What's New

“There comes a moment on a journey when something sweet, something irresistible and charming as wine raised to thirsty lips, wells up in the traveller's being. “

- Patrick MacGill, b. 1889

Things have popped in vineyards throughout the Valley in the last several weeks.  The Chardonnay vines are a foot long with flower buds measuring about 3 inches, still light green and tightly closed. The Merlot is about 4 inches long and small buds are still unfurling in their pale green and pink leaves. I noticed that our neighbor’s Cabernet has also popped, so it’s safe to say everyone with vines is well into the growing season. No frosts to date – yippee - and the inversion fans have been mostly quiet this spring. Happily, we have been getting some welcome rain.  We are up to about 17 inches to date, not close to last year but okay. At least the irrigation ponds finally have water in them. And last Saturday, our temperatures shot up to 91 degrees in Napa, even warmer farther up the Valley towards Calistoga. All good for grapes – the Valley could really use a lovely vintage after three odd ones in a row.

As the grapes begin the new vintage, we are deciding what, if any, new equipment might make the most contribution to better wine quality. A new press, or a series of barrels, perhaps different pumps? Several years ago, when the grape sorting equipment craze was sweeping the business, we tested the value by creating several barrels of wine using a custom-built sorter. When we later compared that wine to wine made without using the sorter, no one could tell the difference. For our purposes, it appeared a $200,000 custom- built sorting table wasn’t worth the money. But in our business, which has very specialized products, there is no shortage of novel items that can quickly become must-haves.

 In the tasting room, we have put in a new light bar above the tasting area, giving that space a twinkling of bright, soft light instead of the cadaverous fluorescents humming down from the ceiling. Besides the pretty factor, you can actually see the color of the wine – always useful! Outside, the bocce court got its new layer of oyster shell this morning; all set for the group coming next week to taste, buy and play. The gardens are in full swing, and I expect Johanne to start planting the wine scents garden shortly so our summer visitors will be able to connect the dots between wine and fragrance descriptors.

Anthony and I have been doing the “out in the market” thing, visiting both markets and salespeople in the interest of spreading the gospel. For the month, Anthony will be gone 16 days and I will travel seven days. Once June comes around, the market slows down a bit, so this is our last chance to chart a course that will eventually lead us to Fall cabernet buyers.

Cheers,

Sandra, Anthony and all of us at Bell Wine Cellars

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