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Harvest

  • Vintage Report 2007
    An early bud break meant an early harvest; we were finished by mid-October. Sadly, it also meant several days of 80 degree weather, shoots four inches long, and then an Easter freeze which plunged the vineyard to 28 degrees. All the white wine was affected, to a tragic degree. There will be very little Viognier/Roussanne, little Riesling, and it may not even be worth bottling the Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend. Syrah was also heavily affected. The good news is the long dry ripening season was outstanding for Cabernet; small berries, high sugars. These wines will be reminiscent of Calistoga, higher in alcohol than our general practice.
  • Vintage Report 2006
    As this is written (January 2007), I've had the opportunity to both reflect on the vintage past and taste the wines as they have begun to develop. Going into harvest season, the vineyard was in excellent condition. Crop load and canopy management was on target. Weather deteriorated in mid-September and some of the harvest conditions were as difficult as I've ever experienced. October in particular was troublesome as cold temperatures and excessive rainfall limited maturities. Despite the above, white wines are turning out surprisingly well. Red wines, however, are questionable and many may end up as second label when released in 2008. So far we have had a mild winter and I look forward to a spring with little winter damage and overall good growing conditions in 2007.
  • Vintage Report 2005
    2005 in the vineyard was a vintage of extremes. Unlike 2004 where moisture, heat and humidity were well distributed, it seemed like the heat and humidity would never end. Rainfall came either not at all or in a deluge. Fortunately, harvest turned out mostly dry with only the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot caught by rain at the end of October. In the winery, most of the fruit came in low in acid and high in sugar. Adjustments were made and fermentations, though quirky, finished well. Overall, the wines show good promise, and for some, 2005 may prove to be the best vintage yet.

Photo Album

  • View from the farmhome

« May 2007 | Main | July 2007 »

Tucking and Tying

No... we're not having plastic surgery (though I'd like to after seeing myself on TV awhile ago)... This is the time of year that we make multiple passes through the vineyard tucking vines into our Vertically Shoot Positioned (VSP) trellis... and using the tie gun to tie errant shoots to the trellis wires. It's a very labor intensive process. Here's the video (also a Kinkead Ridge mini-movie on youtube):

Currently we are undergoing severe drought conditions. Not a problem for established vines, but certainly a problem for the little replants.

On the marketing side, many miles have been put on the car, tasting the new white wine releases and delivering to wine stores and restaurants all over the state. I just have a few more visits, and all of my 105 clients will have been tasted. You can only do so many in one day, and in general, you must visit people before 5 p.m. when the stores get busy, and not on Saturday. Monday's also a day when many of the customers are closed. Hmmm... let's do the math. Six visits a day, four days a week, that's 24 visits a month, divided into 100+ customers = approximately four weeks to see everyone. Given the fact the white wines were released May 26, and today is June 27, and I've also done deliveries, I've done a pretty darn good job!

Your friendly webmistress,
Nancy Bentley, Owner/Managing Partner, Kinkead Ridge

June 27, 2007 | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Why is Ron's boot wrapped with duct tape?

This is the question I asked Ron when I saw this boot. The reason is Ron is replanting vines that didn't make it through the frost. We are now many days without rain, and the ground is so dry and crusty, that just tryinRonsbootReplant_2g to push through the crust with the shovel has decimated the sole of the boot. Here's a picture of a little replant, struggling to live in these dry conditions. I've asked Ron to concoct the "Top Ten Uses for Duct Tape in a Vineyard" when he has some time. An earlier post showed Brad Hively of soon to be bonded LaVigna using duct tape to hold on his knee pads! So in addition to dealing with a frost that took out a lot of our crop for 2007, we are now facing a drought. Sometimes, we feel like Job from the Bible. What will come next? The good news is the 2006 white wines have been incredibly well-received. In particular, the Viognier/Roussanne blend is developing into a world-class wine, the off-dry Riesling is the nicest we've ever done, and Sauvignon Blanc lovers are very happy with the Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend.

Your friendly web mistress
Nancy Bentley, Owner/Managing Partner, Kinkead Ridge

June 17, 2007 | | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)