AmByth Estate Farm Journal

Our 10 Year Celebration

2009-10-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

10 years ago today, this passage was read to us, by our best man, at our wedding:

"Think: What if the sky doesn't fall? What if it's glorious? What if the house is transformed in three years? There will be by then hand-printed labels for the house's olive oil, thin linen curtains pulled across the shutters for siesta, jars of plum jam on the shelves, a long table for feasts under the linden trees, baskets piled by the door for picking tomatoes, arugula, wild fennel, roses and rosemary. And who are we in that strange new life?" Taken from 'Under the Tuscan Sun' by Frances Mayes, pg.20

I must confess, 10 years ago, listening to Paul read this to us I had no clue why he would have chosen this particular passage...

Recently Phillip and I watched our wedding video, and when we watched Paul read this, we both looked at each other in amazement...as this is our life NOW! But who would have thought this 10 years ago? Truly, we had no idea that our lives would be so transformed: permanently moving from Orange County to Templeton, planting our vineyard, producing wine with our own label, making plum jam (which I have made quite a bit this year), having full baskets of produce grown outside our very doors, growing olive trees, rearing animals, having tables full of friends and family feasting and fellowshipping.

And this "strange new life" now consists of having 3 sons, Gelert (24), Morgan (22) and our 3 year old, Bede, who was and is a total surprise and joy!

Amidst our decade, we have suffered the tragic loss of Phillip's brother, Mark. But he lives on with us, through our farming and Phillip's memories of growing up on a farm with him in Wales.

We feel blessed, we are happy and we are together doing what we love! May God heap many, many more decades upon us...

Harvest 2009 Update, Preperation 501 (Horn Silica) and Reflections from a Tractor

2009-10-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like driving a crawler on AmByth's steep hillsides to clear the cobwebs. It's great to have the grapes put away for the year, and to be FARMING again. A couple of days ago, we applied BD Prep 501-Horn Silica-combined with dried Horsetail (equisetum) tea to all of the vines, olive & fruit trees and vegetables. Horsetail always gives a little boost to the plant's immune system (acting against fungus) and 501 attracts light into the roots through the leaves for the work to come in the winter--the REAL work in the vines and trees.

A brief pause for thought--working in the winter, everything goes dormant, right? Correct, our vines and fruit trees go dormant (shedding leaves and shutting down for the year, the olives remain their silvery green but they, too, are resting until late Spring), but think about Spring and that BURSTING forth that occurs. All of that energy comes from the roots clamoring out to get some sunshine. In order to do that, they need to prepare and be strong. Applying 501 in the fall aids in this process. Following the 501, we chisel the vineyards--a gentle opening process which encourages the sun's rays to penetrate further and to prepare the ground for the winter rains. In the next couple of days we will be applying the first of 3 BC preps (Barrel Compost). This spray holds all of the BD preparations and has been aged in the ground, maturing and growing billions of enzymes to be transferred to our earth to make the soil a living, breathing entity (in other words, enzymes that will eat, sliver and slide through the soil aiding in the decomposition processes and further aerating the soil).

Now for a harvest recap:

The first surprise was the fact that it was harvest time again! It always feels like it just happened a few months ago (or so it seems) and here we are again...wow!

August 12th was the first pick: a light pick of the Viognier and Tempranillo followed by a complete pick of both a few days later. Incredibly, the Viognier is still fermenting dry nearly 2 months later. It is very close to bone-dry, but still working (on average it takes 10 to 14 days for our grapes to ferment dry). We pressed off the final pick, Counoise, a few days ago. It is settling in stainless before going into the barrel for aging. Yes, our harvest was early and ended very quickly. This seems to have been the trend in Paso Robles this year. There is still Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel hanging out there in the Paso vineyards, but almost everything else has been brought in. And don't forget, we tend to be earlier because we're dry-farmed.

As always, there are disappointments and hurrahs. The disappointment was the relatively light crop: we had an average of a 1/2 ton of fruit per acre. To put that in perspective, our goal is 2 tons per acre. A larger commercial enterprise is somewhere between 5 & 12 tons an acre (thus cheaper wine...among other things). The hurrahs: we managed to get all of the fruit in at the right sugar levels (which converts to alcohol). Or, in the case of Syrah, which was slightly over-ripe, we co-fermented it with some early picked Grenache and Mourvedre (lower sugar levels) to even it all out. All went well with natural primary fermentation and now natural malolactic fermentation happening at its own time, as it should.

The surprise of the Harvest was the Grenache Blanc, we will probably make a single varietal of it! (Which was not initially part of the plan.) We will also make a Viognier blend with Grenache Blanc as a secondary component. We will see how they evolve and make that decision in 6 months or so.

So now Havest 2009 is over...and we're back to caretakers of the elixir.

"In Vino Veritas", no really, "In Vino Veritas"--ingredients: grapes!

2009 Harvest Underway, Sourdough Starter, Biodynamic Spray 501 & Egg Shell Tea, an update on Powdery Mildew

2009-08-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Wow...there is so much to do and so little time: a reference to keeping a blog updated in the midst of harvest!
Here are Phillip's notes from last week: On the 12th of August we did our earliest (in the month) pick ever by going through the Tempranillo and Viognier and hand selecting only ripe bunches, which on average we had 1 to 2 ripe bunches per vine. It felt too early in the season as there where plenty of what seemed to be unripe fruit still hanging. However, the results in the winery showed the fruit we picked was indeed ready with perfect sugar, pH and total acidity levels. Armed with these results and perfect weather over the next few days-ripening the remaining fruit very quickly (as the birds continued to bring to our attention to)-we picked again on the 16th. A terrific crew turned out to help on a perfect Paso morning. The crop load on these two varieties was similar to last year-very light, about 1/2 ton an acre (please let it rain a little more this year!)-so the pick was fast and we were through by 8:30. The grappa didn't stand a chance though, that was finished by 8.

Photo above: just stomped Tempranillo; photo below: 3 day old sourdough culture

Thank you to our annual volunteer and Mary's garden mentor: Swantje! It was her brilliant idea to get a sourdough starter "brewing" using yeast from our grapes. So while Phillip was pressing off the Viognier, Mary and Swantje were busy in the kitchen assembling the "mother". Using Nancy Silverton's Breads of the La Brea Bakery as a guide we started the fermentation with a cluster of just picked Tempranillo grapes. It is a simple recipe to follow, but it takes commitment. As of this writing, Mary is on day 11 of a 15 day starter-feeding the starter 3 times a day to get it ready for baking. It is an interesting process to watch (and smell..."whoo wee, stinky poo" is a common expression here, especially with a 2 year old saying it!). It is actually a miracle, to witness the transformation of something because of yeast. Don't be shy to ask for some starter for yourself...there's plenty!

Sunday, August 23rd we applied Biodynamic Prep 501 (horn silica) on the Mourvedre, Counoise and Roussanne in all 4 vineyards. These grapes are typically late to ripen so the 501 early in the morning acts to add available light intake into the plant and aid the ripening process. We sprayed an egg shell tea on all of the remaining vineyards with fruit. This does the same thing as 501, but in a milder degree. All of these plants will ripen in the near future so they don't need as much encouragement as the Mourvedre, Counoise and Roussanne. We had 6 brave volunteers arrive at 6 a.m. for a 1 hour stirring to aerate the silica before applying it to the vineyards with backpack sprayers by foot.

Photo above: Ian and Bryan stirring in a barrel; photo below: Charissa, Yen, Amiee and Kumiko

As far as the ongoing battle with powdery mildew, in the last month we treated individual plants in the Mourvedre with the mildest solution of Milstop, a potassium based anti-fungal agent approved by Demeter. We didn't want to apply it as a general spray throughout the vineyards, as so many plants seemed to not be affected. The system seems to have worked as the problem appears to be in remission. However, the Grenache Blanc is a different story: it has a heavy crop with no powdery mildew showing on any fruit at all, but with quite a few plants showing it on the canes. We decided to treat all of these plants with the minimum spray required. As we hand sprayed each plant individually, we applied varying quantities depending on its size and possible visible problem. So far this year, we have removed all of the fruit from only 1 Tempranillo plant we thought wasn't good for picking. Our approach is a good start, but next year we're going to apply preventative teas earlier and more frequently to see if we can nip it in the bud (excuse the pun!).

The morning concluded with an incredible breakfast made by Lety, as she puts it, "A Mexican, Mexican breakfast, from Vera Cruz". Unfortunately, some Minute Maid orange juice made it to the table (not quite Mexican, Mexican), but we also shared AmByth harvest wine (a special wine Phillip makes just for our harvest volunteers) and Corona. She served an incredible casserole made with tortillas (that has affectionately been dubbed "Mexican Lasagna" by our middle son, Morgan). It was delicious, and such an incredible conclusion to a morning full of hard work.

For more photos, see AmByth Estate on Facebook--better yet, become a fan!

Veraison--A Phenomenal Time of the Year

2009-08-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

We have been seeing veraison throughout the vineyards for over 3 weeks now--the Grenache is always the last to catch up and it is finally changing to red grapes now. Veraison marks the beginning of ripening: the small, tight green grapes begin to soften and change colors (red wine=red grapes), sugars (which convert to alcohol) and volume increase while acidity decreases. We see veraison first in the Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Viognier, then comes along Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blance, and Syrah and finally catching up to the rest of the gang are Mourvedre and Grenache. This is the time of year Phillip and Mary look at each other in wonderment, with fairly incredulous expressions such as, "Wow! It's that time of year again? So soon? Can you believe how fast harvest comes 'round every year?, etc. etc. etc.".

And a very unwelcome arrival veraison brings...birds!! If you happen to be in the wine country this time of year, you will observe long rows of vines covered in bright green or black netting, or hear the faint sound of "bird cannons", or see all sorts of owl-eye balloons and silver strings waving in the wind. Vineyard owners go to great lengths to keep the birds from eating the developing sweet little morsels (photo on the left shows an example of the damage that we have in the Tempranillo). We have mylar (silver tape) tied to the fence line and vines. It waves frantically in the wind and discourages birds from landing. We also shoot off flares at sunrise (sorry neighbors!) and sunset to warn/scare the birds away. A vineyard can be decimated in a matter of minutes if a flock lands to eat. We go out at sunrise to warn away the scouts--there are 10 or so scouts that will come to the vineyard, check it out and then report back to their buddies. If we're out in the vineyards, armed and ready when they arrive (shooting, dancing, shouting, whatever it takes!) then those scouts will give a very unfavorable report and we'll be spared for a spell. Another very interesting tidbit: dry-farmed vines tend to ripen earlier because of the stress placed upon them to produce without summer irrigation. **Which causes a heck of alot more work!! Especially if our neighbors are slightly behind us in their ripening, then we're the choice entre for a couple of weeks!

In the past we've experimented with bird cannons and predator bird calls playing in the vineyards, but after observing the birds for a couple of years, we see no advantage to using them. We have also decided not to use bird netting, it would be a logistical nightmare to install over our vines that are spaced 10 x 10 and 12 x 12--plus, is it biodegradable? Or is it just another useless item that will end up in the landfill for decades and decades? (That being said, is mylar biodegradable?...doubtful...if only we lived in a perfect world.)

Screw Cap vs. Cork: And the Verdict is...?

2009-07-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

Phillip and I attended a great seminar at Tablas Creek Vineyard this past Saturday where we tasted side-by-side wines that were enclosed with either a cork or a screw cap. We have seen the screw cap (or stelvin) enclosure become more prevalent over the years, some countries and wineries moving exclusively to use screw cap (New Zealand & Bonny Doon Winery where Randall Grahm went to the extent of performing a "death to the cork" procession). It is a common debate as to which is best, some enjoy the romance of popping a cork, and others appreciate the simplicity of merely twisting off the top. (Phillip and I were in a beautiful B & B in Hunter Valley, Australia during an incredible lightening storm when we enjoyed our first screw cap wine. We had been running back and forth between the car and our room--dodging lightening bolts whilst running through the pouring rain, gathering suitcases and other miscellaneous paraphernalia--and we relished in the fact that all we had to do between running was give that cap a twist! No fumbling through our bags, dripping with rain, to find a corkscrew.) AmByth uses corks only, but it is an interesting dilemma: cork is considered to be the most common factor that creates a wine that is tainted (referred to as "corked"). A tainted wine usually is characterized by having a nose of moldy newspaper, wet dog, dampness, etc. A corked wine strips the wine of its fruit, both on the nose and in the overall flavor. It isn't bad for human consumption--it just isn't good for the wine. And it can throw a potential repeat consumer straight off the trail. You get a corked bottle of wine, it can change your opinion and satisfaction with that wine/winery-perhaps discouraging you from ever buying again. Industry averages for corked wine is 3 - 10% of yearly bottlings...this is scary! And this number isn't going down (despite all of the arguments from cork producers).

Tablas Creek is the Paso Robles partnership of Chateau de Beaucastel and Robert Haas. They are a very serious winery and conduct many in-house discussions and experiments before jumping into something "with both feet". Enclosing wine with a screw cap instead of a cork is one of those issues they have been experimenting with since 2002, tasting the same wines over the years and implementing changes as necessary. The seminar consisted of 6 wines: 2 whites, 1 rose, and 3 reds. We were given 2 glasses per wine, one glass held the wine under cork, and the other held the same wine that was enclosed with a screw cap. The wines served per tasting were the same: harvested at the same time, aged equally, bottled at the same time, same vintage, etc.

The general consensus per wine was very interesting, but here are a few observations:

Regarding red wine, the room clearly and overwhelmingly preferred the wine under cork versus the same wine under screw cap. As mentioned above, we were served 3 different red wines (2002 Glenrose, 2005 Cotes de Tablas, & 2006 Cotes de Tablas) and the results were always in favor of cork.
Regarding white wine, the room was split down the middle. We preferred the 2003 Vermintino under cork, yet the 2004 Bergeron under screw cap was lovely. However, the 2003 Rose had a 50/50 vote regarding cork or screw cap.
Wines finished with a cork seem to have a sweetness on the palate that is not present in wine under screw cap. You also have a bit more oxidation on the nose-perhaps "flattening" the nose a bit--the wines under screw cap all had lovely, fresh noses compared to its counterpart under cork. Also, wines enclosed with cork do have the slightest oak flavor, imparted of course from the cork (from a certain varietal of oak tree, the Quercus suber!).
Wines under screw cap tend to exhibit brighter, fresher fruit qualities. However, the question remains how well a wine will age under screw cap...this is virtually unknown at this time as the mechanics for testing age quality are not yet in place. Also with screw cap, you have the problem of reduction (opposite of oxidation) in wine--so you want to seriously consider what grape varietals to put under screw cap.
And there is a bottom-line stigma with wines under screw cap: they are perceived to be "cheap", whereas, the wine under cork is believed to be "expensive"--and this is a hard one to get away from.
As a winery, you have to consider and factor in your guess as the when your consumer is going to drink a wine: is this a young-drink-now type of wine (white wines, roses, etc) or is this wine age-worthy? A wine that you expect to evolve and change over time is best under cork, and a wine that is exhibiting great fresh characteristics now performs well under screw cap.

And some final advice: if you have wine under screw cap in your cellar, make sure they are standing upright. The sediment will move toward the top of the bottle, and collect there under the screw cap and this will give you quite a shock when you open your bottle. There is no reason for the bottles to be stored in their side, to have contact with the enclosure (versus contact with a cork)--so get those bottles standing straight up!

(The wines: **when referred to as "corked" it merely means the wine was enclosed with cork instead of screw cap--it does not refer to a "corked" wine in a sense of a tainted wine.**)

**Photo at Top: one of our bees enjoying our wild flower garden--it is a lovely sight to see them so busy at AmByth! If you double-click on the photo, you can see the pollen collected on the back legs of the bee, amazing! More to come on the bees...)

A Mission Trip: Oregon Biodynamic Wineries

2009-06-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

June has been an exceptional month for our family - after our Costa Rica vacation, we took another 2 weeks traveling north to Oregon with the Stelzle family from Venteux Vineyards. Along the way we stopped at quite a few farms and vineyards - Phillip is determined to get to know as many Biodynamic farmers as possible, to build a rapport with them which will allow him to have personal contact them when necessary when those heavy questions of "what to do now?" are looming on the mind. At this moment we are battling a small case of powdery mildew (in the Tempranillo) and Phillip is researching all of the different methods of managing it without the blanket and consistent spraying of sulfur (which is allowed in the Biodynamic world of farming to fight powdery mildew, however, it has many drawbacks against it: it is really horrible to work with, getting into one's throat and eyes, it does tend to kill beneficial insects, we utilize native yeasts when making wine and sulfur also kills these). Phillip's objective: to find a blend of products to use - perhaps in conjunction with sulfur if necessary - that isn't so extreme.

We kicked off the trip staying a night at Montemaggiore in Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley (CA) with Vincent & Lise Ciolina. They have a beautiful 55 acre estate where they concentrate exclusively on Syrah & Cabernet. (We especially love the '05 Nobile!) Our arrival was a bit hectic (2 r.v.s...2 dogs...2 kids running around...), but we were able to sit and enjoy our wine while taking in a spectacular view. Vincent showed us his super-duper "tea brewing" machine (wow!) and shared with us an experiment he is conducting to battle powdery mildew with a 2 tea of worm castings. He is experimenting with an acre only, but continues to spray sulfur throughout the remainder of the vineyard. They are soon to produce Biodynamic olive oil as well. This is a winery worth scheduling an appointment for...

Cooper Mountain Vineyards was our first Biodynamic winery stop in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. We were so happy to pull up to the winery and see a beautiful flowform in the middle of their turning circle (above picture)--as we are seriously thinking of installing a flowform near the winery as an alternative to using the stirring machine (plus it's beautiful, and a source of water for the bees!). We immediately met the owner who wanted Phillip to meet Gilles, the vineyard manager and winemaker. This winery incorporates many aspects of homeopathy whilst farming Biodynamically. Of course, the Pinot Noirs were full of freshness and flavor!

Maysara is a winery located in the southern Willamette Valley. The above picture is of Moe Momtazi, the owner. He, his wife and 3 daughters farm this incredible 500 acre estate with enthusiasm and great imagination--again, all of these vineyards are exploring different natural ways to make their vines and soil healthy. As we arrived, all of the employees were undergoing a health check, as well as a vision check--all on the winery. This is another tenant of Biodynamic farming that is important: the respect and proper payment of all of the men and women working on these farms, and the responsibility of the owner(s) to treat all employees with their best health interests in mind.

Phillip could have spent days with Gilles and Moe, he is just scratching the surface and beginning to grasp alternative methods to work with common ailments in the vineyard. Thankfully, farming is an ongoing process and there is always time to learn, observe, challenge one's self...and patiently wait!

And then on to Brick House Vineyards! We have enjoyed their wine numerous times with Scott & Bobbi, so of course they were on the list of a winery to visit. They have been farming their estate organically since 1990 and have been certified Biodynamic since the mid-90's. Brick House is a truly beautiful farm. Phillip & I talk about how beautiful it was, in it's own rustic way. We tasted in an old barn easily over one hundred years old, on antique kilim rugs, on old chairs around a fabulous wood table. And the Pinots...so good! Enough waxing on--go taste for yourself!

La Finca Luna Nueva, A Biodynamic Farm in Costa Rica

2009-05-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

We were just beginning our 2nd week of vacation in our "home away from home", Costa Rica, when "farming" came beckoning. I was relaxing by the pool with a very good book but could not resist the driving urge to check out "biodynamic farms in Costa Rica" on Google, and not 15 minutes later Phillip, Bede in I were booked at La Finca Luna Nueva Lodge in the
Arenal Volcano area, in San Isidro de Penas Blanca. Luna Nueva is a Demeter certified Biodynamic/organic farm principally growing ginger & turmeric, as well as incredible tropical fruits, vegetables and herbs. They are a sanctuary: preserving their rainforests, rearing animals, growing food, offering accommodations...a place of fellowship and peace. And for us, a place of great conversations and inspiration.

We arrived, met the farmer behind Luna Nueva, Steven Farrell, and were whisked away for the next 24 hours into tours, stimulating discussions about BD farming, sharing food & wine, and exchanging ideas and thoughts for the future.

We were taken on 2 tours: a short hike through the gardens where nearly every plant, vine and tree was identified, explained as to their presence/why in the jungle and the medicinal uses for many of them. It was awesome to eat the leaves of the plants, to taste a leaf just like snap peas, smell another leaf which is the Allspice Tree, to sample water apples (a large radish-looking apple, that is, well, watery to the taste!), drink freshly squeezed pineapple juice, to eat fresh, organic fruits and vegetables...the list could go on and on!

Phillip and I are so thankful to be able to travel the world and make contacts with other farmers who enlighten us and encourage us.

We have found that to find the right path we have to start walking. Sometimes the path is not in the right direction but once on it we can correct. Phillip has been concerned about our two steers. They are so big and rambunctious that they tend to decimate very quickly wherever they are even though we’ve moved them around. A move back to a miniature milk cow and steer, or donkey, or …. along with a couple of pigs may help the situation. Another 20 acres would be useful in this regard.

La Finca Luna Nueva helped us to envision an even more diverse AmByth than we currently have. They utilize permaculture to the max. We need to proceed with additional plants around the perimeter and play with some in row plantings at some point (always a little tricky with dry farming in Paso Robles). They have 200” of rain a year, we had 9 1/8” this year. Having quoted those figures it would be easy to say “It’s impossible” but that’s not so, we have to think a little more, and experiment. Everything takes time but, we’re on the path…and we're eager.

The wines will just get better as they have more earthly influences surrounding their birth place. And just a thought, if any of you are ever interested in visiting a BD farm with us, please let us know, we'd love to share these experiences with you and introduce you to some incredible people: people who are trying to do the right thing regarding their land, their communities and the future of both.

Biodynamic Preparations 500 & 501...and Why

2009-05-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

Tuesday and Wednesday (12th - 13th) brought a close to our Springtime spraying sequence of Biodynamic Preparations 500 & 501. Tuesday morning Phillip was out at first light to stir the 501 (Cow Horn Silica) for 1 hour before applying it. As usual, we spray all BD preps on foot, with backpack sprayers to ensure better control over the spraying coverage. We feel this gives us more insight into the vineyard as each vine is sprayed and inspected. And there is a certain "vibe" in the process, the vineyard is visited by man on foot instead of the disruption of a tractor(diesel fumes, soil compaction, the breakage of tender canes as the tractor passes through, the absence of the sounds of birds and owls...just the rumble of the crawler...no thank you!) The 501 is normally a 4 hour process, but we thankfully (!!) had the help of 3 volunteers and the process was completed in half the time. Thank you Neil & Nick Sowerby, and Pepi!

Why BD 501? Steiner believed the silica properties found in finely ground quartz crystal were connected with our 'light forces', meaning they attract the sunlight to a particular item to help with ripening. In other words, it enhances the photosynthesis of the leaf. The ground quartz is buried in a cow horn under the soil for 6 months: the warmest months of the year, March-September. It is unburied at the autumnal equinox and stored until use in the Spring. It is applied in a fine mist to the leaves of the plant in the early morning hours. It is best to apply 501 in the early growth period of the plant, and again shortly before harvest. It has been found to bring the Brix level (sugar level) up in all fruits (I find this very, very interesting! One harvest, we had a difficult time getting our Mourvedre grapes to fully mature and it was suggested we spray 501 to encourage the vine to 'keep on going' before all of the leaves dropped off). 501 is also believed to strengthen the plants against some fungus attacks. (Above 2 photos taken in StoneCross Vineyard, in the head trained Mourvedre block.)

Wednesday afternoon Biodynamic Preperation 500 (Horn Manure) was applied in the afternoon, as the sun as beginning its descent in the sky. We stirred again for an hour--aerating the composition & creating the constant movement of vortexes and choas (see picture to the left: vortex, and the bottom picture is chaos--both photos taken from our copper stirring machine). This spray is applied to the ground in large droplets. We also apply this spray to our 20 acres of woods, since our steers live and eat there, as well as our natural predators. Spraying 500 is a much quicker spray--still on foot with backpacks, but you can arch your arm back and forth in a large wave motion, directing the droplets to fall 10 to 15 feet on both sides and around you.

Why BD 500? Picture yeast: and the magnificent transformation flour and water make when just a pinch amount of yeast is added to it. Or picture yeast: and the conversion of a huge amount of sugar from grapes into alcohol with the aid of a little bit of yeast. This same principle is applied to a minuscule amount of cow manure, diluted in water, and its incredible benefit when applied to the land. Cow manure is buried in a cow horn under the ground for 6 months, on the autumnal equinox and unburied on spring equinox. Steiner believed the cow horn would permeate nitrogen and oxygen forces into the manure due to its astral significance and the digestive processes of the cow. BD 500 is applied to the land, in the Fall and Spring, to promote root growth, the build up the humus properties in the soil and to stimulate it, and to contribute to good bacteria growth in the soil. At the moment, AmByth does not make any of our own BD Preps, but we are on track to do so, with nearly all herbal preps growing and the raising of our steers (with horns). Next year, we hope the BD 500 will be home-grown, buried in the Fall right here on the estate!

Free Range Chickens, Yes!...Free Range Cows, Forget It!

2009-05-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

Phillip & I welcomed another new addition to AmByth Estate this week (besides our 4 kittens born on May 1st)--chickens!! Gustavo & Lety built a portable chicken coop on top of a newly purchased trailer. The idea is to wheel them throughout the vineyard, let them free during the day to peck the ground and search for bugs while benefitting our soil by their presence (you get the idea?). We used vegetable crates for the brood boxes and the most enviable ramps were built so the hens can perfectly snuggle in to lay eggs. We plan on feeding them purchased chicken food, as well as give them all compostable items from our kitchens. We are starting out with 3 full grown hens (and we're praying the dogs get over their curiosity), while we have 10 chicks and 1 rooster still on their way--they'll be here in about 2 weeks.

The portable chicken coop! The idea is to let down the black, metal ramp every day to let them roam freely in the vineyards. Meanwhile, their manure is able to fall through the metal floor when they're closed up, safe and sound, for the evening.

We've asked Phillip's Mum, Marjorie, to paint a farm scene on all 3 sides...so we look forward to having an artistic chicken coop!

Oh yes...the dear, sweet roaming cattle...NO MORE!!!! Twice last week I woke up to inspect the gardens and found all of my beets pulled out and every tasty green devoured (they especially love mustard greens). So before risking the demise of my summer plants, the steers were taken back to their pen. The vines were safe, the cows didn't touch them. It was just the family gardens that peeked their interest.

Biodynamic Preperation #500/Cow Stomach Spray, Fermenting Valerian Root/Horsetail Tea, To Weed or Not to Weed?

2009-04-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Today is a Fruit Day on the Biodynamic calendar, which is the ideal working period for the vines. At the moment we are stirring for 1 hour a mixture of Horn Manure (BD 500) and cow stomach diluted in water (rate of application: 2.25 oz. Horn Manure/acre + diluted in 3-4 gallons of water/acre + 1/5 liter of cow stomach). We will begin spraying it at 1 p.m., this is believed to be the time the earth is breathing in as the sun begins its descent in the sky. We are applying this mixture to the whole property--which includes the 20 acres of Oak woodlands, as our steers are living in the woods, eating the grasses that grow under the trees. This mixture is to be sprayed in large drops on the earth itself, to stimulate the enzyme growth in the soil.

We also have a Valerian Root/Horsetail Tea fermenting in an oak barrel for 2 weeks. We will add this fermented tea to the 2nd or 3rd BD 500 spray we apply to the property. It is believed this spray will aid in keeping the powdery mildew in the soil, instead of on the vine.

Phillip has made a decision regarding the older vines and weeds...we are not going to pull out every single weed that remains under each vine after the last passes through the vineyard with the spader. We believe the vines are old enough, meaning their roots are deep enough, so that the roots are not having to compete for water with the weeds. The roots are tapping into their own water source deep in the earth. We will continue to hand weed around the younger vines, and olive trees as the roots are more shallow and closer to the surface. And of course, we are removing the larger weeds that are more of a nuisance, however, we are continuing to think outside of the box. This is a NATURAL farm, which includes a relationship between all things that are here naturally, and rightfully. It is a thrill for me to walk through the vineyards and observe all of the bees feeding from Fiddlenecks (a beautiful, bright yellow native winter annual). If we remove absolutely everything, we are disrupting a natural habitat for the beneficial insects we have present. This is an experiment, let's see how the vines cope as the summer passes by.

Bees! And More Spring Showers, Happy Easter Weekend

2009-04-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

What an incredible couple of days! We've had a small amount of rain, which was perfect after Phillip finished disking the vineyards. And yesterday our New World Carniolans arrived! I ordered a 3 pound colony from C.F. Koehnen & Sons, a company located near Sacramento. In the 3 pound colony, there are roughly 10,000 bees...and 1 Queen! They shipped overnite with UPS, and I picked them up in the morning. They come in a wood and wire parcel, the wire mesh allows air circulation and a chance for inspection every couple of hours. The installation & care instructions make it clear that the bees need a minimum 48 hour introduction period in the package together. Until installation, we kept them in a dark, cool and protected area with good ventilation. I sprayed them every couple of hours with a fine mist of sugar water (1/3 sugar to water mixture).

My friend, Susan King (who is my mentor in this endeavor), came over to lend moral support and guidance during installation. We finally found the queen, in her small cage, and were able to get most of the bees into the hive before installing the queen as well. To the left, we are pulling out the feeder can before being able to locate the queen.

And out they come! Where is that queen?

Ah-ha, the queen in her cage. (I bought a marked queen for easier recognition in the hive.)

You may ask, why all the gear? Most organic/natural beekeeping books show people working with the bees without any type of protection. I hope, one day soon, to be able handle my equipment and work with the bees without the cumbersome veil and gloves, but for a novice, it is a comforting feeling to have something between my skin and a stinger! (Actually, last week when I worked with Susan's bees, we were both stung on our ankles--it was probably due to wearing black socks and a very windy day.)

Thank you Susan and Phillip for all of the help!

Now we'll just wait a couple of days before "popping" in on them again...

Pruning, Bud Break, Disking, Winemaker's Dinner

2009-04-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

Phillip is just finishing disking the vineyard for the year. It seems he's been "missing" for a couple of weeks, as he's been on the tractor 9 to 10 hours a day and I only briefly see him during this time. Our last rainfall was 3 weeks ago, but the soil is already drying out, so it's been a dusty/dirty job for him. Yesterday we also completed pruning the vineyards. We were pruning only during a descending moon, on Fruit days, as the sap is being pushed down during this time and causes less weeping for the newly cut vine.

Our joint winemakers dinner with Venteux Vineyards and Bella Luna Winery was a great success! Chefs Rochelle Harringer & Brooke Hazell of Inn Paradiso created a magical menu to pair with our wines. We hosted the dinner in our home and gladly welcomed 43 guests for an intimate evening with winemakers. For those of you who missed the event, take a minute to place yourself here:

Passed Appetizers

Saffron & citrus marinated grilled squid, stuffed with AmByth olives, roasted peppers, scallops and chorizo

Baby brussel sprout salad with shaved manchego, dried cherries and crisp jamon

Sea shepherd's purse: salmon baked in pastry with sauteed crimini mushrooms, shallots, garlic & greens from the AmByth garden

First Course

Warm sweetbreads salad with lentils, cabbage, pancetta and caramelized shallot served with black fennel vinaigrette

Featuring Bella Luna Wines:

2005 Estate Reserva Bellicaia & 2007 Estate Sangiovese

Second Course

Roasted quail stuffed with rhubarb, venison sausage and leeks, served with wilted chard from AmByth gardens, yams roasted with herbs du Provence and fleur de sel finished with curried rhubarb and reduced AmByth wine pan sauce

Featuring AmByth Estate Wines:

2006 & 2007 Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah Blends

Palate Cleanser

Rustic rabbit terrine served on a salad of mache, arugula and miner's lettuce with meyerlemon/tarragon vinaigrette

Third Course

Chinese five spice short ribs, braised with a garlic, hoisin Venteux wine reduction, served with glazed baby bok choy, roasted acorn squash and steamed "dim sum" bun

Featuring Venteux Vineyards Wines:

2006 Estate Syrah & 2006 Estate Petite Syrah

Dessert

Bella Luna 2005 Bellicaia poached Bartlett pear with stilton mousse, candied pistachios and Bella Luna Sangiovese chocolate syrup

Featuring handmade Truffles by Brooke Hazell

Wine Additives...'Tis True, Such Things Do Exist

2009-03-27T08:20:00.001-07:00

Without mentioning names, and without mentioning my opinion, I just wanted to share this with the general public. Yesterday, we received in the mail a flyer from a company who makes "Flavors for Wines". They go on to state that they are:

"in the business of developing, manufacturing, and supplying liquid and dry flavors...[they have] a talented staff of flavor chemists that are charged with the mission of creating high quality, impactful, cost effective, shelf stable, sustainable and market relevant flavors...[they have] extensive knowledge in applying flavors to wine..."

This is the kicker, this supplier states that their portfolio "consists of stock flavors that can be utilized for flavoring characterized wines...or providing taste accent notes to wines. The flavors are TTB approved" (my stress placed on the TTB bit).

Wine additives...did you know it? Here are some of the additives: chocolate, oak, strawberry, cherry, etc. So when we taste a wine and get a hint of these flavors, how are we to know if they are naturally occurring, or added, since it is perfectly allowable in the wine industry?(!!!)

My advice? Know who you're buying your wine from. Ask them if they use flavor additives. Ask them if they make tannin, acid, or color adjustments to a finished wine. Again, get to know the winemakers and inquire about their wine making philosophies.

AmByth Estate DOES NOT and will not ever use wine additives. We are prohibited from using such techniques in the wine making process since we are certified Biodynamic. And to know our real opinion...give us a call! Let's just say this, will the wine industry ever be required to have a list of ingredients on the back of every bottle of wine?

And some say "let the wine make itself"...

I Spoke Too Soon

2009-03-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of days ago I wrote on this blog that we have yet to see the cows on the upper hill of the estate. But yesterday they graced us with their presence! We first saw them actually in the garden around the front of the house, but by the time we ran to get the camera and opened the doors to photograph them, they had run into PlayGround Vineyard. So they are brave souls after all...

I took this photo late this afternoon, around 6 p.m. It is a simple shot of Gustavo out in StoneCross pruning the vines. I think it is a lovely shot of the vineyard, showing the green growth we have this time of year.

Spring in the Vineyard!

2009-03-08T17:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, the vineyards are alive! I must confess, this is my favorite time of the year. The trees are all leafing out, displaying the most gorgeous colors of white, light pink, dark pink, and red flowers. The almonds are in bloom across the hills of Templeton and the walnuts are soon to be showing their glorious display. Our new baby fruit and nut trees are under way, little flowers and leaves are budding out, it is just gorgeous! The weeds in the vineyards are reaching 2 feet in some areas, as we look out onto Mark's Vineyard and StoneCross, it is like a carpet of yellow and white. We are very, very thankful to see a strong presence of Ladybugs in the vineyards and home garden. Just this afternoon I saw quite a few while I was weeding and gave a quick "hi" and "thank you for being here"! All of us have noted a good quantity of earthworms while we've been working the soil. Honestly, they've been missing over the last couple of years. We've talked to other Biodynamic farmers about this, and they've noticed the same on their farms. It is a disappearing act, and it can be quite disconcerting to notice they're not there. But it is a natural cycle of farming and we're happy to have them back. (The presence of earthworms are important to a BD farmer, we rely upon them to aerate and bring light and warmth to the soil).

This morning we finished replanting all the new vines, thanks to the help of Lee Morwood (shown in above photo), Christian and Kathryn Morwood, Gustavo and Vicente. This leaves us free to continue pruning all of the vines. We are mostly completed, but we have a couple day's worth remaining. The olive trees have been very heavily pruned. They say a sparrow should be able to pass through the middle of an olive tree, then you know you've pruned correctly.

We are reaping delicious vegetables from the gardens. Pictured are radishes grown from seed. We have a multitude of foods growing, just this afternoon I put in some strawberry plants. These next 2 weeks I'll be very busy starting much of my summer garden from seed, plus a multitude of sunflowers to attract all the lovely bees. We're also busy hand pulling weeds--it is an awesome thing to be a certified farm...but this means pulling everything out by hand, which takes alot of time. But little by little, it all gets done. Our friends, Larry and Swantje were here last week, and let me tell you, the 5 hours of free labor in the garden was INCREDIBLE, thank you!!! (And thank you for all the free advice from an expert gardener, Swantje!)

The steers have been let loose and are grazing daily in Mark's Vineyard. It is fun to see them making their way up and down the hill, munching away at all the lovely grasses. They have yet to venture into StoneCross Vineyard, preferring to stay close to our neighbor's Longhorns.

And thank you all for Penny's well wishes. She is feeling strong and is motivated to take this new phase of her life by the horns.

Amgen Tour Comes Through Paso Robles!

2009-02-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday, February 19th, Paso Robles very proudly served as Stage 5 Finish for the Amgen Tour of California! It was an incredible event, and our little town of Paso was honored to host these remarkable athletes and their teams. Phillip stayed back at the winery to bottle our 07's (see post below), but Bede and I joined friends in town for a brief, but exciting glimpse of the riders. We positioned ourselves at the corner of Charolais and South River Road. Sure enough, after about an hour of speculation, they came whizzing by....they were here...and they were gone...that quickly! This is the only photo I managed to capture, you can see Lance Armstrong positioned third from the front with a yellow & black helmet (double-click on the photo and it will enlarge).

On a more sobering note, the very day of the race, Phillip's older sister, Penelope, was diagnosed with Phase III cancer. She has a long battle ahead of her, and our Hart family is burdened and extremely saddened about the news. As Bede and I were waiting for the race, the Lance Armstrong Foundation's van painted in his colors, yellow and black, pulled aside to pass out bright yellow chalk to all the bystanders with instructions to write notes of encouragement, dedications, remembrances, etc. to those we know battling cancer. They wanted the streets covered in yellow chalk for all to see. So Bede and I dedicated the race to his Auntie Penny.

Bottling, Bee Boxes and Rain

2009-02-21T07:53:00.000-08:00

This past Thursday and Friday were bottling days at AmByth Estate. It was a momentous time for us, as we've owned our bottling line for 2 years, but have actually never used it AT AmByth Estate. Now that our winery building is completed, we were able to move the bottling line home and get to work! We racked the wine and bottled it on Fruit days, according to the Biodynamic calendar. We are very proud to own our bottling line, we believe it is another way we can insure the complete integrity of our product, and it enables us not to be reliant on anyone else (the 18 wheeler bottling line that visits most wineries), and the problems that comes with that.

If you look above the bottling line, you can see in the photos a barrel hanging from the forklift, or a tank suspended over the bottling line...this is our method of using gravity instead of pumps. Using gravity is more gentle on the wine, in particular, at this stage of its life.

We bottled our 2007 reds: a Grenache blend, a Mourvedre blend, a Tempranillo/Sangiovese blend, and a non-estate (but made by Phillip) Nebbiolo. These 07's will be released in March over Zinfandel Festival Weekend, and will be sent out to our wine club members (they will also receive an 07 Viognier, and an 07 Grenache (no sulfites added). Thanks to all of our volunteers: Dennis Ball (AKA #1 Picker), Neil and Nick Sowerby, Terri Hamman, Sherman & Laurie Smoot.

Speaking of the Smoot's...we ran out of corks while bottling (Phillip decided to do extra bottling)! Thankfully, this wine business promotes good friendships and we were able to give Sherman a call and ask for about 600 corks!! So those of you lucky enough to get a bottle of AmByth Estate wine, corked with Bella Luna Winery corks, give a toast to Sherm and Kevin, a toast to good friends, and a nod to helping someone you know when they're in a pinch.

Our bee boxes are assembled (thanks to the rainy days, giving us an excuse to stay inside to put hammer in hand!). I ordered the hive boxes from Mann Lake, upon a recommendation from Susan King, my beekeeping mentor. You have the option to order pre-assembled, or unassembled for about a third of the cost less--so we chose to order the unassembled boxes. It was extremely easy to put them together, and quite satisfactory to watch them take shape. This weekend we are hoping to get them painted and ready for the April arrival of the 10,000 bees who are coming!

Last week brought some glorious rain storms, bringing the total rain amount to a little over 6" for the winter. We are still looking for a minimum of 6" more of rain, but as Phillip just said, "14 inches would be great!" Rain is important to us--we are completely dry farmed (this means no irrigation) and the winter rains is what will sustain the vines through our extremely hot and dry summers.

AmByth from the Air, Pruning and Planting

2009-01-29T16:21:00.000-08:00

Our dear friend, Sherman Smoot, took Phillip up in the air a couple of weeks ago for a joyride. In the picture above, you see 2 of the 4 vineyards on AmByth Estate: Mark's Vineyard (on the right) and StoneCross (on the left, separated by a row of olive trees). If you look closely at StoneCross (don't forget, you can click on the picture to enlarge it), you can actually see the rows of olive trees separating mostly the white rhone varietals we have planted. You can also see the 2 valleys of oak trees, our steers are living in the north valley.

The picture below shows AmByth from the distance, look right of the wing of the plane for the road going up the spine of the hill. This is a great photo to show the hills we live in, our highest elevation sits at 1,450 feet.

We are slowly pruning all the vines, only on Fruit and Flower days according to the biodynamic calendar, and mostly when the moon is in its descending cycle. Fruit days are optimal days, as these are the days you work with fruiting and flowering plants (vines flower). Why/What is the descending moon? The moon has a path around the zodiac where it travels higher in the heavens at certain periods, and lower at certain periods. The sun travels the same path, but in 1 year (creating the seasons), whereas the moon travels this path every 27 1/2 days (every month!). The descending/ascending moon is NOT related to the waning/waxing moon. When the moon is ascending (shining from the highest parts of the sky), plant sap is rising more strongly, filling the upper part of the plant with sap. This is a good time for HARVESTING, as the fruit is full of goodness, but not for pruning, as we do not need this sap weeping from the cut canes. The descending moon is when the sap is moving slower and more pressure is being put onto the plant, and this is the ideal time to prune, (as well as felling timber, transplanting, applying compost etc.)

We also planted nearly 30 fruit and nut trees this month (13th), on a fruit day, during descending moon.

Bees and their hive have been ordered! We expect the arrival of the bees in April, just in time for spring flowers. It is said the bees are ready when the dandelions bloom.

Merry Christmas, Steers and Olive Harvest

2008-12-24T10:09:00.000-08:00

Phillip and I want to extend our most sincere wishes for everyone to have a Blessed Christmas!

We also welcome Oreo and Negrito to AmByth Estate, our 2 steers! They seem to be adapting extremely well, and it is quite fulfilling to see them and have their presence here. Every day there is a definite excuse to take a long and refreshing walk, "hey, it's time to check on the boys!" Bede is especially getting a kick out of them...so are Zorro and Cid (literally!).

I've been quite remiss in reporting a few recent events...we harvested olives November 29th, with help from Christian, Kathryn and kids (Savannah Morwood shown above, age 3), and Lety, Gustavo and Joanna. We had a tiny harvest (about 100 pounds), as most of our olive flowers were blown away by high winds just before setting their fruit, but at least we have enough for a year round supply of salt-brined black olives. Delicious!

And once again, the compost pile is complete with the addition of the preps and covered with hay. Phillip inserted everything last Saturday, the 20th.

Blessings!

New Compost Pile; Seeds & Citrus Trees

2008-11-20T14:53:00.000-08:00

Phillip and Gustavo spent the day yesterday importing fresh manure from Charter Oaks Farm to AmByth, to begin the process of manure maturing into a beautiful compost for next Fall. We bring in about 50 tons of cow manure a year, but this year we mixed in less than 5% horse manure as well. We keep our pile under the Oaks, this way it never dries out and stays nice and moist to age perfectly. We will wait until we have more rain before inserting the Biodynamic preps into the pile, and then cover the pile with hay.

The compost pile is an integral part of Biodynamic farming. You may think to yourself that organic farming utilizes compost as well, and you are right. The major difference between the two is the insertion of the preps into the pile. Steiner was very forthright in how to apply the preps, the amount of preps per square foot, the spacing and the importance of their overall role in the pile. Here is a very basic description of the individual preps placed into the pile:

BD #502 / Yarrow--permits plants to attract trace elements in extremely diluted quantities for their best nutrition
BD #503 / Chamomile--stabilizes nitrogen within the compost and increses soil life
BD #504 / Stinging Nettle--stimulates soil health, enlivens the soil
BD # 505 / Oak Bark--provides healing forces to combat harmful plant diseases
BD #506 / Dandelion--stimulates relation between Silica and Potassium so that Silica can attract cosmic forces to the soil
BD #507 / Valerian--stimulates compost so that phosphorus components will be properly used by the soil

This week has also brought about changes around the house. I've planted so many lettuce, chard, kale, beet, cilantro seeds--all certified Biodynamic from Turtle Tree Seed Company. It's exciting to put each seed out, to see the different shapes and colors, and then to anticipate the first growths. We also planted 4 citrus trees: lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit. We'll see how those like this growing area. Many say Paso isn't good for citrus, but we don't get regular frost near the house, so I think they'll be just fine. Our landscaping is in!! Albeit, nothing fancy...just good ole California natives from Las Palitas Nursery in Santa Margarita. I'm thankful and relieved it's in, another item I can cross off the list and mentally be "done with". I've ordered over 30 fruit and nut trees to plant this January, all heirloom varities from an excellent source right here in Paso Robles, Trees of Antiquity. Next on the list, bees!

Egg Shell Tea, Winery Building Phase II

2008-11-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

Phillip, Gustavo and our friend, Robert Derryberry, applied an egg shell tea this afternoon to the soil. If you look inside an empty egg shell, you will see a thin white coating--this is silica. (Look below for the what's and why's of silica.) We've been collecting our empty shells over the past couple of months (shells from organically fed chickens--of course!) This morning Phillip ground up a touch more than 20 ounces of shells in my KitchenAide (they were ground up in small flakes, not a powder), put them in a pot with a small amount of water, brought the tea to a boil and simmered it for 30 minutes. We then mixed the tea with about 70 gallons of water and stirred it for 20 minutes in our copper stirring machine to aerate it. The tea was applied to all the vineyards (about 3.5 gallons/acre) and the woods in large droplets in the afternoon, after the earth's exhalation period from noon to two. Phillip says it was a very interesting spray, as we've had strong winds this afternoon. He was actually able to use the wind to take the drops further, as he sprayed them up in an 'arc' motion.

Why and What is Silica? Oxygen (O2) and Silicon (Si) make up almost 3/4 of the outer earth's crust. Silica (SiO2) is found all over the world in every type of soil, in plants, animals and humans. At this time, we apply silica to act as a catalyst to attract the sun's power in the soil, to stimulate root growth over the winter. We will again use silica as a major force over the entire property in the Spring, as new growth emerges. It will then be in the form of horn silica, BD prep #501.

On a completely different note, not as romantic (or complex) as the above topic, but extremely practical: our winery building! Whew! Before 9 o'clock this morning they had the beams in place! Bede had his thrills, seeing the crane pick-up and place each beam, as they were swaying in the winds. I'm hesitant about the building, as with anything, I am accustomed to it NOT being there and it seems loomingly large at the moment. But it will be nice to have to have it completed. And with time, and some big trees, it will feel like it has always belonged to AmByth Estate.

Yarrow and Barrel Compost Tea, Rain!, Manure Spreading

2008-11-02T15:07:00.000-08:00

AMEN!! You can hear it resonating through the hills of Paso Robles from the lips of farmers, we had our first rain! It is a joyous occasion, in our home we opened all the doors and windows just to breathe the raw dampness on the air and to hear the drops softly falling all around us. We measured just under 1/4", but this is sufficient to get the grasses and weeds growing in the vineyards to stop erosion for the next big downpour.

Hence, Phillip is out this very moment, not even 4 hours from the last shower to broadcast the manure pile. We don't speak about it much, but our compost pile is perhaps one of the most vital parts of farming at AmByth Estate, and for other Biodynamic farmers as well. Every year, when we bring fresh manure onto the property, it is inoculated with the BD preperations (preps). This means we put all the herbs: yarrow, chamomile, nettle, oakbark, dandelion and valerian in small dosages throughout the pile. As the pile ages over a course of a year, the preps act as "carriers" or "catalysts" in the pile--contributing their trace mineral elements and bringing life to the pile. The compost is generally spread after the first rains, and Phillip follows-up with a thorough disking through the vineyards before letting them rest for the winter.

Phillip and Gustavo applied the 14 day-old yarrow and barrel compost tea, this time they sprayed in the 20 acres of woods we have also. We are right now putting the fencing around the woods to bring our 2 cows to the property!

Finally--We've broken ground! Yarrow Tea Brewing

2008-10-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

After a long, long, long 3 year back and forth with our county, we have finally broken ground on our winery building! Initially, we designed a very large, architecturally "modern" winery enabling us to utilize gravity for all aspects of winemaking instead of using pumps, we were to have barrel storage underground, we planned a beautiful tasting room, etc. etc. etc. But the county made our dream building nearly impossible for us to build, so we scrapped that plan and moved the location of the winery to another building site on the property and are now erecting a very basic building--a winery that is purely functional, no underground storage, and no public tasting room, and sadly, no use of gravity (except utilizing the forklift when necessary). We expect the building to be complete in about 6 weeks, come on over to celebrate!

We have a Yarrow Tea made that will brew for 2 weeks before we apply it to the vineyards. Yarrow, BD preperation 502, is a lovely herb. It is used for reproduction and growth functions, and it has a strong connection to potassium and sulphur. It's Latin name, Achillea millefolium, is derived from the legend that Achilles used yarrow on his men for it's wound-healing powers. We use it to attract trace elements that vitalizes potassium.

Janis Switzer published a nice article about is in our local rag: www.sanluisobispo.com/living/food/wine/story/493845.html
Check it out!

Sweet Pleasures: A Foray into Honey

2008-09-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

I experienced my first trip into the magical world of honey this past weekend! It was incredible, and really the life of bees is fascinating. Susan King, the wife of our architect, has been a bee-keeper for a number of years. She accepted my self-invite to lend a hand in the harvest. Albeit, I missed the most important part: encountering the bees and taking the "supers" from the hive. But I was able to spend the day removing wax from the "frames" to unseal the honey for release.
The two photos above show the process of uncapping the wax. You use a hot iron to melt the wax away. This is a photo of an uncapped frame being loaded into an extractor, which speeds the frames at a high speed where the honey runs out of the cells into the bottom of the extractor.
A photo looking down into the extractor.
Liquid Gold!

Thank you Susan, Deborah and Matty!

Phillip and I intend to have bees at AmByth Estate this Spring, 2009. We believe bees are a vital part of a self-contained farm system: benefitting and improving our gardens, landscaping, fruit and nut trees. Not to mention the miracle of honey, and serving it at our table! Who knows, maybe next year we can combine our grape harvest with a honey harvest for those interested (which, if you are, shoot me an e-mail and I'll keep you updated...).

Mid-Harvest, and Recovering

2008-09-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm sure, somewhere out there, is an organization called Future Winemakers of America, a play on Future Farmers of America--case in point, my son Bede. Here he is, thickly involved in crush, sampling just stomped grape juice, I see an addiction looming in his future. Seriously, this stuff is delicious. It is as sweet as you can get it, and much of the time this is how winemakers decide when to pick. Phillip walks the vineyards every day, sampling berries straight off the vines. You can taste their ripeness, take a look at the seeds (green seeds-not ready, brown seeds-perfectly ripe) and evaluate picking time. We do bring random clusters back to the winery to test all the numbers: pH levels, tartaric acid and brix, and when Phillip finds the perfect combination of results, he sends out the cry for help: a harvest e-mail.
Lorraine and Louie from Orange County and L.A.
Thanks again to all of those who faithfully show up in the mornings, ready to work! Dennis remains the #1 picker, but Paul Sowerby gets honorable mention, he is our best friend and we summoned him for help. He drives 50 minutes 1 way to get to our place, from his personal slice of heaven in the hills above Lake San Antonio. He showed up this Saturday and Sunday--THANK YOU E!!!!