Drinking in Las Vegas.

Last night, whilst the majority of my family toddled off up The Strip to see the musical-fountain extravaganza at the Bellagio Hotel, I took my mother, aka Vinomum, for a drink at our hotel's bar.
The Mandarin Bar, located on the 23rd floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, is a lovely place to enjoy a glass of wine and the bright lights of Sin City.  Floor to ceiling windows ensured that my mother and I were able to drink in the unimpeded sights of some of the goings-on on the Las Vegas Strip.  My mother had a pleasant glass of Okanagan Estates Merlot and I had a glass of The Federalist Zinfandel (sorry, did not pay attention to the respective vintages).  Once again, I really enjoyed The Federalist and it paired wonderfully with the appetisers I chose for our big girl's soirée. 
Bottoms up, mother!

Where in the US of A is Vinogirl: Part 2?

Today I woke up in Las Vegas!  How did that happen? 
My family holiday has progressed into the Silver State; we are all up for some more fun in the sun, and I'm up for a glass of bubbles.
To be continued...

Where in the US of A is Vinogirl?

This morning I seem to have woken up in Utah.  I know this because there is a massive mountain outside my hotel window. 
I'm excited to visit the local state owned liquor store in Springville and have a gander at the wine selection.  And holiday with all my family members, of course.

Dot wine.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a non-profit agency that coordinates the world's internet domain names.  I did not know that such an organisation even existed.  ICANN is based in Los Angeles, Ca., (Of course it is.  It wouldn't be in plain, old Bognor Regis, England would it?) and is currently overseeing an expansion of available domain names.  The most common domain names are .com , .org and .net, but ICANN has a list of 2,200 potential new offerings up for consideration.  Amongst the new suggestions are two proposed new wine-themed domain names; .wine and .vin.
Now apparently wine producers around the world have their knickers in a twist over the possibility of having to defend their brands against trademark infringements and other unscrupulous goings-on.  The Napa Valley Vintners, a non-profit trade association, recently joined six other west coast trade groups, representing some 2,000 winemakers (including 500 Napa vintners), in a concerted effort to secure the cancellation of the .wine and .vin domains.  In June ICANN rejected their appeals.
Napa vintners already have several governmental regulations in place, as does Champagne in France, that defend their product's identities. They obviously feel they need more safeguards.
I'm in two minds about this.  On one hand, seeing as I work at a winery, I'd like to see the product I help sell protected, after all most wines are tied more specifically to a particular place of origin than any other food product.  On the other hand I believe in a free market economy, and I also feel  that a wine with a simple, California appellation designation does not  need to be protected as perhaps a wine from a specific vineyard in a designated AVA should (for example the one in which I live, Coombsville).  Consumers in all walks of life need to do their homework before they purchase anything.  Caveat emptor, I say.

Sip and Spit.

I have always thought that oenology and viticulture students in the USA were at a distinct disadvantage, compared to their European peers, by not being able to taste wine in a winemaking class until they turned 21 years of age.  I actually think the whole minimum drinking age of 21 is absurd (don't get me started on that one), but handicapping future winemakers in this manner is just plain ludicrous.  Universities, like U.C. Davis here in N. California, have had to structure their oenology programmes in such a way that leaves any class that would involve tasting wine until the student's last semester - at which time the students are most likely to have come of age.  Crazy!  I can imagine the mere idea of this type of prohibition is very amusing to the French (and the Italians, and the Spanish) who have in essence had the advantage of drinking wine, and honing their palates, from a much, much younger age.  Fancy letting the French have an edge over anyone, tut, tut!
All that changed today with California Governor Jerry Brown signing AB 1989, a bill that allows students of 18-20 years old who are enrolled in an accredited college oenology programme to taste, but not swallow, wine as a part of their coursework.  The so-called sip and spit law, which is set to take effect next year, in part remedies the disparity of exactly when budding American-winemakers can begin to develop their own palates, legally.  It's a start, but methinks all adults should be treated like adults as soon as they turn 18.  I couldn't imagine not having been able to have a glass of bubbly on my 18th birthday. Thanks mum!

Syrah Veraison: 2014.

And here it is: veraison in the Syrah vines.  There is a lot going on in this photograph besides veraison; a little bit of sulphur residue on the grapes, some very prominent stylar scars, there are some shot berries, a smattering of thrips damage and a couple of undetached calyptra.
I worked all day in the vineyard today, mainly in the Cabernet sauvignon vines.  I did some hedging, some leaf-pulling, some lateral-removal (especially those with second crop) and some training (and tying up) of the juvenile grapevines planted this season. 
As is usual, I was distracted by a number of things; baby towhees, grasshoppers, Vinodog 2, lizards...and the best crop of blackberries I have seen in years.  I love eating berries right off the plant.  It's not exactly like foraging for food when they simply fall into your palm because they are so ripe.  I must have eaten at least 10 ounces of delicious sun-warmed, finger-staining, purple-black berries - I just couldn't stop myself.  Yum!

Napa nest 5.

Veraison is running rampant in Vinoland.  Well maybe not quite rampant, but it is moving right along in the Pinot grigio and the Syrah vines (and probably the Orange muscat vines also, it's just harder to see in white grapes).  So today, I was going to post a photograph of one, or the other, of the vine varieties changing colour except I discovered something more interesting.
Yesterday, whilst working in the Pinot grigio vines, I suddenly became aware that I might be close to a bird's nest.  How did I come to this conclusion?  A pair of California Towhees (Melozone crissalis) decided I was persona non grata in a particular part of the Pinot grigio block and they created quite a ruckus to dissuade me from working around their nest further.  I did have a quick gander and discovered that their wonderfully constructed nest held four, blue-green speckled eggs.  How wonderful.  I then immediately left them alone.
Today, whilst working in the Cabernet sauvignon vines, the same thing happened: another pair of towhees made it abundantly clear that they were not very happy with me performing some vineyard operations in their neighbourhood.  I couldn't help but to take a peek and to my delight I espied one egg and two pinky-grey, fuzzy chicks.  Momma towhee loudly protested my reappearance with a camera, but I just had to get a photo.  And as I snapped away, one baby promptly fell over onto his back.  So cute.  Love all my Vinoland feathered friends.

Invasion².

As reported in the local newspaper, the veraison invasion of 2014 has begun (shown here in TWWIAGE's Cabernet sauvignon vines) and it seems to be about two weeks ahead of schedule.  Not that Mother Nature has a set in stone schedule, but nevertheless it's still a little earlier than average.
The British Invasion has also begun; my family arrived from England last Saturday, all 10 of them, and since then they have been keeping me quite busy.  Fun, fun, fun!

Red, white wine and blue.

Happy 238th birthday America!
Today, I'm joining with my colonial cousins in wishing a very happy birthday to the United States of America.  So the English lost a little skirmish, big deal.  I'm still going to enjoy a glass of something white, and chilled, in honour of American independence.
From sea to shining sea, I hope the festivities are enjoyed by all who call this country home.
God bless America. 
Oh...and God save the Queen!

Bombs bursting in air.

Happy July 3rd.  As is our tradition, Vinomaker and I spent the 3rd of July in the company of good friends at the annual Phoenix Ranch Vineyards 3rd of July Party.  Lots of fun, yummy food, a standout 2009 Saddleback Cellars Charbono and spectacular fireworks kindly provided by Silverado Country Club all made for a really nice evening.  Happy Independence Day Eve to all my American buddies (including the surrounding 6 acres of Phoenix Ranch's Syrah vines). 
Party hearty!