Well we are in the heart of summer. I keep hearing about muggy thundershowers back in Michigan and the blistering heat in Florida and here inNorthern California the fog has settled into San Francisco for the long cold summer.

Eric and I have been quiet from a blogging perspective but we have been busy at the winery or should I say busy preparing to fill the winery with tons of fruit. One of the things that I really like about our small winery and the people that we partner with is that for the most part we allrealize that we are dirt farmers and we are making something from the land. When you are someone who works with the land you cantypically agree on something with a handshake.

Today that really hasn't changed much. We have been to several vineyards in and around the Napa Valley and after we meet the folks that aremanaging the vineyards and we find out that our ideals for growing grapes match their practices we shake hands and agree to purchase fruit fromthem. It’s a nice feeling to start a conversation with a stranger and end the conversation with a friend.

• Grenache
  • The core of our being; The favorite of Rhone.
  • Directly from the Tejada Vineyard. We are particularly excited about this season because we have been working closely with the Tejada family to really balance out the vineyard to get good juice to skin ratio. Our Première Rosè was a huge hit and we plan to keep the case production low to maintain the quality and attention to detail that we feel it requires
• Viognier
  • From the Sierra Foothills
  • We have some exciting things planned, including a little co-fermentation so stay tuned.
• Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Not a Rhone blend, but sometimes Napa is as Napa does. 
  • Howell Mtn - We have decided to purchase from a couple of different vineyards on Howell Mtn to really explore the terroir of the mountain. 
  • 2009 was the year my twin girls were born and I am really excited to kick off a side project that we are calling "5/5".   This won’t be out for a few years, but I was trying to source fruit for this special project before we left the hospital with the girls.
• What else? 
  • More Rhone varietals - We have some other things planned, but we can't tell you everything 
  • Dacalier Wine Club – Just 2 shipments a year and invitations to BBQ’s along with first dibs on special releases..(ahem 5/5) when released.