tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1883059527755853792024-03-13T18:09:05.604-07:00Christopher Cameron VineyardsSingle Vineyard Wines from Sonoma CountyVan Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-48884074712991267082012-01-13T11:24:00.000-08:002012-01-13T11:42:31.051-08:00Best of Class- San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition<a href="http://winejudging.com/medal_winners_2012/445.htm">http://winejudging.com/medal_winners_2012/445.htm</a><br /><br />Was really excited to receive this award at one of the top wine competitions. This is a big style wine that is 100% Merlot and was aged for 20 months in barrel. <br />Only 70 cases produced.<br /><br />I really am looking forward to trying to improve up on this wine and will have some ideas for future vintages. I will also continue to produce a Bordeaux style blend with it and add some Malbec and Petite Verdot from our ranch blended with some super premium hillside Cabernet Sauvignon.Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-8662010978342215922012-01-13T11:12:00.000-08:002012-01-13T11:17:51.991-08:00Costa Azul Winery will be the future home of Christopher Cameron Vineyards<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswXkOVn9pPNzM_Qw12_J4v1KzslcCVR6ho9ps1s8eKpsy3sKLMmnIr_t2Fme-RzIiMqXvsfN2_p0mtks0i6Qx73_kWWsBWq2_6-LZHvicvW5_zdHuhhwL29Xx4HeblKE9DXRNJPz9a-Y/s1600/Costa+Azul+night+time.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 215px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697196754276632146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswXkOVn9pPNzM_Qw12_J4v1KzslcCVR6ho9ps1s8eKpsy3sKLMmnIr_t2Fme-RzIiMqXvsfN2_p0mtks0i6Qx73_kWWsBWq2_6-LZHvicvW5_zdHuhhwL29Xx4HeblKE9DXRNJPz9a-Y/s320/Costa+Azul+night+time.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Here is my architect's (Brian Church, Del Mar) rendition of the new build that is going to be taking place in about 3 months. Winery will have a Mediterranean style restaurant and a demonstration vineyard. All of the wine will be produced on site and we will be able to hold around 300 barrels of wine.<br /><div></div>Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-48453977810852667802009-12-05T15:37:00.000-08:002010-01-05T15:57:25.341-08:002009 Crush- Gold at the end of the Rainbow<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KkB51K50EN-5U9J2rIccQbIfq5oaYpenfmWaELQPihtXZn_oAUCV-apVEm-Sz-pKODo77qTcbSmdIFLV1u912snCnIwkfeGiLumNRvEbSSnbaydMkoTFeH_Pu8MXWNPd8L6DVW5ERx8/s1600-h/IMGP0165.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411902122721238386" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 246px; cursor: pointer; height: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KkB51K50EN-5U9J2rIccQbIfq5oaYpenfmWaELQPihtXZn_oAUCV-apVEm-Sz-pKODo77qTcbSmdIFLV1u912snCnIwkfeGiLumNRvEbSSnbaydMkoTFeH_Pu8MXWNPd8L6DVW5ERx8/s320/IMGP0165.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />(Pictured Todd of San Diegiueto Cellars, myself, and Matt of Matthew Richards Wines)<br /><br />Crush went very well this year without too many bumps in the road... As usual there was a lot of work but the wine has just recently been put in barrel and is tasting great.<br /><br />This year I made:<br /><br />2009 Dry Creek Chardonnay- I used 4 different yeasts including an indigenous fermentation. The wine was barrel fermented and it should be dynamic once blended together. The will be different in style than the 2008 as this is bigger and will have more richness.<br /><br />2009 Dry Creek Valley Merlot- This could be the best year yet as the sugar levels were spot on and the flavors are incredible. This will be comparable to the 2004/2005 Merlots from our vineyard.<br /><br />2009 Lake County Malbec- The fruit came from the Olof Vineyard in Lake County. Really intrigued by this varietal and think the market should be strong as there aren't a lot of domestic wineries producing a stand alone. This wine is quite low in alcohol but has tremendous fruit and body!<br /><br />2009 Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah- arrived and while not as big as the Gold medal winning 2007 but I think it will be a bit more in balance with the classic blackberry and spice flavors.<br /><br />2009 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon- This vintage will be great as it has the classic fruit found in our Cabs but I decided to extract more tannin during fermentation to give it a little more backbone. <br /><br />2009 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Rose'- I have been playing around with Rose' the last couple of years with great results and should be releasing this one in a couple of months. It has lots of strawberry jam on the palate and a lot of minerality as well.Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-66008038169728663802009-06-13T18:37:00.001-07:002009-06-14T10:33:07.987-07:00GOLD MEDAL- 2009 Orange County Fair Wine Competition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwhzMj4lxNwAAo_9QimPp60GtSDcHrez5CGTB3JZ_jlBPO7SwVw2Et43anT0SzUUqGD2nNaRs6sgTzVYJ0nQhBaoQJQQotLTkO7KUgfytL_203RS0UIV7HZxAQGhva3bKhvwURNSrT8k/s1600-h/2007+PS+bottle+shot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwhzMj4lxNwAAo_9QimPp60GtSDcHrez5CGTB3JZ_jlBPO7SwVw2Et43anT0SzUUqGD2nNaRs6sgTzVYJ0nQhBaoQJQQotLTkO7KUgfytL_203RS0UIV7HZxAQGhva3bKhvwURNSrT8k/s320/2007+PS+bottle+shot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346991550165266434" border="0" /></a><br />I was literally screaming with joy when I opened the notification letter as this is our third Gold this year. I just cracked a bottle of this Petite and thought it would be a good time to update the blog.<br /><br />I knew this wine from the get go was going to be delicious and in the barrel it was tough to stop tasting. The Orange County Fair Wine Competition is the largest one of California wines in the world and therefor the most competitive. There is no charge to enter so there is typically 40-80 wines entered per category and this year there was a total of 3089 wines entered.<br /><br />I am thrilled about this wine for the following reasons-<br /><br />About 7 years ago I convinced my father to plant this Petite Sirah at his vineyard and I am so excited to be working with this fruit. My father has no regrets eitheras he receives more per ton for his Petite than any other grape and has sold these grapes to some excellent boutique wineries.<br /><br />This is the year that I began experimenting with convection toasted French oak and was extremely thrilled in the barrel and bottle with the results.<br /><br />While I am a huge fan of blending- this wine is 100% 2007 Lambert Bridge Vineyard Petite Sirah! I invited some friends in to work on the blend and we tried for hours on end to come up with a wine with a touch of Cab or new vintage Petite Sirah but we always went back to the original!!!<br /><br />While I enjoy Cabs and Merlots- I am a bigger fan of the "Rustic Reds" (Zin, Syrah, Petite Sirah) so this wine was fun to make and now drink!<br /><br />Just bottled this wine 2 months ago and it will only get better.<br /><br />Now where did that bottle go......Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-56216559615339457242009-05-29T15:59:00.000-07:002009-05-29T19:15:39.349-07:00GOLD MEDAL- Critics Challenge Intl Wine Competition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKKHbVv-aUbqI3pPOglegaL5rrxgk8PLex_MyDnGf5vlSZlHtlBhjexS5ZNSyF9szn8oh9uRpwnMfQB6SQRjQSN9_M5B6qcJ5cmZzREmHk2mLN_TG6ZsNqV4VtZ7KB5pL18n9G6QS_m0/s1600-h/cab+web+shot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKKHbVv-aUbqI3pPOglegaL5rrxgk8PLex_MyDnGf5vlSZlHtlBhjexS5ZNSyF9szn8oh9uRpwnMfQB6SQRjQSN9_M5B6qcJ5cmZzREmHk2mLN_TG6ZsNqV4VtZ7KB5pL18n9G6QS_m0/s320/cab+web+shot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341385345938196738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p><strong><span class="masgrande">This is the second competition that I entered this year and the second Gold Medal which is always exciting. I recently bottled this wine so it will only get better with a few more months of aging.<br /></span></strong></p><p><strong><span class="masgrande">2006 Christopher Cameron Vineyards<br /> :: Cabernet Sauvignon ::<br /> </span></strong>Lambert Bridge Vineyard<br />Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County</p><p>80% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Merlot 5% Petite Sirah<br /><strong></strong></p> <p align="left">Aged 28 months in French and American oak barrels.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><p align="left"><em><strong>145 Cases Produced</strong></em><br /> </p> <p align="left">In our opinion this is the best vintage of Cab that we have seen come out of Dry Creek in the last decade. This wine just has it all- body, depth, fruit, and color! There is tons of ripe marashino cherry, blueberry,and a touch of anise.</p><p><strong><br /></strong></p>Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-47234460806524936512009-04-08T13:30:00.000-07:002009-04-08T13:35:08.556-07:00Bottling!!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OOxZWi9Ww6A97gCcidLmyflaNE6q5przu4XR2J4PrlWVUYzxkls8dvS098Wqlm5ahvWCItonvK6b3n9tXAGEKcse3NHwptcAeIaNeAEc1ANpvvb481_J8pydtlPZS5XSZplL-6ib7mw/s1600-h/IMGP0078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OOxZWi9Ww6A97gCcidLmyflaNE6q5przu4XR2J4PrlWVUYzxkls8dvS098Wqlm5ahvWCItonvK6b3n9tXAGEKcse3NHwptcAeIaNeAEc1ANpvvb481_J8pydtlPZS5XSZplL-6ib7mw/s320/IMGP0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322421407333843602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Yesterday- was quite the long one......... We bottled 200 cases of the Christopher Cameron 2007 "Lambert Bridge Vineyard" Petite Sirah and 160 cases of a 2006 Costa Azul Sonoma County Red Blend. I wanted to say thanks to the many volunteers that come in to help during crush and with bottling as it really is a big help!Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-50460249810303103132009-03-28T12:43:00.000-07:002009-04-21T16:43:02.038-07:00GOLD MEDAL at the San Diego International Wine Competition!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi886VM5Zs784QgbPnGyYBAMJ813ageRyaHnuu1GxqPPcdl9ki8YFf6_JKGYX4_MvLZujqwSRdItMu2MT4bS5lb3t7aA3GXTPHQyCB9gfXK7H4YfGcRKD7pHZMp5qGjNa2NqrzRkiI7hD0/s1600-h/IMG_3493.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi886VM5Zs784QgbPnGyYBAMJ813ageRyaHnuu1GxqPPcdl9ki8YFf6_JKGYX4_MvLZujqwSRdItMu2MT4bS5lb3t7aA3GXTPHQyCB9gfXK7H4YfGcRKD7pHZMp5qGjNa2NqrzRkiI7hD0/s320/IMG_3493.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318329156787428754" border="0" /></a><br />Two well know wineries out of Napa (Markham and Franciscan) received Silver.<br />A Sonoma County wine deemed better than many (20-40) Napa Valley Merlots that were entered in this competition-??? How could that be?<br /><br />In all seriousness- Napa Cab is phenomenal and of course has the edge (and hype) on Sonoma for that varietal but every year Sonoma wins more medals and in my opinion is a better county for a wide range of wines including- Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc, and oh yeah- guess Merlot too! <br /><br />Definitely put tons of time and effort into producing this wine so I guess in a way it feels good to be recognized. I have been out selling 6 wines currently to restaurants and wine shops and have been most impressed with this wine although many of the buyers have been preferring the Bordeaux blend. The bad part is that I only have about 30 cases of the Merlot left..............Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-59563072103485947342009-03-07T13:47:00.000-08:002009-03-07T14:50:54.606-08:002006 "Lambert Bridge Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VKvrsM8CGxS_7N6W1JXLOzzClpDgVMTUmE6ROrsrdHtdyDQi1pO8LhpelbCtN2WXLTz2-eHj5CVRj4A4Z8BHv72X5QEjHKcqlGBpJbTcSxFAxPWotV-ZoOAqD8yV_8z57Z7fN9JQSo0/s1600-h/_MG_3994.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VKvrsM8CGxS_7N6W1JXLOzzClpDgVMTUmE6ROrsrdHtdyDQi1pO8LhpelbCtN2WXLTz2-eHj5CVRj4A4Z8BHv72X5QEjHKcqlGBpJbTcSxFAxPWotV-ZoOAqD8yV_8z57Z7fN9JQSo0/s320/_MG_3994.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310566331528631138" border="0" /></a> On March 10, I bottled the 06 Cabernet and think it will be our best Cab yet! This wine spent 28 months in French oak barrels and I blended in 11% Merlot with 5% Petite Sirah. I thought about bottling it as 100% Cab, but really liked what the Merlot and Petite Sirah brought to the table.<br /><br />In the past, blending has sometimes taken as up to four days to figure out the percentages but this time it only took about 3 hours. The second I tried this combination, I knew it was the one as it possesses great mouth feel, a deep ruby color, and wonderful flavors. There is marachino cherry and plum in the nose and palate with some vanilla in the background . It has balanced acidity and the tannins are well integrated after 28 months in barrel.<br /><br />To be Released- June, 2009 <br /><br />Next up for bottling- the 2007 "Lambert Bridge Vineyard" Petite SirahVan Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-2986192915385518922008-12-02T11:25:00.000-08:002008-12-02T12:17:28.867-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjEb_qXBloyRLNsR_Qv7pzg7kCCc4KGvX-Zl3vdfXMi8-bQMTatfzQjyCmfy4jMxKqvv-FWEDQ4pJnKQ86YUGnRTJzvKCc_5Zd5Ozd6lXIVBYs-kzvJqaYJw6RlPK3jgUeSiSDWIbW3Y/s1600-h/masthead.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjEb_qXBloyRLNsR_Qv7pzg7kCCc4KGvX-Zl3vdfXMi8-bQMTatfzQjyCmfy4jMxKqvv-FWEDQ4pJnKQ86YUGnRTJzvKCc_5Zd5Ozd6lXIVBYs-kzvJqaYJw6RlPK3jgUeSiSDWIbW3Y/s320/masthead.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275276358916379330" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I recently met with Jay and Bobby from the Linkery to blend a Meritage style Cuvee for their restaurant. I am really excited to be working with this restaurant as it one of those "can't miss" restaurants in this area of San Diego. The other reason is I think the food and wine pair very well together as my wines tend to be bigger with lots of fruit/mouthfeel and stand up well to the flavorful meats and dishes that they serve.<br /> <br />After trying many different blends (one of the pitfalls of the job, hehe) they created The Linkery Cuvee 1. This is a non vintage blend which has tons of complexity; the 2005 Cab brings depth, the 2006 Merlot fills in the mid palate and the newer vintage Cab showcases fruit and spice. All of these grapes used in this blend were sourced from "Lambert Bridge Vineyard," Dry Creek Valley- Sonoma County. The wine is going to be aged in Cask and will be gravity poured, which is great as these casks are reusable! This has tremendous upside as there will be no corks shipped over from Portugal, Glass trucked from Mexico, no tin capsule to be tossed, etc...... I am also excited about putting the wines in cask because I am not going to have to add extra sulfites as the wine is going to be consumed relatively quickly.<br /><br />The Linkery<br />3794 30th St.<br />San Diego, Ca.<br />www.thelinkery.co</span>mVan Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-22524240047222359442008-11-11T19:25:00.000-08:002008-11-11T19:26:45.174-08:002008 Lake County Malbec<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjRPsbtaBRnoFbfBwOv5W_lE6WCNlL_8D-hJRxt1t3MXQ6w2qSAQf55dkCNZKQDu6wiB_n9YmbXJXPJNV_NpVlKmojP6ipQoEocf3bos0rGDpj0NUpC5tB8cP3tfIq9IVincnVpGG_fk/s1600-h/_MG_4095.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjRPsbtaBRnoFbfBwOv5W_lE6WCNlL_8D-hJRxt1t3MXQ6w2qSAQf55dkCNZKQDu6wiB_n9YmbXJXPJNV_NpVlKmojP6ipQoEocf3bos0rGDpj0NUpC5tB8cP3tfIq9IVincnVpGG_fk/s320/_MG_4095.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I am really intrigued by this varietal and am surprised more domestic wineries aren't producing Malbec as a stand alone wine. The grapes from this vineyard come from the Olaf Vineyard which is located on a steep hillside on the west side of Clear Lake. I used 3 different yeasts on the fermentation and did a 10 day extended maceration on the skins to soften the tannin and to add mouthfeel. </span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-32313023048486248842008-11-11T18:35:00.000-08:002008-11-11T18:52:55.255-08:002008 Alexander Valley Zinfandel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi612SJpYQ3Qbl9ewn_fIEwxsYeuLj0SAjnb35MeV7lhVHs34AGY3znBmiC4U4uV79v1Z3W0dm41H-2tpNasrfCKMzlL5GVtnRDLFEZRVbKkYi_vbzwefrgYukes5-2e-xu06Nng5goWi4/s1600-h/IMG_0030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi612SJpYQ3Qbl9ewn_fIEwxsYeuLj0SAjnb35MeV7lhVHs34AGY3znBmiC4U4uV79v1Z3W0dm41H-2tpNasrfCKMzlL5GVtnRDLFEZRVbKkYi_vbzwefrgYukes5-2e-xu06Nng5goWi4/s320/IMG_0030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267594826524344082" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">This is the Mariani Ranch located in northern Alexander Valley. This is a hillside vineyard that doesn't use any trellising and is "head pruned," which is a very traditional way to grow Zin. This is my second year of working with these grapes and I really like the dark fruit and pepper that this vineyard posesses. While this wine would be great as is I will probably blend a little bit of Petite Sirah into this wine before bottling to add structure, color, and complexity.</span>Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-13005893475536400552008-09-18T10:19:00.000-07:002008-09-18T10:48:34.600-07:002008 Dry Creek Valley Chardonnay<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2et3UpCx6HbOi-VH0PsNmuoCJPPHprsH-UnxHqlM0jEJRm9CvBRrI8cgoCvQzOan0YRZObA2lEZYpBOlzHLPnYaSRpt33-n_PXK0soYroVlhn7xc8wolkn8c5o47xUiwrqnzQ5VMBkU/s1600-h/_MG_4003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2et3UpCx6HbOi-VH0PsNmuoCJPPHprsH-UnxHqlM0jEJRm9CvBRrI8cgoCvQzOan0YRZObA2lEZYpBOlzHLPnYaSRpt33-n_PXK0soYroVlhn7xc8wolkn8c5o47xUiwrqnzQ5VMBkU/s320/_MG_4003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247413339090437762" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The first wine that I ever made was from these vines 10 vintages ago. The wine turned out to be quite tasty but more importantly these grapes are the reason that I became hooked on winemaking.<br />A month ago I was looking at the Merlot and Cab when I walked by and was just in awe and these beautiful little clusters and decided to produce a 2008 Chardonnay. I am very excited to be finally making a commercial wine from these grapes this year and have started off conservatively with 4.5 tons which should yield about 250 cases of wine. The grapes arrived on September 5, 2008 and numbers were as follows- Brix 24.1 TA .86 Ph 3.3. It has been fermenting for 13 days now in tank and has wonderful pineapple aromas and flavors. I am going to age 70% of the wine in French Oak Barrels and am going to put it through malolactic fermentation (for mouthfeel and complexity.) The other 30% will remain in tank to retain the wonderful tropical fruit that it is expressing.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >This</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >wine will be released July of 2009.</span>Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-25012480162437809382008-09-17T14:24:00.000-07:002008-09-18T10:49:00.901-07:002008 Lake County Sauvignon Blanc<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYtLHjdzELYSLiJ5L0Uc1LAuo37t5yvTAKQAOeCqAkd-sLVldxwcM_VbP2_5i_E4YV5WIf-Nb-Dopjl2Wd_OSiWdwa4YSdU8gXPRBXD7vCQbTmBM165ohhJVElepDSiCC39rxdlonrP8/s1600-h/IMG_4085.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYtLHjdzELYSLiJ5L0Uc1LAuo37t5yvTAKQAOeCqAkd-sLVldxwcM_VbP2_5i_E4YV5WIf-Nb-Dopjl2Wd_OSiWdwa4YSdU8gXPRBXD7vCQbTmBM165ohhJVElepDSiCC39rxdlonrP8/s320/IMG_4085.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247108416564060642" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">On September 5, 2008 we received these grapes at our facility and proceeded to pitch fork and shovel for what seemed like days. The aromas and flavors of the grapes had tons of grapefruit and passion fruit with a touch of green tomato bush. It was very similar to Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, so needless to say we are ecstatic. We did a 36 hour cold settling and than inoculated the juice. This 800 gallons of Sauvignon Blanc been fermenting for 12 days and I am definitely getting citrus and tropical flavors with a touch of minerality.</span></span>Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-19983480373135665102008-09-16T08:23:00.000-07:002008-09-18T10:49:53.473-07:00Costa Azul<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0_UEiCkfylc3Ln3lgLAtgFzWsbTgE5c37ApXWDXlh9-j6k2m5lLbi9oTkm2Hc_7aH_H_5nZA1cbSjxQ4BKFtfVFUcZDMuR5ZI0Y70o0eII4NgyrGBZhet98mSp2O6fi2BPB2DW-sF1Q/s1600-h/stained+glass+image+for+sales+sheet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0_UEiCkfylc3Ln3lgLAtgFzWsbTgE5c37ApXWDXlh9-j6k2m5lLbi9oTkm2Hc_7aH_H_5nZA1cbSjxQ4BKFtfVFUcZDMuR5ZI0Y70o0eII4NgyrGBZhet98mSp2O6fi2BPB2DW-sF1Q/s320/stained+glass+image+for+sales+sheet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247118576287292738" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The last couple of years I have been making wine in a facility 2 blocks from the beach and decided to name the brand "Blue Coast." I have just recently released 2 wines under this label, a 2005 Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah and a 2006 Grenache from Valle de Guadelupe, Baja. In March of 2009, we will be releasing a 2006 Sonoma County Meritage and and a 2008 Lake County Sauvignon Blanc. - Chris -<br /><br />www.costaazulwines.com </span>Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-23325955188983594842008-03-29T14:38:00.001-07:002008-09-18T10:50:48.366-07:00Two and a half years after harvesting.....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApfeC2iEt05ejxzmVIkGH1Ly_odEq2kcMISSlHH4YzKxy8aHZ48cmH289HzcffxYa0kY7Cl_M690WyOzdFhiwhfuANGFu3W6dlY6JngNhin7r9WioQh5jw3fEwJWfe0C-qB9NiYtIX_8/s1600-h/new+wines+2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApfeC2iEt05ejxzmVIkGH1Ly_odEq2kcMISSlHH4YzKxy8aHZ48cmH289HzcffxYa0kY7Cl_M690WyOzdFhiwhfuANGFu3W6dlY6JngNhin7r9WioQh5jw3fEwJWfe0C-qB9NiYtIX_8/s320/new+wines+2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183284831587988050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style=";font-family:Verdana;" ><span style="font-weight: normal;">our 2005 vintage, it is time to release our Merlot and Claret (Bordeaux Style Red Wine.) The grapes were picked at a higher sugar so they tend to be a little bit "bigger" with lots of ripe fruit. These wines were aged for 27 months in 40% new French and American Oak barrels. I added 4% of 2007 vintage Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon to both wines as it lended some youthful brightness to the nose and pallet.<br /></span></span></strong></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style=";font-family:Verdana;" ><span style="font-weight: normal;">It took 4 long arduous (sort of) days of tasting different blends before I came up with these 2 wines. In a sense, it was stressful because I feel this is the best wine that we have made to date and there are literally thousands of combinations of percentages. </span></span></strong><strong></strong><strong><span style=";font-family:Verdana;" ><span style="font-weight: normal;"> "What does this blend lack?<br />How does it taste with 2% of Cabernet Franc? 10% Malbec? 4% Malbec......"<br /></span></span></strong></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style=";font-family:Verdana;" ><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hope you enjoy them!<br /></span></span></strong></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style=";font-family:Verdana;" ><span style="font-weight: normal;">Chris</span><br /></span></strong></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;">2005 Merlot<br />"Lambert Bridge Vineyard,"<br />Dry Creek Valley, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sonoma</span> County </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">175 Cases Produced<br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style=";font-family:Verdana;" ><span style=""> </span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">This wine is a big Merlot in the mold of the 2004 but has even more concentrated flavors as it spent 27 months in French and American oak barrels.<span style=""> </span>It has huge Blueberry and Cherry fruit with a touch of Anise.<span style=""> </span>The oak is well integrated and adds complexity with flavors of vanilla and </span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">coconut.</span></strong></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Price: $24 a bottle</span></strong></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"> </p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><st1:placename st="on"></st1:placename><st1:placetype st="on"></st1:placetype><st1:placetype st="on"></st1:placetype></span></strong><em></em><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><st1:placename st="on"></st1:placename><st1:placetype st="on"></st1:placetype></span></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">2005 Dry Creek Valley Red Wine<br />"Lambert Bridge Vineyard"<br />Dry Creek Valley, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sonoma</span> County </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">300 Cases Produced</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;font-family:Verdana;" >66% Merlot, 24% Cabernet <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sauvignon</span>,<br />6% Petite <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sirah</span>,<o:p></o:p>2% <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Malbec</span>, 2% Petite <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Verdot</span></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Cola and dark stone fruit dominate the nose and pallet of this full-bodied red wine.<span style=""> </span>This wine has tremendous depth and is well balanced with moderate tannins and acidity. It is drinking great now, but could be laid down for 8-10 years.</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Price: $30 a bottle</span><br /><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:14;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:14;" ><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-22132813697821244262008-02-12T13:55:00.000-08:002008-03-29T20:28:37.698-07:00San Diego Union Tribune Article<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxFLCV08efSUMMGq5hRRj763lJ1fyFvbn3nXcEhac_YA81JLyCowDQTJd-CR3Z0IDkH86SdacrynC089delbFTcun8yZSSrNN4z8znJzr5r4h7laBeJRWp8HzDZW5BcFXY6LsSPzXdu4/s1600-h/Union+Tribune+Article.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxFLCV08efSUMMGq5hRRj763lJ1fyFvbn3nXcEhac_YA81JLyCowDQTJd-CR3Z0IDkH86SdacrynC089delbFTcun8yZSSrNN4z8znJzr5r4h7laBeJRWp8HzDZW5BcFXY6LsSPzXdu4/s200/Union+Tribune+Article.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183270563706630706" border="0" /></a><span class="columntext"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" class="sansmediumhead" >Winemaker finds profitable sideline selling grapes to hobbyists </span></span><br /><div class="byline"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>By Steven Mihailovich</b></span></div> <span style="font-size:85%;">TODAY'S LOCAL NEWS</span><br /><br /><br />CARLSBAD – Having a winery is a great way to make a small fortune out of a large one, according to a well-known industry adage.<br /><br />For Carlsbad winemaker Christopher Van Alyea, the money and the wine come from one source: the grape. <p> The budding winemaker, whose creations are gaining a foothold in North County, supplemented his income last fall by selling surplus grapes from the family's Sonoma County vineyards to wine hobbyists. </p><p>With the grapes priced from $1,800 to $2,400 per ton (depending on the variety) 20 area winemakers bought Van Alyea's entire stock of more than 9 tons of grapes. At least one Oceanside wine hobbyist said he is hoping to buy more this season. </p><p><!-- BEGIN:SIDEBAR --><!--startclickprintexclude--><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="4" width="250"><tbody><tr><td><table bg="" style="color: rgb(223, 223, 223); width: 235px; height: 212px;" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td bg="" style="color: rgb(112, 112, 112);"><span class="columntexthead"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span><span class="columntexthead"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Christopher Cameron Vineyard wines</span> </span><span class="columntext"> </span> <p> <span class="columntext"><b>Winemaker</b>: Christopher Van Alyea </span></p> <p> <span class="columntext"><b>Locale</b>: Made in Carlsbad since 2006 </span></p> <p> <span class="columntext"><b>Varietals</b>: Merlot, cabernet sauvignon, grenache, petite sirah, chardonnay </span></p> <p> <span class="columntext"><b>Available</b>: Sold at several restaurants and retail outlets in North County </span></p> <p> <span class="columntext"><b><br /></b> </span></p> <span class="columntext"><b>Information</b>: (760) 579-2800; <a href="http://ccvwines.com/" target="new">ccvwines.com</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table> <table bgcolor="#dfdfdf" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" width="240"><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table> <!--endclickprintexclude--><!-- END:SIDEBAR --> “The response was phenomenal,” Van Alyea said. “It could be a better business than winemaking. ... But if I really wanted to make money, I wouldn't be making wine. I'd be into making widgets.” </p><p>Van Alyea said he got the idea to sell the grapes in Southern California when he got word from his father, Peter, that 6 tons of cabernet sauvignon grapes and a half-ton of merlot grapes remained out of a total harvest of about 200 tons. Although Van Alyea's father typically sells all of his grapes to Sonoma County winemakers, such as Clos du Bois, a glut had hit the market. </p><p>Van Alyea added 3 tons of zinfandel grapes from Sonoma he had bought for his own winemaking, and he put the word out to home winemakers through the San Diego Amateur Winemaking Society and the Orange County Wine Society. </p><p>“I got 15 responses in two days,” Van Alyea said. “My phone was literally ringing off the hook. They would say, 'Grapes from Sonoma? I'm in.' A lot of these people have jobs and don't have time to make a run to Sonoma in their little trucks.” </p><p>Bob Johnson has been making wines at his Oceanside home since 2005, buying his grapes from Temecula vineyards. When he heard of Van Alyea's offer, he said he bought a half-ton, enough to produce 80 cases of wine, even though the Sonoma grapes were about 25 percent more expensive. </p><p>“I felt like it was great deal because of the renowned quality of the fruit,” Johnson said. “I figured it would be fun to give it a try and step up with the big boys up north.” </p><p> The grape sale was so successful that Van Alyea wants to expand his operation for next fall's harvest. </p><p>His father is planning to dedicate a portion of the harvest to San Diego County sales, and Van Alyea said he is meeting with a vineyard manager from Sonoma County next month to explore the possibility of selling that vine yard's grapes as well. </p><p>Meanwhile Van Alyea's wines are becoming increasingly popular in North County. Carrying the Christopher Cameron Vineyard label, the merlot, cabernet sauvignon and petite sirah are available at select restaurants and retail outlets, Van Alyea said. </p><p>North County Wines, a retail store in San Marcos, has been selling about five cases of Christopher Cameron Vineyard wines every two weeks during the past few months, store owner James Allyn said. He said people ask for the wine by name, having tried it at restaurants, such as Market Street Cafe or Friars Folly Bistro in San Marcos' Old California Restaurant Row. </p><p>“I just got an e-mail from North Carolina asking about Christopher Cameron Vineyard wines,” Allyn said. “His name is getting around. I tell people that his is the best $30 bottle of wine you can get for $21. It has the care and taste of a more expensive wine.” </p><p> Allyn added that he plans to introduce a house wine produced by Van Alyea this summer. </p><p>Van Alyea, 35, a Bay Area native, began experimenting with wines a few years after his father bought a 45-acre estate in the Dry Creek area of Sonoma County in 1994. Van Alyea produced his first 40 cases of chardonnay in 1998. </p><p>“It looked brownish in the barrel, but when I pulled it out and poured it, the wine was clear,” Van Alyea said. “It turned out really good. That's when it hit me.” </p><p> He made his first commercial batch – a merlot – for his father's vineyards in 2002, and he's been creating wines ever since. </p><p>Van Alyea, who moved to Encinitas about five years ago, has been operating out of the Witch Creek Winery in downtown Carlsbad since 2006. An avid surfer, Van Alyea said he became aware of the North County coastal area during surfing trips to Baja California. </p><p> “I saw people in shorts riding waves when it was 48 degrees back home,” Van Alyea said. “I fell in love with it.” </p><p> Van Alyea leases space and equipment from Witch Creek. He said he has hit capacity with his 70 barrels of wine. </p><p> He is scouting for a larger location but said he is committed to staying in the area. </p><p>“In San Diego, there just isn't the number of winemakers as there is in the Central Coast,” Van Alyea said. “If I can offer advice or cabernet grapes, I'll do it. </p><p>“There's a community feel here, a general sharing. You don't see that in Sonoma County. There, everyone has this secret they have to keep. In San Diego, it's a we-all-got-to-stick-together attitude. I've seen it with winemakers and vineyards.”</p>Article is from the San Diego Union Tribune and can be seen at: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20080131-9999-lz1mc31wine.htmlVan Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-13300336390677257632008-02-03T12:33:00.000-08:002008-03-29T16:23:51.099-07:00Gold Medals<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHFtKTsvYs_ha4qdNkYkTLwUXR4YmM4dVqyfX1EKXnLzmOL8PwVy-gG1WrEqTYC_DnwDUcun8_AksNBfmxbGzd8CJghvOy0A7_UEtakCmo3qz571404OWyy2zk-E9yHU6Xhy0QF7SO6A/s1600-h/IMGP0046.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHFtKTsvYs_ha4qdNkYkTLwUXR4YmM4dVqyfX1EKXnLzmOL8PwVy-gG1WrEqTYC_DnwDUcun8_AksNBfmxbGzd8CJghvOy0A7_UEtakCmo3qz571404OWyy2zk-E9yHU6Xhy0QF7SO6A/s320/IMGP0046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183275301055558210" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Cameron Vineyards<br />Merlot</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />"Lambert Bridge Vineyard"<br />Dry Creek Valley, </span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"> 2004<br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Gold Medal</span></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Orange County Fair </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wine Competiton</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Gold Medal</span></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">San Francisco Chronicle Wine </span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Competition </span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Christopher Cameron Vineyards<br />Cabernet Sauvignon</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />"Lambert Bridge Vineyard"<br />Dry Creek Valley</span> ,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> 2003</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-weight: bold;">Silver Medal</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Orange County Fair Wine Competition<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">Bronze Medal</span></span> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">San Francisco Chronicle Wine </span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Competition<br /><br /><br /><br />This past year we entered these 2 wines in these two competitions and were elated with these accolades. It is in our opinion that these are the 2 most prestigious competitions because of the amount of wines that are entered, double blind tasting format, and the credentials of the judges.<br /><br />Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh!<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-59731431016609903922008-02-01T19:05:00.000-08:002008-04-14T21:46:05.791-07:002007 Crush Report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhS5VTFEqnIuEJOrhMPugrWrNEflClP5LtsIbcK2z52dvSFFXFSSpKJde82j7Ha1Mwe7W7ysybIEEcAj4iiIWfdOEny6WofLw4B4Bsym_QKi50NFUqOEjYH9ssaUymKfJ7g7TNbbIvndE/s1600-h/IMGP0480.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162233432757619346" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhS5VTFEqnIuEJOrhMPugrWrNEflClP5LtsIbcK2z52dvSFFXFSSpKJde82j7Ha1Mwe7W7ysybIEEcAj4iiIWfdOEny6WofLw4B4Bsym_QKi50NFUqOEjYH9ssaUymKfJ7g7TNbbIvndE/s200/IMGP0480.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Another Vintage has come and gone, whewwww! 60+ hour weeks of gruelling work has come to an end as the last wines were put in barrel.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This vintage; I crushed 5 tons of Merlot, 5 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 tons of Petite Sirah, and 3 tons of Zinfandel. All of the grapes were just destemmed with very minimal crushing as I was looking for more fruit forward wines. This type of fermentation is called Carbonic Maceration (it sounds real technical, but isn't!) All of the grapes were from my family's "Lambert Bridge Vineyard" except for the Zinfandel which came from Alexander Valley. </div><br /><div></div><div>I would have to say that so far I am most impressed with the Petite Sirah. Two Rhone yeasts were used on this wine and the lots were blended together and put in French and American Oak barrels. This wine has the classic deep ruby color and is already well balanced with tannins and acidity. Tons of ripe blackberry fruit, and earth. This wine has an alcohol of 15.4%, PH 3.7, and a TA .62. </div><br /><div></div><div>This Merlot should be a good one as it has concentrated flavors and bright natural acidity. It is tasting youthful at the moment, but as with the Merlot last year it should improve with 15-20 months in the barrel. I used two different yeasts this year, including my favorite which is called BM45. One of its main attributes is polysacharides which is mouthfeel in layman's terms. Who doesn't like a red wine with mouthfeel?</div><br /><div></div><div>The Alexander Valley Zinfandel- Ohhhh where do I begin...... This wine is actually still fermenting as I type this and it is February. I think it is going to be called the "112 Day" Zin although at this rate it could be the 200+ The finishing alcohol on this wine could pack more punch than a long island ice tea but even at this stage (near dryness) I am not getting a ton of alcohol on it. I plan on blending a little Petite Sirah with it but will do this in roughly a year.</div><br /><div></div><div>The Cabernet Sauvignon seems to be even more fruit driven than last year which is an anomaly for a cab and I am not complaining. I used the same yeasts as last year and also am happy with the results. I think it will be a good vintage but would be surprised if it is better than the 2006.</div><br /><div></div>Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-3883798763567484052007-01-15T22:00:00.000-08:002008-02-03T12:24:31.088-08:002006 Crush Summary<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTln_tSRFIwdfcq-ib1g9cyWymdK7EXa3nln8QEiGB9Z4S9KOkja7qzwo9fZ08uflxxxQm03j_3Nl7xZATyOGeRJQHS6mLl0NMdQPvMNPl9Tk2xK6TWupKEnID_CFSPaADkbKSQQbdyE0/s1600-h/Picture+261.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162157033879358082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTln_tSRFIwdfcq-ib1g9cyWymdK7EXa3nln8QEiGB9Z4S9KOkja7qzwo9fZ08uflxxxQm03j_3Nl7xZATyOGeRJQHS6mLl0NMdQPvMNPl9Tk2xK6TWupKEnID_CFSPaADkbKSQQbdyE0/s200/Picture+261.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This is the year that we moved the operation down to Carlsbad from Sonoma County. I was a little concerned on how this might affect the wine, specifically the VA (volatile acidity.) After reviewing the lab results from the years prior there wasn't any disparity and I'm convinced that the wine will be of equal or better quality.<br /></div><br /><div>Quite pleased with the way the 2006 Cabernet has turned out and think it could be our best Cab. The yields off the vine were low which improved the overall intensity. As with the previous vintages, the grapes were just destemmed which tends to give a more fruit forward type of wine. The grapes arrived November 22, 2006 and I crushed into 5 fermenters. I used 2 different Rhone yeasts to bring out different attributes, and I really like what they brought to the table. After fermenation the alcohol was at 14.4% percent, Ph 3.6, and the Ta .67.</div><br /><div></div><div>The Merlot was brought in September 23, 2006 and I crushed into 4 different fermenters. I used a Bordeaux and a northern Italian yeast for fermentation. I had used the Italian yeast last year and absolutely loved the results. I am not sure if this wine will have the same body and fruit that the previous two vintages had but it might appease the palet that isn't into big wines. After fermenation, the alcohol was at 14.6, the PH at 3.55 , and Ta at .7.</div><div></div><div>These wines have been primarily in French oak with some Hungarian and American Oak in the mix. Expected release date is Summer 2008 and we should be bottling around 200 cases of each. </div>Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188305952775585379.post-54036099446437772632006-02-03T13:47:00.000-08:002008-03-22T11:18:33.117-07:002005 Crush Summary<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagUUpXCZn5IPjwAk_4udwEkswQVH5vriu6KZnLcdoRLYQDpHmeOYqXjaR9WR-lhBZH7g9bwV2edlon7Moiqmrh74zkLT4W4Kw08jFdBw6MeTrK-awlwoLTZh1zK-H5vxMAxQq5XymdSE/s1600-h/011004_130.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162150265010899570" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagUUpXCZn5IPjwAk_4udwEkswQVH5vriu6KZnLcdoRLYQDpHmeOYqXjaR9WR-lhBZH7g9bwV2edlon7Moiqmrh74zkLT4W4Kw08jFdBw6MeTrK-awlwoLTZh1zK-H5vxMAxQq5XymdSE/s200/011004_130.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We crushed 7 tons of Merlot, 3 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5 tons of Petite Sirah.<br /><br />I am really excited with the Merlot from this Vintage. The Merlot grapes were harvested from the creekside portion of the Vineyard. The soil is gravelly and allows for great drainage which is ideal. It was picked at a very high sugar which in turn means more alcohol (yeast eat the sugar and convert to alcohol.) The bonus to picking at a higher sugar level is it tends to give the wine more fruit and mouth feel. I always knew this Merlot could get away with higher sugars but this vintage blew my mind. The alcohol levels are hovering over the 15.5% range and there is no detection of "heat" or ethanol in the nose or palet.<br /><br />This is the first vintage that I really experimented with yeast and used 4 different types from different regions for the Merlot. I used 8 different fermenters and kept them juice/wine seperate. The differences are dramatic as each yeast seemed to bring out different fruit and spice characteristics from the Merlot.<br /><br />The Petite Sirah has been sold from our family vineyard the last couple of years to some small boutique wineries so I was excited to get some of this fruit this year. The sugar wasn't as high as I would have liked it but this wine still exhibits ripe fruit characteristics.<br /><br />The Cabernet also came in late with lower sugars but as with the Petite Sirah it is showing some upside. The acid after fermentation is a little high and I might need to adjust this in the cellar later on.</div>Van Alyea Ranchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06404126293142872015noreply@blogger.com0