New Year's Eve Movie: The Barolo Boys

We had a slow start today because we were watching a movie called The Barolo Boys about how a small group of men and one woman made Nebbiolo in barriques and put the Langhe region on the global wine map.

The movie is a very even handed account of tradition versus innovation in making wine from the Nebbiolo grape. It was a nice way to ease into the work day, which is more irrigation work, (even though it is New Year's Eve) while the sun shines!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

A Look Back on 2015

I recently asked my husband to check on Google maps to see if the view of our vineyard has been upgraded and found that to be the case. This shot must have been taken in the early summer. This view shows that our rows are indeed very long (756 feet) and we have 36 rows of vines.
This year, we began our season by putting in our anchor rods in January and then had a long hiatus when the snow began to fall and never stopped. The first time we were able to get back into the vineyard was in March when we had to download our data loggers.
In June, we finally finished installing our trellis posts. It only took us 2-1/2 years! The trellis post got up just in time so that we could string our fruiting and catch wires because the survivor vines were sending up strong healthy shoots. Not only that, we got our first blossoms! From our first blossoms, we harvested our first grapes. We were so very excited. We managed to make a little bit of wine with the help of our friends. It has been a very exciting year for us. It is still not over since we are still putting the finishing touches on our irrigation system. When we replant our vineyard in April, 2016, we will have water for the young plants!

Happy Holidays!!!!

The holidays are now right around the corner and a thousand projects are littering our home. (So, my husband claims. But, he is enjoying the sweets of my labor, so he's bearing with the clutter...for the moment). This year, we have been enjoying many different kinds of Champagnes and sparkling wines and I've kept the corks. So, what to do with the corks. Some of you who have been reading my blog understand that I am a collector (my husband would say "hoarder") and have seen my blog on Fun with Wine Capsules. So, if I had 800 wine capsules, you can be sure that I have 800 wine corks, possibly more.
But, back to the question of what to do with the corks. Here is one idea that I saw on the Internet and tested for myself.

Wishing All of You Happy Holidays and Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!!!!

2013 Millton Chenin Blanc

We have been envying our friends for a while now, having the adventure of their lives in New Zealand. In photos that they have sent, we have seen them soaring in the air and hiking in the wilds of New Zealand, as well as tending sheep on the vast land owned by their long time friends.
But the envy just got personal when they sent us this photo of 2013 Millton Chenin Blanc that they drank.
We have been on a quest for securing a bottle of Millton Chenin Blanc, still unfulfilled, since my husband did some research on Chenin Blanc.
The Millton Chenin Blanc, having garnered numerous awards is one of the 1001 Wines You Must Taste Before You Die.

Envy! Envy!

2014 Chateau Soucherie Rosé

We recently had this 2014 Chateau Soucherie Rosé which hails from the Loire and is made from Grolleau (70%) and Gamay (30%). I've heard of Gamay but never Grolleau. This Rosé tasted very dry on my palate. Our interest in the Chateau Soucherie stems from the fact that the wine is made by Thibaud Boudignon, the same winemaker that made the 2012 Anjou Blanc that we had and blogged about. On the Metro Wines Website, there is more information: The vines are planted to clay, sandstone and schist soils. The wine is a product of the direct press method of vinification and the elevage is in cuve with bottling occurring usually in April of the spring following harvest.
For a wine that is $16.00 this is a very good value.

2013 Naveran Cava

We are branching out in our bubbly choices. A few nights ago, we had this 2013 Naveran Cava. It was crisp and refreshing with lemony flavors. Cava is a sparkling wine made in Spain. The label on the back of this bottle gave more information. This Cava is made from native Spanish grapes. The three grapes used in the sparkling is Xarel·lo (sounds like ‘Cheryl-ooh’), Macabeo, and Parellada. Each grape used in the making of this Cava lends its signature. Xarel·lo contributes rich floral aromas and pear/melon-like notes, Macabeo had rich floral aromas and pear/melon-like notes, and Parellada is blended for its ripping high acidity and zesty citrus flavors.
Most Cava that can be purchased in the U.S. comes from the Penedès region.

Cava, like Champagne is made in the Método Tradicional (Méthode Champenoise), where the wine is allowed to continue fermentation in the bottle for a period of time. This sparkling wine from Spain can only be labeled "Cava" if it has been made in the Método Tradicional style. A really nice explanation, along with a pictographic representation of the three methods of making a sparkling wine, (1) Méthode Champenoise / Méthode Traditionelle, (2) Transfer Method, and (3) Charmat Process / Metodo Italiano or Martinotti can be found here: HOW TO MAKE SPARKLING WINES LIKE CHAMPAGNE.
The Naveran Cava is an excellent choice for a sparkling wine under $20.00 and might be a good addition to the potent potables for the holiday season just around the corner.
References:
1. Wine Folly, What is Cava?
2. SpanishWine.com, What is Cava?

Birds: Director's Cut

We were in our vineyard early this morning, working on our irrigation project due for inspection tomorrow. It was a beautiful day in the Northeast and we were hearing all kinds of birds in the distance. First, it was loud honking geese and then a sky full of starlings. They landed on the trees in our forest on the east side of the vineyard and we could see them all in the trees. My husband tried to scare them so that we could see them in flight like we did before they settled in the trees, but the noise he made only made them retreat further into the forest.

We didn't have to wait too long for something to scare them towards where we were working and we got this amazing little footage.

Update: It turns out that my husband learned from his forum that a massive flock of starlings is called a murmuration. There is a very interesting article and video on Wired called The Startling Science of a Starling Murmuration. I'm not sure why someone chose "murmuration" to describe a large flock of starlings because the sound they made was nothing like a murmur.

2012 Anjou Blanc

My husband is crediting me for making a searingly acidic Chenin Blanc on our first try. Neither of us realized that searing acidity is one of Chenin Blanc's attributes, but having made the wine, we became aware that Chenin Blanc is to white wine as Barbera is to red wine. My husband then looked on the Internet for searingly acidic Chenin Blanc and found a few gems that we have been able to get our hands on, thanks again to my husband's adeptness at Internet surfing, sourcing, and procurement. (I have to confess, my husband's surfing powers are quite remarkable because when I put in "searingly acidic Chenin Blanc" I don't get nearly as many hits as he does).
Recently, we tasted this 2012 Anjou Blanc made by Thibaud Boudignon. The wine was quite yellow colored in the glass, indicating there might be some oxidation going on, but there were no notes of acetaldehyde that was detectable, instead a wonderfully aromatic nose of tropical fruit wafted from the glass and the taste was of honey and lemons. We drank one glass, appreciating the flavors of this acidic Chenin Blanc and saved the rest for the following evening, when my husband scored striped bass at our local fish monger. So, we paired the 2012 Anjou Blanc with seared striped bass in lemon, butter sauce with a side of wild rice and a fresh green salad. Outstanding!
The following is a quote from Justerini and Brooks Website:
Thibaud’s real passion lies in his three hectares of organically farmed vines, planted at high density in Anjou and Savennières. From his beloved vines, whose health Thibaud sees as paramount to his success, he crafts some of the most refined and intense Chenin we’ve come across. Ageing takes place in a mixture of 225 litre and 600 litre barrels, with less and less new oak being employed for the two top wines. His tireless vineyard work means less manipulation is necessary in the winery. The results are thrilling; concentrated, age-worthy, sophisticated and vital Chenin Blancs that can already be found on the wine lists of many of the best restaurants in London and Paris.
References:
1. Premier Cru The World's Finest Wines, 2012 Anjou Blanc Thibaud Boudignon.
2. Sacred Thirsts Selections, Thibaud Boudignon.

Holiday Greetings from Our Friends at Exultet

I could not resist! Here is a link to a video from our friends at Exultet Estates located in Prince Edward County, Ontario. If you haven't been to Ontario and Prince Edward County, you should go there---they are making some mighty fine wine.

We first met Jerry, Lia, Mario and Joseph in April, 2012. When I saw their video, I was so surprised to see how Mario and Joseph have grown! I guess that just goes to show you that time marches on. This video put a smile on my face---hope it does on yours!

We Have a Ferrari!

It is getting towards the time when the people who have been naughty from the people who have been nice get their just dues. I must have landed in the "nice" group because my husband bought me a Ferrari for Christmas. You'll have to say tuned because it appears that the photo uploading function of Blogger doesn't seem to be working properly at the moment.
Photo upload working again!
Here is our Ferrari! We do already have a corker that came with the wine making kit that my friend gave us but she did mention that it was a temperamental gadget so my husband got this floor corker.