Drinking Seasonally…
Happy February! A little update on the winery, vineyard, and how to drink seasonally this month!
What’s happening in the winery / vineyard:
Vineyard: SO. MUCH. RAIN. Which is great. The soils are saturated and replenished. And the vines are in their resting phase and taking full advantage of this moisture to hydrate and store up nutrients for the upcoming season. And while a rainy winter often means a lot of relaxation as there isn’t much we can do in the vineyard, it's often a sign for a lot of work to come in the spring. Because the vines have acquired so much strength and resources over the winter growing their roots it often means they will be quite vigorous in the spring, with dense canopies which requires more shoot thinning and green pruning. But those are good problems to have.
The vineyard team is also almost done pruning the vineyard. This helps us control the grape production for the upcoming year. So, for example if we want more grapes, we will leave more buds on the vines. Which is good to do if the vines are vigorous with a lot of energy. But if the vines look weak and need more strength, or we want less fruit with more concentration, we will prune the vines more, limiting the buds. This is one of my favorite activities, each vine is like its own puzzle to solve and cut down. Very therapeutic. Unfortunately this winter I don’t have as much time to get out their and prune, but hoping to steal another day sometime soon.
Winery: Since I am not making a lot of wine, and have a very ‘minimal intervention’ approach, there is quite literally nothing happening in the winery. Esteban and I check in and taste about once a month but that is about it! Oh… and in an attempt to post more on social media this year I somehow got myself permanently banned from TikTok (I now see it as a blessing).
New dad, Rambo, in the vineyard.
Drinking seasonally:
I read an article recently about how ‘living seasonally’ can bring you joy, help you savor the moments, and make time feel like it's not passing so quickly. And while of course there are the obvious ideas of eating seasonally, celebrating certain holidays, and doing activities, I thought it would be cool to highlight how you can drink wine seasonally. So this is what I have for February:
Black History Month:
Celebrate Black History Month by opening up a bottle made from a Black winemaker or Black owned winery!
My personal pics:
McBride Sisters- Sparkling Brut Rosé Hawke's Bay NV
Kumusha Wines Cabernet Sauvignon/Cinsault
Winter Olympics:
The winter olympics in Italy this year call for crisp mountain wines from the Alto Adige region for the skiing events, Asti to match the sparkling outfits of the figure skaters, and perhaps some Valpolicella and a pizza to pair for the closing ceremonies taking place in Verona…
Valentine’s Day:
I know, I am a little late on this… but…
Instead of flowers, a bottle of indoVINO cabernet franc!
Instead of chocolates, a delectably sweet bottle of Pedro Ximinez to sip on the couch after dinner…
Or a drinkable valentine’s card like Buckel Family Wine’s “You are beautiful” Pinot Noir
Bad Bunny’s top wine picks:
If you weren’t already obsessed before the super bowl, I imagine you are now. And while Benito is known for so many more amazing things, he also has impeccable taste in wine. Here are some of his faves that are also my faves:
Los Conejos Malditos Tempranillo Carbónico
A delicious wine from Spanish producer Más Que Vinos which gives a lighter expression of Spanish tempranillo with notes of red fruits and fresh acidity.
Le Coste Litrozzo Rosso
A light, italian red wine that is playful, fun, and comes in a 1L bottle so perfect for sharing with friends.
What’s coming up:
On deck is finishing pruning the vineyard, blending the 2024 wines, and prepping for bottling. We will also be throwing a second round of Vino y Tarot (more to come) and an indoVINO family trip to Mexico to celebrate our cousin’s wedding!