AmByth Estate Farm Journal

White Wine Heaven

2012-05-07T12:07:00.001-07:00

We had a Super Moon dinner party this past Saturday, Mary was excited to open a bottle she spied at the local wine shop, a 1998 Vouvray from Clos du Bourg ($52). But a greater surprise came in the selections our guests brought: a 2010 Chateau d'Epire, Savennieres, a 2007 Movia Sauvignon Blanc (with skin contact), an Albarino from Verdad in Santa Barbara (BD), and we threw in a 1993 Chave white Hermitage! We lament when we hear, "I'm not really a white wine drinker", there are so many INCREDIBLE white wines from every country! We've become avid white drinkers, often concluding our evenings with a fantastic white wine. They have acidity and brightness, they are clean on the palate and the aromas are intense. The star of the night was the '98 Vouvray (plus the '93 Hermitage), but they were all fantastic wines! (If you have a chance to purchase wines made by Movia, do so! They are out of Slovenia and are making interesting and delicious wines...but they are hard to find.) A little underrated in this star-studded cast was the Verdad Albarino, but we enjoyed the remainder of it Sunday and it is a lovely wine. We're excited about taking a trip soon to Santa Barbara to check out more of the wines of Verdad!

An Interesting Observation

2012-04-26T10:15:00.003-07:00

“An interesting thing happened at a dinner party the other day...”

Some four years ago we bought 2 bottles of Chateauneuf-du-pape Domaine Pierre Andre 2000, biodynmaic wine at $70 a bottle. We drank a bottle fairly soon after arrival, it was wonderful, everything you want out of a Rhone wine: great depth, complexity, fruit, delicious, the works. This week we had a dinner party and decided it was time to drink the second bottle. Too late. It wasn’t horrible, it wasn’t even bad, it just didn't drink to the best of its potential. It was plain, simple, and lacking fruit. It didn't exhibit those lovely fresh characteristics found with a fantastic Grenache. We’re coming to the conclusion that Grenache based wines are 2 to 8 year wines, this is their optimal drinking window. For us, who have had a 250 case cellar and would insist on only drinking wines that were 15 years or older, this is quite a revelation. Ageing wines a long time has a trade off: fruit. Some obvious exceptions, quality (this word is important in the equation) Cab, Rioja (Tempranillo) and Syrah. All wines with loads of tannins. But a wine that crosses all the boundaries? – Mourvedre – life is good.

The Vineyard in January

2012-01-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

This January, Paso Robles, and much of California has suffered from one of the dryest winters on record. Normally, at this time of year, the grasses and wild flowers (otherwise known as weeds) would be enough feed for our 5 free-ranging cows. We were on target for winter rainfall at the end of November, but the surprisingly dry months subsequent dried up what should have been growing. While the days have been particulary beautiful, with incredible clarity and warm temperatures, we were hoping for more rain!

Although, as I write this, the weekend storm brought about 2 inches of rain. Still, this is not enough to make up for the lost rainfall. The vines and olives will be okay, primarily due to 2 past wet winters. Still, it is discouraging to look out at the hills, and see brown where there should be green. Along with our 5 cows eating what little they can find, and fertiziling our soils, we have 2 young lambs on the property grazing with the cows.

A good factor of a dry January: we've been able to get in to the vineyards to begin the pruning. Vines go dormant in the winter, all the leaves fall to the ground (making the rolling hills of vines around us so beautiful, full of fall colors). The vines reach into the soil to get the nutrients and strength for the summer to come. We believe winter is the most active time for a vine, and that the health of a vine will be seen in the summer when the natural growth occurs. We prune on descending moon days, and on fruit and flower days according to the lunar calendar by Maria Thun. It typically takes 30 solid work days to prune over 7,000 vines.

And boy! Can you see the growth in the olive trees! I love this photo, of Bede running down the road with El Cid hot on his heels! In December, we harvested 1,500 pounds of olives, yielding a little over 100 litres of extra-virgin estate olive oil. Not alot of oil! But this was typical for olive trees this year, many of our friends with trees didn't have a single olive, so we are thankful the little amount of oil we did harvest! Next in the vineyard? Building cold frames for the garden, ordering more bees and to continue pruning (as well as spraying the BD sprays and trapping the pesky gophers).

Mid Harvest Report From the Winemaker

2011-09-15T10:22:00.001-07:00

We feel as though we're in a suspended state of calm before the storm, waiting for the grapes to ripen and the madness to begin. This growing season of 2011 has definitely been one of those examples of good-gone-bad. A fantastic rainy winter season left us with a severe late frost in April that caused our county to declare a disaster for growers. Our early "budders", those vines that break out of the winter doldrums first, were damaged ruining our crop. At first we didn't think we had significant damage, but now that we have harvested those early varietals, the proof is in the pudding: 500 pounds of Viognier harvested from 1 acre, 1200 lbs of Syrah from 2 acres, 800 lbs of Tempranillo from an acre, and on it goes. Even for AmByth these are tiny crop loads. Our goal is 2 tons of fruit per acre. (An average irrigated vineyard yields 4 to 10 tons/acre.)

A friend said the other day, "Why go to Vegas when you can farm?". Perhaps this is why some little inner workings in me decided to make 17 different wines with the 2010 vintage (which was incredibly bountiful). We have single varietals of Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Counoise, Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, Zinfindel, along with our standard blends: Priscus, Adamo, ReVera & Maiestas. The 2011 will be limited, but variety will still abound as a combination.

Because of the cold growing season, our harvest has started later than usual again. But as things progress, it looks like we will wrap us as usual, right at the end of September. The Sangiovese, Grenache and Mourvedre crops are looking strong, and despite the cold spells, they keep advancing toward maturity. Thankfully, the 2011 Counoise crop is looking quite handsome--our new darling in the winery is the 100% Counoise 2010, hopefully the '11 will only be as delicious. We thought we would have to aide grape ripening a bit by applying a series of egg shell teas, but the vines are taking care of themselves.

A small change for 2011 in the winery: we are fermenting in the garage of the house (true "garagistes", we are!). As the winery is now climate controlled for aging wine and storing case goods, it's a little cool for the smaller fermentations to take place. Our garage stays at a constant of 75 degrees, so voila!, perfect temp for fermenting. Fortunately, we did have this alternate location in our minds 'back in the day', so it is perfectly legal and bonded.

Cheers, Phillip

Pictures: Bede punching down fermenting Syrah (top); Phillip taking brix measurements on just-picked Zinfandel

Refrigerating...Labwork at Home

2011-05-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

Phillip pulled a sample amount of our 2010 Viognier and 2010 Marsanne from the barrels to test for "cold stabilization". And the best way to do this? Fill empty wine bottles and pop them in the refrigerator to observe the wine over a four day period. We are looking to see if the wine remains clear. If the bottle clouds up, then the wine is not stabilized. It needs more time in the barrel, or it needs to be put outside in freezing temperatures to continue stabilizing. If the wine is not cold stabilized, then the proteins can coagulate and appear as a haze in the bottle.

What does all of this mean? A wine that appears to be hazy or cloudy is more offensive in visibility than in taste. It really isn't that much fun to drink a cloudy wine. But let's not get this confused with sediment, tartrate crystals, or with white wine "browning"--these are characteristics that are interesting. We check all of our white and rose wines to check for lovely, clear wine.

There is always an advantage to seeing these bottles in the fridge...we get to drink them! And something you may see on the tasting bar later this year: 100% Marsanne with zero added sulfites. It tastes delicious, this hilltop property produces some pretty darn good whites (yes, we're both drinking a glass now, waiting for the rain to come but thoroughly enjoying it).

A Little Bit of an Italy Recap

2011-04-29T11:48:00.001-07:00

Over the next few months I'll be detailing our visit to Italy, where we were invited to pour at Vino!Vino!Vino!, Wine by Second Nature, a wine expo of naturally grown/made wines held in Cerea simultaneously as VinItaly in Verona. This was an amazing event, it was held over 3 days, from 10 to 6. It completely wiped us out! This was a serious wine-drinking crowd that was nonstop: importers, distributors, restaurateurs, wine bar owners, journalists, etc. As the days and hours waned on, the crowd did not thin or become obnoxious, hardly was a drunk patron seen! It was invigorating to see and experience. There were 130 producers present, the majority of them owners/winemakers; Phillip made his way around the exhibition hall every day, yet he still wasn't able to taste all of the wines present. We made excellent contacts and discovered beautiful wines, ever heard of Schioppettino...well, neither had we!

Our wines were well received, we poured our white, Priscus (Grenache Blanc/Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne), Venustas (cheeky bugger Phillip is, taking a Sangiovese blend to Italy), 100% Grenache and ReVera (Mourvedre blend). Everything (36 bottles) was carried over in our suitcases, and surprisingly, the Grenache showed the best--which was our No Added Sulfite wine. We guess it liked the travel! (Although, we were concerned how it would hold up after being subjected to extreme temperature changes, being man-handled, etc.) Everyone there was skeptical about our wine, in a sense that they expected the big, fruit forward, high alcohol California wine. But once they tasted, they knew we were more European in our style. Many winemakers visited our tasting table, and they even enjoyed the Sangiovese!

Bud Break Amongst the Poppies

2011-03-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

Sangiovese has awoken from it's dormancy and leafed out this week. We were concerned this past weekend as the rain amounted to 3 inches that the baby buds would be broken, but this afternoon they were nearly translucent in the sun, and so beautiful against a poppy-strewn cover crop. Sangiovese is always our first varietal to bud, closely followed by Tempranillo. The vineyards are particularly beautiful right now, they are teeming with wildflowers and the hum of bees is a constant companion whilst meandering up and down the hills. We are counting our blessings.

The Most (UN)Wonderful Time of the Year...Thanks to Monsanto

2011-03-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

Paso Robles is on the teetering point of falling so blessedly into Spring: the almonds trees are definitely in bloom, daffodils have emerged, our native pollinators have taken flight, chicks are hatching! Spring is renewal, revival, rebirth and DEATH.

This is the time of year we have to drive around with blinders on our eyes, as every country-road corner in progressive/green/eco-friendly California boasts a freshly sprayed patch of land that is a highlighter-yellow-fluorescent-orange evidence of herbicide use. In past blogs I have refrained from naming Round Up as the most commonly used herbicide spray, but as Wikipedia points it out, I may as well too. Heck, it is proudly crowding the doorways of our neighborhood agricultural feed/supply stores (as well as the baby chicks under heat lamps).

While on the subject of Wikipedia, read the link on Round Up here...it will make your skin crawl! Phrases like "...another important ingredient is [the wetting agent] polyethoxylated tallow amine...which increases herbicide penetration in plant and animal cells. PENETRATION IN ANIMAL CELLS! Now, an oath to my free-range chickens, cows, sheep, my 2 precious doggies and 3 cats--you have no chance of having this nightmarish toxicity penetrating your dear selves! (Not to mention my millions of bees.)

Now a fair word for Monsanto, and this found on their website: "Round Up agricultural herbicides and other products are used to sustainably an[d] effectively control weeds on the farm." SUSTAINABLY?? (This is a perfect example of why this is the most asinine word tossed around these days.) Spraying a product that has the capability to morph plant and animal cells is NOT sustainable. (By the way Monsanto, if this were true, then why these superweeds that are now resistant to Round Up because of the repeated exposure?)

We hear people say herbicides are just soap-like/salt-like products. But then why the need to wear a mask when applying? Oh yeah, and if spraying copious amounts, a permit is required and it often comes with suggestions to wear a protective outer layer over one's clothing. Harmless it is not.

And to the general public: the "brown and green corduroy" you see this time of year in the vineyards and orchards IS NOT NORMAL Spring growth. Every field, every fence line, every driveway, every row under the vine, EVERYTHING should be green! If you care about this widespread use at all, and the effects of herbicides on our plants/animals/soils and water, please support those farmers and markets who refuse to spray. Having a hoe in hand is a much better option (not to mention, it may be another route to tackle obesity in today's age, a little physical labor can go a long way...just a thought).

AmByth is Going to Italy, VinoVinoVino 2011-Wine by Nature!

2011-01-20T14:00:00.000-08:00

A most exciting opportunity has opened up for AmByth Estate! Phillip was communicating with Giampiero Bea (Paolo Bea winery in Umbria, Italy) about his wines. We tasted a white and a red at our favorite wine bar in San Francisco, called Terroir. The wines were fantastic in the mouth, low-to-zero added sulfites, no additions, different, delicious, they were like nature in a bottle, very obviously something that interested us. We have a great many friends and neighbors, winemakers, and growers in Paso Robles and the wine world in general, but no one that shares our similar passion for the way that we approach what we have chosen to do (farm naturally, make wine naturally-pushing the limits and breaking with conventional wisdom). Sometimes it is a little frustrating for us, wines in the general public are judged along the same thin thread, but our focus is so opposite of this thread! We want to make a wine that is different, that challenges your tastebuds and makes you say, "Wow! What is this? Why is this so different?!". On the same token, we want to be successful in a monetary way with our farm, but somehow that isn't the end point of our thinking. We keep being, excuse the pun, "led down the garden path". It is a most intriguing path and we're sure that sometime we'll hit a dead end, but that doesn't change our emotions, it just means we need to try again and again.

Back to Giampiero Bea...He belongs to a group of winemakers in Italy called ViniVeri, who have the same vision we do. Consider this, taken from their webpage: these winemakers "found themselves tired of participating in wine fairs where the quality of a wine was judged more on the beauty of the stands surrounding it, than on the wine itself." (To see the whole Manifest of ViniVeri, continue reading here.) This group does not define itself by organic or biodynamic labels, but rather they prefer to unite by the same philosophy and sensible approach to the land: to give back to the earth what we have received from it. After we communicated with Giampiero, he invited us to attend VinoVinoVino-Wine By Nature 2011 in Verona, Italy this April 7-9th. AmByth was specifically invited to pour our wines...WOW! In order to present wines at this event, a winery must be invited to two members of ViniVeri. We are unsure, but we could possibly be the only California winery there (will let you know differently when we return home). (VinoVinoVino is a natural wine and food fair that attracts over 2,000 winelovers and buyers from around the world.)

So what is the big deal about this? For us (Phillip and Mary) it is an exceptional opportunity to expand our thought horizons, push the boundaries even further, discover even more different ways to think of our farm and our product (wines and oils), and to visit some outstanding wineries/winemakers while in Italy. Sometimes one's own thinking without external output can become stultified or petrified. Phillip says 'petrified' deliberately, both as a little 'stuck-in-place' and 'scared!'. To travel a road not travelled by many in our immediate neighborhood is sometimes scary business. (Just to qualify, we're talking about continuing to make wine with zero-added sulfites, using amphorae stored under ground to age wines, making wines that are so completely different that it causes definite pause, etc.) To be able to dialogue with people who not only have similar thoughts, but who have been doing what they're doing for quite a bit longer--sometimes generations--is tremendous. Just to put ourselves in the company of the world's greatest natural winemakers is a treat in itself!

Consider meeting us in Verona this Spring, I can't think of a better way to celebrate life and new growth! Ciao!

December Olive Harvest, Our First Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the Estate

2011-01-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since the grape harvest (so it seems). So much happened at the end that we were sent into a frenzy like none other and tested and tried as fairly new vineyard owners, but we survived! And today Phillip is enjoying a day in the winery tasting the 2009 and 2010 wines in every barrel...a staggering amount of wine (no pun intended--but someone has to do it).

One more surprise for the estate annals of 2010: an incredible olive harvest! If you'll remember the minimal crop we had in 2009, (read here to refresh your memory) we weren't expecting much from our 540 trees this year. It is an interesting activity, estimating a crop load on trees. Based on the two previous years of 120 pounds a year, Phillip estimated about 1/2 ton of olives for 2010. We bought a "hobby" home press with every intention of pressing slowly, day-by-day, varietal-by-varietal until we actually got down to it and realized this would take all year! (This press is now FOR SALE!, it processes 30 lbs/hour and is perfect if you have 2 or 3 trees...not 540!)

We tremendously enjoyed the slow pace while it lasted and tasting each tree's oil (we have 8 Spanish varietals planted, they all yield different crop loads, size of olives and flavors--just like wine grapes). We relented, but happily called in professional pickers. Over 2 days and 30 workers, our trees gave us 2 1/2 tons of olives! (NOT 1/2 ton as estimated.) Thankfully, we have good friends in the olive business who also have 10 acres of trees farmed organically, and we were able to piggy-back onto their pressing (thank you Jerry and Carolyn Shaeffer @ Rancho Rendezvous Farms in Paso Robles).

New to the Paso area is Mill on Wheels, a mobile mill equipped to process fruit from start to finish: olives to oil, right there at your estate! It is run by Yves and Clotilde of Olea Farm, veteran olive oil producers in Templeton. Yves was a saint, pressing our olives well into the dark hours of the night and keeping our varietals different so we could have 4 different blends, all showcasing incredible flavors and attributes. His niece is chef at Thomas Hill Organics and she had raved to him about our natural wines, and by good fortune we had some with us at the press and all were sustained, keeping us happy (and well lubricated) while working.

The olive harvest yielded 100 gallons of beautiful dry-farmed, Biodynamic extra virgin Olive Oil. It was an exceptional morning after the press: for breakfast we shared homemade bread, drizzled with our estate olive oil and a perfectly poached egg from our chickens. We relished in our bounty, in that moment: all seemed to be complete, harmonious and isn't-this-really-what-it's-all-about filled our souls and our bellies and our minds.

We hoped to get some oil in bottles and labeled for our good customers to buy and give as gifts over Christmas. It didn't happen, we went on vacation instead. However, everyone that has visited in the last month has tasted, raved and purchased oil that we've filled for them. We should get our labels this week and move forward. It is available for sale! Right now the oil is green, slightly cloudy, sharp, full of health and incredibly tasty (go here for interesting olive harvesting/timing information).

For Sale at the Winery:
250 ml, $16.95
375 ml, $22.50
750 ml, $35.00

**Bring your own containers and we'll fill them up for $40 a liter!

Liquid gold, that is the best descriptor of such a wonder.

Fall in the Vineyard

2010-11-30T12:31:00.001-08:00

A lovely picture of StoneCross Vineyard looking northeast, down into Mark's Vineyard. You can see the beautiful rolling hills east of Templeton and then further east is Creston, in the distant background.

Photo sent by a club member, double-click on photo to enlarge it.

A Tiny Mention in Saveur Magazine, But in Good Company

2010-10-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

When it rains it pours! Well, sort of. We just heard word that our 2008 "Maiestas" (Syrah blend) is listed in Saveur Magazine as one of the "44 California Reds to Drink Now". This is pretty exciting news to us, as Saveur is an excellent food/drink/ & the-culture-of-both magazine (and incidentally, the only such magazine we subscribe to). And we feel honored to be in the company of many of the other wines listed. Phillip will also be featured in "Touring & Tasting" as a Paso Robles Renegade. Slowly, slowly our name is getting out there! We are thankful of course, but Phillip says, "All this and a couple of dollars will get you a cup of coffee...but it's always nice to be mentioned."

**Picture by Jeffrey Weissler @ http://www.consciouswine.com/ (check this website out!)

2010 Harvest Recap and Farmer's Ponderings

2010-09-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

I must have read so many of these harvest notes over the years from so many wineries that I could probably just make it all up and it would pass muster.
For the 2010 Harvest, there is no need to make anything up. To get a sense of perspective, our vines are mostly 5th and 7th leaf. Before the significant rains of this last year, these dry-farmed beauties had been dealt a pretty rough hand. We experienced three years in a row of drought-like conditions: 12 inches, 5" & 9" total rainfall. It's tempting to think our vines were saying, "We'll stay alive, but don't expect more more!", hence the 2009 harvest of 9 tons off of 15+ acres. (This is why the overwhelming majority of growers irrigate.)

This year was a game changer! We had 24 inches (!!) spread out nicely over the Winter months even extending into Spring...perfect! Bud break came along at a normal time for all of the varieties, very little shatter occurred (or loss of crop due to a possible myriad of factors), and all looked exceptional. Of course, this is farming, nothing quite works that way!

Crazy weather entered the mix at the summertime mark, and we were faced with a cool summer ...All of a sudden we thought we were in Oregon which would have been perfect if we grew Pinot Noir! Now really strange things started to happen in our vineyard. With the exception of the Grenache Noir everything ignored the weather and continued to grow normally, perhaps a tad later than usual, but not dramatically so. Most strange was the Mourvedre: the grape that likes heat most of all , sprinted toward the finish line ignoring all. Or course, this was once again all too good to be true.
A massive heat spike in August--109 degree temps, amongst pleasant 70-80 degree days, caused our Syrah to think the sky had fallen in! We went in to the vineyard to take samples and instead of the robust, beautifully shaped bunches, we found shriveled raisins...disaster! (Refer to previous entry.) At 6 o'clock the next morning, we anxiously went back to the Syrah vineyard, and perfect again! With the exception of about a 5% loss, the grapes had rehydrated themselves overnight. I asked a knowledgeable Syrah grower if he'd ever seen this. "No" he said, "It can't happen, once the grapes shrivel up it's basically all over." Our Syrah had obviously not been told this. When we picked the main Syrah crop on September 3rd, it came it at mid-to-high 23 Brix level...perfect! Dry farmed? Biodynamic? Terroir? I don't know, but Thank You.

We have 10 different varietals, and PlayGround (a blended planting of Rhone varietals all mixed up with each other), so I could relate 11 stories. Too much for here, I won't bore you. The net result of this most interesting year was a slightly later start and an early finish, so our work was compressed. Our crop of 20 tons was more than double last year and on target for our eventual goal of 2 tons to the acre. The flavors and numbers are perfect and with any luck the wine of AmByth Estate will continue to stimulate conversation in the uniqueness of character due to our wonderful Earth system called "Nature". Deo Gratias.

-Phillip

Farm Rule #1--Do Not Panic! And What's Happening in the Kitchen?

2010-08-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

It's lovely in the mornings when we awake to fog, but after 2 weeks of morning fog lasting well into the 10 and 11 o'clock hours...it causes concern. And famously, the 100+ degree Paso Robles heat suddenly arrives and leaves us all lethargic and slow and shocked! that's it's SO DANG HOT! But never mind us, what about our 7,000 grapevines that are dry-farmed (no irrigation)??!!

We experienced some panic yesterday...to the point where Phillip put in two calls to people who's opinions we rely on and considered calling a "vineyard management company" for some additional advice. We were seeing what appeared to be botrytis or some other form of grape rot in the Syrah. (Which both occur with fog...but what we researched in books didn't confirm our thoughts.) Phillip observed that over 1 day, this "malady" was affecting previously healthy and thriving vines--and it was rapidly spreading and we were seriously thinking we could lose our entire Syrah crop for the year. We were going to have an "emergency pick" just to get the grapes out of the vineyard and then figure what to do with them (make a late-harvest wine? Lay them on straw? etc...), but after taking the numbers, these grapes weren't showing high sugar levels to even consider picking. Emergency plan cancelled, but we were prepared to pick them Sunday and Monday, on fruit days.

Oh, what a good night's sleep and cool temperatures do! Early, early this morning as Phillip was on bird patrol (keep those winged wonders out!) he noticed that the Syrah grapes were plump and healthy, nothing like what he saw yesterday (in the 108 degree afternoon blazing heat). And again, the old rule of thumb struck him: don't panic, have faith. Yesterday, our vines were showing the results of this major heat and the liquids were draining down. But after a cool evening, the energy was back and the grapes were plump and full. Yes, we have 2 more days of this extreme heat (some people ask if we have the option to turn on the water...no, when we say we're "dry-farmed", we really mean it), but this weekend we have respite with temperatures dropping 30 degrees in our daytime highs.

Our moral of the story: don't panic. About once a year, our vineyard teaches us this--have faith in our vines and our natural way of farming and wait to see the final outcome. It may be an interesting reflection in our wine!

And in the kitchen? The canning pot is boiling! We have graciously been given peaches and apples, so we have chutneys, marmalades, and butters stocked full in the pantry. I have an old, tattered book that I refer to for all of my food preserving (talk about panic...the other day I couldn't find it and I was sent in a whirlwind looking everywhere for it!) and I follow an excellent blog for more recipes and canning expertise. At right you see Refrigerator Sun Pickles--wow! How fun! I've been eyeing the tomatoes, those too shall soon be in the shelves of the pantry. Summer is a fantastic time of year!

Teas, teas and more teas! Veraison! 501 to aid Ripening

2010-08-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Mid-July brought us 4 days of over 100 degree days accompanied with warmish nights (what we consider warm, 60+). Also, we had been fighting powdery mildew pretty hard with organic sprays on a daily basis. It seemed to Phillip the plants needed some relief, on the 3rd day of the heat-spike we made a tea from our plants, trees and herbs growing on the property: ground oak bark (a healer), horsetail (a fungus controller) and stinging nettle (an iron balancer). Pre-stirring we added some drops of valerian (always a soother). After stirring with the sunrise for an hour, we hand sprayed all vineyards with backpacks on foot.

The next day, we applied what we consider the second half of the tea: purchased dried dandelion, our estate chamomile and yarrow flowers, again with some drops of valerian just pre-stirring. To this we added preps of all the same flowers, literally a few grams of each. All of the flowers are considered to have healing qualities, soothing applications--we, humans, take them for the same reasons.

It was time for everything in the vineyards to take a deep breath and relax a little so that once the heat abated, the vines could continue growing and ripening the grapes.

(Picture at left: our copper stirring machine emptying the tea into the water tank from which we fill our backpacks)

July 20th we spotted veraison (the onset of ripening) on Tempranillo--remember Tempranillo resembles "early" in Spanish, and it is so true with this varietal, it is always the first to show it's red berries. Three days later, nearly a third of the vineyard had turned--it happens that quickly!

To aid this sun-driven-grape-ripening process we stirred 501 (horn silica, a light attractor) pre-dawn for an hour: 1 gram of silica with 3 gallons of water per acre. We also applied this to the leaves of the vine with backpacks as the sun rose.

And in the winery? We racked off the 2009 reds on a descending moon--fruit day. Everything is tasting quite fantastic and vibrant, even though there is still a tiny bit of malolactic fermentation still going on. Using the natural time frame of how quickly the grapes want to work is always going to give us different schedules each year. Last year, Phillip had racked and blended the wines by May. This year it looks like a couple of weeks ago--maybe before harvest...after harvest? What will be, will be.

Stay tuned...there is a honey harvest on the horizon!

Vineyard News: Grape & Olive Set, Preparations and Paella Class Results

2010-07-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

It's a lovely time in the vineyard, so much is happening (hence, irregular blog entries...sorry!). Mostly we're in a holding pattern with 99% fruit set (the turning of flowers-to-fruit) completed. This is a delicate time for us, as June has been one heck of a windy month, we had a small rain shower last week, and we have to be careful not to manhandle the vines too much as the flowers hang in this delicate balance before the fruit emerges. All of the above can create "shatter", or in layman's terms, a loss of fruit. Instead of hanging around doing nothing, we're observing the vines daily and providing aid in the form of gentle homeopathic Biodynamic floral sprays. It's pretty miraculous to see actual beneficial changes from 3 applications of a horn manure (BD 500)/barrel compost (BC) spray in the proportions of 2 ozs/acre.

As much concern is given to watching for the dreaded Powdery Mildew, a simple way to handle this disastrous potential problem is to spray sulfur (or similar sprays) on a regular 7 to 10 day schedule. We prefer NOT to do this, instead we will treat individual plants as necessary. Part of our strategy is walking through the vineyards, vine-by-vine, every other day inspecting plants-constantly checking and constantly following up. We're hoping to to come up with patterns, reasons - dare I say - solutions. This year we weeded StoneCross vineyard, a week to 10 days later we found a super mild outbreak of Powdery Mildew in the Grenache Blanc (which is in StoneCross). Because of this, we decided not to weed Mark's Vineyard. Also, some of the wild flowers we planted in Mark's Vineyard have taken beautifully - and we hate to pull them out (our hypothesis: weeds and wild flowers will actually attract the powdery mildew to themselves, instead of our vines). Fingers crossed...

The 2009's in the winery are mostly taking longer than usual to finish malolactic fermentation, which is delaying the blending of the reds. Talking to other winemakers who lean more on the natural side of wine making, this appears to be an overall 2009 phenomena, certainly not problematical, but it weighs on the mind--just another thing in our heads that we've got to take care of. However, next week we'll be bottling the remaining 2008 Rhone blends (yes! more of them besides the 3 already released).

The Paella 101 class was a great success! We made 3 different paellas: a traditional Espanola paella with chorizos and salchichons, a seafood paella, and an estate paella (foods & meat from AmByth). We set up 3 cooking stations and everyone got to lend a hand and mix whilst enjoying wine and good conversations. For more great pictures, check them out here.

Paella Class this Saturday and Introducing Sara!

2010-06-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we're having a Paella 101 class--anyone interested in learning how to make an authentic paella, from the sofrito to the socarrat, should come over for the afternoon! Phillip will be demonstrating cooking techniques for 3 different paellas: a seafood mixture, a chorizo/jamon/salchichon mix, and lastly-but-most-interesting is a paella made with the foods of AmByth (rabbit, onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, chilies, fennel, herbs--you're right--we're using purchased rice and saffron, maybe we'll grow these next year!).

We'll be serving AmByth wines (especially our newly released Rosado and Tempranillo, plus some other great Biodynamic Riojas).

If you're interested, email here.

Saturday, June 19th, 11-2
Cost: $25 ClubMembers/$35 Regular
Reservations Required

Photo above was taken 2 weeks ago in Spain, we didn't have a traditional burner, so we used the bar-b-que instead!

We're thrilled to have an intern for the summer! Sara arrived this week from New Hampshire and she's living with us for 3 months to learn more about Biodynamic farming and gardening. She's jumped right in and has already stirred a tea for 20 minutes, sprayed above-said fermented horsetail tea, driven the 6 wheeler (affectionately known as "The Bug" while Phillip sprayed the steep vineyards), pulled weeds, played with Bede, been to Templeton's Music in the Park. We're thrilled to welcome her into our lives and excited to have her with us.

Sara graduated from the University of New Hampshire in May with a dual major in Marketing & Ecogastronomy (you'll have to ask her more about this awesome degree--it sounds really cool). She was also fortunate enough to study at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy for a semester (my dream university--founded by Slow Food International/Carlo Petrini in 2004). We've given her a specific task for her 3 months here: to identify all of our weeds that grow in the vineyards and give them their due credit. They may be classified as "weeds", but they still have their individual properties (calcium-bearing, full nitrogen, etc) and benefits/detriments, and they have a reason for growing. We'd like to understand them better and their significance. She's also looking forward to getting her hands and feet dirty in the vineyards, especially during this year's harvest when she'll footstomp for the first time!

The Bees are Back in Town!

2010-05-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday we installed 2 new packages of bees from Noble Apiaries into our estate hives. Just like last year, we ordered 3 pound packages, which basically consisted of 10,000 bees (!!) with 1 queen. For those of you interested, each package costs $95.00, but then you have to add Next Day Air shipping, which adds another$80.00 (bee-keeping is a fairly inexpensive hobby, add another $350 for equipment, which on average lasts 5 years).

Last year, we were beginner apiarists. We followed all of the installation instructions, observed and monitored as suggested, kept them fed through their first HOT summer, etc. But I still lost my bees in late November. And I mean, they were dead...what was left of them. I had no other explanation than "operator error". It was my fault, as a novice, that I lost my bees. In hindsight, I realize my queen never got to laying like she should have. There were not enough bees to collect pollen, make honey, tend the queen, and finally, there were not enough bees in the hive over the winter to keep them warm when the temperatures reached below 30 degrees. Sadly, following our first major cold spell, I entered the hive and saw what was left, frozen to the frames. I didn't think about requeening, or combining an inferior hive with a stronger hive so that they would survive. Yes, NOW I know to do this, but I didn't quite understand how a rapid decline in my bee population could destroy the whole life of the hive itself.

The Apiary Inspectors of America conducted a survey to estimate winter colony losses for 2009/2010. They recorded a 33.8% loss of managed honey bee colonies. Responding beekeepers attributed their losses principally to starvation, NOT Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). This is what I believe happened to my bees. Simply, there were not enough of them to survive.

Within the first 24 hours of installing our 2 new hives, we observed a major difference in these bees, compared to last year. They are the same breed, Carniolan honey bees, but from a different breeder in California. Our bees are busy! They were doing all of their duties: guarding the entrance, giving directions, coming and going. It was amazing to see, we DID NOT see this last year. After 7 days we returned to the hive again to make sure the queen was out of her cage and see what was happening. Well, you can see for yourself! The above photo shows the beautiful, white, pristine honey comb that is being drawn out and it is dripping with clear honey...within 7 days ( "busy as a bee")!! (You can double-click on the photo to get a full screen version.) Both hives had this activity--good comb drawn out on 3 frames, an empty queen cage and bees fanning their wings (indications of a honeyflow). Needless to say, we were pleased! We were happy and full of rejoicing! This is going to be a good year for all of us!

BYOBB: Bring Your Own Biodynamic Bottle--Blind Wine Tasting

2010-04-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday our winery hosted our very first BYOBB. Everyone (wineclub members and friends) was asked to bring a Biodynamic bottle from any wine region, white or red. Our guests were incredible, they did their homework and brought mind-blowing wines. We had 4 flights of wine paired with food, all wines were served blind. And let me just put lay it on the line, this was the best wine tasting Phillip and I have ever attended. The wines were beautiful, full of intriguing and complex aromas, but the flavors on the palate were rich, full, unoffensive, unique. It was amazing that all 11 wines were delicious! Not one of the wines was "hot", or "off", or unpleasant. And the wines ranged from Gruner Veltliner--to Frappat0--to Pinot Noir. The highest alcohol present was a 14.7%, but mostly they held right at 12%.

The First Flight: Hefeabzug Gruner Veltliner 2008, Nikolaihof Wachau from Austria; AmByth Estate "Priscus" 2009 (Grenache Blanc/Roussanne/Marsanne; Domaine Andre et Mireille Tissot "Arbois" Chardonnay/Savagnin 2005 from Jura, France. Flight served with a Rustic Beef/Pork Terrine on a bed of red leaf lettuce and herbs from the garden with a slice of hearth bread.

Second Flight: Azienda Agricola COS "Frappato Victoria" 2007, Sicily (Phillip's rating: 20 out of 20, his wine of the night); Porter-Bass Pinot Noir 2008, Russian River Valley, California; Cooper Mountain Vineyards "Doctor's Reserve" Pinot Noir 2006, Williamette Valley, Oregon.

Flight served with Golden Fennel from the garden simmered in lemon juice and white wine, tossed with Fettucine.

Third Flight: Nusserhof Lagrein Riserva 2005, Bozen, Italy; Catherine & Pierre Breton " St Louans 2006, Loire, France; and Les Jeunes Vignes des Gelinettes "Cabernet Franc 2006, Loire, France

Flight served with Braised estate Short Ribs on mashed potatoes.

The Fourth, and Final Flight was incredible. Phillip opened a Coulee de Serrant 2004 on Wednesday to allow this Chenin Blanc from the Loire to breathe and develop its full flavor. Incidentally, one of our guests also brought a 2004 Nicolas Joly wine, the Clos de la Bergerie. I can't think of a better ending to this tasting, than to drink TWO incredible wines, made by one of the most profound Biodynamic wine producers in the world. The wines were sensational. They were paired with a Date, Cranberry, Walnut and Chocolate Torte with whipped cream.

We continue to discuss the reasons these 11 wines chosen were so delicious, lively and drinkable...because they are made by small producers who have a more "hands-on" approach...because closer attention is paid in the vineyards by the winemakers...because they are Biodynamic? I think the answer is certainly all 3, but the purpose of Biodynamic farming is to bring the vine into full balance, thus producing fruit which displays this harmony. Yes, the wine makes itself--the quality of the wine is reflective of the vineyard's state of being. And yes, I believe Biodynamic farming promotes this.

And yes, yes, yes--this will become an annual event, and surely not one to be missed!

Biodynamic Sprays, Mowing, Rhythms of the Farm and a Homeopathic Solution to Powdery Mildew??

2010-04-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

Spring is most certainly here with all of the attendant work: we have beautiful buds pushing out everywhere, bud break first started in the Sangiovese and Tempranillo and quickly made it's way through the Rhone varietals. We had ferocious winds and rain a couple of nights ago--Phillip was kept awake by his worry for those vulnerable baby shoots, he imagined waking up to destruction in the vineyard...but all is okay! (We are still slightly worried about frost damage, but at AmByth we seem to not suffer much from this malady to young buds.)

Back to the Spring work...Phillip commented to me that he is getting much more used to everything--the "year's work ahead" seems much less daunting, perhaps we're just getting better at what we do (farming-wise, and read on so this doesn't sound so egotistical). Phillip is on day 8 on his tractor mowing, followed by 8 more days of disking, we are planting the Spring gardens, and oh yes-the weeding continues. We are eagerly waiting for Dutchess, our dairy cow, to give birth (is today the day?) The 09's are blended and we've been busy bottling the 08's, we will soon start preparing the May wineclub shipments and we have some fun events on the calendar. There are many, many other tasks to move forward with, BUT! this year it all seems manageable. Perhaps we are starting to achieve the ultimate goal of Biodynamic farming: to realize the rhythm of the farm. This sacred piece of land we're tending has it's own rhythm, as Phillip and I do, and we open our hearts, minds and souls to become more intimate with it daily.

A new sight at AmByth is our "stirring machine" (looks interesting, huh?). Phillip saw this in a book about a Tuscan Biodynamic farm and has been waiting until the time came to erect such an apparatus for our farm. Yesterday afternoon Biodynamic Preperation 500 was applied to the soil in the afternoon after stirring it for one hour in the barrel (shown in the photo). And as the sun rose this morning we were out stirring Biodynamic spray 501 (applied only to the Sangiovese). Both of these sprays are applied mainly in the Spring and Fall, and in a succession of 3. 500 is sprayed on the soil, and 501 on the foliage. It feels good to be back out in the vineyards, to see the growth, to apply the BD sprays and teas, to hear the sounds of life.

Yet, the threat of powdery mildew infecting our vines looms...we are trying to new tool to combat it: itself!! And where did this come from? Mainly from reading our homeopathic books--"treat like with like", and conversations with Gilles De Domingo, the winemaker from Cooper Mountain Vineyards in Oregon (a Biodynamic vineyard and winery). We took effected powdery mildew cuttings from about a dozen plants and burned them by themselves. We then took the best ashes (about 5 to 6 tablespoons) and ground them for an hour in a mortar and pestle. We then took 1 teaspoon of the ground ashes and mixed it with 8 quarts of water in a container and shook this container forcefully 10 times. We kept 10% of this quantity and discarded the remaining 90%--we then added 8 quarts again to the 10%, shook forcefully, kept 10%...etc, etc. We repeated this process 30 times (photo at left is our volunteer diluter, John). We sprayed just a whisper of this homeopathic spray on potentially infected vines, hoping to discourage further powdery mildew spread. We will continue to spray this as necessary. And we'll definitely keep records and share the success or failure!

First Day of Spring Hike Around the Farm

2010-03-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

God smiled on us and Paso Robles on Zinfandel Festival Weekend and the AmByth Spring Hike and lunch.

A perfect day greet our dozen walkers for what should be our first annual WineClub Member's Hike and Luncheon celebrating the first day of Spring. We started off touring through PlayGround to the west fence line to view our latest attempt (and thus far, successful) of altering our portable chicken coop to keep the chickens free-range, whilst keeping them from being a "fox luncheon". It was perfect timing, Deborah Sowerby (of Olive Ewe Ranch and grower of the best lamb in the country, contact here for whole or half lambs) was delivering 8 hens to join our remaining hen and rooster. Next to the coop and along the fence line we looked at the 50 new apple and pear trees recently planted and already pushing buds for this year's new growth. As I type this, blossom is appearing on some of these new trees, it is going to be quite a sight in future years.

The hike led over to the top of Terrace, our steep Mourvedre vineyard. From here there is a grand view of Mark's Vineyard and StoneCross, a viewpoint that most visitors to AmByth don't get a chance to see, it gives a great perspective to the steepness of our vineyards (and the labor involved when operating such a hands-on farm). Phillip led the group through StoneCross, down into Mark's Vineyard and down to the compost pile and corral.

Phillip was happy to talk about all aspects of the farm: the pushing buds, our philosophy and plans for weed allowance/control, our method of pruning, etc.--and most importantly, the Manure Pile! Probably not the height of what someone would think about when seeing Paso in all its glory with vineyards bursting forth, but our manure pile is the vital force behind the health of our farm. Mary gave a brief description of the hive, the components of the hive and the hows-and-whys of bee-keeping. A taste of the current releases in the winery and lunch followed--it was a great time of nourishment and friendship, and a great way to begin our Spring in the vineyard.

Winter Rains = Chemical Herbicides

2010-01-22T14:47:00.000-08:00

This time of year Phillip and I drive around with blinders on our eyes. Even to the point where we've declared to each other we need to leave our area during this time. Just the 5 mile drive to our favorite farm stand, Nature's Touch, in Templeton creates anxiety, bewilderment and frustration. Yes--we, as a collective group of ranchers/farmers/landowners/residents, welcome with outstretched and up stretched arms rain, yet we hasten to then don our sprayers to apply chemical herbicides to our fence lines, to the grasses growing under the rows of vines, to the 3 feet around our fruit trees, under our olive trees, around road signs, barns, sidewalks (public and private), trees in our parks, and the list goes on and on. With the advent of rain, California transforms overnight from our dried and burned landscape to lush, green, ripe fields--burgeoning with native grasses, wheat, weeds, wildflowers. But how dare such wonders grow in unwanted places! So herbicides are applied, to kill. And indeed, the vibrant green changes to yellow and red as the growth is dying. Whatever pollinators (honey bees, bumble bees, native bees, butterflies, moths, birds) have happened to land also reap the herbicides. I often wonder if the earthworms, too, die as quickly as the grasses and weeds. And take a look at the people applying herbicides--they are wearing gloves, masks, some even wear full body suits. How ironic--unsafe to breathe, but okay to eat the fruit from that sprayed tree?

This is a time for you, too, to look around and perhaps apply the blinders--are your favorite vineyards, orchards, gardens and farms also spraying? The telltale sign is yellow and red and death amidst vibrant, natural green. And if you care, then apply the "blinders" where necessary.

What's Blooming in the Winter Garden?

2010-01-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

Isn't it wonderful the garden gives us magical, colorful treasures in the grey cloud, cold of Winter? Phillip and I have enjoyed looking out our bedroom window every morning to see California wildflowers and irises blooming around our patio. And walking through the garden opens daily discoveries of plants showing their most incredible beauties.

In the previous post, I mentioned the baby plants of Borage that have started themselves by seed in the garden. Borage is a lovely plant to have in any garden: the leaves are edible and offer a taste of cucumber, adding a spike of freshness to salads and soups, and the lovely purple/blue flowers are edible as well--I use them to adorn desserts, soups and salads. Just imagine a rustic orange colored butternut squash soup garnished with a single, lovely borage flower (I think this is on the menu for tonight...). Borage is also a fantastic plant for bees and other pollinators (as you will see in the photo--double click on the photo and it enlarges beautifully, there is a bee in midflight approaching a flower).

This is our first year to have an asparagus crop! Isn't this photo so cool? This past summer I planted 2 rows of tomato plants with a row of asparagus in between (my planters are 4' x 20', so I can fit quite a bit of vegetables/fruits per planter). Asparagus and tomatoes are "companion plants", they help to repel one another's pests, as well as promote each other's growth. Tomatoes grow in the summer, and asparagus in the winter/spring; hence no space or water competition. The asparagus spears just shoot right out of the soil and continue to spread throughout the bed, with years and years worth of growth. Yesterday, I snipped off a small bit of spear and there is NOTHING like the taste of fresh asparagus! A couple of years ago, Phillip & I were vacationing in Tuscany just as the wild asparagus was growing near his sister's (Penelope) house. She took us on a walk to help us be able to find them growing amongst the thickets and stone walls, we picked handfuls to eat with pasta that night--I thought nothing would ever compare again. But here we go, we, too can have this underground gift arrive just in time for the spring--anyone up for some pasta tossed with just picked asparagus and local olive oil?!

Irises, and any other bulb flower for that matter, are my favorite flowers to have in the garden. Courtesy of my friend Tony, I dug out of his garden (while he wasn't looking, I might add) 2 large boxes of overcrowded iris plants (Phillip kept him busy while I madly pulled and hid them). I transplanted them all around the house, under our olive trees and lining our walking paths. Irises have the most amazing depth of color, and color pairings. I've often thought every room in our house should mirror these combinations: deep rust-red with bright orange or soft purple with an even softer yellow, etc. Bulbs are a no-effort plant, they just keep themselves going in our gardens (we are blessed to not have to dig them up in this area) and produce magnificent displays even on the coldest days of January!

I discovered this little delicate flower yesterday. As I was pruning the dead stalks from last year's asparagus, I could hear a very definite hum of bees, I searched to see what they were being attracted to and I was so pleased to see this California native flowering! (Our landscaping is dedicated to natives--when I planted them a year ago, none of them were bigger then 8" from the ground. Phillip and I have been amazed to see the tremendous amount of growth in these plants without ANY water from our last rains in March of '09 until October of the same year. Why more gardens aren't dedicated to California natives, when we have drought years, I don't know...). I'm not sure what this particular native is (anyone?), but growing from the base up, it has these precious little flowers dangling from it's branches. And there are all sorts of pollinators enjoying the flowers--native bees, honeybees, even some butterflies were visiting yesterday.

Today I'm planting broad beans from seed and then I'm starting the 2 month task of hand-weeding...Help!!!

Cold Stabilization, Miniature Highland Dairy Cows, Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

Have you ever pulled a bottle of rose or white wine from the fridge only to behold a beautiful cloudy appearance inside the bottle? Or, on a much less harmful (in fact, completely harmless) state, found titrates (colorless crystals) clinging to the cork? If so, it probably was a result of the wine not being stabilized.

Someone mentioned to me the other day that our '08 Viognier blend was cloudy--it isn't, and it won't be. It does, however, throw a sediment--like a quality red wine. I know our white is not cloudy because we cold stabilize. We have jacketed tanks that would allow us to run glycol around them, thus reducing the temperature inside the tanks to below freezing--28 degrees seems to be the magic number. At AmByth, we take a simpler approach: when the weather is going to drop below freezing over night, we move the whites and rose out into the breezeway between the winery and the little house. And we have a trend this week--every night the forecast calls for lows between 23-30. So we just move the tanks, barrels and carboys outside for the night! Typically, the wind is funneled down this breezeway, bringing the temperatures down even more. And viola! cold stabilization occurs naturally. You'll see the photo above of the wine outside--you see here about 200 cases of wine total. Before bottling, we further check by taking samples and putting them in the fridge for a week (I know, geniuses at work here!). If there is a problem, they will cloud with the cold. Red wines also need to stabilize, but they do this with extended oak barrel aging (which we do here at AmByth).

Other methods of stabilizing wines are fining and/or very fine filtering. At AmByth, we do neither. We belong to the camp that believes this is stripping the wine of some of those finer, more delicate elements. Then of course, with fining and filtering, there are large sulfite additions that are necessary--well, by now you should our stance on that!

So enjoy our stabilized yet still sedimented white and red wines. The 07's are just now starting to throw a more solid sediment. As with all fine wines, decanting is a good idea (and fun)!

We are so very happy to have Dutchess and Fiona on the farm. They are our miniature Highland cows, delivered last week. Dutchess is 3 years old, she is the mother of Fiona (5 months) with another calf due in March. We plan on keeping them at AmByth as dairy cows. And of course we plan on composting their manure. Phillip and I specifically looked for dairy cows with horns, as we believe they are a "perfect" cow--in their complete fullness, without any body parts removed, thus making their manure more potent and unadulterated. We believe they are "unstressed" and that this will show in their manure.

We would like to wish you all a very merry and blessed Christmas. This is a special time of the year, full of celebrations and traditions, as well as a time of reflection and renewal. May peace be upon you, and may you know ultimate Love this season.

The Fall Vineyard

2009-12-06T10:23:00.000-08:00

Perhaps there is nothing more gorgeous than the 60 tons of aged manure we apply to the vineyard every October/November. This compost, which had the Biodynamic preparations inserted last October, has been aging under our oaks, in a shady location, for a year. At the point of application, it has a moist, fluffy crumble that sits lightly in your hand--as if it is made of air. It is not dense, hard or stony. Really, it is the most pure and beautiful form of "dirt", or soil, I've ever seen. And the aroma carries none of the manure qualities that were present a year ago: it is now sweet and earthy. It is an amazing part of "life" that is formed, and nothing you buy from the garden shop labeled as "compost" compares.

This year we added dandelion seeds to the compost as it was being broadcast throughout the vineyard. We hope to have them growing wildly throughout the vineyard, to once again aide in regulating the relationship between silica and potassium in the vines. Perhaps we'll be able to have enough dandelion flower heads to pick them, dry them and use them for various teas when needed. We are very happy so far this season, we had an early 4" of rain in October, but Phillip was able to get in the vineyard to chisel to prepare the soil before the rain. We had no
run-off whatsoever throughout the vineyards, the earth was so ready to receive this rain! Then we were able to get into the vineyards again to broadcast the manure...to apply our natural fertilizer (compost) to the earth. As of this typing, the weather forecast for this week is rain/snow and more rain! Needless to say, bring it on El Nino!

Our family took a two week sabbatical to our favorite place of rest after harvest, only to return to another harvest: olives! As we turned into our vineyard, the olive trees lining the road were full of beautiful black olives. We harvested the Picuals and Lechen de Sevillas: the olives themselves are plump and big, nearly double the size of last year's crop. We have yet to harvest the newer trees, especially the Arbequinas--we anticipate a major crop from these prolific trees! They are still ripening, making the change from green to black (FYI, all olives begin green). All said, again this year we did not get enough olives to make olive oil due to the June winds knocking off the flowers before fruit was able to set, but we do have enough to brine. We prick each olive, one-by-one, with a toothpick before submerging them in a saltwater bath. The olives remain in a saltwater brine for up to 4 weeks before we jar them and perserve them in olive oil. For the recipe, shoot us an email!

In our home garden we've set out seed for our lettuces and hard greens (kale and chard) as well as onions, fennel, leeks, carrots, radishes, cilantro and dill. As a novice gardener, I let quite a few things go to seed last year, and this Fall, after our rainfall, all of those lovely seeds have set themselves and I have wild dill and fennel and lettuces growing everywhere, as well as sweet peas and borage. I love it! I love that as I walk through our landscaping and gardens, I see these little leaf forms growing voluntarily, placed there by the wind and pollinators. I check on them all daily, I feel as though they are my special babies. Yes, this year I'll be a bit more diligent when I let my plants go to seed, but I also appreciate so much the cycles life goes through: seed to plant to flower, back to seed in the form of another/new plant--amazing!

Right now, we look out at the vineyards and have the beautiful Autumn display of golds and reds throughout the Grenache and Grenache Blanc blocks. All of the other varietals have shed their leaves for the year. You can see from the photo above the stunning leaves of Grenache in Mark's Vineyard and our lovely, lovely blue Paso Robles sky. This will all change tomorrow, as we have a rainy week ahead, with lows in the 20's. Our citrus and avocado trees have Christmas lights strung on them to protect the leaves against frost. The dogs will be sleeping inside, begging to be let out to run and carry-on with their daily routines. The fires are lit, I think it's time for a glass of red wine...