Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Well the new year has started and thoughts of harvest for 2011 have already begun. Focus to the vineyard- pruning, discing, tying- assessing what happened last year to do what is needed to bring the vineyard to it's best potential this year. Last harvest fruit was not taken from the Tres Palmeras vineyard-a hard decision to make for me. But some years warrant that action and from what I saw this year for grapes overall, a few more vineyards might have been better off left behind as well. A tough year....

Assessing the wines and how processes worked to produce those wines is also happening so that any changes can be started now. Last harvest brought a lot of challenges- molds, less than mature grapes, sunburn- things that I see, just not in the magnitude that I had this last harvest. So being ready for these situations is always warranted- though I hope not to see this happen for at least another 20 years!

This year Coral Mustang Wines will begin a wine club- yea!!!! Stay tuned to see updates on the website as well as an upcoming e-newsletter. Update on the tasting room- open by appointment only for the winter- let me know if you are in the area and would like to taste. Or if up you are willing to go just a short 30 minutes North, you can visit the winery. Either way give me a shout or an email.

In a tribute to Tres Palmeras, I would like to re-share a clip from a previous harvest - I hope you enjoy it and on with the new year 2011! 

The Neverending Harvest and Sad News

Harvest started for me the second week in August and looks like it will be mid November before it ends. For some in the field it started even earlier and will end later. Harvest is a time of constant adrenaline, little sleep, and lots of pizza and burritos- I love it. The smells, the challenges, it is all an incredible rush for me.

Last week sadness, making me look at harvest in a little different light- making me wonder about the marvels of life, how special the world and all of its creatures are. My dog Kado left us after a battle with cancer. It has left a hole in my heart, slowed my pace. Coming home after a long day, his happy face is not there- even in his last days he would make his way to greet me no matter what the hour. He was a pure bred Basenji that we rescued from the Healdsburg shelter- what a treasure!

On life goes.........

Harvest has Begun for the Mustang Winemaker

Just got in from grapes and the multitude of paperwork that is required to get the winemaking process going! Now have a Mojito in hand and taking a breath. Harvest is going fill swing- grapes for bubbles and a little Muscat Canelli over the past two weeks. Not seeing to much of the damage that this years weather has brought on these grapes. However, I made a quick trip out to the Dry Creek area and was surprised to see what devastating effects the hot weather had on not only white grapes, but a lot of red grapes as well. This is something I have never seen in my 25 years in the business. I have talked with people that will not be bringing in grapes due to the damage.

Tres Palmeras is actually looking pretty good, though the amount of crop is way down. Sunburn didn't have much of an affect, but the cycling of not enough rain last year to an overabundance this year is freaking out the vines and they don't know whether do produce fruit or not. Remember- grapes are always in survival mode- what does the vine need to do to make more vines or just survive on its own.

Tomorrow is labor day and more grapes are coming- all for sparkling wine. Think I will stick a bottle in the frig- weather service is saying it is going to be HOT and cold bubbles at the end of the day.......almost as good as a beer!

Hope to get some video on the blog as soon as I get a moment, Stay tuned! Time to give my IPhone a work out, Until next time- cheers and have a super holiday.