November 2019

The vines have been pruned and the cordons have been tied down to the North. Bryan will begin tilling in between the rows and planting the winter cover crop. Why plant a cover crop? Crops are beneficial in many ways, it restores nutrients to the soil, controls unwanted weeds and helps rain water penetrate deeper into the soil.

Varietals of grapes Bryan and I put a lot of thought into selecting the varietals we chose to grow at the vineyard. We wanted to ensure we were not only growing varietals that we loved but varietals that we could create a variety of delicious palette pleasing wines with. Our final decision was VERMENTINO, Sauvignon BLANC, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Sangiovese In addition to selecting the varietals, we had to choose the clone we thought best of that varietal. For those that aren’t aware, there are various clones of a type of grape. When choosing the clone you must take into consideration of the ter-roir for the specific varietal tested

Today was a big and exciting day as truck after truck came loaded with concrete ready to fill the trenches that were set with re-bar. A total of 45 yards of concrete. The entrance has been graded to level the transition from the road to the property. The band has been poured to accommodate the rolling of the front gate which will be our next exciting improvement. The base for the very large tree boxes was poured and the masons will begin building the walls for the “grand entrance”. Bryan and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to place our hands in the wet concrete.  [ngg src="galleries" ids="14" display="basic_thumbnail"

I love when Bryan flys the drone over the vineyard showing the growth of the beautiful vines. The progress is all very exciting. We are currently working on the entrance to the vineyard. Trenches are being dug for the fittings of the wall entrance and gate, platforms and irrigation being prepped for the olive trees and the fabric will soon be spread for the roads.

Reminiscing…..  I find myself thinking about the morning Bryan and I along with friends and family anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first 3 varietals of grapes, Sangiovese, Vermentino and Tempranillo.  It seemed as though we had waited an eternity for the ground to be ready for the vines to be planted.  It truly took a village to set every end post, anchor, rebar, t-post and 20 miles of wire.  As the truck pulled in the overwhelming feeling of “this is really happening” came over us.   As the vines were coming off the truck we were elated by how much greenery was on each vine.  The look on Bryans’

Inoculation; The process in which a winemaker introduces yeast to the must to kick-start fermentation. The grapes were harvested at Bloomfield Vineyards at 23 brix with a PH of 3.4. 75%. The fermentation will take place in a French Oak barrel and 25% in Stainless steel. Then blended and aged on French Oak with no secondary fermentation. Giving us a fruit forward crisp Chardonnay with a hint of Oak. 

Bryans Grandma Flower used to can everything she grew.  One of my favorite memories is visiting her and bringing home what she would call her starter which was a mixture of tomatoes, bellpeppers and whatever else she threw in there.  She would use it to make pasta sauce, chili and whatever else came to mind that she felt would be tasty.  I’ve only been canning a few years now, but really enjoy being able to pull something yummy from the cabinet whether it be apple pie filling, pepper jelly or spaghetti sauce.  I strive to be as creative as she was in canning little bits of goodness. Follow the

Fall/Harvest is and has always been one of my families most favorite times of the year.  We have pear, apple and pomegranate trees that produce nice hearty tasty fruits.  So baking with them is such a treat.  I’m a big fan of apple anything!  I love the sweet and tangy flavors apples bring to a dish and of course the touch of cinnamon enhances the yumminess. Preheat your oven to 350   You will need these ingredients: 1 stick of butter (I use unsalted when I am baking and then I add in the desired amount) 1 ½ c granulated sugar 3 eggs 1 ½ tsp cinnamon for the batter and then additional for sprinkling

Such a glorious morning to harvest the succulent and juicy fruit grown by Tom and Becky Bloomfield. This is the 4th year we have purchased grapes from Bloomfield Vineyards. Bloomfield produces such amazing fruit and Bryan has made such award winning wines that he has received a Gold Medal and Best of Show at Alameda County and a Gold Medal and Best of Class at the Lodi Bottle Shock competitions over the past 4 years.. Always so grateful for the family and friends that show up to help us harvest, crush and press. Excited for what this harvest of Chardonnay will come to be in a bottle…. Cheers!   (Pictured below:

Bryan and I joined this group of very talented wine makers/growers a few years back. Not only are they a very welcoming group of people who make very good wines, they are also doing their best to get Contra Costa County on the map as a destination to come taste wine. A select few are working diligently at obtaining the AVA. Making this a wine region would be a win win for all existing and upcoming wineries and growers. There is always something fun and exciting happening with this group.: Follow the group on Facebook to see all the dates for the upcoming events: https://www.facebook.com/contracostawinegrowersassociation/?ref=br_tf&epa=SEARCH_BOX