Category Archives: Winery News
My Garden; Amazing Yields…and Zucchini for all!
In our second year of planting a vegetable garden here at the Chateau, we’re finding just how productive a squash plant can be. Every year, the Barrett family is generous to offer some land to any staff who wants to grow a garden. Last year, Gil, our Cellarmaster, and I set off to grow some tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, melons, and peppers. We did not see ideal warmth through much of the summer. Melons were few – and horrible. Cucumbers – barely a couple fruited. Peppers – just average. Squash? More than we could eat!
So this year, with optimisim of a nice, warm summer, we planted over a dozen varieties of tomatoes, 10 different types of squash, pumpkins, cucumbers of 6 varieties, peppers, and a number of beans. Also wild strawberries. So far, we’re off to a good year. Cucumbers are coming in fast and furious, tomatoes are starting to show lots of promise, peppers and pumpkins show vigorous growth; and the ever dependable squash: zucchini, scallop, crooknecks, sunburst, etc…are growing like weeds.
I’m finding new ways to cook the stuff. I’ve given so much away to friends (who may not be if I keep pushing this on them as often as they’re growing). It makes me wonder, with just how fast and full these plants grow, why aren’t more homes doing this? For the cost of some squash I’ve seen, as easy as it is to grow, cut and eat, we can reduce the hunger issues while encouraging healthy eating (provided they don’t only make fried zucchini fingers with Ranch dressing). I mean, two plants per household is ALL they need…trust me. Doesn’t take much space, soil has to be ok, sunlight is essential, but we all have that to some degree at home or nearby…
The beauty is, you don’t even really need to have a green thumb, and you can look like a veteran gardener with this stuff. So do yourself a favor; go buy a plant or two at your neighborhood store for a couple bucks; it’ll yield ten-fold what you paid for them in the end, and you will feel good about yourself…
Montelena’s Happy Vineyard Crew
We have a new face on the blog! Lynn Pedone will be working in the vineyard, with Dave Vella and his crew, as she pursues her studies in Viticulture at Santa Rosa Junior College. A little background on Lynn: she’s a recent East Coast transplant, has lived all over the world growing up in a military family and has previously worked in the world of business and finance. She’s now hoping to settle into her “last career stop until retirement” in the wine industry and is looking forward to the opportunity to learn more about vineyard maintenance with Dave. Lynn will be writing a weekly blog post about her experiences working in the Chateau Montelena vineyards. Read her latest post below:
My co-workers – the people who make up the great, hard-working vineyard crew at Chateau Montelena – really help to make my time in the vineyard enjoyable. They are also good, patient teachers, and a lot of the fun for me has been practicing my Spanish. We carry on conversations as we work, and somehow I know about their lives and they know something about mine. Last week I was partnered with Jose for the morning and he showed me a very efficient way to do leafing in the fruit zone. Clusters are getting big now, and it’s important to allow appropriate sun exposure and adequate ventilation around the berries. Jose demonstrated how to lift the canopy with one hand, kind of like looking under the hood of a car, and using the other hand to “comb” through and pull off leaves, working fast but taking care not to accidentally pull off a cluster of grapes. With experience it is possible to work quickly and avoid the fruit, but the key of course is to end up allowing enough sun exposure on the clusters but not so much you risk sunburn. I told Jose he was “muy rapido” but that I was “lento(a)” – slow. Somehow he made me feel that I was still doing a good job. Today, I was part of a small team tasked with dropping fruit from some young vines. Even knowing why this has to be done (keeping vine yields low to produce grapes with more flavor and intensity) still doesn’t make it any easier to snip off a perfectly beautiful cluster and throw it in a pile where it will shrivel and die in a matter of hours! Depending on the size of the shoot, I was told to leave two, one, or no cluster. The heat was back with us today, and the work was hard. But I continue to be impressed and amazed that my coworkers are always smiling, singing, and happy. Amidst their laughter and chatter, I can sometimes pick out a word or two or a phrase I understand. Most of all, listening to them passes the time and makes me smile, and I am grateful for this experience.
Can One Overindulge On Vacation?
The answer is yes. I just got back from the beautiful state of Montana. After driving 6 hours from Billings to BigFork, I understand why they call it “Big Sky.” One can’t appreciate what that means till they look over the horizon of thousands of acres of wheat fields, rolling green hills, or glacier covered mountains on the Continental Divide. The sky really looks bigger!
Anyways, to my point. I was traveling with some of my closest friends, one of which has an extensive wine collection, primarily French, with a smattering of Italian and Australian; but all top shelf brand names. He’s collected for years; and like many of us, looking for the right occasion to open them up. Well, he felt this was the right occasion, as we all got together and stayed at a beautiful home on Flathead Lake.
Among the four adult drinkers in 8 days, we averaged 3 bottles a night. We drank some of the best Europe and Australia has to offer: Romanee Conti, 1996, La Tache, 1999, Chateau Margaux 1982, Gaja 1990, Sassicaia, 1996, Grange 1996, Hill of Grace 1994. I could go on, but it would sound like I’m bragging. Well, I am a bit! You don’t often get an opportunity like this very often, if ever. Every day was a new experience, a new terroir explored. By the end of the trip, we were in true bliss. It’s nice to drink like royalty, even if it’s for a week.
Back to reality, as vacation is done. The next day, I swore I would not drink for at least a week. Phone rings; here comes friends from out of town to stay for the night. Being from out of town, coming to Napa, of course they want to go wine tasting and drink at night. So, out comes some bottles from my collection. Far from my friend’s cellar; more dominated by Napa Valley. Was I ready to have a glass? I thought not…but I was. And after all we drank the week before, I was happy to drink some local wine and realize how good our wines are…and at a fraction of the cost!
My Favorite Vineyard Day
We have a new face on the blog! Lynn Pedone will be working in the vineyard, with Dave Vella and his crew, as she pursues her studies in Viticulture at Santa Rosa Junior College. A little background on Lynn: she’s a recent East Coast transplant, has lived all over the world growing up in a military family and has previously worked in the world of business and finance. She’s now hoping to settle into her “last career stop until retirement” in the wine industry and is looking forward to the opportunity to learn more about vineyard maintenance with Dave. Lynn will be writing a weekly blog post about her experiences working in the Chateau Montelena vineyards. Read her latest post below:
One day last week I spent my morning at Chateau Montelena working on some Petite Syrah vines. The Montelena Estate vineyards are exclusively Cabernet Sauvignon and old Zinfandel; the Petite Syrah vines are experimental (maybe the winemakers will try them in some new blend?). Arriving at the vineyard at 5:50 a.m., I learned that the rest of the crew was working offsite. I wondered what I would be doing, since that meant I would be working alone. Did they actually trust me to work on my own in the estate vineyard with no supervision? Beto asked if I would like to work on the four rows of young Petite Syrah vines that needed a little “tidying up” – vines creeping out into the row middles needed to be tucked into the catch wires and trimmed above the top wire. Sure! I said, happy to have any opportunity to use my pruning shears. I love pruning and cutting and trimming and snipping – as someone who has never really worked in a garden of any kind before, I had no idea how empowering it is to “discipline” a vine….maybe it’s because I can’t seem to establish the same control over my two obstinate Pugs. At this stage, when the vineyard seems to be growing like crazy, the vines are like unruly children. Fortunately, and unlike my dogs, they respond well to just about anything you do to them! It was a glorious day in Calistoga – very warm, but not too hot – with a soft breeze and a postcard-blue sky. As I was talking to the vines in the peaceful silence and listening to the birds chirping, Mr. Barrett rode by on his little motor scooter, and it made me happy to see him out and about. After a bit Dave Vella, the Vineyard Manager, stopped by to ask how things were going for me. In addition to what I was already doing, Dave suggested I start “dropping” berry clusters – in effect, pruning to leave just one cluster per shoot. When vines are young, this allows them to put their energy and resources into producing berries with more concentrated flavors. Montelena purposely keeps their vine yields low because smaller crop yields produce wines with more intensity and complexity. I was excited about this new task, until I started trying to decide which clusters would live and which would die. The problem, I discovered, was that by and large, all of them were beautiful and soon I realized I was spending far too much time trying to pick and choose and that it probably was not an effective use of my time. Where there were clear and obvious choices, I snipped off the “lesser” bunches, but I have to say that I did not enjoy murdering those little clusters that will never grow up to become fine Chateau Montelena wine! All in all, though, a perfect day. Next week I plan to focus on my co-workers – the people who make up the great, hard-working vineyard crew at Montelena. See you then.
Summer Vineyard Activities
We have a new face on the blog! Lynn Pedone will be working in the vineyard, with Dave Vella and his crew, as she pursues her studies in Viticulture at Santa Rosa Junior College. A little background on Lynn: she’s a recent East Coast transplant, has lived all over the world growing up in a military family and has previously worked in the world of business and finance. She’s now hoping to settle into her “last career stop until retirement” in the wine industry and is looking forward to the opportunity to learn more about vineyard maintenance with Dave. Lynn will be writing a weekly blog post about her experiences working in the Chateau Montelena vineyards. Read her latest post below:
Hope everyone had a good 4th of July. At Chateau Montelena, the vineyard has really been flourishing – the warm, sunny weather has given the vines everything they need to grow, and grow rapidly! It is very exciting to see the berry clusters taking shape and increasing in size; “peppercorn” diameter now (about 4 mm), they are actually beginning to look like bunches of grapes. “Berry set” occurred in June and this month wineries can begin cluster counts to determine their crop projection for the year. Because everything is growing like crazy at this time, it’s also necessary to keep up a busy pace of tucking vines up into the catch wires as well as continue with suckering – removing unwanted shoots we don’t want and the vines don’t need. Extra shoots “rob” the vines of the vigor and productivity that has to go into growing, ripening and maturing the fruit, so this is a very important task. We have also started some shoot “thinning” to eliminate crowding and allow the leaves – i.e. the little solar panels of the vines – full sun exposure and again, to give the vines the opportunity to focus their energy into fruit production instead of green (vegetative) growth. We did have a day of real rain last week; happy for the cooler temperatures, we started work as usual at 6 a.m. under a light drizzle but within an hour the skies opened up to a full blown deluge. I had my rain gear on and wanted to continue but Placido, the crew supervisor, wisely summoned us out of the vineyard and told us to go home – no sense jeopardizing anyone’s health or safety. The sun and high temperatures have returned, and we are back at it – yesterday was spent doing more vine tucking and suckering. These things grow like weeds!
Three Generations of Montelena Winemakers
We had a special guest here yesterday. Jerry Luper stopped by to say hello after many years of living in Europe, and just about 30 years after turning Chateau Montelena Winemaker responsibilities over to Bo Barrett, now our Master Winemaker. So it was fun to get them together with current Winemaker Cameron Parry for a group photo. What strikes me, other than the idea of the shared history represented here, are the smiles on their faces. It’s fun here at the old Chateau…and it’s the people who make it so.
My Friends with Wine
As I conclude the July 4th holiday and get ready to head out for a real R&R vacation in the beautiful state of Montana, I’ve realized that among my many friends, I’ve grouped them into two categories. There are those that are wine collectors, or “snobs,” and those that aren’t. Don’t get me wrong; when I say “snob,” I mean that in an endearing way. I, myself, am lumped into that category by all my friends. I live by the creedo, “life’s too short to drink bad wine,” and have even taken it a step further. If I’m gonna take in the calories on a beer, I’m going for the good stuff – Microbrews all the way! If I opted for a lite beer, I’d just assume drink water; far better for the body if I’m just putting flavorless liquid in it. If I opt for a burger, I’m not going to a place that wraps it in wax paper in a styrofoam box and offers drive-thru; I’m sitting down to a $15 gourmet Wagyu or premium ground sirloin with Maytag blue melting down the sides. You get the point.
So back to my friends. My guests for the July 4th barbecue were the non-snobs. Yes, they appreciate the good wine when it’s there, but most will settle for whatever’s white, whatever’s red. They love it when I break open a good bottle; but when my back is turned and I’m out the door, they’re back to sipping the stuff in a box. I occasionally turn a few of them towards the other side; they curse and thank me at the same time. With these friends, a great time is had by all, regardless of what we drink.
Now to my Montana trip. Going with close friends, and all are “snobs.” When we normally get together, we all bring some prize bottles to share, knowing this is the group of friends who we like to brag to each other about what we have; and that they can appreciate the nuances of some of these subtle, yet, intriguing wines. We’ll all bring 4-6 bottles each for a group of 6 of us; and we’ll return home with 4 or 5 of what we brought. We’ll leave knowing we’ve drunk to our fullest of some of the finest wines from each other’s cellars. In fact, a good portion of our conversation is dominated by what we consumed. We soak in the moments with food…and great friends.
What is the moral of this story? Life is about diversity; you can’t live on a bland, predictable diet. Having friends with differing interests keeps me healthy. My picnic friends make me realize there’s more to life than just great wine. They enjoy the knowledge that I can share with them, and make me feel good about what I know; and at the same time, laugh and talk about other worldly and not so important topics. My snobs? They rejuvenite the juices in me to further learn, as I realize I really don’t know everything about wine there is to know. We learn to appreciate the finer things in life; the details. Both sets of friends are truly loved and appreciated.
And yes, there are other friends that are “tweeners.” A whole other, but appreciated category!
Happy 4th!
Our New Pavilions
If you have ever visited Jade Lake to enjoy its tranquility – and especially if you are a CellarMaster Wine Club member who has reserved one of its two islands for personal use – you are familiar with our pavilions. These structures were originally built by Yort and Jeanie Frank, whose family owned and lived in the Chateau in the mid-20th Century. It was in fact Yort who excavated the lake, created its enchanting gardens, and named it all after his wife, whose nickname was Jade. After decades of exposure to the elements, even with our careful upkeep, it finally became necessary to replace the pavilions. This work was recently completed, faithfully replicating the original design, and even incorporating beautiful roof tiles sourced directly from China. Here is a picture of the left island pavilion, taken just before guests arrived for our annual Movable Feast event in late May. Next time you visit, we hope you take in the view. Better yet, after your visit maybe you would have a picture or two to share with us (hint…hint)?
Summer Arrives at Chateau Montelena
We have a new face on the blog! Lynn Pedone will be working in the vineyard, with Dave Vella and his crew, as she pursues her studies in Viticulture at Santa Rosa Junior College. A little background on Lynn: she’s a recent East Coast transplant, has lived all over the world growing up in a military family and has previously worked in the world of business and finance. She’s now hoping to settle into her “last career stop until retirement” in the wine industry and is looking forward to the opportunity to learn more about vineyard maintenance with Dave. Lynn will be writing a weekly blog post about her experiences working in the Chateau Montelena vineyards. Read her latest post below:
Tuesday was officially the first day of Summer, and in the vineyard here it was appropriately HOT…97 degrees. It seemed fitting that we spent the morning tending to the irrigation needs of the vines. Irrigation involves more than simply keeping the plants alive. In viticulture, the strategies for watering depend on the desired style of wine that will ultimately be achieved – there are different effects of irrigation on berries from budbreak to bloom and fruit set and all the way through to maturity. One of my favorite lessons from vineyard management class is that vines are like cats – they don’t like wet feet! At Chateau Montelena, they practice deficit irrigation, providing just enough water to keep the vines from becoming overly stressed. Heriberto, (Beto, as he is called by the staff here) who I spent the day shadowing, explained that when the vines are young they are irrigated more to grow a strong healthy vine and as they get older and start to produce fruit, the water is greatly reduced. I always think of what Jim Barrett, i.e. Bill Pullman, said in the movie Bottle Shock – making the vines “struggle” intensifies the flavor. Who would know better? And this is where I put in a shameless plug for the movie…if you have never seen, go get yourself a copy and share it with friends. You don’t have to be a wine lover to appreciate this wonderfully entertaining, feel-good movie. If you are lucky enough to live in the area, you can pick up a copy (autographed by Bo Barrett) in the Montelena tasting room if you take the “Bottle Shock Chardonnay Experience” tour. As with the movie, once is not enough!
Returning to the day’s events, I accompanied Beto as he turned on valves for several irrigation pump stations throughout the vineyard blocks. Just when I thought to myself, oh, this will be an easy task….there is actually much more to irrigation and fertilization (fertigation when both are applied simultaneously) than I imagined. As I said to Beto, learning about something in a classroom is never the same as doing it. Beto has been with Montelena for more than 20 years, and it’s easy to see that he loves what he does. We began in a hillside block, walking the rows to inspect the drip lines and replacing any failing, or plugged, emitters (the small, round cap-like spouts through which the water flows). Next, travel to the various pump stations where, in some cases, valves need to be turned on. At other stations, filters need to be removed and cleaned out. Valves are shut off at the end of the work day, then the whole process repeats again the next day. I also observed as organic fish fertilizer was applied through the irrigation system to one of the blocks of baby vines (this is done once or twice a year on young vines). The huge 300-gallon tank has to be transported to the application site with a forklift, and then a myriad of hoses connects the tank to the irrigation system with a portable pump. Quite a remarkable way to apply fertilizer, considering how painstaking it must have been in the days before all this wonderful machinery was developed!
Support Your Local Farmer’s Markets
I’ve been a big advocate of local farmer’s markets for many years. While I do ponder why the costs of fruit and veggies at these direct-to-consumer venues is as high, if not higher than, some of your finest grocery chains, I’ve also come to realize that it’s still money well spent. Here’s why:
*Quality. Just as in buying wine directly from the source. You know you can count on the quality of it. Did it drive across country and back on warm, summer days? Did it sit next to a furnace in some building? No, it was stored best by the people who know how. For produce, you know where it’s coming from; you meet the farmers and get first hand information. You understand the TLC that went into it. Tasting tree ripened fruit or fresh cut veggies from the ground is so much better. This is as close as most can get in an urban surrounding. And, you’re often getting true organic or non-genetically modified produce; which translates to better for the earth, better for the body.
*Price. Yes, it isn’t “as cheap,” but you know it comes directly from the source, and no middlemen taking their shares. Think back when how farms struggled, and the government had to subsidize to make sure we have food on our tables. They’re not getting the same subsidies. This tremendously helps them to eek out a living. After all, when was the last time you drove by a farm and saw their mansion on the grounds? It’s not high-profit careers until it gets to the hands of conglomerate grocery chains. These folks stress every year about how the weather will be; they’re up at the crack of dawn till sunset; and they don’t often get two days off a week.
*Uniqueness. Some, if not all of these markets will have things you’ve never seen or heard of. Every July, I crave the candycots that are only available at the famous Ferry Plaza farmer’s market in San Francisco on Saturdays. These little gems, appropriately named, are like eating candy. They are exclusively grown in the Fresno area, and just through the months of end of June and July. Being far from where I live, I tracked down the farm and asked them if there’s any way to get these. Their response, “either come to our farm, or the SF Farmers market, that’s it!” Can’t ship, no stores.. And, I’ve never found as sweet boysenberries; heck, haven’t found boysenberries, period; except there, for a 4 week window. And the variety of Asian pears! Oh my, I can go on… You just have to go frequently and find these unique things.
*Fun Factor. It’s just plain fun to walk around with friends and family; sample the “fruits” of their labor, be outside, and eat at the adjacent food tents.
So support these farmers, bring your wallet, and bring home of nature’s goodness!
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