Tempranillo Tango

Grand Opening of the Tasting Room!

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:04:00 +0000

This weekend is the official Grand Opening of In Vino Veritas - my new tasting room @ 118 North St in Healdsburg. Both Saturday and Sunday I will be there wine and food in hand - pretty exciting for a small producer like myself and in these times. Hope you can make it out - stop in and let me know you saw this!

So in anticipation of a big weekend and harvest about 4 weeks away, I am trying to relax a little. Right at the moment I am sitting on the deck with a glass of Point Reyes Blanc de Noir bubbly, looking out at my vineyard and making plans to vacation through Oregon. Wine tasting will be mandatory- always great for me to see what the rest of the world is doing from time to time.

Speaking of the vineyard- it is looking really good! The growth is looking balanced, berries smaller than I am used to- but just those two factors are making it look like a good year for Tempranillo winemaking- very excited to see the outcome. Frank is saying that it looks like harvest for this vineyard will be the end of September as we are not seeing the berries change color yet- unusual for this varietal.

Well, I have shrimp to put on the barbie and more bubbly to drink - more to come as harvest is coming! Hope to see you at the tasting room,
The Mustang Winemaker

TAPAS at Fort Mason

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:58:00 +0000

I am just now recovering from the best TAPAS event ever! I also want to acknowledge the great volunteer team, many whom are bloggers and wine lovers themselves- THANK YOU! A friend and fellow Tempranillo grower shot these pics of the event:
TAPAS San Francisco

The tasting room in Healdsburg has been open for 2.5 weeks, not that I am counting......It has interesting watching the ebb and flow of traffic to the tasting room. Days that you would think would be busy are not, and vise versa. I have been told there is no rhyme or reason and I am starting to believe it. It is so great to be able to share my wines daily rather than at random events.

The summer is trying to get going and we have just crossed over the solstice- days will be getting shorter. So far this has been unusually cool this season. I have a consultant friend who is usually firm about a harvest date, even this early- he has changed the date and now has said he just doesn't know. Not that we ever really know, but this is a man that has been winemaking for 40 years and is rarely baffled.

Well, I hear the wines and vines calling my name- hope to see some of you in the tasting room- 118 North St., Healdsburg, CA- The Mustang Winemaker, Penelope

The Morning After

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:22:00 +0000

Another great weekend! Saturday was spent in the new tasting room and Sunday was the TAPAS Grand Tasting event in San Francisco. Today I am back in the winery, a little slower than normal. Almost like having a hangover, though not from alcohol consumption.

The tasting room is doing well in Healdsburg-you always wonder if you are located in the right spot, people will actually buy the wines, do you need more gadgets.............definitely a learning process. I expect that the cool weather and the economy are keeping the amount of traffic down somewhat, only time will tell.

The TAPAS event at Fort Mason yesterday was a hit! Great wine, great Paella provided by Marco Paella, and a fun science demonstration by Schmahl Science who this benefit was for. It was an absolutely beautiful day in the city- perfect for sipping the wonderful Spanish varietals that were presented. This is out second year doing this event and 'we need a bigger boat' to do this again. Little did we anticipate the interest in Tempranillo, Albarino, Touriga,.......I think we are onto something!

In the vineyard, Frank has been out leaf pulling to open up the shoots to allow air flow and light into the canopies. So far the vines are looking very happy- good crop out there so far. Weather has been very cool, and there have been 'threats' of light rain- haven't seen the rain.

It is mid June and harvest is ever present on my mind. Here is a short video from last harvest :

Back to the winery- the Mustang Winemaker

Bloom is Here and Gone

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:40:00 +0000

Tres Palmeras is in full bloom- Frank went out and took these pictures and you can actually see the little flowers!

So far the vineyards are looking pretty good- after two not so great years of crop, the vines are ready to go with all that they have. Lots of shoots, lots of clusters = lots of fruit. We are beginning to see what harvest will yield.

In Vino Veritas Coop Tasting room is open, though I am still waiting for the final stamp of approval which I am told should happen any minute. Had the ABC website up all day to see if it would happen- much like watching a pot come to boil.....

Events:
This weekend, June 5,6,7, is taste of the Alexander Valley. The Tasting room will be participating since there a re a couple of us with wines from this appellation. Keeping my fingers crossed to have some barrel samples to debut Tres Palmeras vineyard.

June 14th is the TAPAS Grand Tasting at Fort Mason! Last years event was at Copia and it was fantastic! A chance to see what Spanish and Portuguese varietals do in California and they do well. I want to thank the volunteers that will be helping out on the 14th- THANK YOU! I can't say that enough. Also, I believe there is a discount if you say you know Coral Mustang- tickets are still available.

Will back to the cellar- the Mustang Winemaker, Penny

Packed Weekend

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:17:00 +0000

It is Sunday evening - Frank and I are finally sitting- on the deck Mojito in hand. Yesterday was CigarBQ and it was hot - damn hot! Even the red wines were in the cooler and it was hot enough to wonder if there was any wine worth drinking without an ice cube.........wish I would have brought my plastic cubes that I keep in the freezer just for days like that.

Thank you! to our friend Blaine for taking the photo- a fellow Tempranillo fan that is getting ready to plant some vines in the Russian River that could one day end up in our RRV appellation wines.

Today is another scorcher- >100F in some spots. I had a tasting room meeting earlier today and one of the winery owners vineyard sensors were lighting up his phone like fire alarms. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler-let's hope so. The Tempranillo vines in Tres Palmeras vineyard are days away from bloom-hopefully they are not getting fried! It did reach 98F here.......

Next weekend is Memorial Day weekend and I will be off with the family, though still near a computer! The following weekend my 30 day wait for my tasting room license will be done and a license issued-then let the tasting room fun begin. The weekend after that will be Taste of Alexander Valley- I will have some wine from my Tres Palmeras vineyard there-futures anyone? The following week is the TAPAS grand tasting- I am lining up volunteers-so far have about 12 - let me know if you would be interested and I will be getting the coordination of tasks going!

Cheers and I hope to see in the tasting room soon- the Mustang Winemaker

Tasting Room Opening this Month

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:54:00 +0000

This is an exciting time for me- something I really wasn't sure would become reality....my wine in a tasting room!

The New tasting Room is on 118 North Street in Healdsburg, California - Vino Veritas. For those of you that know Healdsburg it is across the street from the Raven theatre. There are six of us sharing this space with myself being the only Tempranillo and the only Tempranillo Rose' in the house. There is great artwork on the walls by the man, Ken Schilling, that started this venture by getting the investors needed, getting the permits, and working to make the space 'livable'.

The other wineries are Kelly-Young, Hook and Ladder, Milano, Marcucci, and Kenneth Schilling. Nice cross section of varietals and styles-something for everyone. Will have to start thinking about bringing in some bubbly-about the only thing we are lacking at the moment!

On the Coral Mustang front- this coming weekend Coral Mustang will be at CigarBQ. Then next month is the second annual TAPAS event- in between will be grand opening of the tasting room.

Hope I will see some of you at these great events!
The Mustang Winemaker

Two More Inches of Rain=Happy Grapevines

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:32:00 +0000

We have had a nice bit of rain here in Sonoma County-actually saw the Russian River rise and it was muddy. Even with the rainfall, here in Cloverdale we are on water rationing and making decisions on the water regimen for the vineyards as well as ourselves-very short showers these days! Check out my weather station data for rainfall udpates- Palomino Lakes/Tres Palmeras Vineyard

Aside from the weather I attended a great event at the Sonoma Mission Inn supporting the YWCA -what a great event-Women, Wine, and Cheese benifits the YWCA women's shelter and features women winemakers and cheesemakers. An auction lot of wines made by the winemakers there landed $4,000 - not bad!

There is another Benefit coming up May 16 - Cigar BQ -always a great event whether you are into cigars or not- great wines, great foods, and it all goes to charity- what a great mix!

Not much to report on the wines- they have all finished with their '2nd' or malolactic fermentation and are resting peacefully in barrels.

Pending licensing, the tasting room is a go! I and 4 other wineries have joined together to have a tasting room in Healdsburg- Yippeee! The room is across from the Raven theatre - 118 North St.
Will be having a Grand Opening the first part of June- but will be open for some limited tasting beginning this weekend.

Well, the cellar is calling-
Cheers from the Mustang Winemaker

It's April....

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:51:00 +0000

It is April- the month for wierd weather. First it was cold and rainy, then dry, cold and windy, now it is sunny and 90F. Later in the week it is going to be cold and rainy again. The rain will be good, hopefully it will not be too cold.

The vineyards are growing like weeds- fast and furious. This time of the year it is amazing to watch- you can actually see them change and the shoots get longer throughout the day. So far the vineyards are looking great- nice even growth. Soon the flower buds will become more pronounced and bloom, it is just around the corner!

This is the time of the year that there are many events being planned. Friday I will be at the Google Complex in the South Bay and next month Cigar BQ in Santa Rosa.

Also next month I hope to be in a new tasting room in Healdsburg, though the ABC is saying that they will not have my paperwork done by then..........will keep you up to date on that. Gotta love the permit process.

Well gotta get back to the wines- more bottling tomorrow!

Coral Mustang is on Vator.TV

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:04:00 +0000

First off - Yipppeeeee, it's raining! We are still in a serious drought, so every little drop is a blessing. Check out my website www.coralmustang.com contact page to see the weather at the vineyard- it's very cool!

So- last week went to a great event in San Francisco -Wine 2.0 . I was at this event last year and will be at future events. This is a great group that is helping the wine folks get up to speed with technology. I brought along the new Netbook that my husband got for me-so that I am not lugging around the 'huge' laptop. I set it up so that people could see my website, order, and then Twitter live to the folks there and on Twitter. I am not a true geek-but am bordering on such........

One of the sponsors was vator.tv - the Voice of the Entrepreneur. Great group if you are starting or maintaining a business- they have some great stuff. They were doing interviews with the principals of Wine 2.0 and decided to do some filming and tasting at the Coral Mustang and Terra Savia table - here is the film they did : Vator.TV

A funny thing happened at this event of tech/wine people- people were checking out my netbook-for their own use- kind of different! But it also got my wine and website out there-wish I could find a coral colored netbook.........

Vineyard update : the vines are growing like gangbusters! So far growth is looking pretty even and looking healthy. Now the next part of growing grapes that keeps me awake- frost danger.....this is what caused most of the havoc last year. The leaves and shoots are very susceptible to damage at this point-enough to prevent grapes from happening. Lots of checking on weather reports and hoping that Mother Nature wants to stay warm this year!

Well, back to the cellar and taxes..........the Mustang Winemaker, Penny

If There is Budbreak, it Must be Spring!

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:05:00 +0000

It has finally arrived- budbreak- the little leaves are finally emerging from their winter hibernation. My Tres Palmeras vineyard is about two weeks later than last year. The weather has been pretty cool, and we are still pretty low on the rain. I was a little concerned about the cold snap we had about a week ago as the buds were looking pretty fat, but so far.........
Hopefully the vines have had enough water for healthy root growth- this may be the year that my Tempranillo does not overgrow itself! It will be a tough decision later in the year for water needs-there is a good possibility that it will not be available. This could mean another short year for grapes-we still have a ways to go yet- thinking too far ahead.

Looking back at last years harvest, here is a little video of the pics- the sound track is how I feel during this hectic time- enjoy!

Event update : Thursday I will be in San Francisco for the Wine 2.0 event - check it out and I hope to see you there!

That's all for now-
The Mustang Winemaker, Penelope

Back Home from San Diego Family Winemakers

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:18:00 +0000

What a great trip!
Not only did I attend the Family Winemakers event at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, but I had a chance to meet up with friends and family that often seem far away.

Part of my mission was to introduce my wines to some new shops and restaurants. So a friends I was staying with suggested we go into the downtown area where there are some very cool wine bars. One of them, UNWINE had just opened- what a wonderful couple that are running this business and good food! Another I visited was Enoteca - supposedly an Italian wine bar- though I had a wonderful Vinho Verde that was being featured paired with an ahi tartare that was great!

An update on my website- I was trying to point the old site to the new site...........so going direct to my new site - still updating a few things, but the story is there and purchases can be made. Please take a peak- would love to hear comments back!

Back to winemaking!

San Diego- Here comes the Mustang Winemaker!

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:58:00 +0000

I have a love/hate relationship with events........I love the travel, meeting new and old friends, sharing my wines. I 'hate' that I have to sell my wines- it is exhausting! I am not alone as a winemaker in this feeling- we love the excitement, but wish the wines would sell themselves. So, we learn a little about the ropes of selling. But we know that the people we are presenting the wines to, know that we don't have a clue about this part of the business. Did that all make sense?? In fact many of them wish that they did not have to deal with our passion, but would rather taste and then discuss business. And then there is the lingo....I still have much to learn.

I have gotten away from events some as I have drifted off to the retailers and brokers. Sunday Mar 15 is the first Family Winemakers event in Del Mar, California. So far, the number of tickets and responses has been very good. This organization has been doing this type of event in Pasadena for a few years and in San Francisco for more years. For me, I see how small I am in the big world of wine. But it also shows that I am a rebel in that big world. I make and sell TEMPRANILLO- the fifth most widely grown grape in the world. That's exciting- now I need to sell it to San Diego!

I hope I see some of you there- and if you know of any shops or restaurants that I should present my wines to- give a holler- we need to spread the word TEMPRANILLO!

The Mustang Winemaker

PS- I will be blogging and videoing the event and my adventures to the southland-stay tuned

Yippeeee It's Raining - Time for Bottling

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:16:00 +0000

The rain has arrived - the lifeblood of the earth and the vineyards! My raingauge at Tres Palmeras has clocked in over 5 inches since my last post. Still not all we would like to see, but certainly way better than where we were seeing ourselves. Still going to put that bucket in the shower, just need to find something to put it into from there.

With the rain comes indoor sports. In the winery that sport is bottling. See Bottling pics. Before bottling there can be many chores-coming out of barrels, possible filtering, lab analysis-alcohol is very important to the government! Then there is the FDA, USDA......that is why some of us turn into chemistry geeks, but we really want to be artists.........

Speaking of filtering- this is something I do try to avoid. Sometimes that means a little sediment in the bottle, but it is worth it knowing that I have good fruit, have minimized my impact on that fruit and since I make red wine which allows me that latitude.

It is not wrong to filter, in fact many times it is the smart thing to do- for white and Rose' wines, generally it cannot be avoided. Those wines are not 'stable' as we refer to them in the winery. That means that sometimes they have a little sugar or malic left in them and microbes. Those things left alone without filtering are looking for a party- fermenting and bubbling- and usually stinky and nasty in a closed bottle. Supposedly that was how champagne originally came about, but these days, a little more control is a good thing.

Well, the barrels are calling- the Mustang Winemaker

Food and Wine for Rainy Day

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:13:00 +0000

I asked for rain and I got it - over three inches in the last couple of days. Not torrential rain, but coming down steady enough and windy, hard to go outside even with an umbrella. So that's when I come up with some great food and wine pairings.

Last night was fish stew. Carrots, leeks, corn, roasted red pepper simmering in white wine, with saffron- the smell was incredible! Then cod and crab until cooked.....then cream to round it all out- oh yes, heaven in a bowl.

While waiting for this to cook, I began to think about wine. Looked in the cellar, looked on my cellar spreadsheet and was coming up blank. Then I spied what I felt would be a perfect match- Reisling- a dry Reisling from a very small producer in Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. Lazy Creek Vineyards, 2006 Anderson Valley Reisling- barrel fermented in 10 year old French barrels.

The pairing worked- nice floral aroma, slight citrus and spice with canteloupe flavors in the mouth of the wine balanced the somewhat smoky, earthy aroma of the saffron and roasted peppers.............I am still thinking about it! And with leftovers of the stew for lunch-but without the wine sadly.

The rain is a blessing in more ways than one-kept me indoors to work on the new website- take a peek if you get a chance- coralmustangwine.com -it has been going through more than one change- should probably document the metamorphosis of this project that I thought I would have finished by now. It is a fun project and now I have the ability to make changes to the site when I wish-no not truly a control freak- just a little.

A little bit of news before you go- tasting room is on the horizon- hopefully next month if all goes on schedule.......we all know how construction projects can go! More to come-

The Mustang Winemaker, Penny

It's Raining.......finally!

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:40:00 +0000

There is more than a little anxiety about the water situation here in California. My weather station was showing us at below 50% from an average year and you can see that the reservoirs are dry. Last week the rain began-what a wonderful site. So far it hasn't been a lot, but the predictions are talking about some pretty good rainfall as well as snow coming our way. I monitor my weather station at my Tres Palmeras vineyard daily- this morning it was .10 inches away from 10 inches for the season- it would be nice to see this at about 15 inches. Only time and Mother Nature know how this will all shake out.

Late January brought very warm weather which has caused many plants and animals some confusion- trees and bushes are blooming about a month early. Now we are having some very, very cold weather- this won't be good for fruit trees. So far many of the vineyards are still appearing to be dormant. Since it is pruning time indication of dormancy is if an old shoot is cut off and there is no sap-good sign- still sleeping.

Aside from the weather, last weekend it was time to replace my old phone. Since I had been looking at pocket video cameras as well, I looked into what might be out there to avoid having too many portable contraptions in my pocket. So a new phone with camera and video capabilities was purchased. Just took a video of my office to see how the quality looks- hopefully will be good enough that I will have footage in my next post- I love technology!

I also was able to get a look at the pics I took at harvest, but couldn't seem to get them transferred out to share them. That has been resolved and I will be posting them on Flickr, Facebook, The Wine Space, ...............I will let you know where they land!

Well, it is time to get back to winemaking- barrel tasting is at hand!
Cheers from the Mustang Winemaker

Pruning Time in the Vineyard

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 22:27:00 +0000

As the cycle of the new year begins, pruning the old wood off the vines is the first course of business. There are many considerations as you move along the vines looking at the old shoots to determine what to cut and what to leave on the vine. And then there is the climate and soil that need to be taken into account as well. Generally I like to leave a fist size space in between the 'spurs' where the new shoots will emerge. Then on each spur decide which shoot is the least healthy and remove it and cut the remaining old shoot down to 2-3 buds. For very vigorous varieties, like Tempranillo, two shoots are left on with two buds to help keep the vigor in the vine to the growth needed for fruit instead of just leafy growth. But the vines need enough leafy growth to make sure that there is enough energy to grow and ripen the fruit........a lot of thought into every vine!

This year is looking to be truly a drought year- 50% down from where we should be at this time of the year. Maintenance of the roots is vital right now, so light irrigation is being started to make sure the vines are healthy enough to start their growing season. Thoughts as to a modified irrigation schedule for the summer is already being planned with the knowledge that we may only be able to keep them healthy enough to survive. It is going to be a long road this year and if the weather continues to be light on rain, will be little fruit to harvest- yes, I am already anticipating harvest.

On another note, I just returned from Sacramento from attending the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium. I did not attend any of the seminars, but did get a chance to hit the trade show looking at new equipment, catching up with friends in the industry, and thanking those vendors that I have worked with. This event is also the time that the annual TAPAS meeting is held. This year it was announced that I have been elected to the board- quite an honor for me- to be chosen to work with a team dedicated to promoting the Tempranillo grape as well as varieties that are grown traditionally in the countries of Portugal and Spain. This organization has grown enough to be recognized by other countries growing this variety and would like to join us in our efforts. This is pretty exciting to get this type of recognition and I am looking forward to working with the representatives to see what we can do together to promote Tempranillo around the world.

Well, it is time to get back to my favorite part of winemaking- end of the month and year paperwork...........time for a glass of Tempranillo!

The Mustang Winemaker

The Day After-Tempranillo Anyone?

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:18:00 +0000

Good Morning!
Yesterday does mark a beginning for our nation-one that I am again proud to be a part of. I actually celebrated the day with a 1992 Roederer L'Ermitage accompanied by steamed clams and mussels in pear cider, spinach salad, and crusty sourdough bread. Let me tell you, the bubbly was incredible- a golden hue showing its age. The aroma was nutty hazelnut, slight caramel, butter, some warm spice-maybe cardamon. Then in the mouth- beautiful creamy feel from the fine bubbles, balanced-not too tart, not too sweet, some more caramel- yummy! And with the steamers.....great way to start and to remember this historic day.

I am also optimistic that this will open up the door to a few more changes. One of them is how and what people drink. I make something different- Tempranillo wines. I know the tide is changing-though Cabernet is still king. How much longer will the king reign when there are so many other options for red wine? Don't get me wrong, I like Cabernet and make Cabernet for clients. But it is also one of the hardest wines to pair with food and drinking it without food, well not my cup of coffee.

So on this beginning- get out there and try something different- Tempranillo for everyone!

The Mustang Winemaker

Where's the Rain?

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:41:00 +0000

It is a gorgeous day!
I just came in from the vineyard- sun is shining, 68F, light breeze.But this definitely concerns me as a winemaker and grower. Plants need water and in Northern Cal. this is the time of year they are supposed to get this commodity for life. My weather station is clocking 7.89 inches so far- more than a couple of inches below average. Tres Palmeras Vineyard Weather is where you can view my weather station for my vineyard. Time to get out and learn rain dancing! The vines are truly dormant this year- it has been pretty cold. That is a good thing, but with days like this they will awaken prematurely meaning possibilities for frost damage to tender buds, early harvest, small harvest.......yes, I am already thinking about the next harvest. But one thing I have learned in my 20+ years of winemaking, ya gotta go with what is dealt and I have to say it means I am never bored with what I do.

Speaking about vineyards, yesterday I tasted the wine I made from my vineyard, Tres Palmeras, and it is truly coming along nicely! Very easy to drink for being so young - beautiful cherry, raspberry, light spice, and pretty light on the smoky component that can be very prevalent in tempranillo. I am very excited about this wine and may be able to bottle it this year if it keeps going in this direction.

It is so warm out, I'm out to pick Meyer Lemons and Oranges that are ripe. Then dinner- roasted pork tenderloin, candied sweet potato, and another side yet to be named. Whaddya think- Pinot?

Cheers, the Mustang Winemaker

Starting Off the Year

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:01:00 +0000

It's raining and with the rain I think of indoor activities like making videos. Well, watching more than making. But over the course of the last year I figured out that my phone could take videos. The video attached is my first effort at trying to show the disgorging process. This will just be a small part, an appetizer, until I can get the rest of them in the correct format.

I am also attaching a photo taken of me hand disgorging as I did not have a saber to do a real show on opening a sparkling wine. Crowd loved it- I was a mess and had to change before I could get back to lunch. But it was a kick- I love showing people this and then tasting the wine- yes! It is one of my life's little pleasures.

So a new start in my blog posts, more vids of what I do as a Winemaker and life in general. I was contemplating doing a what I do in the day of.....still working on the details of how to make that work, but I will.

The start of the year also means cleaning up the end of the previous year- inventories, taxes, reports to different agencies. Not good video, but some of the daily, weekly, monthly, yearly tasks that not many of us do.

It's a good thing that it rains this time of the year.

Cheers from the Mustang Winemaker

PS-stay tuned, new website is starting to look pretty good!

Happy New Year! and 1st Post of the Year!

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:16:00 +0000

It has begun - 2009! And I can feel it in my bones, even with the economic outlook, I know it will be a good and exciting year.

I have learned a lot this past year with a new winery working as the winemaker as well as progress with my own brand. Talks will begin on the possibility of a shared tasting room, wine club to begin soon and a new website will be up by the end of the day. Now it is time to put what I've learned into place. But keeping up with sales and marketing and advances in winemaking techniques is a never ending process. What I put into place will need to be updated on much more regular basis-not impossible, but will be a priority. Websites like Catavino
and Open Wine Consortium have been great sources - I can't thank them enough.

The holiday has given me the chance to get back to my kitchen, my source of relaxation. Lamb roast with mustard paired with a Norman Zin, Filet Mignon with a Jordan Cab, Paella with my Temp......heaven! One day was spent going out to Tomales Bay to Cowgirl Creamery for cheese and fresh bread then onto Hog Island Oyster for fresh kumi's and sweetwaters - take all of this to the beach- YES!
Tonight is rack of lamb with a blackberry and mustard glaze, sauteed green beans with grape tomatoes and feta. I am thinking about a Tempranillo from Baja Mexico to have with it - Valmar.

My reflections on the past are generally short as I am always moving forward - learn from it and move on - so here's cheers for the new year to all!

The Mustang Winemaker

Happy Holidays from the Mustang Winemaker

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 00:24:00 +0000

It is Christmas day - a little rainy, a little sunny- a great day!
I have a duck in the oven, some bubbly in the frig - a 2005 Lucas and Lewellyn Brut- crab salad to accompany that- a few green beans, a little Pinot- yet to be named. Best of all I am surrounded by Frank and my critters!

I actually have a few days off, though I am constantly thinking about the wines at the winery. I am going to try to resist the temptation to go in as I deserve the break. Yet, the thoughts persist.

I was speaking with some coworkers and talking about how the wines are alive and everchanging, much like children growing with the different phases of growth. Though wine may not be as elaborate it is still exciting to see how they are evolving. Each vineyard, each variety proceeds in a different direction. Tuesday was spent making sure that they were healthy and happy before I left them. I have spent a lot of time with these 'babies' and it is hard to let go even though my brain knows they will be okay. The thoughts....is that chard lot going through ML, is the Rose' cold stable yet, are the bungs still in the barrels.......just to name a few.

Well, the duck is calling and I really should keep my mind on that.

Cheers and Merry Christmas!
The Mustang Winemaker

Happy Holidays and the Vintage is Fine

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:44:00 +0000

I am now enjoying the end of harvest and Thanksgiving weekend! My first real days off, but still thinking about the wines that are residing in the cellar. So maybe not entirely days off, but at least not at the winery.

The wines this year have been a challenge, but no more so than any year. There are the usual suspects- Zinfandel that just never seems to want to finish, malolactic barrels that start then stop. This is going to be a landmark year in my mind. As one of my cork vendors put it- "the vintage of wrath- the frost, the heatwaves, and all that smoke!"

It is a landmark for me, not only because of the environmental challenges, but also making sure that the 20+ clients I work with at Rack and Riddle Custom Wine Services made it through all of this as well. Working with many different varieties, winemaking styles, vineyards I have no knowledge of, and some winemaking tools that are new to me- maybe not in theory, but definitely in real time.

One of these tools is Micro-Ox. Really a pretty cool tool that helps to soften tannins in wine at an expedited rate versus the long haul of cellar aging. So far the verdict is out for me on the real comparison between the two, but for those quicker turn around reds, this is certainly a very 'natural' tool.

Another challenge was working around the construction going on- the landmark part of this is that the major construction will be over in about one week. I and my co-workers will have real offices, a new cellar, and space to use the new equipment that we have and that we will be getting. This has been quite an experience as I know I have mentioned before- being a part of a new operation and where I can make my wines knowing that I have the 'right stuff' to make them.

Now that I can breath I am revamping my website. I am having a bit of a slow start, but hope to have it up in the next week. I will be posting it on my blog, as well as Open Wine Consortium. Facebook, VinoShipper, Wine Space, and..........

Back to the website building- Cheers and hoping you all had a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

Penny, The Mustang Winemaker

Grape Harvest Over?

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:08:00 +0000

The grape vines think it is!
This is what the vineyards are looking like now, getting ready for the big sleep of winter. There is still a little green, but for the most part the reds and yellows are kickin' in. Where I am in Hopland there is another color- brown- due to the frost damage that happened here after the vines were already putting out their crop. Mother Nature was tough this year on growers. For the first two months of harvest I was getting the phone calls of "well, thought I was going to have 50 tons, only have 10"- happened across the board with large and small. There are some small wineries that didn't have grapes to bring in.

Hopland is in Mendocino County, California. The smoke here was horrendous with the fires that were happening north of us- settling into the valleys. I have to admit, when I first heard the words 'smoke taint' - I poo-poo'd it as another ploy for some kind of wine services. But now I have seen it first hand- it does exist! It is interesting how it has exibited itseld in different varities. In some wines it is a beautiful smoky oak, in others a burnt rubber that can also be found in some french oak barrels. There has been a running 'joke' that there will not be the need for as much oak- between the smoke taint and the lack of grapes there may be some truth to this.

On a different note- I had a suggestion form a fellow vintner to promote the seahorse. I love seahorses- they are fascinating creatures! I have my seahorse logo now featured on logo wear at CafePress- go to http://www.cafepress.com/coralmustang
For every shirt, hat, whatever, I will be donating $2.00 to Project Seahorse (http://seahorse.fisheries.ubc.ca/). This is a great organization dedicated to the preservation of seahorses and their habitat. Some of you know that my first major in college was marine biology. I went a different course, but my heart is still with the ocean.

Time to get back to fermenting wine, but dreamin' seahorses,
The Mustang Winemaker

Blogging and Wine- #WBC 2008

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:56:00 +0000

Good Morning- fall is definitely in the air and showing in the vineyards! October- festivals, Halloween, and the debut of the Wine Bloggers Conference. I have to say this was one of the best events I have ever attended- a time well spent meeting fellow bloggers that I follow as well as catch up with others that helped me get started with blogging. This was technically a conference and there were some very good seminars about how to use blogs, how to write a blog, where, when, how.

This was an unusual conference in that it also had a wine tasting component to it- in fact more than one. Tasting to help hone the skills of those in the blogging and writing world. This was also great press for those wineries that could submit their wines.

As a Winemaker this was an odd place for me because I am a Winemaker- I don't write for a living. Although I have to say after this conference it made me wonder if this was something I could do- no grape skins under the fingernails, no wine stains (except from the occasionally spillage from tasting), no smells of the fermenters, walking in the vineyards..........well, maybe there could be. But I was reminded of the solitary existence that many writers have by Alice Feiring- who did an incredible job addressing the highly animated blogger crowd.

So, I will continue to make wine- what I know best- and keep blogging to bring my world hopefully into yours.

Back to the wine- Cheers,
The Mustang Winemaker

The last of the Tempranillo is in!

coralmustang@gmail.com (The Mustang Winemaker) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 22:03:00 +0000

It is a great feeling having all of my grapes off the vine. The last 4 tons is in from my newest vineyard that still has yet to be named- any ideas out there? It tastes good- has been destemmed, crushed and it now soaking away. Tomorrow is the big inoculation day - freedom day for the yeast! I am using a strain called T73- made to work with Tempranillo. Helps to keep down some of the smoky component and brings out the nice blueberry, blackberry that I like in Tempranillo.

This is my second full day away from the winery- yes, I am on the road- in Monterey to be specific- to attent the Monterey Wine Fest. Wasn't sure I was going to make it since harvest is running a little late this year. I work with an incredible team at my day winery- Rack and Riddle Custom Wine Services - so it made getting away a little less stressful. Also technology has made it easy to stay in touch with the team as well as all of our clients.

Though I am still working- I did get a chance to go to a place I love- Monterey Bay and sea otters. Last evening I had a little time before the event. found a bar on the beach, had a specialty martini, and watched the sea otters 'rafting' about in the kelp. Then the scene became more animated as schools of dolphin starting coming back into the bay and the seabirds perched on the floating kelp- I was in heaven! This is my place of worship- the ocean. Sometimes wish I had followed my dream of Marine Biology- then again, how can you beat winemaking- being in the vineyards, the smells of the cellar, and after all has settled, being able to share what you have done with others - very rewarding!

Enough daydreaming and back to sharing wine at the Monterey Wine Fest- hope I see some of you there,

Cheers, the Mustang Winemaker