The Crab is Back!

That is the new name of the former "Crab and Fennel Festival" and it summed up the evening pretty succinctly. The day began with a local seafood wholesaler stopping by the winery with a giant cooler full of steamed crab that had been caught that morning. This guy loves our wine and wanted to trade wine for crab. Shit yeah!!! How much crab? Rick takes a look (and a sniff) in the cooler and says "I'll take it all." 13 crabs for six bottles of wine. Every member of our staff working that day got to take home a fresh crab for dinner.
THIS IS WHY WE LIVE HERE.
Later that night we are at a winery-related business function with neighbors and fellow winemakers and growers. Beautiful wines abound to taste: William Selyem, Rafanelli, J Winery, Joeseph Swan, LaFollette, George Wine Co., Ramey ... too many to mention. Locally made St. George cheese is sitting nearby in a huge wheel for nibbles plus other goodies.
After the meeting, we invited one of our friends to join us for a crab feed at the house. Lots of chardonnay, some fresh bread from our local wood-fired bakery and a lovely salad. As we're cracking, peeling, sipping and and exclaiming .. somebody has to mention, "those folks sitting in Ohio or wherever haven't got anything on us - if they were here eating freshly caught crab and wild mushrooms ..."
"... and great wine!" I have to add.
I've recently heard about what some people think of California - and thier opinion is rather disparaging. But the locals, the folks that actually live here have a different view - or at least the ones in Northern California do. (Coming from Southern Cal. I don't remember anyone ever showing up with fresh crab, abalone or porcinins and chantrelles and saying "hey guys! Let's feast!) Anyway, the consensus at our table while we were eating some of the sweetest dungeness and washing it down with premium Chardonnay, is that we are pretty friggin' lucky and we know it. December 1st and the "Crab is Back!"

The wierdest Summer ever!

We all waited anxiously for the heat. Anyone with bragging rights to the first ripe garden tomato was pegged as "living in a unique micro-climate." It was like a bratty taunt to say "I'm enjoying a melon from the garden." So many fog-filled mornings and temperate afternoons. I kept thinking "this is great for growing Pinot!" - except that if you don't get at least SOME warm weather, nothing will ripen. Many growers finally pulled more leaves than they usually would, hoping to expose the chilly clusters to some sunshine. Then, BAM! Mother Nature unleashes three days of 100-plus degree weather overnight, top temp was 106 in Healdsburg. Well, needless to say that most plants and their fruit were a bit ill-prepared for such an extreme change and so now we have grapes with sunburn. Hmmmm.... what happens to a sunburned bunch of grapes? It shuts down and turns to raisins - but without the increase in sugar, so you really do have "sour grapes." If that wasn't enough, a nice little mild rain spell came along with some lovely warm humidity and presto! ... perfect conditions for bunch rot.
But do not despair ... the damage is not everywhere and we've harvested some nice stuff that has very promising flavors.
Jump to the present, October 3rd, 2010. Nine solid days of crushing fruit that has all started ripening within the last week. Here's where everyone involved in CRUSH gets crispy around the edges, loads and loads of grapes continuously arriving with no end in sight. Rick worked a solid 16 hour day yesterday and began again at 6:00am this morning - he didn't eat until 1:00pm and his half a bagel with salmon still sits on the table waiting for him to come back and finish for "lunch?" Today probably will be the same amount of hours and tomorrow too. We are in the thick of it now, but Rick still manages to put on a smile. (see picture took yesterday)

This shot was taken several weeks ago. Not a bad morning harvest. I do have to take note of the unusual weather we have had this summer. It all began with rains that lasted into late spring (effectively making it impossible for the yellow jackets to get their nests established - ha!) The remainder of the summer up until August 25th was a constant fog pattern - cool and foggy till noon, mild sunshine, then fog returning in the evening. There was a joke going around about everyone having to eat green tomatoes all summer. Anyway, yesterday the heat blasts in at over 100 degrees in several neighboring cities and BAM! The tomatoes are softening like butter, the beets are wilting, the peppers have burns and the melons are cracking. Good grief!! I've got to make roma tomato sauce NOW or never! The grape harvest has been pushed out about 2 weeks. (would normally be under way by now)
But hey, the CL camping trip was ideal so what the heck. Checkin' in later...

happy bug in the vineyard

oh how excited I was to see lady bugs hanging out in the vineyard for the first time. They finally figured out that they are safe here - no pesticide fumes coming soon. This little bud of pinot is in the "home - yet to be named" vineyard. Geez.
I love spring and this one has been exceptionally green and lush. I want to spend the rest of my days capturing it all - image after image. But alas, I am here in Texas looking longingly at the wildflowers in abundance along the highway as we buzz from one 3-hour away city to the next introducing folks to our lovely wines. Not too bad a life.

March into 2010 with a KICK!

And we enter the wine weekend to end all wine weekends - Barrel Tasting 2010.

18500 plus. That's how many wine-lovin' folks are going to descend upon West Sonoma County - specifically the Dry Creek, Russian River and Alexander Valley appellations - for sips from the barrel, maybe some nibble and music, generally good fun. We will feature our favorite Barrel Tasting band - The Bucky Walters. They will be crashing here at our humble abode Friday night, then be hosted by Julia's sister on Saturday. Veggie Chili is our food of the day and we are ready to rock and roll ... let's sell some wine!

Happiest place in California | | PressDemocrat.com

I think I've been saying this all along ...
Happiest place in California PressDemocrat.com

Back from Sales Trip #2

Rick and I rolled over the Marin hillsides on Hwy. 101 and glimpsed the green slopes of Sonoma County and I had to sigh ... home at last! We have now completed two of our yearly wine sales trips - ten days on the East Coast and a week in Colorado. We've attended five winemaker dinners and four winemaker pouring events and met with countless wine buyers for retail and restaurants.
Today was a fantastic day to be outside - 70 degrees and fragrant - I could detect the "change" in the air - winter is over!

Back from sales excursion number one ... happy to be home!

I came back to a foggy and damp Sonoma county to find these lovely flowers greeting us up the driveway. Such a welcome after our chilly little adventure on the east coast. The redwoods dripped around me and I reveled in just being home, mountains of laundry and all.

We leave in a week for Colorado - it's wintry brown layer a stark contrast to our lush green grass and bright mustard and daffodils that will be glowing as we drive toward the airport.

This last trip was successful, and so the next one will be as well. But I will still sigh a sigh of contentment when I shift down into the covers of my own bed and hear the rumble of our tortie cat at my feet - and I know that the newspaper, my hubby and a nice breakfast in the country will be awaiting me in the morning.

So, like, ... what happened with the Art show?

It was like a mini-wedding day ... a coming out of sorts. Over 70 people came out in support of my first showing of my photographs. Most of them were close friends and family, but the best thing was seeing each and every one of these precious souls come thru the door just to see what I had created. Truly gratifying and delicious! It was one of the highlights of my life. My husband was such a monument of encouragement and help. (he built the frames and kept me on my toes as the big night approached.) I sold some pieces, a few prints and lots of cards. Since the show, I've been visited by Sonoma County photographer icon, Robert Janover and I've found a home for the art in three more venues. What more could I have wished for?

Yes Virginia, there is such a thing as too much bubbly.

So this is me (on the right) - perhaps my last memory before losing conciousness that night/morning. Luckily, my home was only a 25 yard walk from where I am standing now - though how I got there, I'm not sure. The night was so much fun - everyone seemed to have a great time, but that glass never left my hand and it was never empty. Bottles, magnums and double magnums of bubbly kept being popped open. We had Roederer, Iron Horse, J, Korbel, Piper Heidsick, Gloria Ferrer, Toad Hollow, some Prosecco and on and on ...My darling husband (the one with the hat) poured me into my jammies around 3:30am and made me ginger tea with aspirin dissolved in it the next day. I didn't leave the bed until 4:00pm New Year's Day and here we are eight days later and I'm still hesitant to imbibe more bubbles. This too shall pass ... as did the Mother of All Hangover's. I discovered this appropriate website regarding a hangover remedy.