Archive for the ‘News & Happenings’ Category

Odds & Ends

December 7th, 2006 by Annette

Looking for something fun to do for the New Year?  We are working two New Year’s events to ring in 2007:

A winemaker’s dinner at The Terrace Grill in La Playa Hotel, Carmel-by-the Sea.  The dinner will feature the incredible creations of Chef Bunyan Fortune and a different Cima Collina wine with each course.  Many of these wines are our small production wines that aren’t generally available.  It should prove to be a fun and memorable event.

We will also pour our wines just down the street at Pac Rep Theater’s New Year’s Party which will include a performance as well as food and sparkling wine as well.  There are fun folks involved with this group and it should prove to be a lively and entertaining evening.

We had dinner at L’Escargot on Mission Street in Carmel the other night.  Wonderful food!  If you appreciate classic country french cuisine and dishes like homemade pate, coq au vin and tarte tatin, then L’Escargot is not to be missed.  We had a very enjoyable meal and can tell that chef/owner Kerry Loutas puts everything he has into producing not only delightful dishes but a homey, comfortable atmosphere as well.  And, they happen to have Cima Collina on the wine list, too…..

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Our new winery pup, Tanner (in the sweater with Sweetie and not-so-sweetie (aka, me)), has been introduced to life in the winery and seems to be enjoying it well enough.  At 8 weeks old he is fitting-in here already and is asserting himself in typical Jack Russell Terrier-style.  Our friend MJ raises these dogs and she does a beautiful job with her pups.  Tanner has other brothers and sisters and if you’re interested in being the proud owner of one of these little guys, call MJ at 831-373-7418.

Holiday Shipping:  if you would like to order wine for the Holidays, please do so by Monday.  It will arrive before December 25 if shipped then; otherwise 2 or 3-day shipment methods are available but at much higher cost.  Here at Cima Collina is Laura who is our director of covert operations and our shipping specialist (among many other specialties as well) says that although she is busy packing boxes, she’s always happy to pack one more!

And, while we are at it, here’s a dog quote:

I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult 
                                                                                          Rita Rudner

                                                                       

More Wine Reviews

November 3rd, 2006 by Annette

 

 Check out this review of our 2004 Cedar Lane Merlot

 And this recent entry at Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine about our 2004 Chula Vina Chardonnay

Also, the Great Wine Escape is happening here in Monterey next weekend.  We will particpate in a number of events.  If you are looking to do something fun that weekend consider doing this.  Fall is the best time to visit this area, in my humble opinion.

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A little housekeeping

October 10th, 2006 by Annette

We’ve been busy destemming Pinot Noir, which means lots of late nights and punchdowns to do on a daily basis.  We brought in 10 tens of Pinot from Chula Vina on Sunday and have 15 more to go soon.  Tondre Grapefield, in the Santa Lucia Highlands has yet to come in as well.

 The Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are fermenting away nicely; the Pinot Gris just started yesterday.  All of those smell and taste great…..we stirred and topped Chardonnay today.

The winery is full of wonderful aromas wafting through the air……no sulfides yet, but there are usually one or two stinkers every year, so I am always on the “sniff-out” for those. :)

I am busy rearranging the barrel cellar and taking out any cull barrels I will not need this year.  Getting rid of old barrels is kind of a pain in the you-know-what, but there is a guy who has been buying barrels from us who is making tables out of them. He came by on Sunday to purchase some more and showed me photos of what he has done so far. They are very attractive and he is making them is many differents heights so that they can be used as bar tables, end tables, etc.  Very cool idea…..

 I haven’t had a whole lot of time to write lately and I apologize for that.  If you haven’t read through the archives for this blog, now may be a good time to look through it.  Try reading back through March – there are a variety of posts in that month, for some reason, that could be of interest to some.  Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, take a look at the interview Laurie Daniel did with me on Appellation America.

I will visit the vineyards tomorrow and will take more photos then.  TTFN and will post again soon…..

Introducing…..

September 22nd, 2006 by Annette

IM001353.JPGTanya Stuurman, from Paul Cluver Winery in South Africa, is working with us this harvest season.  She has had four years winery experience and is here to not only experience winemaking here at Cima Collina but also to experience the US as well.  She and her fellow interns spent a few weeks in Virginia learning about grapegrowing and winemaking in the US.  Then 5 interns stayed on in Virginia while 5 came out to Monterey to participate in the crush here. 

This program is sposored by the South African Wine Industry Trust, which is an organization dedicated to the empowerment of black South Africans as well as the promotion of the South African wine industry in general.  This is the first year this internship program has taken place in the US — France has hosted interns for a number of years already — and we are really excited to be a part of it. 

There are astounding changes happening in South Africa in general right now.  Through the “Black Economic Empowerment” initiatives, little by little, black south africans have been able to take ownership of wineries and winery properties to become part of the economic mainstream of the country.  Before, during apartheid, the majority of the population — black and colored south africans — were pushed into the periphery of the economy and worked in mostly menial, low-paying jobs.  Now, combined with higher educational and vocational programs, and internship programs such as this, more folks are able to move up in the ranks.

Tanya is living with me and my family, so it has been interesting to talk with her about South Africa today.  I am particularly interested because I visited South Africa in 1991 during apartheid, albeit toward the very end, and was able to witness firsthand the culture of the country then.  It is amazing how much has happened in 15 years there.

As these things happen, the interns arrived here in a year when the harvest is uncommonly late in California.  I think only two of the interns (Lefa at Blackstone and Philani at Scheid) have been working harvest; the rest of us have been waiting.  Luckily, we do have Sauvignon Blanc coming in today, so Tanya and I will be loading the presses tonight! 

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