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Maybe it’s the time of year. Maybe we’re just a tad nostalgic. Whatever
the case, we always like to spend some time in reflection on the
year that was. In the case of 2010, it has certainly been
eventful!
Beginning in January, we hit the ground running with Winter Wineland, an
event sponsored by the Russian River Wineroad. We’re
participating again this year (link to more details). It’s a
wonderful winter time event and helps to combat some of those
post-holiday blues. Moving on into the early spring, we love
the sights, sounds and scents of new life and the eventual
abundance of summer. The 2010 rainy season certainly put a
damper on many outdoor activities (it rained until Memorial Day
weekend here!) but we nonetheless persevered. Passport to
Dry Creek Valley, held the last weekend of April, was once again
a rousing success. Our Jimmy Buffett hideaway swayed to the
motion of the ocean, as Passport holders enjoyed our wines
paired with delectable nibbles while enjoying a wonderful Buffet
cover band. 
Once the rains ended, our picnic grounds got some
much-needed attention, with some tree thinning as well as
several additional improvements. For those of you that know our
winery, the picnic grounds here are second to none and we pride
ourselves in offering a relaxing oasis from the bustle of a busy
wine country weekend.
The summer season was full of activity. Our big public event was held in
June and was perhaps our signature event of the year. The
centerpiece was an incredible Beatles band called the Sun
Kings. More than 600 people packed our picnic area to witness
an incredible rendition of the second side of Abby road. This
event was so popular we have asked the Sun Kings to come back –
mark your calendars now –
June 25, 2011!
Heading into harvest, we were all a bit worried about what was happening
in the vineyard. July was unusually cold and so bud break was
very late in the season. Vineyard development lagged far
behind. Several heat spikes in August served to throw a wrench
in the works. More cool weather arrived in September followed
by several drenching rains storms in mid-October. All in all,
we think this was the most wacky, interesting and tough to read
harvests we’ve ever experienced. The silver lining is that we
have a team of pros that made all the difference in our cellar
and vineyards. With all of the grapes now finished with
fermentations and resting comfortably in barrel or stainless
steel tanks, we’ve had a chance to try several lots of wines and
things are tasting superb. Whew!
Looking ahead to 2011, the sky ‘s the limit. We are excited to roll out
some new changes in our tasting room, wine club and other areas
of the winery. For now, we’ll keep those announcements under
wraps.
From our family to yours, we wish you a joyous holiday season and we’ll
see you in the New Year! |
