Ta-ta tomatoes.

It is the 1st of December already, wow!  How did that happen?  It is the Christmas season already and day one of my advent calendar is already open.
Although it is still technically autumn, there have been some rather cold days this past week and we have had several frosty mornings. Enough frost events to finally finish off my tomato plants: this is my last handful of tomatoes for 2015.  There isn't going to be any more photosynthesis now that most of the foliage has been damaged by the frosts, the plants are done.  I'm going to make the most of my last homegrown salad of the year.

When to prune?

Like a fine Swiss timepiece, the Far Niente vineyard crew have been out and about these past two days pre-pruning their Chardonnay vines. Once again, this post-harvest operation has been performed in this particular vineyard with precision timing.

Vinoland's vines, as I have mentioned on this blog once or twice, are head-trained and cane (and spur) pruned so I don't perform any pre-pruning. Besides, I'm not exactly a planner-type person (am I, Vinomaker?), so if I get started pruning approximately sometime in February that's planning enough for me! However, I did exercise some forethought this past week and purposely went out and found myself an Advent calendar in anticipation of today, December 1st.

It's all about priorities really, isn't it?

Hail to December!

Christmas is coming and I am looking forward to it already.
Things have slowed down considerably in these parts; the vines are shutting down, malolactic fermentation is progressing in the cellar, and post harvest Napa Valley is once more relatively quiet.
It's no secret that I love Christmas. For me the season is not merely about the giving and receiving of gifts, in fact the older I get, the less I care about that particular aspect. Rather it's about spending quality time with family and friends, good old fashioned carol singing, relaxing repasts, nativity scenes, and yes, twinkling lights, sparkling tinsel and shiny baubles.
There are so many things I enjoy, but one of my favourite traditions is my and Vinomaker's Christmas Eve champagne tasting, and I am already thinking about what wines to include this year. After all, I have to have something to look forward to to get me through my school finals. I'll need a good glass, or two, of bubbly afterwards in order to recover, from the ordeal of the exams, in time for Christmas.

Educating Vinogirl.

It's Advent and I should be enjoying the run up to Christmas already. Instead, I am studying for finals. This coming Monday I have to stand up in front of 40 plus other students and convince them my protocol for making a crisp, bright Viognier is going to be successful...right down to the exact mg/L of yeast assimilable nitrogen content required for a healthy fermentation. Am I nervous? Nah, but where on earth did I put those sick bags and adult diapers?