Monday, 7:30am - rain's back! Shoot:( No reds today. Make the best decisions we can with the information we have. Back to it tomorrow, big day.
Nice NPR, "Spoken Word" piece Friday. Can be found at the following URL: http://www.spokenword.org/program/749459
Fun discussion on Suisun Valley and upcoming "Fun Family Farm Days", October 25. Just 25 minutes if you have the time, thanks to Tracy, Vicki and Ron for the interview:)
2007 LC Merlot, off the charts! Best varietal wine we've made to date. Great release party Saturday.
Owl House Red - Wow! I misunderstood it's appeal. Recent ACNielsen data suggests 1 in 5 table wine brands introduced features and animal on the label and sales generated by new brands featuring a "critter" outperform other new tables wine by more than double. Right package, right price, right wine.
Until tomorrow.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Sunshine!
We're back in business! hooray for us. reds, reds and more reds on Monday. Full week ahead. Happy to have the work.
With the crazy success of our newest wine, Owl House Red, and the ongoing traction with our PQ Red cuvee, and Estate GSM; I was getting a little worried we weren't going to be able to bring in enough red grapes this season. Feel a little (ok a lot) better now:)
2007 Merlot, release party tomorrow. Our best varietal wine to date! Excited to have people taste it.
Nothing but blue skies an sunshine ahead. Nearing 81 degrees today. Get outdoors and enjoy this fabulous Fall weather!
With the crazy success of our newest wine, Owl House Red, and the ongoing traction with our PQ Red cuvee, and Estate GSM; I was getting a little worried we weren't going to be able to bring in enough red grapes this season. Feel a little (ok a lot) better now:)
2007 Merlot, release party tomorrow. Our best varietal wine to date! Excited to have people taste it.
Nothing but blue skies an sunshine ahead. Nearing 81 degrees today. Get outdoors and enjoy this fabulous Fall weather!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Rain, rain go away . . .
Trace amounts last night, very moist out today. Yuck:( Still can't get back into the vineyards. Next pick on Monday maybe? Hope it dries out quickly!
Hear reports out of Napa that grape yields are down due to the "boring", uneventful weather this year, but that quality potential is extremely high. Grape supply, can you say, inventory challenges? We know, 'premium' wine sales are sluggish at best and that well respected properties have become grape sellers themselves this year while they try and undig from backed wines. But believe it or not we had a balanced supply picture in California coming into the 2009 harvest.
So to follow up on this point, somewhere in the last 9-18 months, on top of the 'balanced' california wine grape market many wineries collectively purchased the equivalent of 20% of the existing California grape supply in foreign juice, (mostly Australian). This tipped the scales on the low end. So slowing premium wine sales and a perceived oversupply on the 'low end' quashed any market opportunity.
Stuck in the middle with 'premium' North Coast wine grapes and no where to go!
Right now, there are many branded California, USA products that include globally sourced juice and as far as I can tell, according to existing rules they are entitled to source up to 25% in a given product. Isn't this what you call commoditization? Where's the integrity in California products that have bought into this shell game?
I agree that the legacy of the "Great Recession" we currently experience is likely lower consumer spending. No one predicted the meltdown of our global economy. It's a mess out there. But business decisions were made which will likely affect our grape market for years to come. Like all others, our business cycles. But this 'bottom' just feels harder than others and for good reason. Faced with a common dillema to shift with our market or perish at our own free will. We will continue to produce, estate grown wines from 100 % California grown grapes.
Our winery is at capacity this year, and wine sales are plugging along nicely. Indeed we have 'quality' problems. But on the vineyard side of things, as a result of lower grape revenue, and thus less available cash, we will have to make some uncommonly hard decisions for the upcoming season(s).
But, onward and upward!
Trace amounts last night, very moist out today. Yuck:( Still can't get back into the vineyards. Next pick on Monday maybe? Hope it dries out quickly!
Hear reports out of Napa that grape yields are down due to the "boring", uneventful weather this year, but that quality potential is extremely high. Grape supply, can you say, inventory challenges? We know, 'premium' wine sales are sluggish at best and that well respected properties have become grape sellers themselves this year while they try and undig from backed wines. But believe it or not we had a balanced supply picture in California coming into the 2009 harvest.
So to follow up on this point, somewhere in the last 9-18 months, on top of the 'balanced' california wine grape market many wineries collectively purchased the equivalent of 20% of the existing California grape supply in foreign juice, (mostly Australian). This tipped the scales on the low end. So slowing premium wine sales and a perceived oversupply on the 'low end' quashed any market opportunity.
Stuck in the middle with 'premium' North Coast wine grapes and no where to go!
Right now, there are many branded California, USA products that include globally sourced juice and as far as I can tell, according to existing rules they are entitled to source up to 25% in a given product. Isn't this what you call commoditization? Where's the integrity in California products that have bought into this shell game?
I agree that the legacy of the "Great Recession" we currently experience is likely lower consumer spending. No one predicted the meltdown of our global economy. It's a mess out there. But business decisions were made which will likely affect our grape market for years to come. Like all others, our business cycles. But this 'bottom' just feels harder than others and for good reason. Faced with a common dillema to shift with our market or perish at our own free will. We will continue to produce, estate grown wines from 100 % California grown grapes.
Our winery is at capacity this year, and wine sales are plugging along nicely. Indeed we have 'quality' problems. But on the vineyard side of things, as a result of lower grape revenue, and thus less available cash, we will have to make some uncommonly hard decisions for the upcoming season(s).
But, onward and upward!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Rain, rain, rain
Day 1, finally entered the 21st century, Blogging. Yeah for me:)
Rain, 4.41 inches in Suisun! I'm guessing the white grape harvest just officially ended:( But the good news? My nights have become days again. Still have reds on the vine: Merlot, Cab, Syrah, Mourvedre and yes Counoise.
14 years harvesting for me and still can't recall this much rain, this quickly this early (or late in the growing season). Some reports out of Sac that this storm will make the history books. Will likely take 4-7 days to dry out. Will the rest of reds make it? Hoping for the 80 they're predicting (and wind would be nice).
On to another 'sore' subject; grape sales. First time in our history (22 years) there hasn't been a market above harvest cost for Chardonnay. Lots of Chardonnay still on the vine with no home; not, fun! Tough got tougher and toughest this year.
I get why it happened, wish it hadn't. Can you say labeling laws? More on this later.
Onward and upward.
Rain, 4.41 inches in Suisun! I'm guessing the white grape harvest just officially ended:( But the good news? My nights have become days again. Still have reds on the vine: Merlot, Cab, Syrah, Mourvedre and yes Counoise.
14 years harvesting for me and still can't recall this much rain, this quickly this early (or late in the growing season). Some reports out of Sac that this storm will make the history books. Will likely take 4-7 days to dry out. Will the rest of reds make it? Hoping for the 80 they're predicting (and wind would be nice).
On to another 'sore' subject; grape sales. First time in our history (22 years) there hasn't been a market above harvest cost for Chardonnay. Lots of Chardonnay still on the vine with no home; not, fun! Tough got tougher and toughest this year.
I get why it happened, wish it hadn't. Can you say labeling laws? More on this later.
Onward and upward.
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