Not boaring.

Not in the least boring was Vinomaker's birthday dinner last night at the Rutherford Grill, Rutherford.  The place was absolutely heaving with diners when we arrived, it was a good job that we had reservations.  Food was great; a surprisingly, for me, tasty Brussels sprout appetizer (Brussels sprouts are an obsession of Vinomaker's), a tri-tip/butternut squash enchilada combo for Vinomaker and a seared ahi tuna platter for me (it was a Friday in Lent, after all).  The Rutherford Grill's 'By the Glass' menu is a little paltry, but Vinomaker managed to amuse himself with a glass each of; a Ledson 2014 Viognier (Sonoma Coast AVA); a Swanson 2014 Pinot grigio (Oakville AVA) and a Pride Mountain Vineyards 2012 Merlot (Napa/Sonoma AVA).  I had one glass of sparkling wine to celebrate the anniversary of Vinomaker's birth, a Domaine Carneros 2011 Brut (Carneros AVA).  And plenty of Rutherford Grill 2016 Tap Water (Rutherford AVA).  A fun dinner.

The happiest of industries.

I love the wine-industry, wine-folks are just so darned happy, and helpful. Whilst quaffing a couple of Pinot grigios, Vinomaker wondered out loud what the TA and pH could possibly be in the two nicely balanced wines before us (a 2010 Swanson and a 2012 Gargiulo).   "Let's ask," I say.  So I emailed Chris Phelps, winemaker at Swanson Vineyards, and Kristof Anderson, winemaker at Gargiulo Vineyards, to inquire if they could give me some specific numbers for their respective wines. Lickety split, both of my emails were answered: neither of these winemakers hesitated when it came to answering my paltry query...and this is their busiest time of the year!  Definitely a healthier display of bonhomie than in my previous career of banking.

Thanks lads, it's so gratifying to know that you both enjoy your jobs so much that you'll share your expertise with anybody.   Happy, indeed.

Hanging on for dear life.

Grapevines are amazing plants.  If I wasn't already convinced of this fact seeing this lone Pinot grigio vine, determined to survive even after the entire vineyard was bulldozed out last February, simply serves to reinforce what I believed prior to today.  I just wish I could dig this little survivor out and bring it back to Vinoland to live with it's cousins.  

Note to self:  put a shovel in the car...

A word from a friendly, local winemaker.

It is not often that a winemaker will take time out of their busy, wine-filled day to address the idle inquisitiveness of a nosy blogger, in this case me.  But, that is just exactly what Chris Phelps, winemaker at Swanson Vineyards, did when I inquired as to why they had decided to rip out Swanson's Pinot grigio vines on the Oakville Crossroad.  Here is his reply in its entirety:

Dear Vinogirl,

Alas, we were disheartened, as well, to realize we had no choice but to pull some of the Pinot Grigio vines in our Oakville Vineyard.

Leafroll virus had taken a serious toll on the vines,  dropping yield down to an unsustainable 1.25 tons per acre, and preventing the crop from fully ripening.

We hope that your Pinot Grigio yields remain high, or at least sustainable, and may your vines continue to be virus-free and live forever!

We do remain dedicated to producing Pinot Grigio, in spite of the fact that the variety is notoriously low-yielding.

Thank you for your concern, and please do let us know if you have more questions.

Chris Phelps.

So, the culprit was leafroll virus, curses! 
Seeing as I can't do anything about it I have decided to open a bottle of 2009 Swanson Pinot grigio (a staple in Vinoland) to toast the memory of those grand old vines in Oakville.  And, instead of me waxing lyrical about the virtues of the wine in hand, I suggest you watch this clip of Mr. Phelps describing his own handiwork.
Thanks Chris.  

So sad.

It rained today, but I don't think it was your average rain.  Mother Nature, perhaps commiserating with me, was saddened that Swanson Vineyards decided to rip out their Pinot grigio vineyard on the Oakville Crossroad. Why am I so downhearted about the fate of these particular vines one might ask?  Over the course of my short blogging career I have written numerous posts about vineyard rip-outs with nary a tear shed. And, although all rip-outs are sad, this one is particularly joyless to me because I have a personal connection to these grapevines.
Vinoland's original block of Pinot grigio vines happen to be the progeny of the forlorn looking vines in the above photograph. Facilitated by a now retired vineyard manager of Swanson Vineyards, I drove up to Oakville and harvested the budwood myself.  Then I stood and watched, with great anticipation, as a friend of Vinomaker's painstakingly field-budded each and every rootstock we had planted earlier that spring (2005, I believe).
Alas, now Vinoland's Pinot grigio vines are orphans.  Sob.

Who stole all the vines?

It has been extremely foggy the past two mornings. Not the marine fog that haunts the San Francisco Bay Area all summer long, but true radiation fog, (or Tule fog as they call it here after the winter fogs that form in the expansive, low-lying San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys). I love it.
This up valley vineyard looks a little forlorn in the misty gloom of a late January morning. I am fairly certain that this vineyard, belonging to Swanson Vineyards, was formerly planted to Merlot. But whether or not the vines were diseased, no longer economically viable, or simply just old, they are history. Only the blossoming mustard and an incomplete trellising system remain as silent witnesses to the crime.