Winemaker's Journal

Troubling Signs: Vineyard Pests

2008-07-06T12:46:00.001-07:00

There were troubling signs in the vineyard. Namely, a number of the Tempranillo vines were starting to show red leaves (which I thought may have been due to their age and some stress). More worrisome was the Zinfandel vine putting out brilliant red leaves combined with abnormal growth. So, we called in an expert, an entomologist from Valley Center.

The major concern in Southern California Vineyards is Pierce's Disease (PD) which will kill the vines. The vector is the glassy winged sharpshooter. These are interesting and crafty bugs. When they detect your hand, they move to the other side of the stem (so you can't see them). But, they're easy to trick ... put your hand on the "hidden side" and they'll come into your view.

Shortly after we planted our vines a year ago, we had an "infestation" of sharpshooters in the vineyard. We found them on many plants, and also on the "yellow sticky things". We definitely had them. When we spoke with our vineyard consultant about this, he recommended waiting until the vines had reached the cordon wire before applying "admire" -- a treatment against sharpshooters. The application was done on the last day of August last year -- what I don't know is if any of our vines are "infected" (because they were certainly exposed to the pests last year) -- and some of the red leaves I was seeing was a cause for concern.

On July 4th, we walked the vineyard with Matt, the entomologist. Good news about the Tempranillo -- the red leaves were just showing signs of age. (Picture at left.) Matt did observe some signs of stress, most likely caused by the heat wave two weeks ago -- and, as suspected, we have not been watering enough (I was trying to make the vines hunt for their water -- perhaps a little too much. In any event, no harm done -- and perhaps even stronger vines.) In the Aglianico area, we found signs of mildew, but nothing to be alarmed about -- the temperature has been well in excess of 85. Another reason we are not so concerned with mildew this year is we are not planning to harvest grapes for wine -- just a little for the farmers market.

The Zinfandel caught his attention -- but he's not 100% sure it's PD -- so, he cut samples from the vine, and will ship them to the lab for testing. We'll know in a couple of weeks if we have a problem.

We've upped the watering -- giving each vine approximately 8 gallons of water once a week.... the Petit Syrah at the bottom of the hill (which is where the rich soil is) have turned into a jungle. Within this tropical rain forest I found the King Kong of Grapes, a Godzilla cluster which was 10 clusters bunched together, on a second year vine whose trunk resembled the Ent Trees from Lord of The Rings. Since we're concerned with root growth this year -- it looks like we've got it in this area. I wonder if some of these vines have found their own source of water: the leach field?!

"Meadowlark" Newspaper Reports on Blue-Merle's & Sunrise Vineyards Awards

2008-07-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

The Meadowlark newspaper of Hidden Meadows reported on the awards won by the Blue-Merle Winery and the Escondido Sunrise Vineyards at the June 15 winemaking competition of the San Diego Country Fair in its July issue. (Click on the image to enlarge it.)

Blue-Merle Wins Two Awards At San Diego County Fair Wine Competition

2008-06-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Bluey, the Australian Sheppard with "blue-merle" coloring who is the cellar master of San Diego's Blue-Merle Winery, won two 2nd place awards at the San Diego County Fair Wine Competition June 15, marking the highest finish ever of a canine at the event. Bluey's triumph is all the more significant as he achieved the perfect dog trifecta: catching a squirrel on Weds, catching a gopher on Thursday and receiving his two red ribbons on Friday. "Lassie never had a winery," Bluey remarked as he posed with his ribbons. Said his mother, Kazuko Justice, who oversees the vineyard and winemaking operations, "My name should also be on the award. Nancy's name is on the award that she and Mike won," said Kazuko, referring to her neighbors Mike and Nancy, owners of the adjacent Sunrise Vineyard who also won two awards.

"He's my dog," Hanako Justice, 19, told reporters in New York City, where she is working this summer as a barrista intern and contacting local wine bars to carry the Blue-Merle vintages. According to records obtained by Winemaker's Journal staff through the Freedom of Information act, Hanako did indeed feed Bluey three times and took him jogging once, so her claim to ownership is not without merit.

"We would have won first place," said Karen, maitress of Coyote Oaks Vineyard, who has a joint-operating agreement with the Blue-Merle Vineyard, and used the same grapes to make her wine. Unfortunately, the high tech sales executive was not able to get her entry in on time, due to obligations at work for her daytime job.

The award winning Blue-Merle wines are the 2006 Nebbiolo and a "merleatage" blend of Petit Verdot (2007) 65% spiced with 35% of the Nebbiolo. "They're not that bad," said Gene Justice, Bluey's grandfather, who is a "Monsieur" of the Order of J'aime Bien Buvez le Vin who once lived in France. Apparently the San Diego judges agreed.

"I felt we had a pretty good chance at a medal," said Craig Justice, Bluey's companion who works part-time at the winery. "There were only two entries in each category." The wines will be available for sale to the general public as soon as San Diego County passes a pending ordinance allowing boutique wineries to have tasting rooms on their property as a right of zoning. (Editor's Note: By then, the wines will have aged to absolute perfection and Hilary Clinton will be running for president, again.)

Bluey was almost disqualified by the judges before the competition began. "No dogs allowed," said one of the judges as the blue-merle waited in line to drop off the wine a week before the event. A woman stepped forward in his defense saying, "You let my husband enter and there's no worse dog I know."

"Bitch," mumbled the husband. The judges convened, and Bluey was allowed to participate. However, he was unable to attend the actual wine tasting and judging on June 15th as it was the final day of the U.S. Open Golf tournament, being played at the Torrey Pines Golf Course just down the road. U.S.G.A. officials, in an attempt to provide the most challenging course for all players, held a surprise for the last day. If Tiger Woods was ahead on the last hole, he would be blind folded. This would make it fair for the other players. Bluey had made arrangements to attend the Open that day, and to jump in if called upon to be Tiger's seeing-eye-dog. Bluey donned his orange, black and white stripes for the Open, and one of the spectators screamed when she mistook him for a tiger. Fortunately, security from the nearby San Diego Zoo appeared on the scene in moments and determined that Bluey had no tail and wasn't a tiger. "That's the finest specimen of bobcat I've ever seen," said a Zoo spokesperson. As it was, the real Tiger was behind on the last hole, and so the Golf Officials kept the blindfold in their pockets. Meantime, Bluey missed the wine judging. As his ears weren't pinging, he assumed he had lost the wine competition. Overall, he was happy to be at Torrey Pines in support of Tiger, as Bluey was recovering from his 2nd foxtail surgery to his leg in two years, and empathized with the golf champion's pain. And just like Tiger, Bluey is all smiles and good attitude, no matter what the challenge, no matter how much his paw hurts.

Auspicious Beginning

The making of the Blue-Merle's award-winning Nebbiolo wine had an auspicious beginning as Bluey saved the life of the broker who purchased the grapes used to make the wine. Here's how he did it. Bluey, Craig and Jim (one of the partners of neighboring Coyote Oaks Vineyard, which used the same grapes) went to pick up the grapes from the broker at 6am one morning in Sept. 06. Jim's wife had not returned the broker's many calls the previous day to confirm we would pick up the grapes. After arriving the broker insulted Jim's wife. Jim, a U.S. Army Veteran who was keen to practice decapitation techniques he had used in combat, was about to kill the broker, whose life was saved by Bluey's sharp barks and the team refocused on the grapes and getting them back to the winery for acid adjustments, sulfite additions and fermentation.

The wine was promising in the barrel. When the vineyard held an open house to celebrate the planting and blessings of the first vines, Mick, the owner of nearby Belle Marie Winery, kept going back to the Nebbiolo barrel for 2nds and thirds. Another neighbor parked himself on top of the barrel, and just kept filling up his glass. (This neighbor is a wine connoisseur who brought a $75 Napa wine as a gift--an even exchange.)

Last week on the evening of the midsummer full moon, the Hidden Meadows Winemaker's Association climbed to the top of Blue Merle Mountain to taste the award winners as the sun set and moon rose. The ladies from Coyote Oaks were fashionably late -- the moon was up and the men were howling with the coyotes when the nubile maidens arrived. Bluey sent his two-legged companion down the mountain to fetch them.

"We're drunk," said the ladies.

"No you're not. You have your clothes on. How much did you have to drink?"

"Two bottles."

"See, you're not drunk. That's one bottle each. Everyone around here knows that it's 0 to naked in 1.2 bottles of wine. "

Karen has been identified as a "person of interest" in a probe into what happened to the "bung" of the barrel containing the prized 2007 Petit Verdot, which performed so well in the San Diego competition and is (perhaps "was"?) destined for future awards worldwide. The bung was "found missing" from its barrel on Saturday morning, exposing the treasured wine to air for a full 2.5 days after the moon viewing celebration. Did it just "pop off" from the 100 degree heat? Or, was it an act of sabotage, after she failed to win an award even though she used the same grapes? Or, was the winemaker simply distracted by her pink tonails and forgot to put it back? [Editor's note: To find out how the cellar master dealt with this situation and to learn if the wine was saved, be sure and subscribe to Winemaker's Journal.]

There is rampant speculation about Bluey's future plans. "We feel like we've won 2nd place at the NCAA Final Four basketball championships," said a spokesman for the Blue-Merle. "We're going to declare ourselves eligible for the draft and go pro."

The award winning Blue-Merle wines are expected to be on sale in New York at the end of this year, with New Yorkers paying up to $100 for a bottle with Bluey's paw print on the label and a souvenir "hair of the dog" inside. The winery has said it will offer discounts to local buyers, and has asked that if you'd like to purchase award winning, locally produced wines to please contact your San Diego County Supervisor and let him or her know that you support San Diego's boutique winery ordinance, which would allow you to easily purchase direct from the winemaker in the ambiance of the vineyard, with views to the Pacific and the surrounding mountains.

[Editor's Note: The Blue-Merle Winery wishes to express its sincerest thanks to all who made this possible: To Mick and Jeff from Belle Marie Winery, who supplied the grapes, crushing equipment and winemaking advice; to Lum Eisenman, for his instruction; to Jim, Sandy and Karen from Coyote Oaks Winery who helped make the wine; to Mike and Nancy from Sunrise Vineyard, who lent equipment and offered much advice and moral support; to our constant winemaking companion, the man from Cana with the wine miracles at weddings. ]

July Seminar On Shipping Compliance in Napa: Junket Anyone?

2008-06-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

This just in from Mike, Owner of Sunrise Vineyards in San Diego, whose daytime job is tax accountant.

"This could well be the justification needed to claim tax deductions for a trip to Napa … just a suggestion at a time I should be doing something productive," Mike writes.

From: ShipCompliant [mailto:ShipCompliant@mail.vresp.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 10:27 AMTo: Mike Dunlap

Subject: Massachusetts Litigation Update! Learn More at ShipCompliant Compliance Seminar and Users Conference

"This is one of the best compliance seminars I have been to in Napa Valley!"- Nancy BurtonStag's Leap Wine Cellars
Massachusetts Litigation UpdateLearn More July 11th at ShipCompliant's Compliance Seminar & Users Conference

Are you aware of the latest developments in the Family Winemakers of California v. Jenkins case and what it could mean to your direct shipping program?Family Winemakers of California (FWC) has filed a motion for summary judgment in their opposition to Massachusett's latest law regulating direct-to-consumer wine shipping due to its inclusion of a capacity cap, which restricts some wineries from shipping to consumers but not others. How does this affect your direct shipping policy for Massachusetts? What precedent will this case set? Tracy Genesen of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (and Counsel to Family Winemakers of California) will be on hand July 11th to fill you in and share the latest news on the case.

Register Now for our third annual users conference and direct shipping seminar. The event will take place on July 11th, 2008 at the Marriott Hotel in Napa, CA. We are capping registration at 350 attendees, so please register early to reserve your spot.
Event Details
Who is this event for?:
Anyone who spends time keeping track of shipping rules, generating tax and shipping reports or worrying about non-compliant orders should attend this event!
Wineries (producers), Virtual Wineries, Importers and Retailers alike will find the information presented critical to growing their business.
Event Summary
This event will be open to all wineries and broken into two parts. The morning will be a Direct Shipping Compliance Seminar open to all wineries and the afternoon will be a Users Conference conducted in tandem with a Technology Partner Reception.The Direct Shipping Panel includes:
Keynote Address: Litigation Update featuring Tracy Genesen of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Coalition for Free Trade
Legislative Update featuring Steve Gross, Director of State Relations at Wine Institute
Direct Shipping Compliance Best Practices and Workflows featuring Jason Eckenroth and Jeff Carroll of ShipCompliant
Question & Answer with the panelists
While current customers are participating in the Users Conference portion of the event, general attendees will have the opportunity to:
See ShipCompliant in action in a live demonstration
Open Q & A with ShipCompliant product team members
View demonstrations of ShipCompliant technology partners' systems and integrations
Meet partner companies who provide 3rd party shipping, compliance and marketing services to ShipCompliant customers
Cost:
$50 per person. Includes breakfast and lunch.
Lodging:
If you think you will be booking rooms at the Marriott, please contact us for lodging assistance.
Hope to see you there!
Sincerely,Kim Moss
Salesph: 707-320-0053fx: 720-528-7942email: kim@shipcompliant.com
©2008. ShipCompliant is a trademark of Six88 Solutions Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.Six88 Solutions, Inc.3100 Arapahoe Suite 500Boulder, CO 80303

Pierre Seillan Visits Blue-Merle Vineyard, Offers Pruning Advice

2008-05-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

Pierre Seillan, winemaster of Chateau Lassegue (St.-Emilion), Verite (Sonoma County), Chateau Vignot (St. Emilion) and Tuscany, toured the Blue-Merle Vineyard and offered these words of advice as we walked up the mountain inspecting the vines:

* [while pulling off the vine "suckers" just as I would] "You can pull these off." (Note: The Queen had forbid me to touch the vines and cut off suckers and extra growth. See, dear, me and Pierre have the the same idea!)

* "This is too long, you should cut it," he said about a cordon stretching out 3-feet in each direction. "It is too much work for the vine." (Note: Much of the Blue-Merle vineyard is on 6ft. spacing. Pierre recently planted a vineyard with 3 X 3 spacing in Sonoma (3 ft. between each vine, and 3-ft between rows). He limits the cordons to two spurs each, with 4 buds per spur. He says limiting the production is sustainable -- he doesn't need to fertilize. And, there's a new type of "tractor" that travels over the vines spaced 3 X 3.)

* I asked about our new plantings that are on 4ft. spacing ... "That is fine. " Should I use a single arm cordon or double arm? "You should have two arms; it creates better balance for the vine."

* About pruning the new vines in the winter: "You should cut them to the bottom, then let it grow up to the top wire of the trellis. Then, the next year you should cut it at the cordon. I like to make a strong trunk, and strong cordons." (Note: We had originally planed to encourage single, one-arm cordons on our new vines. But, we will follow Pierre's advice to develop a really strong trunck and cordon -- especially after having experienced the consequences of weak cordons from vines we did not prune properly this winter. And, as an attempt to create great tasting, "boutique" fruit which a large commercial vineyard could not afford to create.)

After the tour -- gazing at the sunset in the West and the moonrise in the East -- the Hidden Meadows Winemakers Association convened at Coyote Oaks Vineyard for a gourmet's dinner and tastings of several Pinot vintages. Said Pierre, "I call you the Epicureans." An encore champagne brunch of les Epicureans du pays du Merle-Blue was held at Sunrise Vineyard Sunday morning.

Pierre first visited the region several years ago as a young man in his 20s, when he planted a vineyard in nearby Temecula. Welcome back, Monsieur Pierre.

Earlier in the day, Pierre met with the San Diego Amateur Winemakers Association in 100 degree heat at the Arroyo Vineyard in Bonsall. When Pierre spoke about "le terroir" (the earth) expressing itself in the wines he produced it really touched a chord in my thoughts, as the Blue Merle (like Pierre's own vineyards) has distinct areas of land (some red clay, some decomposed granite, some silty soil, some inhospitable rock -- each with its own varietal) which will produce unique flavors -- which can only be found in the land of the Blue-Merle.

Spraying & Mildew Control

2008-05-28T18:32:00.001-07:00

One of our vineyard consultants -- who will remain nameless today-- believes spraying for mildew where we live may not be necessary very often because we have wide spacing between our rows and good wind flow. Our neighbor (Sunrise Vineyards) has the vines really packed in, and sprays quite often. On the other hand, our other neighbor at Coyote Oaks with 3 year old vines (who uses this same consultant) has never sprayed. Neither have we.

Our friend Gerry -- who grew the excellent Petit Verdot we have in the barrel -- operates a weather station and sends out weekly mildew reports. I had to ask him, in a polite way, is our consultant nuts? Here's Gerry's answer:

"Hi Craig, [the consultant] is not nuts but he does not have all the technical facts about mildew. It depends on grape variety , air flow, temperature, and moisture at the start of the season.. but I use the Davis system (used to be a secret). Some folks will make a big deal of the moisture being important but that is only the thing that gets the mildew started in your vineyard. Once it exists even in a small area it exists and then you have to proceed with protecting your vineyard from getting a major infestation developing. I just assume at the start of the season that I already have some mildew (it stays in the vineyard over the winter by the way). So I am in protective mode from day one. Thus It really depends on temperature and time, Mildew likes its temperature between 70 and 85 deg F. (just like us human beings). I would be happy to describe it to you in person or over the phone. It is simple to do if you have a recording weather station which I have.

The simple version is: 1. do your first spray using Thiolox when the buds just appear... maybe 1" long. The rest of the sprayings depend on your grape variety and the calculated risk level that develops after your first spraying.

2. Each day you have temperature between 70deg and 85deb for 6 continuous hours you add 20 to the risk level. ( If it goes above 85deg for 45 minutes that breaks the cycle and you subtract 10 from the risk level. If it goes above 95 for 15 minutes you get to subtract 10 from the risk level for that day. (That is why the Temecula folks don't worry much about mildew... because it is very hot during their season.

3. the risk value you compute never goes above 100 or below 0. A mild level is 30 or below. 60 is very high 100 is as high as the system will compute it.

4. The day you spray puts the risk level down to zero and you start over. The interval between sprayings depends on the material you spray with. If that first spraying was Thiolox (micronized sulphur) and the risk level goes up to around 40 to 60 or above you only get to wait 7 days til the next spraying..... so you see it depends on the type of spray. I use Thiolox for the first 2 or 3 sprays (or til verasion starts)... I am now using Rally and Pristine... you have to alternate the types of spray unless you are using sulphur which does not need to be alternated with anything except you do not to want to use sulphur near harvest (your wine is affected by it negatively) This is simpler than it seems to be if you can make a good stab at the risk level. If you do not do that just read the label on the material and it will tell you the interval days/weeks...sort of and just do what the label says forget the fancy risk level....you will probably just add one or 2 sprayings to your vineyard for the year. I usually spray about 10 times per year. Gerry."

San Diego Boutique Winery Ordinance On Hold

2008-05-20T17:37:00.001-07:00

In a complete and surprising reversal, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors was forced to bow to pressure from a small group of citizens opposed to seeing San Diego County becoming host to dozens of boutique wineries.

In a memo written by Carolyn Harris from Ramona, a major supporter of the measure:

"This morning the San Diego Board of Supervisors accepted the recommendation of the DPLU [Department of Land Use] to rescind their approval of the Boutique Winery Ordinance, which was scheduled to go into effect on 23 May 2008. What I understand is the following:

The County has received a "Notice of Intent to Sue for Violations of CEQA - Boutique Winery Ordinance" from lawyer Marco Gonzales, representing the anonymous "San Diego Citizenry Group". They declared intention to sue the Board of Supervisors and/or County of San Diego on the grounds that the proposed Boutique Winery Ordinance's provision for direct sales and tastings is likely to have a significant effect on the environment and must therefore first be supported by an environmental impact report, as opposed to a mitigated negative declaration.

* County Counsel has consulted with CEQA experts and have advised the Board of Supervisors that if the County loses the suit the County will be liable to the San Diego Citizenry Group for a cash payment for their legal fees, as well as the legal fees that the County would spend to defend the suit.

* Therefore, in order to avoid the expense of defending the suit and the probable payment to the plaintiffs, the Board of Supervisors rescinded their action of 23 April approving the Boutique Winery ordinance.

There was no discussion at today's hearing on the subject,which was added as an "urgency ordinance" just yesterday and approved5-0 with the other dozen or so items on the consent calendar.

* During an upcoming meeting of the Board of Supervisors in June they will consider recommending that pending the completion of the EIR [environmental impact report], the "boutique sized" wineries be allowed to make direct sales and provide tastings at the winery subject to an administrative use permit."

Harris notes that it is interesting what power the California Environmental Quality Act has in the hands of a few people who have a check book and know how to use it.

Knowing Harris, this is just the end of the beginning ... there is more to come, and I expect in my lifetime that San Diego will be home to a flourishing cottage industry of boutique wineries.

Winemaking Mistakes To Avoid: Lessons Learned

2008-05-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a year since we celebrated the blessing of the vines, and we have many blessings to be thankful. Here are some of the lessons we've learned along the way. I'm sure there will be many more.

* When pruning first year wines in the winter after the first growing season, do not prune them too high above the cordon wire. Some people recommend two inches above the cordon. Others recommend just below the cordon. In any event, don't go above two inches. (Alternatively, if you want to take more time to develop a strong root system, you can prune down to the bottom of the vine, to establish a very strong trunk in year two -- then in year 3, prune at the cordon wire to establish the cordons. This approach takes longer, but will result in a strong root system.)

* As much as you would rather be tying vines and pruning in the winter/spring, get the gophers! (Get them early to avoid multiplication of the problem after they breed!)

* After the first year, don't hesitate to prune any weak cordons. I know, you worked hard all summer to grow those first cordons, but if they're weak, prune them off in the winter before spring. You'll be amazed at the strength of the new cordons which grow out -- and you'll have a much stronger cordon.

* You don't have to put vines on a trellis system, especially if you're making a micro vineyard.

* Study the theory of vine spacing. Some people like 6 feet spacing or more. Others will insist you cannot make great fruit if the cordons are too far apart.

* If you can cold soak must after picking and crush, do it! A few days of soaking allows color and "fruit" to enter into the must, without harsh tannins. You can use containers (used milk, orange juice cartons filled with water then turned to ice from the freezer) to keep the must cool. If you put in dry ice, watch out for a bubbling volcano!

* Be wary of storing wine in new, small oak barrels that have not been rinsed thoroughly and broken in (the wine may become over-oaked within two weeks!)

* Even though you over-oaked the wine, be patient. The harsh flavor will dissipate with time.--Patience is a winemaker's virtue.

* Don't attach a sulphur stick to a rubber bung when sulphuring a barrel. When the sulphur burns, it may melt the rubber (not a pleasant tasting addition for a barrel).

* If you don't get all the sulphur out of the barrel, your wine may have the nose of used matchsticks.

* When selecting a home-site for a vineyard, a mountain top offers fabulous views and excellent drainage, but flat land is easier to walk on, develop and maintain. (Retaining walls may be more expensive to construct than your vineyard!)

* Don't buy a house in the country just because your dog needs more room. If the coyotes and the snakes don't get him, the foxtails will.

* Inspect the dog's toes for foxtails twice a day, or withdraw $2,000 from the ATM to pay for the upcoming visit to the vet.

* In the long run it's cheaper to purchase $25/bottle wine from the local winery than to make your own. (But not nearly as fun.)

* Don't leave your cases of wine in the garage if the temperatures rest at 90 degrees for a month or so. The wine will oxidize, turn brownish and change taste. Said one taster: Hmm, reminds me of 'medicino'--A polite way to say the Syrah had turned to medicine!

* Just because a self-proclaimed wine judge doesn't ooh and aah over the best bottle of wine you ever made doesn't mean it's not an award-winning concoction!

* If you live in southern California where sharpshooters are present, inocculate your first year vines against Pierce's disease.

*Seen on a T-Shirt: "I spent most of my money on wine and women. The rest of it I wasted!

*Things that go bump in the dark: Watch out for scorpions when getting a glass of water in the middle of the night.

* Watch out for black widows when pulling the cover off of your wine containers.

* A glass of white wine isn't so bad if you've only been quaffing red for the last year.

* The rabbits will eat the buds and first leaves from your newly planted roots -- put the plastic covers on, fool!

(To be continued.)

Richard's Vine

2008-05-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

A sea of people gathered to celebrate the planting of the vineyard parted to make way for the station wagon as it mounted the 45 degree driveway to the flat space in the garage, which had been converted to a wine tasting spot for the occasion. On level ground we pulled out your wheel chair, helped you into it and whisked you into the house, then backed the car out of the garage as the hundred other visitors converged on the barrel for another taste.

When Pope Jean-Paul II died of that same Parkinson's disease afflicting you, I prayed to his spirit that he show a miracle and send a healing cure to you.

After the priest blessed the vines I asked you a favor. "Richard, I need your help. Would you like to plant a vine?" I had saved you hole #1, the first spot in the first row which we gaze upon every day out the front windows of our house. Carefully, you were lowered inch by inch down that steep incline by your saintly spouse and the vine was planted (did you plant it yourself or did your family plant it for you?) -- hereafter affectionately known as "Richard's Vine."

We hosted a ceremony to bless the vineyard but it was all of us who were blessed by your presence, as you made the effort to visit us that day from far away, to negotiate those steep inclines and to plant that vine.

I don't know exactly what it is with that row # 1, but of all the thousand vines in the vineyard the 12 vines in that boutique row are our problem children. Only a few of them reached the cordon wire the first year. But yours, our most precious vine, didn't even make it out of the pink grow tube. Still, last Fall it showed life and was green. I pruned it back to give it a fresh start this Spring. It still lags behind the others. It's still in the tube (even though vines we planted just six weeks ago are already well out of their tubes!). We give special attention to your vine. Each time we irrigate, we make sure there is plenty of water (perhaps one reason it's a slow grower is that it was planted too deep?). On Saturday, I put in a new emitter above the vine to make sure it gets twice as much water as any other.

Thank you for your gift to us, and may you find wellness with your new life.

Wine Storage: Which Way Is Right Side Up?

2008-05-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

We have been storing our wine "right side up" -- which is to say upright, with the corks pointing to the sky. We don't have a storage facility yet for laying them on their side.

Below is advice from the president of the San Diego Amateur Winemakers' Association, who just sent me this note:

"Standing up is only good if up means upside down. The corks need to be in contact with the moisture. Side is best but not really feasible unless you have a chateau and a cave. Wineries age full bottles upside down. After bottling (and corking). Keep them right side up for a week or so to let excess gas get out (and not have push out). Then flip them. Just like anything you might buy on a trip. Travel with it right side up. But after you get home, flip those babies. "

Poems For The Day: On Women, Wine & Owls

2008-05-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

"Brother can you spare a dime,
I've spent all my money on women & wine.
The rest of it I wasted,
You couldn't even taste it."

This is how the mind thinks on Friday morning after much racking, barrel topping, bottling the topping wine and tasting late into Thursday evening.

Remember this:

"The silence of the vines
Distills the wife's song
Into sweet wine."

The Queen was also waxing in verse last evening, reminiscent of an old Japanese folk song, calling for an owl to descend from the heavens upon the gophers:

"Hoot, hoot,
Owl koie,
Chung chung a cha chung
Chung chung chung...."

San Diego County Winery Ordinance Approved

2008-04-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

The San Diego County Winery Ordinance was passed this week, making it easier for "boutique wineries" located in the rural areas of the county to open tasting rooms on their property and to sell wine directly to the public. What's easier is the fact that an administrative use permit -- a process that could typically cost up to $40,000 -- will not be required. (Click here for more information about the ordinance and obstacles to getting it passed.) We'll have to see how difficult it is to get the other permits required, such as a bond from the Bureau of Alcohol (to operate a "bonded warehouse"), a license to sell wine and what health permits are required. It is a smart move by the County's leaders to encourage production of drought tolerant crops (i.e., grapes). I spoke with one grower in Fallbrook yesterday, who told me he has yet to irrigate his vines this year. (It's over 90 degrees outside this weekend, and my avocado trees are wilting -- they have needed water this year.) Commentators often referred to the Winery Ordinance as the "Ramona Winery Ordinance -- as that is where the supporters (led by the insurmountable Carolyn Harris) are based. But the ordinance effects all rural areas of the County, including "Blue-Merle Country", which is more popularly know as "Hidden-Meadows" -- a community north of Escondido. I expect that the members of the Hidden-Meadows Winemakers Association will come together in an effort to provide great tasting wines to the public -- and to help offset some of our growing expenses. (Who knows -- we might even eek out a small profit someday.) In this regard, the proprietor of Belle Marie Winery (a professional operation in Escondido) who also lives in the Hidden Meadows area, already has a tasting room under construction! Having Belle Marie Winery located so close provides a solid anchor to the boutique winery business in this part of the County. We can think of Belle Marie as the "mothership" whose education programs (often taught by Lum Eisenman, the icon of San Diego winemaking) in winemaking techniques have certainly benefited "The Blue-Merle Winery" and other fledgling winemakers in the area. It's exciting to think about the possibility of our infant wineries in the neighborhood growing, then coming together to offer walking & tasting tours from one winery to the next, while taking in scenic views of the vineyards, the mountains and views out to the Pacific ocean.

Speaking of education at Belle Marie, the winery hosted a dinner last night with Camillo (the icon of vineyard management from Guadeloupe Valley) as the guest speaker. Camillo spoke about his research project which involves almost 100 varietals on different rootstocks in an attempt to identify the vines best suited for growing in Guadeloupe Valley -- where grapes have been grown for hundreds of years. "A lot of people talk about research," said Mick, owner of Belle Marie. "Camillo is actually doing it," he said, commenting that such efforts are very rare.

Here is a message from Caroyln Harris about the ordinance:

"On a vote of 4-0 today (Ron Roberts was absent) the Supervisors voted to approve the boutique wineries as a right of zoning, without waiting foran EIR and without needing any permits. The county can still be sued onthis during the next 30 days, and we'll have to hold our breath. TheSupervisors agreed with the Planning Commission that an EIR was NOTtriggered, contrary to the advice of their DPLU and County Councilstaffs. The ordinance that was passed gives clear sailing to wineries on public roads. Wineries on private roads will still have some major challenges,and may need to get an administrative use permit. "

(Editor's Note: May 19th. The ordinance was rescinded last week! Hold your horses!)

More Trouble: Training 2nd Year Vines

2008-04-22T21:29:00.001-07:00

The vines have been in the ground for one year. We pruned as instructed this winter; a couple of inches above the cordon wire, in the expectation of taking new shoots from below the wire and fashioning even, strong cordons. Friends, if I were doing this again, I would watch out for pruning "above the wire", especially for vigorous vines. What happened is that the new growth came in significantly above the wire, and it's difficult to bend those puppies down without breaking them off. We're wondering if we just need to top the vines and start all over? (Note: A quick call to the consultant Frank: his advice: do not top the vines; if necessary, clip the vines shooting straight up; that should force new growth below the shoot, in a more horizontal direction.) The queen is trying Japanese gardening techniques to slowly bend the fast growing, skyward bound shoots. The vineyard consultant suggested no need to "top off" the vines again, but to cut the shoots near the base, and the bud may send forth a new shoot. I was outside at 6a.m. this morning, attempting to bend some vines, but not having the Japanese touch, broke quite a few. Friends, this is not a happy day for us in crafting this vineyard. I remind myself: patience, patience, patience. Vineyard is art. Plenty of "hoot hoot hoot-hoot" sounds, but no sign of a visitor to our owl box yet. Jerry reports that the conditions are not yet ripe for mildew (something else to worry about). The gophers have been having a field day -- as I was out of town, and the weeds are on the counter attack. That damned plastic thread in the weed whacker is no fun at all to change. Send me the weekend, please!

(We found the Aglianico vines, which are on less vigorous root stock and much "thinner" than the Tempranillo vines which are on vigorous stock -- to be much easier to train. Thank goodness!)

(Note from May 15th -- The Tempranillo vines, on a vigorous, drought resistant rootstock, have been growing like crazy -- indeed, shoots that had been accidentally broken off have been replaced, and the gaps in cordons are filling in. Things are coming along well. Alas, the pruning advice we received was right on. And, an important lesson learned: The new shoots are coming in thick and healthy. In the winter, I hesitated to cut off the weaker 1st year cordons -- but now I see that in year 2, they can be replaced with a much stronger cordon, and so I'm cutting them off, in favor of the new growth.

Springtime In The Vineyard

2008-04-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

First signs of bud break came a month ago on the thinner vines, which are sending forth shoots with baby grapes attached, framed below by purple lavender in full bloom. The California Lilac has come and gone. The baby bunnies have come and gone. Apricot blossoms have come and gone, but have left behind the beginnings of sweet fruit. The pin cushon proteas are sprouting yellow. Front yard roses are casting off full blooms. The first sharpshooter on a vine adjacent to our neighbor's citrus grove is spotted. With hoe in hand we fight a loosing battle against a hundred thousand foxtails taking shape. Birds make nest in the eves of the house as we wish for a majestic owl to make his home in the special box provided . Bluey rests under a fecund lemon tree. While we sleep under cotton sheets, gophers work through the night constructing a super highway of byzantine tunnels under ground. It's springtime in the vineyard.

San Diego Winery Ordinance Back On Track?

2008-04-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, a small group of Ramona, CA residents opposed to San Diego County's back country becoming another Napa Valley succeeded in throwing up a roadblock by proposing that a full environmental impact statement be completed before the proposal be brought to the County Commissioners for a final yes vote. The vote had been scheduled for the end of March, but with an EIS looming, the vote appeared to be delayed for weeks, if not months and years at significant public expense. This request for the full EIS came very late in the game, and was quite a surprise to supporters who have painstakingly been working with the county government for years to assist in the drafting of a sound measure.

Carolyn Harris of the Ramona Vineyard Association reports the following breaking news:

"Today the San Diego County Planning Commission considered the DPLU's [Department of Land Use] newest recommendation to (1) require an administrative use permit for all boutique wineries to make direct sales, while (2) an environmental impact report is prepared. After an extended discussion and some excellent presentations by RVVA [Ramona Valley Vineyard Association] members, Eric Larson of the San Diego County Farm Bureau, and Carol Fowler of the Ramona Chamber of Commerce, the Planning Commission voted4-3 in favor of rejecting the new recommendations and instead agreeing to forward to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors the same draft of the ordinance that they approved on 7 March 2008.The consensus of the Planning Commission (including Ramona's Bryan Woods, appointed by Supervisor Dianne Jacob) was that none of the opposition's arguments against the 17 Jan 08 revised mitigated negative declaration rose to the level that should trigger an EIR (that the proposed project will have a significant effect on the environment). The Planning Commission appeared unanimous in wanting to do what they could to move the ordinance forward as quickly and safely as possible.The action that was taken today does not insure that we are back on track, or that the major reversal of 20 March has been entirely reversed again. What it does mean is that we have a lot of support for our measure and that the Planning Commission is not afraid to stand up for us. We appreciate their support." -- Carolyn Harris, Ramona Valley Winery Association & Ramona Valley Vineyard Association Secretary and General Counsel.

The proposal makes sense for San Diego for several reasons, including:

1) Promotes the rural character of the county, encouraging agricultural use of the land with a low water usage, drought resistant crop (grapes). This will become particularly important in the future if current weather patterns continue and politics reduce water deliveries to Southern California.

2) It's difficult to make much money as a low volume grape grower in San Diego county. The money is to made (or at least most of the costs covered) by the value-added activity of producing and selling wine.

3) The ordinance would allow small, boutique wineries to legally sell the fruit of their labor (wine)to the general public, without obtaining a major land use permit (which requires much time and expense for a small grower/producer).

4) The ordinance promotes the growing and use of locally grown grapes. (I can attest to that ourselves, when we purchased 100% of our grapes from San Diego in 2007; whereas in past years we have purchased from Riverside County and Mexico).

Friends, free the grapes! Allow the good people of San Diego the benefit of living in a land dotted with boutique wineries. If this ordinance is passed, then it will be possible for you, too, to purchase Bluey's finest wine from the Blue-Merle Vineyard. If you live in San Diego County and have a favorable opinion about this, please let your elected County Official know.

(Picture shown is vineyard planted in April, 2008 in Fallbrook, CA.)

(Editor's note: The San Diego Winery Ordinance was passed the week of April 24th. See our journal entry for April 27th for additional information.)

Air Combat Against the Gophers: Installing The Owl Box

2008-04-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

We selected the highest spot on the property, with a view of the vineyard below and snow capped mountains beyond, for "Hoot", the nickname the princess gave to our future pet, the barn owl.

Al Gore and I invented the LCD computer projector (1991).

Al Gore and I invented the earphone-mic for cellular phones (1997).

And now, "Owl" Gore and I have come up with a way to reduce the use of pesticides in the environment, by installing boxes for barn owls in the vineyard (2008).

"Lord, good Lord, send us an owl... Lord, oh Lord, send us an owl..." The gophers have been attacking and taunting us on several fronts, keeping me from seeing the movie "Caddie Shack."

Patrick Burke of Escondido, CA can sell you a pre-fabricated owl house for $49 -- folks, the materials alone would probably cost you that much. Call him at (760) 746-8454.

Gentle readers, you know by now that I have no ability whatsoever as a farmer or as a grower, so you will be pleased to know that for the first time in my life I'm really proud of myself: I was able to figure out a way to put that owl box 16' into the air all by myself, by nailing together two 8' left over end-posts (normally used for the vineyard trellis system). I nailed the box to the top of the pole, and the Princess helped me hoist it into position. Yes, mom, the box is still standing.

We are now waiting for THE OWL. The Princess calls him "Hoot." I may end up calling him Godot. Either way, he is Owl [gore the gophers!].

The Dangers of Drinking Beer

2008-04-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

(Editor's Note: My good friend Jon M. sent me this warning. Be sure and click the link to the informational video at the end. Thank goodness wine drinkers don't have this problem!)

Police are warning all men who frequent clubs, parties and local pubs to be alert and stay cautious when offered a drink from any woman. Many females use a date rape drug on the market called 'Beer.' The drug is found in liquid form and is available anywhere. It comes in bottles, cans, or from taps and in large 'kegs'. Beer is used by female sexual predators at parties and bars to persuade their male victims to go home and sleep with them. A woman needs only to get a guy to consume a few units of Beer and then simply ask him home for no strings attached sex. Men are rendered helpless against this approach. After several beers, men will often succumb to the desires to sleep with horrific looking women to whom they would never normally be attracted. After drinking beer, men awake with only hazy memories of exactly what happened to them the night before , often with just a vague feeling that 'something bad' occurred. At other times these unfortunate men are swindled out of their life's savings in a familiar scam known as 'a relationship.' In extreme cases, the female may even be shrewd enough to entrap the unsuspecting male into a longer term form of servitude and punishment referred to as 'marriage.' Men are much more susceptible to this scam after beer is administered and sex is offered by the predatory females. Please, forward this warning to every male you know! If you fall victim to this 'Beer' scam and the women administering it, there are male support groups where you can discuss the details of your shocking encounter with similarly victimized men. For the support group nearest you, just look up Taverns in the phone book.

For a video to see how exactly how beer works click here: Beer Demo

Good Friday Down On The Farm

2008-03-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

Our friend Greg, Quality Control Manager at the Burrell School Vineyard & Winery in the mountains above Santa Cruz, CA, sent us 3 bottles as part of a wine swap arrangement. I told him the weather forecast was for a Pinot Noir Easter at the Blue-Merle, thanks to his gift. Life is short, and not knowing if Thursday's supper would be our last, we opened the 2005 Estate which I describe as: "Pinot with an attitude." He told us to try the 2004, which was a little smoother -- and I must confess that with 4 ounces left -- which happened to be in my wife's glass -- when she stepped out of the room for a moment she came back to find her glass empty and mine half-full. After making a hint of a compliant, I was obliged to share the remainder with her. The 2004 was smoother, and I describe it as "Pinot with mojo." The proof: I caught a gopher, and Bluey caught a rabbit. This is very serious mojo, as the odds of both impossibilities happening the same day can only be attributed to the wine. Bluey brought the rabbit (actually, a tiny, baby bunny) to me as a gift. I took the bunny in gloved hands and walked up the hill to prepare for the 2nd burial of the morning (concealing the R in my hands to spare the Queen and the awakening Princess from the horror). The bunny was still breathing, so I prepared a bed of hay in an empty flower pot -- just in case he might survive (I didn't suspect Bluey attacked or bit the bunny -- he was probably just trying to play, like a good papa dog rollicking with his little pup). The rabbit started hopping around, so now I planned its release. I hadn't touched him with my bare hands, but he had been covered in Bluey's saliva, so I wondered if his mom would take him back. I walked down to the house and announced to the ladies that the Easter Bunny had arrived -- we all agreed on a release strategy, and I placed the flower pot adjacent to the rabbits' den by the house. Bluey and I went back to the hill and whacked weeds for an hour. We just inspected the flower pot. Empty. No bunny. A good sign. Now we'll see if his mom takes him back. The story of this little Peter Rabbit to be continued.

The day is still young. I've found a perfect place to plant the owl box. The plan is to attach two wooden trellis end posts to make a 16' pole. We'll see if that works. The other major event planned for today is to carry the cross from the bottom of the hill to the top.

Installing Grow Tubes: Protect Your Vines From Rabbits & Other Chewy Critters

2008-03-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

I came home from work and toured the top of the hill where we planted 30+ Aglianico vines six days ago, and noticed wooden stakes had been driven next to each baby plant and the obnoxious pink grow tubes were neatly in place. For the 2nd time in a week I was tempted to say "this is the first time in my life that I've been really proud of my wife." I was amazed at the transformation that had taken place while at the daytime job. (And reuse of the wooden stakes we used to stake-out the vineyard was economical, as we had run out of the thin metal stakes used to support the young vines.)

I went into the shed to pull out the weedwacker to hack away at some foxtails before dark and I was startled to see a baby r-a-b-b-i-t in the corner. I can't say the "R" word because if I do, Bluey will immediately shift gears into "sheep herding mode", come to full attention, and search everywhere for the "R." I wondered how in hell did the R get inside the shed? I poked around, found a hole in the side, and what appeared to be a den. Wouldn't surprise me to find it occupied by a rattlesnake in a week or so. I was wearing gloves, so picked up the baby "R", put him in a plastic pot, threw in a generous amount of hay and laid the pot down on its side next to the shed (where I noticed a hole going underground).

The "Rs" I don't mind so much; the grow tubes do a good job protecting the vines. (Suggestion: don't remove the tubes during the first year, no matter how ugly they are!) It's the gophers who are a problem -- the word sounds like "tappas" in Mexican, and I'm thinking I'd like to make a meal out of the gophers, who are making "tappas" out of our vines. Just got a call 5 minutes ago from Pat Burke, The Owl Man of San Diego, and he's got an owl box all wrapped up for me, which I'll pick up in the morning. We are choosing the "Owl" Gore method of rodent control, to save the environment by cuting down on the use of poisons. Stay tuned.

Improved Technique for Installing Trellis Cross Arms

2008-03-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

The days it was taking to install cross arms on the metal posts and to string wire were turning into weeks, with costs rising faster than the price of gas and gold. The 2nd planting of the vineyard was over budget. I'm tempted to say "it's the first time in my married life I have really been proud of my wife" as the Queen discovered an improved technique for installing cross arms that saved time, saved money and made the job so easy, she fired the workers and did it herself! Damn, is she good! She's filing a patent on this invention, so if you'd like to follow her step-by-step instructions, send your royalty check payable to the "The Blue Merle" (we'll use it to fund continuing education of the workers, so we can hire them back).

In essence, here's what she does:

1) First, attach the screws, washers and fasteners to the cross-arm. Note: You do this first, which you can do inside while watching the candidates debate on CNN in the evening (another time saver)

2) Then you slip the cross arm over the top of the stake (not an easy thing to do when you're barely 5' tall and the top of the stake is 8' above the ground).

3) Then just tighten up the screws, and you're good to go. (No, she didn't use the electric powered screw driver that the workers were so proud of, which somehow took them hours to do what she was able to do in minutes).

Another Cliff Hanger At The Vineyard

2008-02-28T19:54:00.000-08:00

Driving through the vineyard at 1,600 ft. above the sea, the road buckled under the right rear tire sending the rented pickup truck on an uncontrolled descent towards the vineyard floor. With a silent "this is it" (rhyming with "oh sh?X!") exhaled with my last breath, the vehicle miraculously came to a halt one inch from a pole that stood more threatening than the sword of Damocles . Just another "cliff hanger" at the Blue Merle Vineyard.

Will we be able to extract the new rental car without damage to the vehicle?

Will Kevin, the local tractor wizard, come to the rescue?

Just how much does a salvage company charge by the hour?

Could one of the poles in the vineyard be used as leverage with a pulley to pull the car off of the pole?

Should we just cut down the two poles that are in the way and drive out?

Just how effective is the American Express Card insurance plan when you rent a car and you decline the expensive rental car company's insurance?

Just how "Forrest Gumpish" is the proprietor of the Blue-Merle Vineyard to drive on a dirt road the evening after a rain shower?

Y'all come back now, to find out what happens next.

(PS: Short update on Vineyard, Phase II: The trellis system is in. The drip lines are in. We've got gophers and weeds to deal with. We'll use an auger to start digging the holes this weekend. Nova Vines is shipping out the vines next week. We'll plant those babies in 9 more days. We were able to up the shipment to 235 vines, including an extra 25 Tempranillo, bringing the total to 1,085 spread on two acres. We also finished pruning the first year vines. More about that later. The gophers are attacking. Need to get an owl. Just warmed up this week; the snakes must be thawing out, so need to keep an eye on them. Bluey's paw getting better -- seems to be non-cancerous. He must have pricked it on a bougainvillea while digging. So, despite driving the truck off of a cliff, dealing with a leaky pipe that left us without water for a couple of days, vet bills, plumber bills, towing bills, rental car damage bills, college tuition, property taxes, tanking stocks, higher fuel costs, lower wages, more inflation, doctor bills, dentist bills and that darned squirrel that keeps picking the best of the avocados, life among the vines is pretty good!

"The silence of the vines distills a wife's song into sweet wine." -- A philosopher at the Blue-Merle

"The Vines don't talk back." -- Fidel, owner, Fidel's Vineyard Service.