Here’s something I get asked a lot: “Are you guys busy growing grapes and making wine all year or do you have an off-season?”
Good question.
Generally, we’re swamped all year. In the Spring we’re mostly pruning the vines and racking/blending in the Cellar. The arrival of Summer necessitates all sorts of care for the vines in the vineyard and for the wines in the cellar, as well as a heck of a lotta bottling. Fall, of course, is Harvest. Then there’s Winter…
December is clean-up time. And when all the year’s wine is tucked away in barrel and all the Crush equipment is scrubbed and put away then, much like the bare vines in the vineyard, we get to go sorta dormant for a few weeks. Most of the vineyard crew takes most of the month off, many heading South for a sunny break with family and friends. And the rest of us finally have time to simply hang out and eat and drink and ponder life’s many mysteries. In that very spirit (and because I can’t think of anything else to write at the moment) I offer up my First Annual Top 5 Things to Ponder on a Cold Winter’s Night:
1. I hate to be a sore loser but what’s up with Obama’s nomination of “The Satan of Seedsavers”, Tom Vilsack, to the post of Secretary of Agriculture? You may have seen my blog rant several weeks ago condemning his consideration for the job. And you may have seen my much happier post a week or so later when it was announced that Organic-minded folks like you and me pressured the President-elect to drop that silly notion. And you may be reading THIS post where I just heard that Vilsack is, indeed, our new leader of food and farms. Ah, well. Sometimes life is like that…
2. Why is syrah not a lot more popular? Sure, it sells O.K., but not like cabernet. But think about it — It grows great in a lot of places in California (and other states); it is made in different, delicious styles; it goes with food better than most other red varietals; and, overall, it’s a better value than cab or pinot. Syrah worship – Is it wrong?
3. Recent studies show that, like humans, some honeybees are downright lazy. It’s true. Most individual honeybee foragers make numerous trips to collect pollen or nectar during their short, busy lives. But some “foraging” bees venture out only once or twice a day, and appear to just kinda hang out in the hive most of the time while their sisters do most of the work. For some reason I find that very comforting…
4. What’s up with the 49ers? Are they really, actually, truly getting better after all these years or are the past few games a fluke? I gotta say, I really like Singletary and that Hill is cool as a frozen cucumber in the pocket. Let’s hope upper management doesn’t screw it all up. Then there’s the Raiders…
5. Why can’t people be more like dogs? I guess maybe a lot of work wouldn’t get done but I guess we wouldn’t care, either. Right? And I think having a tail would be pretty cool…
There you have it. Now you have some food for thought to fire off to break those occasional icy silences while entertaining Aunt Dora for the Holidays. Or, better yet, forget pondering and just pop in “It’s A Wonderful Life” and zone out in dog-like bliss by the fire with a glass of wine.
Happy Happy Holidays!
Tony
p.s. If you have any scintillating revelations about these topics or anything else, let me know…
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi again,
We eat out with our wine tasting group a lot, I was hoping that the “supper club” was a new way to enjoy wine… Finding wine friendly restaurants is always difficult. I have eaten at the Loft and its a good place in downtown San Jose for dinner. They seem very BYOB wine friendly.
Anyway, you have an interesting list to ponder. First of all, I am a city boy, so the Secretary of Agriculture is normally of only passing interest. I can see how it is important to wineries. May be I need to ponder this more.
Why is syrah not a lot more popular? Well I like syrah, but most of the ones I have tasted are one dimensional. Great big fruit, some oak and that’s it. I have tasted many Cabs that are multidimensional. I think syrah could be multidimensional, but I have not seen much of it yet.
Number 3, I think about 5% of any population are just not going to contribute to the whole, bugs, animals, humans it’s all the same. May be being lazy is part of the genes we all share.
I can only hope that the 49er’s owners get smart and hire Singletary and then let him build a winning team again. However, I have not seen a lot of smarts of late.
Hey, I am a cat person. I believe that you have to earn respect from your animals, dogs just love you no matter what. Cats not so much, it takes a bit more work… A tail could be fun. If we were more like cats we would never get anything done.
Have a great Holiday
p. s. I love your wines, you seem to understand that wines don’t have to be 15% alc. to be good. How much alcohol does your Syrah come in at?
I agree — in general, California syrah doesn’t quite have the complexity of something like cabernet. But it CAN have a deep, juicy, peppery character that cab can’t match. And if I’m firing up hamburgers and sausages on the Weber a good syrah is gonna make me a lot happier than a serious cab. Michel-Schlumberger syrah, by the way is typically mid 14 for alcohol, depending on vintage. We shoot for more of a Rhone style — finesse over power. Those hot, super sweet syrahs are too much for me, too.
tony
p.s. Yeah — NINERS!!! O.K., it was only the Rams but what a finish!
I have one to ponder, why can’t you find really good pizza in California like you can in New York? In this day and age, the technology is surely there!
And I agree with you, why can’t more people like Syrah, myself I am an ABC kinda gal –anything but Chard or Cab. Always having to be the person to order something different! I think it’s important to experiment with your foods (ok and with your wines) it makes life more exciting that way.
And your Syrah is probably my favorite wine of all that you make!
Dogs rock; did you get the Cork Supply Animal Rescue Calendar for 2009? Is your dog’s pic in it? I haven’t been through all the hundreds of winery pet pics yet. My little terrier is in January; I’m so proud.
I’ve always liked Syrahs and mostly forgive the problem when they turn out to be one-note. Top of my list of Favorite Things Discovered in 2008, however, is the way Syrah REALLY shines with Moroccan and Indian food, especially Moroccan. The mixture of fruit and spice flavors in a dish of Moroccan chicken and couscous with apricots, for instance, is absolutely sublime with Syrah. [The Syrah I opened the night we first had this epiphany was McDowell, 1997 Syrah, Mendo, an old beauty my Dad gave me.]
I’ve been prosletyzing this discovery to anyone who will listen, and serving to many friends since I made the discovery. I hope you’ll try it if you haven’t already.
Cheers, T.
Thanks for all the pondering insights, folks. Sorry I’m a bit late with this — I just got back from 2 incredible weeks in Argentina. After that exerience my new question is “why aren’t people drinking more Malbec?” Seriously — it’s THAT good. And cheap. And goes with pretty much any meal you throw at it. Speaking of meals, I was very dissapointed in the highly touted pizza of Buenos Aires. The crust is pretty good but, man, they pour on the cheese.
tony
p.s. Thanks for the Morroccan/syrah tip, Tina. My wife makes a mean Morroccan chicken dish — I’ll ty the pairing this week! Also, sadly, my 2 whippets are not featured in the Cork Supply calendar this year. But you can check out their cute little faces (and my alter winemaking ego) at http://www.cruvindogs.com. If you like dogs and art and great wine you’ll love the site.