Cold, Cold March
An unseasonably cold March has kept the vines in a prolonged state of dormancy. This has afforded us a leisurely pruning pace, as there has been no spring panic pushing us to finish pruning before bud break.
Read MoreCalm and Tranquil
I do so dislike the wind, especially the March winds. March is the peak of pruning season. It is so wonderful to be back out in the vineyard full time and without interruption. But I have to admit that the fierce, biting winds of the last several weeks has taken some of the pleasure out of pruning.
Read MoreWine Trade Show Culture
Winery trade show season is January, February and March. Those in the biz are more relaxed at this time and have the time to attend. It has been a number of years since I have been on a trade show floor.
Read MoreWhy I Love to Prune Grapevines
I’m now used to the puzzled looks in reaction to my declaration that pruning is my favorite vineyard activity.
Read MoreSoils, Slopes, and Great Red Wines
I’ve had an article in my head for the past couple of years.
Read MoreLearning by Looking Backwards
In youth I looked forward: new Lyre training systems in the vineyard and fancy high tech dejuicing tanks in the cellar. With age I find myself looking backwards.
Read MoreDressed to Prune
As much as we love winter, pruning this week spurred a longing for at least a hint of spring. So far this year pruning has been a slow process.
Read MoreWinter of 2018
The winter of 2018 started with worrisome volatile temperature swings reminiscent of recent Dow Jones activity. However the past few weeks have settled down to a typical, but dreary mid-winter normal.
Read MoreKS, The Evolution of a New Wine
This week was white barrel topping week. Once a month we top off all barrels. Because of evaporation through the oak staves, each barrel loses about a half a liter of wine (angel’s share).
Read MoreBottling
Bottling is the culmination of several years of winegrowing effort. For this reason it is arguably the most stressful aspect of winemaking. There are a lot of moving parts and players.
Read MoreA Temporary Thaw
A temporary thaw did not thwart us from ice skating on the farm pond. Looks like we will have another opportunity later this week.
Read MoreThe Coldest Week
This has been the coldest week I can remember since 1994. The pond has frozen enough for ice skating and most outside wall water pipes have frozen. However, we are not too concerned about any vine damage as the coldest temperatures have “only” been in the low single digits.
Read MorePetit Manseng 2016 Demi-sec
This weekend we are releasing a new wine for Linden. Traditionally we have made the Petit Manseng grape in a sweeter late harvest style, but the warm vintage of 2016...
Read MoreFrigid Farmer’s Worries | Winter Tastings | Wine Dinners
Our farmer’s worries have started early this vintage as we watch the mercury drop. Temperatures below zero can damage vines. But it is complicated. Long story short, we should be OK with this current bout of arctic air.
Read More“Free Form” December Tastings at Linden
Last December we introduced a different kind of tasting format. We call it Free Form. Each weekend the tastings will vary and will include pre-releases and older vintages.
Read MoreIt was a Very Good Year | Terroir Project | Free Form December | 6th Annual Linden & RdV Wine Dinner
2017 will be our benchmark vintage for decades to come. This is one of the rare years where both whites and reds were harvested with high expectations.
Read MoreExtraction
With the exception of one stubborn lot, The Merlots and Cabernet Francs are finished fermenting. We start our “two day tastings” today.
Read MorePetit Manseng
Today we pick part of the Petit Manseng vineyard. We will harvest grapes primarily from the younger vines for “demi-sec”. Physiological ripening seems to have stalled, perhaps because of the warm weather and drought conditions.
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