The Long Harvest is Over- time for Beer!

This has been the longest harvest that I have ever been through.....and survived! I don't think I really saw summer, being buried in grapes, and now it is cold and frosty outside and cold and frosty inside - outside due to the weather, inside because cold stabilization for whites and sparklers is happening. The longevity of harvest this year was because we had a cool summer and the grapes were able to sit on the vines a little longer- truly mature. Those that waited, even with threats of rain, were rewarded with great flavors in their grapes.

My home vineyard, Tres Palmeras, is a great example of waiting for the flavors to develope rather than going by previous years picking schedules or lab numbers- picked about two weeks later than average and the wine is truly spectacular. The hard work and patience has paid of in the depth of fruit in this wine- can't wait to share it!

During this harvest I had the opportunity to represent California winemaking in Hong Kong- the Coral Mustang was there! What I learned was how fierce the competition is with France, but that there is definitely a yearning for something new and from the US, California in particular. A very different experience for me being immersed in International Trade, one that I will never forget.

My winemaking job at Rack and Riddle Custom Wine Services has teamed up with Crush Pad to do sparkling wine, what a fun adventure! In the process found out that some of you are anxiously awaiting your bubblies. Here is an interview I did with VinVillage Radio talking about the bubble program and about Coral Mustang- VinVillage Radio Interview.

This years Tempranillo almost ready for the long nap in barrels, still completing malolactic fermentation- should be ready by Christmas. If anyone is out this way- please feel free to call- barrel and bottle tasting are always at hand.

I hope that you visit the tasting room in Healdsburg as well- I plan to be there most Saturdays. I am also having some holiday specials-
2005 Rose' - $30/ case,
two pack gift box - one bottle 2005 Rose, one bottle 2005 Tempranillo - $20
three pack gift box - one bottle 2005 Rose', two bottles 2005 Tempranillo - $35
Perfect gifts for the season to bring to your friends, relatives, or treat yourself! 707-536-6339 or the tasting room at 118 North St. Healdsburg, CA.

Well, the wines are calling me back- the Mustang Winemaker

Bloom is Here and Gone

Tres Palmeras is in full bloom- Frank went out and took these pictures and you can actually see the little flowers!

So far the vineyards are looking pretty good- after two not so great years of crop, the vines are ready to go with all that they have. Lots of shoots, lots of clusters = lots of fruit. We are beginning to see what harvest will yield.

In Vino Veritas Coop Tasting room is open, though I am still waiting for the final stamp of approval which I am told should happen any minute. Had the ABC website up all day to see if it would happen- much like watching a pot come to boil.....

Events:
This weekend, June 5,6,7, is taste of the Alexander Valley. The Tasting room will be participating since there a re a couple of us with wines from this appellation. Keeping my fingers crossed to have some barrel samples to debut Tres Palmeras vineyard.

June 14th is the TAPAS Grand Tasting at Fort Mason! Last years event was at Copia and it was fantastic! A chance to see what Spanish and Portuguese varietals do in California and they do well. I want to thank the volunteers that will be helping out on the 14th- THANK YOU! I can't say that enough. Also, I believe there is a discount if you say you know Coral Mustang- tickets are still available.

Will back to the cellar- the Mustang Winemaker, Penny

Packed Weekend

It is Sunday evening - Frank and I are finally sitting- on the deck Mojito in hand. Yesterday was CigarBQ and it was hot - damn hot! Even the red wines were in the cooler and it was hot enough to wonder if there was any wine worth drinking without an ice cube.........wish I would have brought my plastic cubes that I keep in the freezer just for days like that.

Thank you! to our friend Blaine for taking the photo- a fellow Tempranillo fan that is getting ready to plant some vines in the Russian River that could one day end up in our RRV appellation wines.

Today is another scorcher- >100F in some spots. I had a tasting room meeting earlier today and one of the winery owners vineyard sensors were lighting up his phone like fire alarms. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler-let's hope so. The Tempranillo vines in Tres Palmeras vineyard are days away from bloom-hopefully they are not getting fried! It did reach 98F here.......

Next weekend is Memorial Day weekend and I will be off with the family, though still near a computer! The following weekend my 30 day wait for my tasting room license will be done and a license issued-then let the tasting room fun begin. The weekend after that will be Taste of Alexander Valley- I will have some wine from my Tres Palmeras vineyard there-futures anyone? The following week is the TAPAS grand tasting- I am lining up volunteers-so far have about 12 - let me know if you would be interested and I will be getting the coordination of tasks going!

Cheers and I hope to see in the tasting room soon- the Mustang Winemaker

Two More Inches of Rain=Happy Grapevines

We have had a nice bit of rain here in Sonoma County-actually saw the Russian River rise and it was muddy. Even with the rainfall, here in Cloverdale we are on water rationing and making decisions on the water regimen for the vineyards as well as ourselves-very short showers these days! Check out my weather station data for rainfall udpates- Palomino Lakes/Tres Palmeras Vineyard

Aside from the weather I attended a great event at the Sonoma Mission Inn supporting the YWCA -what a great event-Women, Wine, and Cheese benifits the YWCA women's shelter and features women winemakers and cheesemakers. An auction lot of wines made by the winemakers there landed $4,000 - not bad!

There is another Benefit coming up May 16 - Cigar BQ -always a great event whether you are into cigars or not- great wines, great foods, and it all goes to charity- what a great mix!

Not much to report on the wines- they have all finished with their '2nd' or malolactic fermentation and are resting peacefully in barrels.

Pending licensing, the tasting room is a go! I and 4 other wineries have joined together to have a tasting room in Healdsburg- Yippeee! The room is across from the Raven theatre - 118 North St.
Will be having a Grand Opening the first part of June- but will be open for some limited tasting beginning this weekend.

Well, the cellar is calling-
Cheers from the Mustang Winemaker

It's April....

It is April- the month for wierd weather. First it was cold and rainy, then dry, cold and windy, now it is sunny and 90F. Later in the week it is going to be cold and rainy again. The rain will be good, hopefully it will not be too cold.

The vineyards are growing like weeds- fast and furious. This time of the year it is amazing to watch- you can actually see them change and the shoots get longer throughout the day. So far the vineyards are looking great- nice even growth. Soon the flower buds will become more pronounced and bloom, it is just around the corner!

This is the time of the year that there are many events being planned. Friday I will be at the Google Complex in the South Bay and next month Cigar BQ in Santa Rosa.

Also next month I hope to be in a new tasting room in Healdsburg, though the ABC is saying that they will not have my paperwork done by then..........will keep you up to date on that. Gotta love the permit process.

Well gotta get back to the wines- more bottling tomorrow!

Yippeeee It's Raining - Time for Bottling

The rain has arrived - the lifeblood of the earth and the vineyards! My raingauge at Tres Palmeras has clocked in over 5 inches since my last post. Still not all we would like to see, but certainly way better than where we were seeing ourselves. Still going to put that bucket in the shower, just need to find something to put it into from there.

With the rain comes indoor sports. In the winery that sport is bottling. See Bottling pics. Before bottling there can be many chores-coming out of barrels, possible filtering, lab analysis-alcohol is very important to the government! Then there is the FDA, USDA......that is why some of us turn into chemistry geeks, but we really want to be artists.........

Speaking of filtering- this is something I do try to avoid. Sometimes that means a little sediment in the bottle, but it is worth it knowing that I have good fruit, have minimized my impact on that fruit and since I make red wine which allows me that latitude.

It is not wrong to filter, in fact many times it is the smart thing to do- for white and Rose' wines, generally it cannot be avoided. Those wines are not 'stable' as we refer to them in the winery. That means that sometimes they have a little sugar or malic left in them and microbes. Those things left alone without filtering are looking for a party- fermenting and bubbling- and usually stinky and nasty in a closed bottle. Supposedly that was how champagne originally came about, but these days, a little more control is a good thing.

Well, the barrels are calling- the Mustang Winemaker

Food and Wine for Rainy Day

I asked for rain and I got it - over three inches in the last couple of days. Not torrential rain, but coming down steady enough and windy, hard to go outside even with an umbrella. So that's when I come up with some great food and wine pairings.

Last night was fish stew. Carrots, leeks, corn, roasted red pepper simmering in white wine, with saffron- the smell was incredible! Then cod and crab until cooked.....then cream to round it all out- oh yes, heaven in a bowl.

While waiting for this to cook, I began to think about wine. Looked in the cellar, looked on my cellar spreadsheet and was coming up blank. Then I spied what I felt would be a perfect match- Reisling- a dry Reisling from a very small producer in Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. Lazy Creek Vineyards, 2006 Anderson Valley Reisling- barrel fermented in 10 year old French barrels.

The pairing worked- nice floral aroma, slight citrus and spice with canteloupe flavors in the mouth of the wine balanced the somewhat smoky, earthy aroma of the saffron and roasted peppers.............I am still thinking about it! And with leftovers of the stew for lunch-but without the wine sadly.

The rain is a blessing in more ways than one-kept me indoors to work on the new website- take a peek if you get a chance- coralmustangwine.com -it has been going through more than one change- should probably document the metamorphosis of this project that I thought I would have finished by now. It is a fun project and now I have the ability to make changes to the site when I wish-no not truly a control freak- just a little.

A little bit of news before you go- tasting room is on the horizon- hopefully next month if all goes on schedule.......we all know how construction projects can go! More to come-

The Mustang Winemaker, Penny

It's Raining.......finally!

There is more than a little anxiety about the water situation here in California. My weather station was showing us at below 50% from an average year and you can see that the reservoirs are dry. Last week the rain began-what a wonderful site. So far it hasn't been a lot, but the predictions are talking about some pretty good rainfall as well as snow coming our way. I monitor my weather station at my Tres Palmeras vineyard daily- this morning it was .10 inches away from 10 inches for the season- it would be nice to see this at about 15 inches. Only time and Mother Nature know how this will all shake out.

Late January brought very warm weather which has caused many plants and animals some confusion- trees and bushes are blooming about a month early. Now we are having some very, very cold weather- this won't be good for fruit trees. So far many of the vineyards are still appearing to be dormant. Since it is pruning time indication of dormancy is if an old shoot is cut off and there is no sap-good sign- still sleeping.

Aside from the weather, last weekend it was time to replace my old phone. Since I had been looking at pocket video cameras as well, I looked into what might be out there to avoid having too many portable contraptions in my pocket. So a new phone with camera and video capabilities was purchased. Just took a video of my office to see how the quality looks- hopefully will be good enough that I will have footage in my next post- I love technology!

I also was able to get a look at the pics I took at harvest, but couldn't seem to get them transferred out to share them. That has been resolved and I will be posting them on Flickr, Facebook, The Wine Space, ...............I will let you know where they land!

Well, it is time to get back to winemaking- barrel tasting is at hand!
Cheers from the Mustang Winemaker

Pruning Time in the Vineyard

As the cycle of the new year begins, pruning the old wood off the vines is the first course of business. There are many considerations as you move along the vines looking at the old shoots to determine what to cut and what to leave on the vine. And then there is the climate and soil that need to be taken into account as well. Generally I like to leave a fist size space in between the 'spurs' where the new shoots will emerge. Then on each spur decide which shoot is the least healthy and remove it and cut the remaining old shoot down to 2-3 buds. For very vigorous varieties, like Tempranillo, two shoots are left on with two buds to help keep the vigor in the vine to the growth needed for fruit instead of just leafy growth. But the vines need enough leafy growth to make sure that there is enough energy to grow and ripen the fruit........a lot of thought into every vine!

This year is looking to be truly a drought year- 50% down from where we should be at this time of the year. Maintenance of the roots is vital right now, so light irrigation is being started to make sure the vines are healthy enough to start their growing season. Thoughts as to a modified irrigation schedule for the summer is already being planned with the knowledge that we may only be able to keep them healthy enough to survive. It is going to be a long road this year and if the weather continues to be light on rain, will be little fruit to harvest- yes, I am already anticipating harvest.

On another note, I just returned from Sacramento from attending the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium. I did not attend any of the seminars, but did get a chance to hit the trade show looking at new equipment, catching up with friends in the industry, and thanking those vendors that I have worked with. This event is also the time that the annual TAPAS meeting is held. This year it was announced that I have been elected to the board- quite an honor for me- to be chosen to work with a team dedicated to promoting the Tempranillo grape as well as varieties that are grown traditionally in the countries of Portugal and Spain. This organization has grown enough to be recognized by other countries growing this variety and would like to join us in our efforts. This is pretty exciting to get this type of recognition and I am looking forward to working with the representatives to see what we can do together to promote Tempranillo around the world.

Well, it is time to get back to my favorite part of winemaking- end of the month and year paperwork...........time for a glass of Tempranillo!

The Mustang Winemaker

Where's the Rain?

It is a gorgeous day!
I just came in from the vineyard- sun is shining, 68F, light breeze.But this definitely concerns me as a winemaker and grower. Plants need water and in Northern Cal. this is the time of year they are supposed to get this commodity for life. My weather station is clocking 7.89 inches so far- more than a couple of inches below average. Tres Palmeras Vineyard Weather is where you can view my weather station for my vineyard. Time to get out and learn rain dancing! The vines are truly dormant this year- it has been pretty cold. That is a good thing, but with days like this they will awaken prematurely meaning possibilities for frost damage to tender buds, early harvest, small harvest.......yes, I am already thinking about the next harvest. But one thing I have learned in my 20+ years of winemaking, ya gotta go with what is dealt and I have to say it means I am never bored with what I do.

Speaking about vineyards, yesterday I tasted the wine I made from my vineyard, Tres Palmeras, and it is truly coming along nicely! Very easy to drink for being so young - beautiful cherry, raspberry, light spice, and pretty light on the smoky component that can be very prevalent in tempranillo. I am very excited about this wine and may be able to bottle it this year if it keeps going in this direction.

It is so warm out, I'm out to pick Meyer Lemons and Oranges that are ripe. Then dinner- roasted pork tenderloin, candied sweet potato, and another side yet to be named. Whaddya think- Pinot?

Cheers, the Mustang Winemaker

Starting Off the Year

It's raining and with the rain I think of indoor activities like making videos. Well, watching more than making. But over the course of the last year I figured out that my phone could take videos. The video attached is my first effort at trying to show the disgorging process. This will just be a small part, an appetizer, until I can get the rest of them in the correct format.

I am also attaching a photo taken of me hand disgorging as I did not have a saber to do a real show on opening a sparkling wine. Crowd loved it- I was a mess and had to change before I could get back to lunch. But it was a kick- I love showing people this and then tasting the wine- yes! It is one of my life's little pleasures.

So a new start in my blog posts, more vids of what I do as a Winemaker and life in general. I was contemplating doing a what I do in the day of.....still working on the details of how to make that work, but I will.

The start of the year also means cleaning up the end of the previous year- inventories, taxes, reports to different agencies. Not good video, but some of the daily, weekly, monthly, yearly tasks that not many of us do.

It's a good thing that it rains this time of the year.

Cheers from the Mustang Winemaker

PS-stay tuned, new website is starting to look pretty good!

More Harvest 2008

Good Morning- another day of harvest! Harvest started for me on Aug 8th- so if I am sounding a little weary, you would be correct.

This is a tough time- trying to keep track of all of the wines that are fermenting, finished fermenting, need to go to barrel, racking, ML inoculations, as well as more grapes coming in that need to be processed and begin their life change to wine.

It is also evaluation time for those wines that have completed their journey, specifically the ones that will become sparkling wines. Blending is already taking place for these wines as well. I have to say so far these wines are turning out well- good year for sparklers.


The cool weather has created a lull in the amount of grapes coming in, but I know that the next rush is coming, especially if the days warm up. Right now, the grapes are enjoying the perfect weather to bring about real maturity. But they are also on the edge of being tapped for energy for the season. Leaves are starting to drop signaling that the season is coming to a close- not full on yet, again due to the weather.

Back to the winery- Cheers,
The Mustang Winemaker

Feels Like Spring!

Let's hope this is just a breather before more rain- we are starting to move below average for the year. But it is still early and as a winemaker you learn not to make any predictions this early-weather, crop load, quality- Mother Nature can do so many things between now and harvest!

But for now I am thinking about those days when I can catch some rays and drink.........yes, pink wine. Better yet, St. Patricks day is coming and a perfect pairing with corned beef and cabbage- yep, Rose'- it will be there on my table! And if you are in need- I can supply it- http://www.coralmustang.com/. While there, sign up for the newsletter where every month is a wine special only for subscribers.

Now for wine news: a couple of weeks ago the preliminary 2007 Grape Crush Report came out. It is full of numbers; number of tons crushed, comparison numbers, cost numbers- for anyone into stats this is the grape publication for you, www.nass.usda.gov/ca. Being somewhat of a statistical geek I read this to see where the state of the grape for wine. You can find out how many tons were used for other grape products as well, but too much info for me. My big interest the last couple of years is to see what is happening with Tempranillo. To my delight there were approximately 1200 more tons harvested this last year compared to 2006. That means about 76,000 more cases produced if it all went to wine- not bad. And if I figured it right it was about a 25% increase from the year before- woohoooo! The word is out- Tempranillo is making the news. In fact there was a recent article in the Ukiah Daily Journal about Tempranillo - http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_8407024?source=email.

March is a special month for me- it is my birthday month. I like to try to celebrate the entire month, try something different, learn something new. It is also the month that the Family Winemakers of California does an annual event in Pasadena and the Mustang Winemaker will be making her debut there this year. This is a great time of year to talk with retailers, restaurateurs, brokers, and distributors because this is when they do their purchasing- the big holidays are over and time to restock!

It is tax time and I hear the IRS calling my name- so until next week, cheers to good food, good wine and good friends- the Mustang Winemaker

February and the Weather is Fine-Global Warming?

I love February in Sonoma County! Pretty much every year we have one gorgeous week-no rain, temps in the high 60's, low 70's, flowers start to bloom- false spring. I look forward to this break and try to make the most of it. Trips to the ocean, picnics, dust off the barbeque and I break out the Rose', not that I ever put it away........

This was President's weekend, so there was one extra day to revel in the weather. Saturday was fresh oysters from Hog Island Oyster Company paired with a fig cake and 2005 Coral Mustang Rose' as well as an Elizabeth Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. The Rose' was a great match with the Kumomoto oysters-fruity vs salty- and the Sauv Blanc went better with the more 'steely' Freshwaters.

Yesterday was more Rose' paired up with my famous clam chowder- again the fruity and salty, along with some of the crispness balancing the creaminess of the soup. I also tried a Saint Gregory Pinot Blanc with the soup. This fruity, slightly creamy wine was almost too light to balance with the soup, but it went quite well with the oysters that we set aside from the day before- that doesn't happen very often!

Speaking of the incredible weather, this weekend was the 2nd Climate Change and Wine Conference - http://www.climatechangeandwine.com/eng/index.php

Catavino, one of my favorite sites has been there and reporting back 'live'- please take a look-http://www.catavino.net/
They are doing an incredible job of reporting! There are a few other blogs out there reporting as well-some interesting comments that I will comment on later in the week.

It is also time to vote for your favorite blog : http://fermentation.typepad.com/fermentation/2008/02/about-the-ameri.html
There are some great bloggers out there, many that I have 'met' through blog sites like Twitter and Wine Sense. I hope next year to be in the running!

Unitl next week, cheers to good food, good wine, and good friends- the Mustang Winemaker

Into the New Year We Go! Drink More Tempranillo!

Happy New Year All!

Over the last couple of weeks I have had the chance to make some new blog friends, look at changes to the website and see where I need to go to get Coral Mustang out to more of the wine world-it is not easy being small and a producer of a varietal that many don't know yet-but I love being on that forefront-bringing something new and wonderful. Changes to the website should be showing up any day!

You will see some new links off to the right, and down the page will be the latest Wine TV spots-Gary brings a great new perspective on wine-this is truly innovation for the wine and tech world to merge. There was also a great podcast and blog discussion about where wine blogs are going:
http://winecast.net/2007/12/19/unfiltered-7-wine-blogging-today/
http://www.catavino.net/2007/12/12/wine-blogging-in-2007-how-far-have-we-come/
I would love to hear any comments!

So on to winemaking!
The wines are in resting phase at this point-in barrels and waiting for the day that they are ready to be bottled. My wines generally do not go through any fining (example eggwhites), but I always like to keep that option as it is still a natural process-people do this same procedure with soups to clarify them. The direction the wines are going this year, I don't see that they are going to need anything except some time to age. The vineyard here in Sonoma County has seen 5 inches of rain in the past few days- this is a good thing! It has also been cold- another good thing. The vines need the rest-as they are in hibernation mode they are not using much energy to survive, thus leaving the strength for the growing season. And that will be here before you know it.

Please contact me if you would like the latest e-newsletter- it has great information about Coral Mustang Wines as well as wine specials-penelope@coralmustang.com or see the signup area on the website www.coralmustang.com.

Until next week- cheers to the New Year- The Mustang Winemaker

Happy Holidays- Looking ahead

It's that time of the year when many of us in the wine biz are looking ahead to where our business is going- where can we go, what can we do to make stay ahead of the game. One of the areas that I am very focused on is blogging! There are some great blogs out there from wine lovers, winemakers, wine retailers, wineries............what a great way to get info about what we are drinking or not. I am now following several blogs, as can be seen from the side list, and some more that I will be adding. Keep watching- I think I'm getting the hang of this and liking it!

So, the New Year is almost upon us- hard to believe. In a few moments I will be going out to taste the wines from 2007- this will be the last time this year. The 2007 Tres Palmeras is coming along beautifully, very complex- it is a 'field blend' of grapes from my own vineyard. The majority of the blend is Tempranillo with a good smattering of Grenache and Carignane. Then there are little bits of Cab, Merlot, Zin, Petite Sirah- all adding their contribution. There is warm spice, cassis, blackberry, blueberry, some plum, and a hint of dried herb.

The 2007 Vista Creek is all Tempranillo. This wine just finished it's second or malolactic fermentation-just in time for the new year. It is in a bit of a 'dumb' stage as it is trying to get itself together from fermenting. Wine is funny this way-it is always evolving- the trick is finding at what point that evolution has peaked. Hence one of the many challenges in winemaking.

On to the New Year- may you all have a prosperous, wonderful, fulfilling year!
Until Next Week-
Cheers to good food, good friends and good wine- The Mustang Winemaker

Tempranillo and Paella

Well, the wine for review on Saturday was corked! Very unfortunate since I was really looking forward to it. Instead I opened up a 2001 Gundlach Bundshu Rhinefarm Tempranillo. This wine was subdued in its aroma. There was some light blueberry aromas with overtones of oak-not heavy handed oak. The wine didn't hold up to the Paella spice and would have been better with a beef dish with herbs. A younger and fruitier wine would have been a better match, but you don't always know until you try it. Then again I could have made the Paella not so spicy..................nahhh! I do recommend trying the G-B Temp- something that they have been producing on a regular basis.

On another note, it is that time of the year again for wine competitions. There is a new competition with a focus on women- Wines Women Want. As a founding member I am giving it a go this year. Then there is the San Francisco Chronicle Tasting coming up about the same time. I always wonder if the awards really mean anything to wine consumers, but it does lend credibility to the wines and those of us that make them. Still waiting for a domestic Tempranillo only competition. Maybe something that another organization I belong to, TAPAS (http://www.tapasociety.org/) may be able to get going one day!

Well, back to the cellar, checking on the wines that are resting after this hectic hectic year-
Cheers to good food, good friends, and good wine- The Mustang Winemaker

Paella and Tempranillo tonight!

It's Saturday! Just finished reading reviews, returning emails, updating Quickbooks, and thinking about what's for dinner. Paella is on the menu and with that a Rioja- a 1996 Reserva- Marques de Murrieta Ygay. This is a blend of Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Garnacha, and Graciano- can't wait to try it. I had picked this up a while back to keep up with wine styles and the competition. Report later.
So far the 2007 wines are looking, tasting, and smelling great. The Tres Palmeras Vineyard Tempranillo blend has finished with it's malolactic (2nd) fermentation and is now waiting in barrel for a pronouncement that it is ready to bottle. That won't be until next year-probably the fall for this wine. Unlike the Vista Creek Vineyard that has a lot more structure to it and will remain in barrel into 2009.
This last week has been exciting- new equipment for the winery I work for- Rack and Riddle. For those that may not know, I work full time for Rack and Riddle and have my own brand as well that I make at Rack and Riddle. What it means is that I get to work with a lot of other brands wines, which is a lot of fun. The equipment is for some sparkling wine that we will be disgorging soon- as soon as it gets hooked up!
Well, my stomach is rumbling thinking about the Paella- time to get started!
Until next week- cheers to good food, good wine and good friends- the Mustang Winemaker

Twitter for Tempranillo

Wow, how the world has changed- getting smaller in some ways. It has become so easy to communicate, very exciting stuff! I still remember working in research and how exciting it was to be able to hook your phone receiver to a cradle that then could transmit and share data with another computer............ Here is my newest venture into the Tech world :

follow CoralMustang at http://twitter.com

I have to thank Wine 2.0 and meeting with some people from companies that are trying to use the technology at hand, for bringing me into the world of communication. It will be very interesting to see what this does in the big world of wine.

News Flash- Just received an email from the San Francisco International Wine Competition- Silver for the 2005 Tempranillo to be released August 1, and a Bronze for the 2006 Tempranillo Rose'. It is pretty cool to think that out of all of the wines that are tasted that my wines are getting recognition! Now if I could just get through all the regulatory #*&% for interstate shipping.........

It's Rose' Season!

The weather is warm here in the Alexander Valley of Sonoma County- actually it is summer desert hot for this time of the year. The warm/hot weather spells the beginning of Rose' drinking! Do I hear a cheer?

This has got to be one of the most versatile wine types, IMHO, but one of the least thought of when perusing the aisles of wine shops. And the notion that there is a season, (late spring and summer) for Rose', well, that's just hogwash (in nice terms). What wine goes with fall and winter dishes like ham, turkey, stews, soups- it's Rose'. One day I know that those who don't know this wine will and will wonder why they didn't give it the credit that it is due.

But enough ranting. I just have to have faith that the word will get out and all of us that love to make and drink this type of wine will make it through another year.

I have missed writing the past couple of weeks due to a business trip to Italy and Portugal. More on that next week- hey, I have to have something to keep you coming back!

Until next week, drink more Rose' (and Tempranillo)!
Cheers from the Mustang Winemaker