Crusher/destemmer
Grapes before going into the crusher.
Grapes after going through crusher. These grapes are fermenting.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Grape pictures
Crusher/destemmer
Grapes before going into the crusher.Grapes after going through crusher. These grapes are fermenting.
Crush pictures
Dave Gruber, winemaker, is scooping out fermented grapes into the presses. Jason is in the background.
There's the man!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Crush 2009
I looked back over the last couple posts. It has been a long while since I have posted! So here I am back at it. Crush is a great time to give an update.
Grapes are still coming in and there are bins everywhere fermenting. It is interesting how I can smell the grapes fermenting, hear the rain, and feel the cold and be taken back to years before. I love the sights and sounds of harvest. It is truly a joyful time. I also love free run (this is the new wine that comes out of the press after red grapes are fermented). It is a great early snapshot of a wine and its potential.
Dave Gruber is our new winemaker. He is a great guy who knows his stuff. He has worked in the wine industry in Oregon, Michigan, and New Zealand. I am excited to see where he is stylistically. We are lucky to have Dave's skill and knowledge.
Rob Powell, our long time cellarmaster, left the winery the end of August. He is taking a much needed break from work. He is a creative guy and I'm sure he will find something fun to do. I miss his humor, wine patience (with me), and vast knowledge of pop culture. He always had a story to share and recommendations for entertainment.
We have several new releases: 2006 Baco Noir, 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Gewurztraminer, 2007 Viognier, and 2007 Huxelrebe to mention a few. We also have a Hard Apple Cider that is fun for the holidays. We are offering "Party in a Box" which includes 2 each of the following wines: 2007 Pinot Gris, 2007 Tempranillo Rose, 2007 Sweet Camille, 2004 Syrah, 2005 Durif, and D'Vine Red. This is being sold at $144 (a case of great wine for $12/bottle).
I better wrap this up. The phone has been ringing off the hook and grapes just came in. Off I go!
Grapes are still coming in and there are bins everywhere fermenting. It is interesting how I can smell the grapes fermenting, hear the rain, and feel the cold and be taken back to years before. I love the sights and sounds of harvest. It is truly a joyful time. I also love free run (this is the new wine that comes out of the press after red grapes are fermented). It is a great early snapshot of a wine and its potential.
Dave Gruber is our new winemaker. He is a great guy who knows his stuff. He has worked in the wine industry in Oregon, Michigan, and New Zealand. I am excited to see where he is stylistically. We are lucky to have Dave's skill and knowledge.
Rob Powell, our long time cellarmaster, left the winery the end of August. He is taking a much needed break from work. He is a creative guy and I'm sure he will find something fun to do. I miss his humor, wine patience (with me), and vast knowledge of pop culture. He always had a story to share and recommendations for entertainment.
We have several new releases: 2006 Baco Noir, 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Gewurztraminer, 2007 Viognier, and 2007 Huxelrebe to mention a few. We also have a Hard Apple Cider that is fun for the holidays. We are offering "Party in a Box" which includes 2 each of the following wines: 2007 Pinot Gris, 2007 Tempranillo Rose, 2007 Sweet Camille, 2004 Syrah, 2005 Durif, and D'Vine Red. This is being sold at $144 (a case of great wine for $12/bottle).
I better wrap this up. The phone has been ringing off the hook and grapes just came in. Off I go!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Winter, winter
Winter is here. The sun made an appearance today which was very nice of it. We have had very cold (30 is cold to us) nights and nice days (45-50). There hasn't been a lot of rain so far. I'm not complaining.
The wine from the 2008 harvest is settling down. Most of the reds are tucked away in barrels and the whites are in tanks. We just bottled our 2007 Huxelrebe and Honey Mead. It was fun to see the gang back together.
Tim has moved up to the Portland area but can still be spotted around the winery. He is trying his hand at selling wine (specifically Mead) to some wine shops near where he lives. So far, so good. We miss his sweet spirit and uplifting ways. I miss smelling coffee all day. Tim can drink a lot of coffee! Tim will always be one of us, he is like family. If things go right, he might be down for the Memorial Day weekend wine event. Time will tell.
David, our winemaker, is moving back to New Zealand. After 10 years at Chateau Lorane he has decided he would like to broaden his wine making experience. He will be leaving the winery in a couple weeks and leaving Eugene on February 23. We will miss his sense of humor, wonderful accent, skill with wine, and his friendly smile. The winery will not be the same without him. David has been the "gang's" unofficial leader. He will be missed. Some lucky winery will get an outstanding winemaker.
I will prepare for the next wine club shipment starting next week. I am gathering all the information needed and rounding up the wine. We will be sharing our 2006 Viognier, 2006 Pinot Noir, and Marechal Foch Port. We decided with winter here there is no better time to have some port. Look for an email very soon.
I think I have shared more than enough information for many of you. This coming year will be a year of changes and hopefully growth. The winery will continue as usual but with significant transitions. I will try to keep things updated on the blog. Have a great Valentine's Day.
The wine from the 2008 harvest is settling down. Most of the reds are tucked away in barrels and the whites are in tanks. We just bottled our 2007 Huxelrebe and Honey Mead. It was fun to see the gang back together.
Tim has moved up to the Portland area but can still be spotted around the winery. He is trying his hand at selling wine (specifically Mead) to some wine shops near where he lives. So far, so good. We miss his sweet spirit and uplifting ways. I miss smelling coffee all day. Tim can drink a lot of coffee! Tim will always be one of us, he is like family. If things go right, he might be down for the Memorial Day weekend wine event. Time will tell.
David, our winemaker, is moving back to New Zealand. After 10 years at Chateau Lorane he has decided he would like to broaden his wine making experience. He will be leaving the winery in a couple weeks and leaving Eugene on February 23. We will miss his sense of humor, wonderful accent, skill with wine, and his friendly smile. The winery will not be the same without him. David has been the "gang's" unofficial leader. He will be missed. Some lucky winery will get an outstanding winemaker.
I will prepare for the next wine club shipment starting next week. I am gathering all the information needed and rounding up the wine. We will be sharing our 2006 Viognier, 2006 Pinot Noir, and Marechal Foch Port. We decided with winter here there is no better time to have some port. Look for an email very soon.
I think I have shared more than enough information for many of you. This coming year will be a year of changes and hopefully growth. The winery will continue as usual but with significant transitions. I will try to keep things updated on the blog. Have a great Valentine's Day.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Wine Club Release Party!!
We have scheduled a release party! We have two dates; October 24th from 6 PM - 8 PM and October 25th from 2 PM - 5 PM. These times are tentative. This event is for wine club members and their guests. This party will take place at our special event site. More news: for this event wine club members will receive 30% off new releases instead of 20%. Can't make it to the event? You can purchase these wines online and in the tasting room for the additional discount October 18 - 31. Club members will be getting more information soon including the wines that will be released and on sale.
Crush is in full swing. We have some hard working guys burning the candle at both ends. Hours are long and things are sticky. The rain and cold are not making things easy for our growers. It is a gamble with the weather. The age old struggle with farming and mother nature!
The sun is shining and things are warm. The gray mornings are creeping in and we feel that another season has passed and another is here. The leaves are changing and cool days are here. Soon the trees will be sleeping for the winter which is exactly what I want to do with cold, dark days.
We wish you much hope as this Fall season is upon us!
Crush is in full swing. We have some hard working guys burning the candle at both ends. Hours are long and things are sticky. The rain and cold are not making things easy for our growers. It is a gamble with the weather. The age old struggle with farming and mother nature!
The sun is shining and things are warm. The gray mornings are creeping in and we feel that another season has passed and another is here. The leaves are changing and cool days are here. Soon the trees will be sleeping for the winter which is exactly what I want to do with cold, dark days.
We wish you much hope as this Fall season is upon us!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Bottling behind us
Good news!!! Bottling did happen a couple of weeks ago. Of course it wasn't without a few glitches. The labels were running a few days late so we rescheduled for a day later. We got one day of bottling taken care of but the following morning Sweet Cheeks had no water. You can't bottle without water. It was like juggling for a few days. I have to say the finished product was worth the wait. We now have the Tempranillo Rose, Sweet Camille, and D'Vine Red ready to go! Our website is updated. I have pictures of bottling day and a few other things of interest but I have a computer situation now.
We have been getting some grapes in for crush. The weather is not really cooperating right now. The next dry patch we will probably get a large quantity of grapes. It is pretty exciting around this time. It is interesting to see where the wine starts and what it goes through on its journey.
Check back soon, hopefully I will have pictures up soon.
We have been getting some grapes in for crush. The weather is not really cooperating right now. The next dry patch we will probably get a large quantity of grapes. It is pretty exciting around this time. It is interesting to see where the wine starts and what it goes through on its journey.
Check back soon, hopefully I will have pictures up soon.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Winemaker's Dinner Pictures
Before dinner, mingling on the patio. It was a warm, sunny afternoon that turned into a lovely evening. We served our soon to be released Tempranillo Rose. Everyone loved it!
David speaking about the wine that would be served with the second course. He did a great job.
Dinner! It was a nice sized group. We even celebrated two birthdays. One was Dorothy who turned 90 and Tim our piano player.
Trish, our favorite tasting room member and wonderful friend. She is always there when we need her.
Me with a funny look on my face but hey, I have a bottle! The 2005 Malbec was a huge hit. We didn't have any left. Even after dinner, people still wanted more.I have a few more pictures to post in the next couple of days.
Tracy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
