I’ve been keeping the notes that follow about frost damage to indicate our decision-making process amid changing conditions over the period of several weeks.

Thursday, April 10th:
We’ve had a cold spring with some serious frost at the very end of March when temperatures were below freezing for five hours and got as low as 26 degrees F.
Because frost damage can cause unevenness in growth and ripening, it complicates our decision-making. If we’ve lost some crop already, for example, should we thin more crop?

Luckily, Pinot Noir is a later variety and a lot of our vines hadn’t pushed out yet. Our Carneros topography of rolling hills was helpful, because those vines that were out up to two inches were in upper blocks, while the cold air, being heavier, flows into the low swales in the vineyards. Also, our vines are mostly cane pruned, so the secondary buds might be more fruitful and … More…

A friend invited me to have a beer with him after work the other day at a place that offers “designer” beers, and I ordered one that I didn’t know. The color was a beautiful coppery red and I raised it to my lips with the anticipation of refreshment. But something was a little off. It was too sweet. The beer had tons more character than an everyday American lite, but to me it was out of balance and not very enjoyable.I realize I have the luxury of being pretty picky. There is such a vast array of micro-brews available that a consumer can pretty much dial in the exact style of beer they prefer. My tastes run to a more austere beer with the light sting of more aggressive hops.

That beer sparked a discussion of wine styles. My friend had recently tasted a 1987 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from … More…