especially grilled salmon.

 Ooh La La! 

Upcoming Events

 The Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association is sponsoring it’s annual Winemaker’s Celebration in the Customs House Plaza in old Monterey on August 12.  This is always a fun event in a unique setting, and we will be there pouring Cima Collina.

We will pour Cima Collina at the Family Winemaker’s of California event in San Francisco at the Fort Mason Center on August 20 & 21 (the 21st is a trade-only tasting day).

 

Well, it is that time of year again — new barrel shipments are arriving in shipping containers from France and one way or another find their way to wineries across America.  I have my barrels shipped this time of the year because I get a discount for receiving them early (ie, before harvest) and also because I want the assurance of having them in the winery before harvest starts.  Why?  In 2004, there were many big storms out on the Atlantic, and when there are big storms, there are big waves that make even large container ships rock and roll.  Containers sometimes fall overboard and sink, and that year the grapes were early and the barrels were, well either nonexistent (because they were at the bottom of the ocean)or really late…..you probably see where I’m headed with this. Since that time, I take the precaution of ordering and receiving early.

Anyway, most folks probably haven’t been given a reason to examine the “life” of a barrel.  So, here’s a little summary:

1.  a tree is chosen in a managed forest (either in Europe or North America) and is cut down.  The wood is either hand-split or sawn, and the staves formed from this wood, and then kept in a yard to season (usually and preferably outside in the elements) for at least 2 years.  The type of wood used in wine barrels is oak, and must be a fine, straight grain to use in barrels.  This kind of wood is also in demand for furniture, so this quality of wood tends to fetch top dollar.

2.  After seasoning, the barrel is created by hand from staves and heads (either end of the barrel) and galvanized steel bands.  The staves are cut and formed in such a way so the cooper can put them together using only the bands to keep it all in place (a miraculous feat in and of itself and a skill that takes many years to develop).  The curves in a barrel are formed with heat from either an open fire and/or steam.  After the staves are put in place and the barrel is shaped, the inside of the barrel is toasted — either over an open fire, in an oven, or by some other method — to the customer’s requirements.  The barrel is then finished, the bung hole drilled, branded, and packaged to protect it during shipping.

3.  Once finished, the barrel is then shipped.  Barrels made of European wood that are crafted in Europe are placed in shipping containers, then on ships, and are sent to North America.  The journey takes many weeks and can be quite tumultuous.  If the barrels are made in North America, then the journey is obviously much shorter and less dramatic.

4.  For the ships that dock in California (either Oakland or somewhere in LA), the containers must clear customs, and then a shipping company brings them to their warehouse and arranges shipping to the winery.

5.  At the winery, they are taken off of the trucks and stored until harvest.  The environment in the winery must be humid enough so that the staves in a barrel don’t shrink too much and cause the barrel to leak. Before filling, the barrel is soaked with water overnight to clean it of any char or debris, take out some of the initial bbq-like harshness, to help the staves swell, and also to ensure that the barrel will hold liquid without leaking.

 6.  After that, the barrel is used for many years.  New oak flavor is strongest the first year, but flavor can be derived for a number of years after that.  The life of a barrel for wine, though, is limited.  Some large wineries might use their barrels for more than 10 years, but most wineries I know of use their barrels for a maximum of 6 years.  After that, the noble barrel is then retired from use in the winery and then becomes the ubiquitous planter, pond, or, alas, summer b-b-q fuel………