Human, not corporate, independent wines.
Short reads
- Reflection on 2019 In The Vineyard, Cellar and Beyond
- Award Season Begins
- Thoughts on Thanksgiving and Holiday meals
Reflections on 2019 in the Vineyard, Cellar and Beyond
As the end of 2019 comes into sight, we are looking back on what has been a year of rewarding hard work. Over 90% of the US wine market is dominated by the top four distributors who subsequently ‘push’ a few select large production brands owned by the giant firms (that often go to great length to hide their ownership of these brands). That’s the reason why you see pretty much the same wines in most places. Small, family owned wine houses like ours, have to work hard to get placements, often convincing restaurateurs to push back on these giant conglomerates – a real David and Goliath story. For us, that means working hard to produce top quality wines that are true to our values: searching individual vineyards that have the optimal soil and climates with farmers who nurture them, and then working in the cellar with minimal intervention and natural techniques to create amazing wines. We appreciate the ongoing support from independent restaurateurs and clubs who have showcased our wines and the independent wine stores who give an outlet to passionate wine houses like ours. We derive the greatest pleasure from our consumers, who have complimented our wines, taken them to their hearts and shared them on special occasions with friends and family. Wine making is one of the few endeavors in today’s modern world where being independent and small allows greater focus on quality as well as the consumer, and we intend to keep that focus.
In the vineyard, the severe drought of 2017 that produced intense, though low yielding grapes and wines, severely stressed the vineyards. This resulted in lower yields in 2018 despite sufficient rainfall as the vines will take time to recover. This trend continued into 2019. There were sporadic heatwaves early in the 2019 vintage with marked rainfall variation, even within the same viticultural area. In broad terms, areas on mountain slopes had average rainfall whereas the valley had dry conditions. Our vineyards fared well as we were lucky (or good) in both 2019 and 2018, though there was upwards pricing pressure due to the lower yields. We continued expanding our expeditions in search of great vineyards (see Instagram post here and here) and welcomed new egg shaped fermenters (see Instagram post here) for the upcoming Sauvignon Blanc. Lastly, we celebrated along with a rugby mad South Africa, winning the Rugby World Cup which was held in Japan (see Instagram post here and here).
Award Season begins
Thoughts on Thanksgiving and Holiday meals
Of course, our Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the outstanding 2017 vintage, with its fruity and balanced oaky notes, is very well suited to the roasted red meats of December’s holidays.
Talking and Listening To You
All the best,
Lynne and Yair