Welcome to my Harvest Blog. In a few days, harvest will begin in Napa Valley. Needless to say, it’s the most exciting time of the year for us. I hope that with this blog, I can share some of the excitement and experience with you.

Well, folks, we’re off and running (and picking and shlepping and pressing and panting…)! Harvest 2005 has begun here on the hill and it’s all looking rosie (not rosé). The vines are lush and full of robust fruit. So far the fruit has been pretty ‘n plump and not a single raisin has been seen. We started off during the last week of August with a variety of grapes from some of our custom...

My gosh, how time flies! Has it really been three weeks since my last writing?!!! Harvest has been hustling along and this has been my first chance to sit at the old word processing machine for more than a couple minutes. I know my last column was quite the cliffhanger ...

... seemed like a sensible way forward. I had a bottle of Clos d’Yvigne ‘Princesse de Cleves’ 2005 Bergerac Blanc Sec 2005. It’s made from a happy blend of sauvignon blanc, sémillon and muscadelle...

... seemed like a sensible way forward. I had a bottle of Clos d’Yvigne ‘Princesse de Cleves’ 2005 Bergerac Blanc Sec 2005. It’s made from a happy blend of sauvignon blanc, sémillon and muscadelle...

I’m not normally a Pinot Grigio fan, although I have a friend who won’t drink anything else, so I usually have a bottle or two in stock. This one is an Estampilla Pinot Grigio 2005 from the Famatina Valley in Argentina. It’s a clear, pale yellowy green with reasonable legs. It smells fruity with a good dollop of banana-ry pear drops as well as over-ripe melon. It’s dry with a crisp...

Hier matin, dégustation