Harvesting This Sunday: Calling All Strong Men & Nubile Maidens

"Merlot" Mike's poetry waxes elegant as harvest is only 5 days away! Enjoy his update -- I'm going out to the vineyard as the sun sets to pick some grapes to make Bluey's Tempranillo jam.

Mike, owner of Escondido Sunrise Vineyard and a founding member of the Hidden Meadows Winemakers Association, writes today:

"Greetings From The Vineyard: .... I went up and down the rows, collecting samples from each of the three sections … bringing the grapes back to my rudimentary little lab … squeezing each grape in the plastic baggy for that particular section … and then analyzing the juice. Again, I picked close to 100 grapes, a large enough sample that it should be giving reasonably accurate results. As shown on the updated table attached, the sugar level only rose by 0.5% over the course of an entire week … as opposed to a 1.4% increase during the preceding week.

"So, the sugar is at 24.7 (average between all three sections) and the acid is dropping (a “good” thing) … the acid was 0.69 per my analysis on Saturday morning. In an “ideal” world, the grape acid level will be between 0.60 and 0.75 at harvest … but, if it should be a bit lower, we are prepared to supplement the natural acid with a blend of acids to adjust the acid level up to a desired level prior to starting fermentation. The pH was 3.37.

"There are a number of ways to evaluate how ripe the grapes are … the three numbers above are used as part of the analysis … each tells us something different … and there are a number of ratios that we calculate with these three factors that also tend to indicate the degree of ripeness. That said, there are other less scientific ways of evaluating the ripeness … with two of the simplest methods involving tasting and evaluating the color of the seeds. So, I tasted … I spat … I rolled the poor little seeds around in my hand … enjoying the sweetness of the juice … noting that the seeds, that were mostly green with some brown 10 days ago, are now mostly brown with some green. Ideally, we will have brown little seeds with almost no green when we harvest.

"All this being said … “why do we care?” is a logical question … especially when most growers would already be picking. We care because the longer we can allow the grapes to hang, up until the point that they have simply turned to raisins, phenolics continue to develop. Phenolics give the wine much of it’s character … allow it to develop “characteristics” … there really is a difference between “Two Buck Chuck” and the wine that a good winemaker can make if he has quality grapes to work with … and since we work all year to get to the day that the grapes are “ripe”, we want to wait until the grapes are as close to perfect as we can possibly get them to be … before we pluck their sweet little carcasses off the stems that have nourished them for their short existence, thrusting them into the Italian crusher that breaks open their little bodies without crushing their tiny seeds, allowing the sweetness held within to burst forth mixing with the grape skins, extracting color from the skins, tannin from the seeds and skin, and looking up at us with eager expectation of the fermentation that will start shortly converting that special sweetness into a ruby red elixir with an ability to turn old men into youthful lovers and tarnished damsels into objects of intense desire. So, now you know why we care. Would you want anything less?

"All this having been said, to try to achieve this peak of perfection, this ripe rapture, this juicy jammy state of grape nirvana … we cut off the water well before the expected harvest date so that the grapes begin to shrivel a bit as the water evaporates, pulling up the concentration of sugars … from the winemaker’s perspective, this is wonderful … from the farmer’s standpoint, since you charge by the pound for grapes and shriveled, concentrated grapes weigh less than plump (filled to the brim with as much water as the grapes can retain) grapes, the farmer would rather harvest plump grapes with lower sugar levels (before the birds swoop in and devour the harvest) … and, having cut off the water I looked with amazement as water fell from the sky this morning, giving drinks that I hadn’t intended to the vineyard. With the potential for more rain in the forecast … but at some point, you have to point to the calendar and give it a good guess … so, we’ve done that and targeted a date. WE HOPE TO PICK THIS COMING SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 31ST, FOR THE FIRST HARVEST OF THIS SEASON … subject to another reading of the sugar, acid and pH levels and the cooperation of the weather … more rain most probably equals a week delay in harvest … dry, heat most probably equals harvesting this Sunday.

"Most of you probably know the routine … we congregate in the picnic area near the vineyard between 7:00 and 7:20 AM, start the day with a champagne toast, grab our clippers and a five gallon bucket and venture forth into the vineyard to free the grapes from the vines while the air is still cool (hopefully). The buckets are poured into larger containers scattered about the vineyard … some paid helpers lug the larger containers to the end of the row where a vehicle retrieves them and takes them up to the crush pad (that doubles the other 364 days of the year as the covered walkway in front of the pub) where each container is weighed so that a count is kept to insure that we pick enough but not too much (hoping for other winemakers to yet descend on the vineyard in search of the perfect grape). It’s fun, dusty, has the potential for sweat to break out on more than your forehead, and a time for talking and enjoying a beautiful (thunderstorms can be quite lovely) morning … waiting for the call of “That’s enough grapes for today” to signal one and all that it is time to return to the picnic area for libations and lunch (we always make a couple crockpots of “stuff” … generally large hunks of beef with rolls and potato salad … some folks bring something to share … some winemakers bring samples of their wines for others to try … we always have an assortment of our wines out for the adventurous … and, although I may not get “authorization” for it, I was thinking that a crockpot of chili sounded pretty good too.) We have 20+ spare pair of clippers … if you have some, please bring them with you.

"I will take another reading to be sure that the weather change isn’t impacting things too much and follow up with a more detailed email evaluating the degree of ripeness and instructions to come to the vineyard."

Please contact us if you need directions to the vineyard. Cheers!

One Week To Harvest: Ready or Not

The wineries in Blue-Merle Country are nearing harvest time. Yeast, tartaric acid, DMP, potasium metabisulfite and "super food" (a yeast nutrient) have been ordered and delivered by Steven of Vintner's vault, who drove a trailer from Paso Robles to San Diego full of supplies and equipment including bladder presses and crusher-destemmers. We are busy rinsing out the fermenters. As the Blue-Merle Vineyard will be selling our grapes today at the Farmer's Market, the princess and Bluey are out in the vineyard cutting down the purple delicacies. (As our vines are only 2 years old, they are not yet optimum for wine-making, but boy do they taste good to eat! I've heard it said that grapes are the sweetest fruit -- I concur.)

Next door, "Merlot Mike" from Escondido Sunrise Vineyard is approximately one week away from Harvest Day. Here is his latest update, in the words of MerlotMike himself:

"The weather has been perfect … the grapes are getting darker … the taste sweeter … the seeds are turning from green to mottled brown-green on their way to becoming fully brown (one of the many indicators of ripeness). We took another 100+ grape sample on and were surprised to find that the brix had climbed to 24.2 (one brix = 1% sugar in solution). I am attaching a spreadsheet that shows the changes in the sugar levels as the days march along towards harvest. Note that we are running ahead of where we have been in prior years … and our vineyard always seems to be among the first to harvest … our micro-climate evidently encourages early ripening.

"After measuring the sugar level (higher than expected) and the seeds (still has more ripening to go), I measured the acid level. You do this by titrating a sample of the grape juice. The acid level was 0.80 … which was above the desirable level at ripeness. We want to target a level between 0.60 and 0.75. As the grapes ripen and the sugar level rises, the acid level declines … approaching a point where optimum ripeness is achieved...

"[after] testing the acid and sugar levels, I was supposed to measure the pH level … but, being out of practice (I only do this each year as harvest is rolling around) I looked at the lovely glass of grape juice setting on my work bench and drank each and every last drop … so, my pH analysis will have to wait until the next specimen is taken. From the official test of “How did it taste?”, it passed with flying colors.

"I have attached photos of the vineyard showing a view yesterday morning and evening … note how the vines have been cut back (given haircuts) with the net wrapped around each of the rows. The leaves have been pulled near the grapes, giving the clusters a bit more exposure to the sun … it’s beautiful but it also means that things are beginning to move more quickly … ready or not, harvest is approaching.

"Over the next days I will continue to take measurements ….Ultimately, we will have one or two larger harvests and one or two small harvests … targeting different brix levels for the different grapes or types of wines we hope to produce. With the vineyard being netted, we are able to hold the grapes for both making a “big red wine” as well as for making “port” … and, since our zinfandel ripens at a different speed than the Merlot, we’ll always expect to have a small, late harvest when we pull our zinfandel.

" … we will be looking for pickers in the not too distant future. As we are able to target a specific date...for now, let’s just let the vineyard be fruitful … and have a toast to a bountiful harvest with many, many good bottles of wine to follow."

Preparing For Harvest: The Work That Got Us Here

Our friend and neighbor "Merlot Mike" of Escondido Sunrise Vineyard has issued his first "Merlot Update" of 2008 in anticipation of the harvest. It's an excellent summary of the vintner's toil in Blue-Merle Country. Enjoy the update, and let us know if you'd like to help with the harvest, tentatively planned for Labor Day Weekend (condition of the grapes permitting).

Merlot Mike writes:

"We pruned back in January … cutting back and limiting the number of buds to reduce the yield of our harvest … and then followed by spraying a combination of stylet oil and lime on the dormant vines as a means of reducing the spores that produce powdery mildew.

"On about March 7th, we had “bud break” … when the buds, swelling with life, burst forth and tiny leaves first appear. Within about 10 days, the entire vineyard was alive with baby leaves … very uniform.

"In April, when the leaves were getting larger and the vines starting to grow, we began our application of Pristine and Rubigan … applied in alternating three week intervals … also intended to combat powdery mildew … and used as an alternative to sulfur.

In May, we applied Admire through the drip system to try to protect the vineyard from grassy winged sharpshooters and the Pierce’s Disease they tend to carry.

"In July, we started leaf thinning. On about July 9th, we started veraison, which is when the green grapes begin to change colors … going from green to red … with clusters showing both colors … really very pretty.

"Before July ended, we were completely through with veraison, and could see that the grapes were beginning to rapidly ripen.

"During the first week of August, we trimmed back the vines to make the rows more uniform and began applying the nets … by hand … 2.5 miles of nets applied by hand with the bottoms of the nets tied together with bread ties. We net to keep the birds from eating the ripening grapes … and to enable us to allow the grapes to hang as long as we wish without too much fear of losing the remaining crop to the increasing aggressive birds.

"We are still watering … we will water until about two weeks before harvest … which is getting really close. Once we stop watering, the sugar content of the grapes begins to jump rapidly.
We walked through the vineyard several days ago, selecting 100+ grapes from vines scattered throughout the vineyard … and noted that the brix was a bit over 21. In our experience, our sugar level seems to climb at about 1.5 brix per week now.

"Harvest is approaching … many things need to be done in preparation … selling grapes to wine makers … deciding on how much we wish to use for our own production … scheduling dates for the harvest (trying to break it up a bit this year … perhaps a few days as opposed to a “giant day”) … and chilling the champagne for the traditional sunrise toast as we prepare to venture forth into the vineyard waving our clippers and buckets at the sweet clusters of grapes waiting to be squeezed and pressed, forfeiting themselves to provide us with cases of wine to drink in the years to come."

New Zealand: More Than "All Blacks" & Whites--Try The Reds!

When in Australia last week we started every meal with a glass of white from Aotearoa (the ‘land of the long white cloud’ as the native Maoris say). The Aussies are proud of their Shiraz – but from what I tasted of New Zealand’s Syrah, it’s a force as powerful as the “All Blacks” rugby team.

True, New Zealand is known for its whites and my friend John Bowen claims that the best Chardonnay in the world is from NZ (he’s given me a bottle to bring back home!). Sauvignon Blanc accounts for about 75% of NZ exports. But there are more than storm clouds off the rainy cost – competition. According to NZ winemaker Kim Crawford (in an article in The New Zealand Herald July 22), production costs are approximately US$40 per case for NZ’s Sauvignon Blanc growers, who could begin to feel pressure from Chilean producers who have increased plantings and whose cost of goods are reported to be only $31.50 per case.

“It’s been quite difficult to get growers to grow other varieties because Sauvignon Blanc is such a cash cow for everybody,” says Kim. “ But they are seeming to do that now.” I concur with that observation – where I have tasted fantastic reds on Waiheke Island, a 40 minute ferry ride from Auckland. (If you’re familiar with Seattle and its ferry system, then think Bainbridge Island.) There are about 20 wineries on Waiheke, some accessible by foot as soon as you get off the ferry.

Winter is an ideal time to visit the island if you don’t like crowds and enjoy the cold. On the Sunday I arrive, it’s pouring, and when I leave on Tuesday it’s pouring. Alas, Monday afternoon is clear – blue skies, green grass framed by the sea, and it couldn’t be New Zealand without the bleating of sheep calling for their missing lambs who have been harvested away.

The Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant is located on a hill about a mile from the ferry – a quick, two minute cab ride if you prefer not to walk. The views are spectacular, as is the restaurant, with its gardens, lavender, views and vineyard. The tasting room is open year round, 7 days/week, and no appointment is required.

While walking up the path to the Mudbrick, we pass Lance Blumhardt, owner of Jurassic Ridge Vineyard, busy pruning a block of 1,000 Montepucciano vines. We’ve made an appointment to visit Lance and his boutique winery after lunch; he welcomes the opportunity to meet with a fellow small producer from across the ocean. The vineyard takes its name from the exposed and eroded core of an ancient mountain ridge composed of Jurassic-age rocks.

The wind outside is brisk – a reason for the thickest end posts I’ve ever seen – but inside the Mudbrick a wood-burning hearth provides warmth. We order pressed lamb and a fine steak paired first with an estate Syrah then a Cab. My initial impressions of the Syrah is that it’s as fine as what I drank in Australia, but being new, will be softer with a little more age. It also opens up after being in the glass. For dessert, I order a plate of New Zealand cheeses, and ask the waitress – originally from Bourgogne, France who came to New Zealand to study, work and gain some Maori tatoes on her wrists – to select the wine – a Cabernet - Merlot blend, which when combined with the local cheese is too die for. We’re now in the mood to work this off and to ask Lance if he needs help with his pruning. (I know having guests stop by can be an interruption to the vineyard work that needs to be done – so I’m all for pulling up my sleeves and lending a hand with pruning – or any other task (sheering lambs?) as we talk.

Lance has just received a shipment of Flextanks (the breathable storage containers originally from Australia that are now available in the US) and I’m convinced by his testimony that I need to give one a try when I get back. Lance oaks his wine with Oak staves – used ones he has used to decorate his tasting bar.

He shows us his pruning techniques. One objective of pruning here is to cut away wood – the challenge in this area is wood disease – hence, the reason for not developing a strong cordon/spur method. To combat mildew, he employs a vertical trellis system, and during the season pulls away all leaves on the fruiting wire, exposing the fruit to sun (and making sure that mildew sprays reach the fruit and penetrate the leaves). Lance says that much effort goes into ensuring that each shoot is vertical – placing each shoot by hand vertically within the trellis. He runs the 4-acre vineyard himself, pruning all the vines himself – a two month job.

Lance is one of the first growers in NZ to “plastic wire” – instead of metal. The benefits: flexibility – the plastic wire stretches back to its original position – an important consideration given the constant – and strong -- wind from the bay.

He runs into some of the same regulations one could face in the US – the local authorities say that he has too much square footage already built on his property – so his cars are now parked outside; the garage has been converted into a tasting room. Lance has passed Question 5 of the Winemaker’s Quiz .

We taste the Syrah and the Cabernet Franc – booth good, and I fill up my bag with as many bottles as I can carry (and dare put in my suitcase for the flight back). We’ll organize a tasting party in Blue-Merle Country this weekend. If the impressions are favorable, we’ll look at becoming an importer of Lance’s reds, and the best Chardonnay from NZ. Stay tuned for the tasting notes.

(Editor's note: One day later I've returned to the US and open the 2006 Cabernet Franc, which passes two important tests: 1) after tasting the first drops, I know I want to finish the bottle that evening 2) when we're down to the last glass, I will fight my wife for it. The Cabernet Franc passes both tests. And the olive oil Lance produces invites me to keep dipping bread and avocados into a pool of it....)

New Zealand Wine Industry Facts:

• *285,000 ton harvest in 2008.
• *Wine exports forecast for US$800 million in 2010.
• *Known for Sauvignon Blanc – accounts for 75% of exports. Try the reds.

When You Go:

Waiheke Island Bus Tours & Vineyard Tours: http://www.fullers.co.nz/

Jurassic Ridge Vineyard: (09) 372-6602

Restaurant:

Mudbrick (09) 372-9050 www.mudbrick.co.nz

Places to Stay:

The Sebel, a suites hotel, located right in Auckland’s Harbor, next to restaurants and pubs. Given the busy location, the hotel is well made, and sound does not penetrate to the rooms. Tel: (64) 9-978-4000. http://www.mirvachotels.com/ Hint: Book on-line through a discount hotel service, and ask for a room with a view. Half the hotel faces the harbor with outstanding views!

Melbourne Australia Wine Country: Mornington Peninsula

July in Melbourne is winter. The rains are welcome, as the area is in a stage 3 drought. After lunch of oysters, lamb brains, raw steak tartar and “wagu” Kobe beef at the Wine Room in St. Kilda, we head to the wine country on Mornington Peninsula, town of Mt. Eliza. We follow the coastal road – Melbourne is situated at the back of a very large bay. We pass Canary Island Date Palms and Protea “bottle brush” trees that rise as tall as 4 story buildings.
First stop is Morningstar Estate – picture perfect for weddings. We pull into the driveway where grazing sheep catch my eye. This is what we need at the Blue-Merle Vineyard for weed control and dog control. (Our shepherd needs something to do – so not only would a pair of sheep keep Bluey occupied, they keep the weeds down and don’t eat the vines.)
The winery has a tasting room, restaurant and hotel , and I’m thinking this is the place to stay on my next trip to Melbourne. From the terrace, you catch glimpses of the bay. My first thought: mildew.
“I don’t like red wines,” says our pourer, a young man of 23 years.
“How’s the mildew around here?”
“I’ve never heard of a problem.” Yeah, right.
The Pinot is drinkable. The Cabernet-Merlot blend is not. According to Derek Barton, author of “Australia’s Best Wine Tours” which I purchased from one of the many book stores in St. Kilda, the peninsula is known for good Pinots. We head outside to the vineyard. I’m struck by two things: the way end posts are supported (see picture), and the pruning. The end posts are not put in at angles; rather, they are straight, given extra support by another end post placed at the top. (See the picture.) The pruning method is to prune back to a single shoot, which stretches across the cordon wire. This is to control vegetative growth in this challenging microclimate (surrounded by water).
Whereas Morningstar Estate is a beautiful castle, our next stop across the road is a bohemian hole in wall with attitude, the Under Ground, where the yard is littered with barrels and the grounds could use a good cleaning. This is the place to have fun and to talk with the winemaker who describes in great detail the challenges of mildew and the pruning techniques. I notice they are using the breathable, oxygen permeable plastic drums, which are reputed to allow wine to age with a slow oxidation process similar to barrel aging. The winemaker concurs with the assessment and gives me the name of the Flextank supplier. According to the Flextank’s website:

“Chemical analysis of wine stored in Flextanks has shown that there is no difference in the general wine quality parameters for wine stored in Flextank, oak or stainless steel. Of particular note, chlorophenols, a concern often expressed with the use of plastic materials in wine production, were not found in Flextank-matured wine. Flextank maturation tanks require the addition of oak to allow the wine to develop oak-derived flavours that occurs in the barrel maturation process. High quality staves are recommended for this process. Further, the Flextank maturation process with staves will be less at risk from other problems, including losses due to evaporation and development of Brett off-flavours, than can occur during oak barrel maturation. On the other hand, if oak staves are not added to the wine in Flextanks, the maturation process becomes similar to that occurring in a neutral or spent barrel: the advantage of Flextank maturation, apart from much improved hygiene over use of old barrels, is that oxygen ingress is closer to that of a new barrel, allowing wine development to occur to a more normal timetable.”

We have fun sampling the sweet muscat wines, and I am especially keen on trying the Duriff, which they have named “Dr. Duriff.” We know this back home as Petite Syrah (no, it is NOT petite shiraz, mate), which is a thick, dark, chewy, big wine – of which we have a barrel full back at the Blue-Merle vineyard, maturing nicely. Dr. Duriff does not disappoint, and I purchase a bottle to bring back to the artisans of Blue-Merle Country. Next stop, New Zealand.

When you go:

Place to stay: Novotel, St. Kilda. Located about 5 miles or so from the Melbourne City Center, along the bay. Jog along the beach in the morning. Enjoy breakfast and a “flat white” coffee at the racer’s café (where all the cyclists hang out).

Lunch or Dinner: Melbourne Wine Room The George. 125 Fitzroy St., St. Kilda. Tel: (03) 9525-5599. Reservations recommended. Everything delicious. Ask the waiter what’s good the day you go.

Morning Coffee: Racer’s Café, St. Kilda. (1/4 mile from the hotel.)

Sails on the Bay. Restaurant. Despite being located right on the beach with a bay view, the food is good. 15 Elwood Foreshore, Elwood, Victoria. www.sailsonthebay.com

Troubling Signs: Vineyard Pests

There were troubling signs in the vineyard. Namely, a number of the Tempranillo vines were starting to show red leaves (which I thought may have been due to their age and some stress). More worrisome was the Zinfandel vine putting out brilliant red leaves combined with abnormal growth. So, we called in an expert, an entomologist from Valley Center.

The major concern in Southern California Vineyards is Pierce's Disease (PD) which will kill the vines. The vector is the glassy winged sharpshooter. These are interesting and crafty bugs. When they detect your hand, they move to the other side of the stem (so you can't see them). But, they're easy to trick ... put your hand on the "hidden side" and they'll come into your view.

Shortly after we planted our vines a year ago, we had an "infestation" of sharpshooters in the vineyard. We found them on many plants, and also on the "yellow sticky things". We definitely had them. When we spoke with our vineyard consultant about this, he recommended waiting until the vines had reached the cordon wire before applying "admire" -- a treatment against sharpshooters. The application was done on the last day of August last year -- what I don't know is if any of our vines are "infected" (because they were certainly exposed to the pests last year) -- and some of the red leaves I was seeing was a cause for concern.

On July 4th, we walked the vineyard with Matt, the entomologist. Good news about the Tempranillo -- the red leaves were just showing signs of age. (Picture at left.) Matt did observe some signs of stress, most likely caused by the heat wave two weeks ago -- and, as suspected, we have not been watering enough (I was trying to make the vines hunt for their water -- perhaps a little too much. In any event, no harm done -- and perhaps even stronger vines.) In the Aglianico area, we found signs of mildew, but nothing to be alarmed about -- the temperature has been well in excess of 85. Another reason we are not so concerned with mildew this year is we are not planning to harvest grapes for wine -- just a little for the farmers market.

The Zinfandel caught his attention -- but he's not 100% sure it's PD -- so, he cut samples from the vine, and will ship them to the lab for testing. We'll know in a couple of weeks if we have a problem.

We've upped the watering -- giving each vine approximately 8 gallons of water once a week.... the Petit Syrah at the bottom of the hill (which is where the rich soil is) have turned into a jungle. Within this tropical rain forest I found the King Kong of Grapes, a Godzilla cluster which was 10 clusters bunched together, on a second year vine whose trunk resembled the Ent Trees from Lord of The Rings. Since we're concerned with root growth this year -- it looks like we've got it in this area. I wonder if some of these vines have found their own source of water: the leach field?!

"Meadowlark" Newspaper Reports on Blue-Merle's & Sunrise Vineyards Awards

The Meadowlark newspaper of Hidden Meadows reported on the awards won by the Blue-Merle Winery and the Escondido Sunrise Vineyards at the June 15 winemaking competition of the San Diego Country Fair in its July issue. (Click on the image to enlarge it.)

Blue-Merle Wins Two Awards At San Diego County Fair Wine Competition

Bluey, the Australian Sheppard with "blue-merle" coloring who is the cellar master of San Diego's Blue-Merle Winery, won two 2nd place awards at the San Diego County Fair Wine Competition June 15, marking the highest finish ever of a canine at the event. Bluey's triumph is all the more significant as he achieved the perfect dog trifecta: catching a squirrel on Weds, catching a gopher on Thursday and receiving his two red ribbons on Friday. "Lassie never had a winery," Bluey remarked as he posed with his ribbons. Said his mother, Kazuko Justice, who oversees the vineyard and winemaking operations, "My name should also be on the award. Nancy's name is on the award that she and Mike won," said Kazuko, referring to her neighbors Mike and Nancy, owners of the adjacent Sunrise Vineyard who also won two awards.

"He's my dog," Hanako Justice, 19, told reporters in New York City, where she is working this summer as a barrista intern and contacting local wine bars to carry the Blue-Merle vintages. According to records obtained by Winemaker's Journal staff through the Freedom of Information act, Hanako did indeed feed Bluey three times and took him jogging once, so her claim to ownership is not without merit.

"We would have won first place," said Karen, maitress of Coyote Oaks Vineyard, who has a joint-operating agreement with the Blue-Merle Vineyard, and used the same grapes to make her wine. Unfortunately, the high tech sales executive was not able to get her entry in on time, due to obligations at work for her daytime job.

The award winning Blue-Merle wines are the 2006 Nebbiolo and a "merleatage" blend of Petit Verdot (2007) 65% spiced with 35% of the Nebbiolo. "They're not that bad," said Gene Justice, Bluey's grandfather, who is a "Monsieur" of the Order of J'aime Bien Buvez le Vin who once lived in France. Apparently the San Diego judges agreed.

"I felt we had a pretty good chance at a medal," said Craig Justice, Bluey's companion who works part-time at the winery. "There were only two entries in each category." The wines will be available for sale to the general public as soon as San Diego County passes a pending ordinance allowing boutique wineries to have tasting rooms on their property as a right of zoning. (Editor's Note: By then, the wines will have aged to absolute perfection and Hilary Clinton will be running for president, again.)

Bluey was almost disqualified by the judges before the competition began. "No dogs allowed," said one of the judges as the blue-merle waited in line to drop off the wine a week before the event. A woman stepped forward in his defense saying, "You let my husband enter and there's no worse dog I know."

"Bitch," mumbled the husband. The judges convened, and Bluey was allowed to participate. However, he was unable to attend the actual wine tasting and judging on June 15th as it was the final day of the U.S. Open Golf tournament, being played at the Torrey Pines Golf Course just down the road. U.S.G.A. officials, in an attempt to provide the most challenging course for all players, held a surprise for the last day. If Tiger Woods was ahead on the last hole, he would be blind folded. This would make it fair for the other players. Bluey had made arrangements to attend the Open that day, and to jump in if called upon to be Tiger's seeing-eye-dog. Bluey donned his orange, black and white stripes for the Open, and one of the spectators screamed when she mistook him for a tiger. Fortunately, security from the nearby San Diego Zoo appeared on the scene in moments and determined that Bluey had no tail and wasn't a tiger. "That's the finest specimen of bobcat I've ever seen," said a Zoo spokesperson. As it was, the real Tiger was behind on the last hole, and so the Golf Officials kept the blindfold in their pockets. Meantime, Bluey missed the wine judging. As his ears weren't pinging, he assumed he had lost the wine competition. Overall, he was happy to be at Torrey Pines in support of Tiger, as Bluey was recovering from his 2nd foxtail surgery to his leg in two years, and empathized with the golf champion's pain. And just like Tiger, Bluey is all smiles and good attitude, no matter what the challenge, no matter how much his paw hurts.

Auspicious Beginning

The making of the Blue-Merle's award-winning Nebbiolo wine had an auspicious beginning as Bluey saved the life of the broker who purchased the grapes used to make the wine. Here's how he did it. Bluey, Craig and Jim (one of the partners of neighboring Coyote Oaks Vineyard, which used the same grapes) went to pick up the grapes from the broker at 6am one morning in Sept. 06. Jim's wife had not returned the broker's many calls the previous day to confirm we would pick up the grapes. After arriving the broker insulted Jim's wife. Jim, a U.S. Army Veteran who was keen to practice decapitation techniques he had used in combat, was about to kill the broker, whose life was saved by Bluey's sharp barks and the team refocused on the grapes and getting them back to the winery for acid adjustments, sulfite additions and fermentation.

The wine was promising in the barrel. When the vineyard held an open house to celebrate the planting and blessings of the first vines, Mick, the owner of nearby Belle Marie Winery, kept going back to the Nebbiolo barrel for 2nds and thirds. Another neighbor parked himself on top of the barrel, and just kept filling up his glass. (This neighbor is a wine connoisseur who brought a $75 Napa wine as a gift--an even exchange.)

Last week on the evening of the midsummer full moon, the Hidden Meadows Winemaker's Association climbed to the top of Blue Merle Mountain to taste the award winners as the sun set and moon rose. The ladies from Coyote Oaks were fashionably late -- the moon was up and the men were howling with the coyotes when the nubile maidens arrived. Bluey sent his two-legged companion down the mountain to fetch them.

"We're drunk," said the ladies.

"No you're not. You have your clothes on. How much did you have to drink?"

"Two bottles."

"See, you're not drunk. That's one bottle each. Everyone around here knows that it's 0 to naked in 1.2 bottles of wine. "

Karen has been identified as a "person of interest" in a probe into what happened to the "bung" of the barrel containing the prized 2007 Petit Verdot, which performed so well in the San Diego competition and is (perhaps "was"?) destined for future awards worldwide. The bung was "found missing" from its barrel on Saturday morning, exposing the treasured wine to air for a full 2.5 days after the moon viewing celebration. Did it just "pop off" from the 100 degree heat? Or, was it an act of sabotage, after she failed to win an award even though she used the same grapes? Or, was the winemaker simply distracted by her pink tonails and forgot to put it back? [Editor's note: To find out how the cellar master dealt with this situation and to learn if the wine was saved, be sure and subscribe to Winemaker's Journal.]

There is rampant speculation about Bluey's future plans. "We feel like we've won 2nd place at the NCAA Final Four basketball championships," said a spokesman for the Blue-Merle. "We're going to declare ourselves eligible for the draft and go pro."

The award winning Blue-Merle wines are expected to be on sale in New York at the end of this year, with New Yorkers paying up to $100 for a bottle with Bluey's paw print on the label and a souvenir "hair of the dog" inside. The winery has said it will offer discounts to local buyers, and has asked that if you'd like to purchase award winning, locally produced wines to please contact your San Diego County Supervisor and let him or her know that you support San Diego's boutique winery ordinance, which would allow you to easily purchase direct from the winemaker in the ambiance of the vineyard, with views to the Pacific and the surrounding mountains.

[Editor's Note: The Blue-Merle Winery wishes to express its sincerest thanks to all who made this possible: To Mick and Jeff from Belle Marie Winery, who supplied the grapes, crushing equipment and winemaking advice; to Lum Eisenman, for his instruction; to Jim, Sandy and Karen from Coyote Oaks Winery who helped make the wine; to Mike and Nancy from Sunrise Vineyard, who lent equipment and offered much advice and moral support; to our constant winemaking companion, the man from Cana with the wine miracles at weddings. ]

July Seminar On Shipping Compliance in Napa: Junket Anyone?

This just in from Mike, Owner of Sunrise Vineyards in San Diego, whose daytime job is tax accountant.

"This could well be the justification needed to claim tax deductions for a trip to Napa … just a suggestion at a time I should be doing something productive," Mike writes.

From: ShipCompliant [mailto:ShipCompliant@mail.vresp.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 10:27 AMTo: Mike Dunlap

Subject: Massachusetts Litigation Update! Learn More at ShipCompliant Compliance Seminar and Users Conference


"This is one of the best compliance seminars I have been to in Napa Valley!"- Nancy BurtonStag's Leap Wine Cellars
Massachusetts Litigation UpdateLearn More July 11th at ShipCompliant's Compliance Seminar & Users Conference

Are you aware of the latest developments in the Family Winemakers of California v. Jenkins case and what it could mean to your direct shipping program?Family Winemakers of California (FWC) has filed a motion for summary judgment in their opposition to Massachusett's latest law regulating direct-to-consumer wine shipping due to its inclusion of a capacity cap, which restricts some wineries from shipping to consumers but not others. How does this affect your direct shipping policy for Massachusetts? What precedent will this case set? Tracy Genesen of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (and Counsel to Family Winemakers of California) will be on hand July 11th to fill you in and share the latest news on the case.

Register Now for our third annual users conference and direct shipping seminar. The event will take place on July 11th, 2008 at the Marriott Hotel in Napa, CA. We are capping registration at 350 attendees, so please register early to reserve your spot.
Event Details
Who is this event for?:
Anyone who spends time keeping track of shipping rules, generating tax and shipping reports or worrying about non-compliant orders should attend this event!
Wineries (producers), Virtual Wineries, Importers and Retailers alike will find the information presented critical to growing their business.
Event Summary
This event will be open to all wineries and broken into two parts. The morning will be a Direct Shipping Compliance Seminar open to all wineries and the afternoon will be a Users Conference conducted in tandem with a Technology Partner Reception.The Direct Shipping Panel includes:
Keynote Address: Litigation Update featuring Tracy Genesen of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Coalition for Free Trade
Legislative Update featuring Steve Gross, Director of State Relations at Wine Institute
Direct Shipping Compliance Best Practices and Workflows featuring Jason Eckenroth and Jeff Carroll of ShipCompliant
Question & Answer with the panelists
While current customers are participating in the Users Conference portion of the event, general attendees will have the opportunity to:
See ShipCompliant in action in a live demonstration
Open Q & A with ShipCompliant product team members
View demonstrations of ShipCompliant technology partners' systems and integrations
Meet partner companies who provide 3rd party shipping, compliance and marketing services to ShipCompliant customers
Cost:
$50 per person. Includes breakfast and lunch.
Lodging:
If you think you will be booking rooms at the Marriott, please contact us for lodging assistance.
Hope to see you there!
Sincerely,Kim Moss
Salesph: 707-320-0053fx: 720-528-7942email: kim@shipcompliant.com
©2008. ShipCompliant is a trademark of Six88 Solutions Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.Six88 Solutions, Inc.3100 Arapahoe Suite 500Boulder, CO 80303

Pierre Seillan Visits Blue-Merle Vineyard, Offers Pruning Advice

Pierre Seillan, winemaster of Chateau Lassegue (St.-Emilion), Verite (Sonoma County), Chateau Vignot (St. Emilion) and Tuscany, toured the Blue-Merle Vineyard and offered these words of advice as we walked up the mountain inspecting the vines:

* [while pulling off the vine "suckers" just as I would] "You can pull these off." (Note: The Queen had forbid me to touch the vines and cut off suckers and extra growth. See, dear, me and Pierre have the the same idea!)

* "This is too long, you should cut it," he said about a cordon stretching out 3-feet in each direction. "It is too much work for the vine." (Note: Much of the Blue-Merle vineyard is on 6ft. spacing. Pierre recently planted a vineyard with 3 X 3 spacing in Sonoma (3 ft. between each vine, and 3-ft between rows). He limits the cordons to two spurs each, with 4 buds per spur. He says limiting the production is sustainable -- he doesn't need to fertilize. And, there's a new type of "tractor" that travels over the vines spaced 3 X 3.)

* I asked about our new plantings that are on 4ft. spacing ... "That is fine. " Should I use a single arm cordon or double arm? "You should have two arms; it creates better balance for the vine."

* About pruning the new vines in the winter: "You should cut them to the bottom, then let it grow up to the top wire of the trellis. Then, the next year you should cut it at the cordon. I like to make a strong trunk, and strong cordons." (Note: We had originally planed to encourage single, one-arm cordons on our new vines. But, we will follow Pierre's advice to develop a really strong trunck and cordon -- especially after having experienced the consequences of weak cordons from vines we did not prune properly this winter. And, as an attempt to create great tasting, "boutique" fruit which a large commercial vineyard could not afford to create.)

After the tour -- gazing at the sunset in the West and the moonrise in the East -- the Hidden Meadows Winemakers Association convened at Coyote Oaks Vineyard for a gourmet's dinner and tastings of several Pinot vintages. Said Pierre, "I call you the Epicureans." An encore champagne brunch of les Epicureans du pays du Merle-Blue was held at Sunrise Vineyard Sunday morning.

Pierre first visited the region several years ago as a young man in his 20s, when he planted a vineyard in nearby Temecula. Welcome back, Monsieur Pierre.

Earlier in the day, Pierre met with the San Diego Amateur Winemakers Association in 100 degree heat at the Arroyo Vineyard in Bonsall. When Pierre spoke about "le terroir" (the earth) expressing itself in the wines he produced it really touched a chord in my thoughts, as the Blue Merle (like Pierre's own vineyards) has distinct areas of land (some red clay, some decomposed granite, some silty soil, some inhospitable rock -- each with its own varietal) which will produce unique flavors -- which can only be found in the land of the Blue-Merle.