It's Moving Day

It's Moving Day! Not us... the 2006 red wine. All the 2006 red wine in barrel since last October is being transferred to tanks for cold stabilization and blending. So barrel racks and barrels are being moved around with the forklift, barrels are being raised and lowered for racking, wine is being pumped into tanks, water is being pumped into barrels for cleaning. This is approximately 700 cases of red wine, so Ron and two people are in motion during this final prep phase before bottling in May.

Spring has sprung here in southern Ohio... the redbud trees are blooming on the hills, the lilacs are blooming at the vineyard. Redbud flowers are safe to make into jelly, which I am doing today. This is a photo of preparing the infusion from the blossoms. Next year I think I will make a redbud dessert wine in 375ml bottles!
After the frost of April 2007, which decimated our white wine production for this year (fewer than 100 cases instead of 600+), we feel for the geographical areas that are currently undergoing devastating weather as we did last year. North Carolina, Napa and Pacific Northwest vineyards have all suffered damaging frosts.

Because we have so little white wine to release, it may sell out on Memorial Day weekend; therefore the winery will be closed this summer until Labor Day, when we'll release the 2006 red wines.

Other items are also in transit; our capsules arrived at the winery today, corks are on the way, bottles came last week, and grapevines are arriving every other day for replants and an expansion of the vineyard to more Petit Verdot. It's a very busy time of year.

Your friendly blogger
Nancy Bentley, Owner and Managing Partner