it is just grapejuice

- John Ciardi, American poet (1916-86)

Digital Photography by Josh Stevenson and Flashpoint Photography

Good day, every one!

I know it’s just now fall, but it’s never too early to think about xmas. I found a great website where you can shop for your fabulous lady friends (or your fabulous self) and improve your karma:
http://globalgirlfriends.com
Very cool gifts all made on a fair trade basiss from homeless women in Chicago to artisans all over the globe. Save yourself the trip to World Market. Buy online and help a sista out.

Love you all, Annie

What a week. I do not really know what to say. I could fill this dispatch with some of my new vocabulary. Words and concepts like brix, ph, racking, barrel washing, SO2, volatile acidity, fermentation, yeast, micro-bins and the virtues of grape sorting, which could make an interesting dispatch. Or, perhaps a pontification about really cool vineyards and wineries such as Westerly, Paradise, Rancho Santa Margarita, Cuatro Vientos, James Barry, Melville, The Wine Ghetto, Ampelos, Ovene, Arcadian, Brian Loring or Linne Calodo. I could ramble on for hours about how to clean wine barrels- good times and note worthy. A fast fact or 2 might suffice; did you know that most of the technology in a winery is based around the dairy industry? How about a restaurant review? I had the distinct pleasure of having a harvest lunch with 5 winemakers from 3 different countries at a quirky restaurant known simply as Chef Rick’s. It would all make good material.
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Located in Los Olivos, this vineyard surrounds the house I am staying in.

This is a birds eye view of some of the fermenters/tanks at Central Coast Wine Services. The barrels laid out in front are getting ready to be filled with Westerly Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc.
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This 12 acre vineyard is located about 20 minutes south of Los Olivos. It is planted 100% to syrah.
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So the table of the week is seated at the chef’s table, opposite the line and wants to talk wine right away. In search of a chardonnay, I played the wild card: “Do you like Reisling?”
Vichysoisse, with beets and chives, followed by short rib consomme and, thirdly, divers sea scallops with fennel and shaved apple were the first three of eight courses.
“I don’t think so, let’s stick with what we know… Far Niente?” he searched for approval.
This wasn’t going to be easy.
“Hmmmmm. How about Burgundy? Chablis? Too steely? Meursault? Could be interesting…” I began with ‘04 Verget and found quick agreement all around.
“Premier cru, right?” This, tableside, as I arrive with bottle. Was there a mixup? A modest $75 Meursault confused for 1er cru? I, myself, am not closure prejudiced… but I somehow felt that the screwcap formatted bottle in my hand was not complimenting my judgement in the eyes of this group.
Soon, a second bottle was ordered. It may not have been rated in the 90’s by RP or WS, but one thing, I think, that is often overlooked by critics is food compatibility and, in that department, white Burgundy (for me) is a sure thing.

RF

Life is finally settling down for me. It is nice to get a
little settled. The trip out was uneventful- except for Las Vegas. The
last few times that I had been there were quite fun and on the company dime.
It was less so when I had to foot the bill! The next time anyone says that
(L) is expensive they obviously have not been to sin city.

Life here in Los Olivos (where I am staying) is truly perfect. The woman
who owns the place, Noel, has been very kind to me. The house is surrounded
by a 6 acre vineyard that boasts syrah and viognier. She named the vineyard
‘Cuatro Vientos’- the four winds. I asked why she named it that, and she
said that when she was filling out the paperwork for certification, it was the
first thing that popped into her head.

The place where Seth makes his wines (both for Westerly Vineyards and his
own label) is in Santa Maria- which is about 30 miles north of Los Olivos.
The winery is actually a huge co-op. It has a commercial operation that
produces god only knows how much wine for labels like Rex Goliath and 2 buck
chuck. It is also a custom crush facility for wineries that do not have
their own stuff- i.e., fermenters, bottling line, barrel storage, crush pad,
filters, and whatever else a wine maker might need. The list of wineries
that custom crush at the Central Coast Wine Source include Red Car,
Bonnacorsi, The Hitching Post, Arcadian, Point Concepcion, Lane Tanner and
others. It is very cool to see how all of these different wineries handle
their operations.

I am off to go to Westerly Vineyards this morning. We are bringing in 4
tons of Viognier which after analysis was determined to be ready for
harvest. It is then off to the winery to oversee de-stemming and press.
After the Viognier is resting on it’s lees in a tank, we will rack 2 tanks of
SB and wash barrels. Good times. If work allows it, I will meet Mike
Padrick at the hitching post for dinner. He claims the ‘05 Lorings are
showing great right now.

Kevin Furtado