Latest at Linden

Vintage Variation

Vintage refers to the weather influences during the growing season the year the grapes were harvested. That date on the bottle encapsulates a six-month saga beginning in April with bud break and ending on the autumn day the grapes are picked. The weather during that period impacts yields, quality and wine style.

Pairing Wines for Thanksgiving

The classic Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, stuffing, Brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce is decidedly wine unfriendly. This riot of flavors and textures will probably clash with any one special wine. Something sweet, bubbly, or pink probably has the best chance of success.

Vintage 2019: Good, but just how good?

The 2019 harvest finished up several weeks ago. This week we pressed the last of the Cabernet Sauvignon, which is one of the stars of the vintage. It was a very good year, but also very unusual, so there is some hesitation to “declare” the vintage.

Singular Task

Last week’s heat wave accelerated ripening. Harvest will start very soon, but the peak of activity is still many weeks away. This is why September’s weather is so critical in determining the overall quality and style of the vintage. All we ask for is cool, dry and no hurricanes.

Grapes into Wine

Follow the 2019 Harvest

Linden will be closed October 11, 12, and 13

Transition Time

Late July brings a shift to the vineyard and to the cellar.

Patience Rewards: Bottle Evolution Seminars August 18 & 25 — Sold out

Wines constantly evolve during aging in the cellar and in the bottle. Bottled wines gain complexity and integration with time. So what does that mean? There is only one way to find out.

Spring!

Spring is unfolding nicely. Budbreak was right on time. No frost, and enough (but not too much) rain. Wonderfully normal with no surprises, just what we farmers hope for.

Fortunately, this spring’s excitement is contained to the tasting room. Three new, distinct wines have just been released.

2018 Rosé | Silver Lining

2017 Village Chardonnay | Youthful Exuberance

2017 Avenius Sauvignon Blanc | Patience Rewards

Spring is late this year.

Chardonnay, being our most precocious variety, is the indicator of spring’s progression. No sign of bud swell.

No Expectations

Vintage 2018 was difficult.

Fridays

Linden is now open Fridays.

Evolution Seminar with Jim Law | April 14

Jim Law will present older library vintages along with some yet to be released wines.

Terroir Project

Three years ago I started writing about the decision to remove and replant the vines growing on one of Hardscrabble’s best vineyard sites.

Special Cellar Tastings | 2019 #2

For those interested in adding more depth to their wine knowledge, Linden’s current cellar tasting is a classic.

Ready to get going

This winter has been uneventful, laidback, and kind of boring. Just how we like it. Vintage 2018 took a lot out of us and extra time was needed for a proper recovery. We are now ready to get going. We are giving you lots of reasons to visit.

2017 Riesling released

Linden Evolution Seminars expand

Second Special Cellar Tastings of 2019

Jim Law at Field & Main Restaurant

Snow

Snow is magical and we love it at Linden.

Linden Evolution Seminars | Reservations

Linden will recommence a series of in-depth seminars that focus on our thirty years of winegrowing. Reservations can only be made on Linden’s website. (No phone reservations accepted.)

Special Cellar Tastings | Reservations

In order to make your weekend planning easier, reservations can now be secured online for Linden’s Saturday Special Cellar Tastings. Walk-ins are also welcome if space permits.

Linden Wine Dinner | The Blue Door Kitchen and Inn

We are thrilled to have a restaurant of such caliber so close to Linden.

Vintage 2018

Vintage 2018 finished last week with the harvest of Petit Manseng. While it was a difficult year, I’m very confident about the decisions that were made and the wines that will be bottled. As winegrowers we know that there is no alternative to the hand that we are dealt.

Fragile

This has been the wettest growing season I have ever experienced.

The New Website

For those of you who have an interest in following the progression of the 2018 vintage, I have been faithfully posting weekly updates in Hardscrabble Journal on Linden’s new web site.

Winter 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.