The Punch Down

A Harvest-Time Photo Essay

 From Grape to Wine, the following pictures illustrate what has been going on over the last several weeks in Wine Country.

 

Fruit is picked and then brought in in 1/2 ton bins for processing.

After being de-stemmed, the fruit is then put through a sorting table to remove any unwanted material - i.e. stems, leafs, undesirable fruit.

Once sorting is completed, the fruit is then put into 1 ton fermenting bins, then inoculated and the magic begins

 

The ferment is monitored, nutrients are added to aid the health of the yeast, and the cap is punched down to ensure that all of the ferment is kept moist and active.

 

After a good punch down, the cap is alive with action

 

Once the fermentation is complete, it is time to drain and press the fruit. All of the wine is drained out of the fermenter, and then the remaining pumice is pressed to release more wine that is still contained in it.

The wine is then put into French oak barrels for aging and storage.

Every step of the way, from fruit to bottle, we take great pride and care. Harvest 2009, you have been great!

Cheers,

Austin.

Harvest is Almost Sorted Out

I like to think that we don't do harvest the easy way (sometimes by design, sometimes not...). The sorting table is a great example.

2 TONS PER HOUR!!!

And well worth it. This allows us to make sure that quality is ensured through out the entire winemaking process. Since we take great pride in the fruit that comes from Bill's vineyards, it only makes sense that we commit to the highest quality practices from that vineyard, all of the way to the bottle.

Cheers!

Austin.

All Bottled Up

We like to keep it intersting around here, so not only are we going to start bringing in fruit this week, but we are bottling as well. I guess we just like to keep our cellar crew feeling needed!

Ha!

While it is a bit crazy, it is awesome. Especially this specific bottling run.

Welcome Expression 38 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.

 

-Austin.

 

Wine In Space - is it that crazy of an idea???

 A week or so ago, I poured wine at the New Space 2009 event that was put on by The Space Frontier Foundation and The Nasa Ames Research Center to promote the idea of commercial space. 

                                                  

  This is far from the idea of watching someone collect moon rocks on the evening news; this is the idea that instead of that vacation to Hawaii for the holidays, you take your family on a trip to a luxury space station!

There are all sorts of companies lining up funding, research and the technology to create environments in space that would allow people to not only visit space, but take part in activities such as dining in a moon gravity environment, playing sports at micro gravity, or even space dive!

For an idea of what space diving is, please visit this You Tube link as well as Orbital Outfitters

So... Why not wine??? I personally will make sure that I will be the first to go do a wine event in space!

The only worry is can I still swirl?

Think about it...

Austin.

That's not Oregon Pinot!

Wait a minute! That's not an Oregon Pinot!

But it sure is good.

Sometimes when your immersed in something (wine... or more specifically, Pinot Noir) you have to take a step back and appreciate some of the other pleasures in life! In this case, Oregon Micro Brews!

Its nice to be able to end the day on a sales trip, on the roof of your hotel, drinking a craft beer that they brewed downstairs...

doesn't get much better.

Life is out there.... you just have to go enjoy it!

-Austin.

Down Time

As show before in a previous post, View From the Top, I have been trying to progress in the sport of skydiving. Although, up until this weekend, I have been absent from the drop zone for the past 6 months. 

But I am back!

That's me in the black!

All it took was a two hour refresher ground course, and I was back up in the plane..... and then back out of the plane.

Cheers, and Blue Skies!

Austin.

Mendocino Pinot Night at California Wine Merchant

With the Pinot Days event fast approaching San Francisco, Greg O'Flynn and his Marina neighborhood wine shop and bar, California Wine Merchant, have been hosting Pinot Noir tastings every Monday night. This past Monday featured four producers from the Mendocino area.

Macphail Wines, Phillips Hill Estates, Couloir Wines and Expression 39.

Austin Robertson (Me) from Expression 39 and Jon Grant of Couloir Wines

Gabriel Ricketts of Macphail Wines and Toby Hill of Phillips Hill Estates

The event was a hit! The wine bar was packed and everyone seemed to be having a great time. What a great line up of wines as well. I love doing events where I want to walk out with at least a bottle of wine from everyone there.

Be sure to catch up coming events at California Wine Merchant on Monday Wine Nights.

Also, if you missed out on these great wines, you can catch all of us at Pinot Days at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on June 28th.

Go to www.pinotdays.com to check out the event details.

Cheers,

Austin.

2009 Auction Napa Valley - Barrel Auction

This last weekend was the 29th annual Auction Napa Valley event. It is always a grand event with people coming in to town from all over the world to bid on wines and other unique auction items that can only be offered through the participating wineries.

Friday is always the Barrel Auction; a casual daytime event with hundreds of barrel samples to bid on, as well as an outdoor marketplace filled with local fare prepared by some of the areas most well known chefs and eateries.  

Bill and Tina Hill enjoying the day at the barrel auction.

If you have the chance to go to the auction sometime, it is quite the experience.

Austin.

From "High Roller" to off the "Deep End"

For the past couple of weekends, my girlfriend, Ana, and I have set up camp in the Anderson Valley. (By the way... the local vernacular, or Boontling, term for Girlfriend is "Applehead". I'll just put that out there for educational purposes. If I were to refer to Ana that way...."I wouldn't have no Applehead no more!")

We have covered both the East end (High Roller - Boontling) and the West end (Deep End - Boontling) of the valley.  The first weekend we set up in The Paul Dimmick Camp Site, located in "The Deep End" of Anderson Valley, or the more West end of the Valley near Navarro.  The site was amazing. Situated in the redwood forest along the Navarro River, Paul Dimmick was a very relaxing site with nice amenities, and also proved to be a great staging point the next days travels to Mendocino and Fort Bragg.

The first weekend also proved to be an educational trip on the area and just what it has to offer. We realized that we missed out on the amazing biking opportunities out there. So, we made sure to bring the bikes on the next trip.

The second weekend, we camped at Indian Creek (more toward the "High Roller" side of the valley). This camp site was also situated in the redwood forest. With Indian Creek running right through the camp, we were able to hike down the bank to where it merged with The Navarro River.

Once we were at the river, we were able to hike along the banks and in some cases, wade through knee to waist high water to the next bend. I will remember that hike for as long as I live! Definitely one of the most breathtakingly beautiful areas that I have ever seen.

The next morning, we woke up really early and packed up camp. We were headed out to Mendocino and the Van Damme State Park to ride our bikes.

The ride was great. It was early enough that we were the only ones out on the trail. It was a bit cold though. Especially when we both charged through a creek bed and got soaked! Lots of fun though.

The rest of the day was spent between eating breakfast at The Mendocino Hotel (they actually pour Expression 39, Anderson Valley by the glass!) and taking a nap on the beach. We also were able to break up the drive home with another bike ride at Annadel State Park in Santa Rosa. 

NOT A BAD MEMORIAL DAY!!!

If you ever have a chance to visit The Anderson Valley, whether it be for wine or any other reason, don't be foolish and pass it up!

Cheers,

Austin.

on the road again.... just can't wait to get on the road again...

Practice, practice, practice...

Let's just say that I drive a lot. I figure that between business and personal reasons, I drive to Southern California via Interstate 5 about 10+ times a year. I have also figured that I know the road so well that I could make the trip in my sleep.

I did not sleep while making the drive this week, but I sure as hell drove while I should have been asleep! I left the Bay Area at 3:25 am and was able to  make my appointment in Orange, Ca at 9:30! (That is knowing your drive time)

              

SUNRISE TO SUNSET!!!!

All of the day... all in a day's work...

Austin.