In our never ending quest to channel our "inner Italian", we harvested our olives again this year and had them pressed into olive oil.
The guys at the winery took a break from wine work and helped us bottle olive oil. We don't plan to sell the olive oil so it begs the question "why bother?".
Well, that is more complicated than it might seem. There is a deep satisfaction to having good things come from the land.
In our never ending quest to channel our "inner Italian", we harvested our olives again this year and had them pressed into olive oil.
The guys at the winery took a break from wine work and helped us bottle olive oil. We don't plan to sell the olive oil so it begs the question "why bother?".
Well, that is more complicated than it might seem. There is a deep satisfaction to having good things come from the land.
There is no question that it is good to be a winery dog every day, but Pruning Day is one of the best!
The vineyard is full of new people to say "hi" to and pet you, and...they are constantly dropping sticks!
9 week old Coco slept hard once we got her home.
There is no question that it is good to be a winery dog every day, but Pruning Day is one of the best!
The vineyard is full of new people to say "hi" to and pet you, and...they are constantly dropping sticks!
9 week old Coco slept hard once we got her home.
Pruning is one of those milestone events in the year. It is a low stress event since the vines are dormant and there is a large window of opportunity to get the work done. I am amazed at the skill and speed of the workers who know how to make the precise cuts that will yield just the right number of shoots all pointed in the correct manner. This is critical to the health of the vineyard and the quality of the wine.
Welcome to 2011! We will keep you posted on the vintage's progress, but you won't be able to taste it until September of 2014! Such is the patience demanded by winemaking. I suck at it.
Duane
Pruning is one of those milestone events in the year. It is a low stress event since the vines are dormant and there is a large window of opportunity to get the work done. I am amazed at the skill and speed of the workers who know how to make the precise cuts that will yield just the right number of shoots all pointed in the correct manner. This is critical to the health of the vineyard and the quality of the wine.
Welcome to 2011! We will keep you posted on the vintage's progress, but you won't be able to taste it until September of 2014! Such is the patience demanded by winemaking. I suck at it.
Duane
There is an intellectual series of talks called TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design). These lectures are selected to challenge, educate, and inspire thought leaders around the world. I found this 20 minute talk about the continuing growth and importance of the Chinese economy to be very thought provoking. China will grow in importance, and it will influence us in ways we haven't comprehended yet.
We have eagerly awaited the release of our first wine created “From Grape to Bottle” by Heidi Barrett just as the wine world has waited for the release of her only Chardonnay. Here's a video of Heidi talking about the 2008 Chardonnay:
This wine is gorgeous! At first glance the golden color is alluring. The aromas are vibrant with hints of fresh stone fruit and honeysuckle. Flavors of tropical fruit, lychee, and lemon custard resonate through the broad mid-palate. The wine seamlessly transitions to a long, lingering finish that will draw you back for yet another sip.
The 2008 Chardonnay grapes were sourced from select vineyards from the Russian River Appellation. After a gentle pressing, the wine was fermented at cold temperatures to retain the beautiful, floral aromas. This technique cannot be rushed nor replicated on a large scale.
As much as we love the Chardonnays that we have made up to this point, the 2008 is hands down the best we have ever produced.
Susan & Duane Hoff
To Secure an Allocation or Join the Mailing List, Click Here
We have eagerly awaited the release of our first wine created “From Grape to Bottle” by Heidi Barrett just as the wine world has waited for the release of her only Chardonnay. Here's a video of Heidi talking about the 2008 Chardonnay:
This wine is gorgeous! At first glance the golden color is alluring. The aromas are vibrant with hints of fresh stone fruit and honeysuckle. Flavors of tropical fruit, lychee, and lemon custard resonate through the broad mid-palate. The wine seamlessly transitions to a long, lingering finish that will draw you back for yet another sip.
The 2008 Chardonnay grapes were sourced from select vineyards from the Russian River Appellation. After a gentle pressing, the wine was fermented at cold temperatures to retain the beautiful, floral aromas. This technique cannot be rushed nor replicated on a large scale.
As much as we love the Chardonnays that we have made up to this point, the 2008 is hands down the best we have ever produced.
Susan & Duane Hoff
To Secure an Allocation or Join the Mailing List, Click Here
We are pleased to announce the hiring of Heidi Barrett as our new
winemaker. Hailed “The First Lady of Wine” by Robert Parker, Jr. for having
received an unmatched four perfect 100 point scores, Heidi Barrett brings a
level of esteem and winemaking experience unlike anyone else. With another 100
point score from the Wine Enthusiast, Heidi Barrett is the only
winemaker ever to have received five perfect scores from the top wine critics
in the country. When it comes to Napa
cult wine, Wine & Spirits Magazine states that “Heidi Barrett is the
reigning queen”. Fantesca Estate & Winery is Barrett’s first new project
since leaving Screaming Eagle in 2006.
“I’m very excited to be the new winemaker for Fantesca Estate & Winery,” says Heidi Barrett. “The beautiful estate vineyard, with its mountainous, volcanic soils, has incredible potential. The wonderful fruit and fantastic quality of these grapes will no doubt make an extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon.”
In addition to being the new winemaker, Barrett will also have the ability to combine technology with her winemaking skills during this year’s harvest. We will be capturing the entire growing season with a unique series of bi-monthly high definition films. Heidi, Vineyard Manager Jim Barbour and owners Susan and Duane Hoff will chronicle the wine’s journey from bud break through harvest on Fantesca’s sister website, adopt a grape.
Visitors can chose to “adopt a grape” from one of Fantesca’s seven vineyard blocks. Adopters will receive films, photos, and written updates to keep them current on the progress of “their” grape. This program allows consumers with little or no wine knowledge to be a part of the winemaking experience in some way. Adopting a grape is free.
“Technology for technology’s sake, such as a static webcam, is truly boring,” says Susan Hoff. “Our hope is to incorporate technology in a way that brings people closer to their passions in life. That is worth doing and the Adopt a Grape program makes that a reality.” Here is the first video of the 2008 growing season:
Are you new to Fantesca? We want to give you the opportunity to try our wine. Here’s how
Adopt a Grape
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