Morning in the Winery: 2.

I took a little time off from pruning this morning to attend the 2nd annual Morning in the Winery (MITW) event.  Sponsored by the Napa Valley Vintners, and billed as a "casual, community open house," MITW gives locals the chance to experience a winery in a way, perhaps, that most people don't get the chance to do, like the opportunity to wander through tank rooms, barrel rooms and crush pads.
There were 5 wineries to choose from; Spelletich, Monticello, Markham, Dutch Henry and Cuvaison.  Vinomaker and I decided to visit Cuvaison because we fancied a bit of a drive out to Carneros.  It was a gorgeous morning for a visit to a winery.  Cuvaison winemaker Steve Rogstad hosted our tour which was fun and informative.  I learned that Cuvaison is Fish Friendly.  Yikes, I think everyone will be Fish Friendly soon, (it seems the new, trendy thing to do).  MITW is a good event, hope there will be a number 3.

Afternoon in the Vineyards: 2014.

The 14th annual 'Afternoon in the Vineyards' was held today, so Vinomaker and I put on some sensible vineyard-boots and headed over to the Carneros American Viticultural Area.  The closest vineyard, on the list of six from which to choose, was that of Pine Ridge Vineyards - their Carneros Collines vineyard on Buhman Avenue.
Pine Ridge grow Chardonnay and Merlot at this location and both varietal wines were available for tasting, so we did (Vinomaker even went back for seconds).  It's a nice vineyard.  Viticultural experts who work for the Napa Valley Grapegrowers, a co-sponsor of the event, were on hand to answer any questions visitors may have had.  The bottom, level half of the vineyard had originally been planted to Merlot and had been grafted over to Chardonnay clones 76, 95 and 96 within the last 2 years (I would guess). 
The old Merlot trunks were quite old and gnarly.  There were lots of questions from the attendees about these not-so-normal looking grapevines; How does one go about attaching the bud?  And how does one end up with the two arms of a bi-lateral cordon?  It was fun to stand in the sun, with my 2 ounces of Merlot, and just listen to the conversations.  Vinomaker and I didn't stay for too long, after all, I had things to do in my own vineyard.  It's always a fun event.

Abraxas.

With it's tall Rhine-style bottle, Starbucks logo-like bronze medallion adorned label, single vineyard designation, and Vino-lock closure I approached my glass of Robert Sinskey's 2009 Abraxas with no preconceptions. What I discovered was a wonderful grapefruity, floral, light to medium bodied wine with vibrant acidity. A blend of 43% Pinot Gris, 23% Riesling, 17% Gewurtztraminer, and 13% Pinot Blanc this Alsacesque wine was just the thing for a lazy Sunday evening.

What a delightful tipple.