The grapes have been picked upand the fermenting has (hopefully!) begun. This year I’m trying two types of grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese.
Villa Sophia 2009: Il Monstro Viola
This weekend was bottling weekend. Bottled up nine gallons of cab, Il Monstro Viola (this was the year that the purple monster in our front yard died) yielding 55 bottles of wine. Interestingly the two carboys I used had distinctively different tastes, one had a much stronger oak taste than the other. But both batches, this year, had a lot less of that “juice” taste than my previous years. Off to storage you go, Il Montro Viola:
Villa Sophia Cab 2008: The Beginnings
This weekend the grapes for my second “real” batch of wine were delivered to Mountain Homebrew and Wine Supply. Last years vintage, Villa Sophia “La Gruccia” was a success in that it didn’t turn to vinegar and that over time it is definitely mellowing out, but I wouldn’t say it was a fantastic wine. This year I’m a bit more hopeful and have some ideas for how to modify my process to produce a better wine.
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Robert Mondavi
Robert Mondavi, who helped put Napa Valley on the world wine map has passed away age 94. The most famous story about Mondavi involves a fight:
The Mondavis moved to Napa, and Cesare, Robert and Robert’s younger brother, Peter, ran the winery. But there were disagreements about how the winery should be run, and after Cesare’s death, Robert and Peter clashed. While Robert, the more flamboyant of the two brothers, pushed for better wines, Peter favored a more conservative path. One day, they ended up in a fistfight, and Robert was asked to leave the family business
So far, in making my own wine, I have yet to get in a fight with anyone, although I did have to fight to get a bung out of a carboy…
Factoid of the Day
Who knew: Jello is best paired with Moscato D’asti.
Villa Sophia 2007 "Gruccia"
This weekend was “bottling weekend.” Here is one of the final products:
That’s right, the Villa Sophia, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon “Gruccia” has found its way, with a little labor on my part, out of the carboys and into the bottle. This year’s wine is called “gruccia.” You see at one point during the winemaking a bung made its way into the carboy, and well, you can guess how I got it out, can’t you?
Off the Queue and Into the Neurons
Books conquered during the holiday resting season: “Learning the World” by Ken MacLeod, “The Crack in Space” by Philip K. Dick, and “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide” by Paul Gregutt.
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