Tempranillo Tango

I Spy Wine!

2008-07-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

Yippeeee! Coral Mustang has been spied by the Wine Spies http://thewinespies.com/
You need to check them out-a new wine everyday-found or discovered stealthily by the Agents. Their mission, should they agree to take it, is to find great wines that are not 'mainstream' and bring them to you along with great information about the wine.

This is a busy time of the year- grapes are growing and events are fermenting. The Mustang Winemaker will be seen at :

COPIA- Aug8/9, 2008 for Grapes indigenous to Spain- - -Grown into Wines in the USA- - -Informative Seminars, Featuring a Walk-around Winetasting August 8/9, 1:00 – 4:30 pm
http://www.tapasociety.org/

Family Winemakers of California 18th Annual Tasting
Sunday, August 24, and Monday, August 25
Festival Pavilion
Fort Mason Center, San Francisco

The event at COPIA will be all about Iberian varietals-tasting included. This will be a fun and educational weekend, put this one on your calendar!

Family Winemakers is a great organization for small wineries like myself. They spend much time working on legislation that help wineries and growers. They never rest! This event features many wineries and the chance to taste a variety of wine in one place. Please stop by and say hello!

Well, off to the wines- stay tuned- a video on disgorging sparkling wine is in the works-Cheers

Weird Weather!

2008-05-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

I have to say that in my 20+ years of working with grapes, this is one of the weirdest years I have seen for growers. Every year is a challenge, but this year Mother Nature is pulling out the stops. About two weeks ago I was told it was the worst frost in over 60 years. Then as we began to assess the frost damage, a heat spell hit. Checking for frost damage in 102F heat- that will mess up your brain! Reminds me of when my husband and I were in Maui sitting in a Taco Bell, listening to Christmas music.......
Now we are waiting for 'fruit set'. The grape clusters are in bloom now, another critical time in a grapes life. Wind, rain and heat can effect how the clusters are pollinated.
(Pics of Bloom)
About three weeks after bloom begins it finishes and then an estimate for harvest can be done-at least it is a start!

Lots of fun events for the Mustang Winemaker the last couple of weeks. I have become a guest taster for the Petaluma Post's wine review -http://www.petalumapost.com/wine.html
A great group, formed by Von Hurson, she has come up with a way that wines are not rated and they are not compared to each other. She really works to make sure that each wine reviewed gets a fair shake. A great lady and she is doing a good thing for those looking for honest reviews- check her out!

Then off to the city of San Francisco where The Spanish Wine Cellar and Pantry have an incredible event where the wines of Spain can be tasted by prospective retailers. It was a chance to taste wineries that I had not heard of and varieties I had not heard of- a great educational experience.

From there I was off to Wine 2.0-http://www.winetwo.com/
Met a lot of great people, many I have known throught the web, but not actually met in person. This was also a chance to promote Tempranillo-can't pass up a chance to do that no matter how late the event or how early in the morning you have to get up!

This was all followed up at the Healdsburg Library with a conference about Wine 2.0- what is the technology out there, what should we as online wineries be doing to bring ourselves and our wines to the world? I want to thank Tim Elliott http://winecast.net/for all of his insight and just bringing to light what is out there for those of us who might not be as technologically advanced or have the time to be.

I hope you all are having a great holiday weekend- remember those that this weekend is about. I have a nephew who is in the trenches- Hi Jason-be safe!

Cheers from the Mustang Winemaker

WBW and Other Wine Fun

2008-05-09T06:10:00.000-07:00

There has been so much going on the past couple of weeks: a lot of new construction with my day job winery, work in the vineyards, a few wine events, and the grand tasting of wine for WBW, or Wine Blog Wednesday (www.winebloggingwednesday.org/).-theme this month was old World Reisling.

The 2006 Max Ferd Reisling was the wine for review-part of the 3-pack order from domaine547.com - Thank you!
The bottle sells for $13- $15 dollars according to my limited search of this wine. What a fun label from this German producer and you do not need a cork pull.
As usual I did have to come up with a food to have with this wine and decided on a grilled shrimp and scallops that had been marinated in a little olive oil and hot spanish paprika.

This was a really interesting wine for me as I haven't had that many German reislings. The first aroma out of the glass was a little fusel oil and then citrus flower, light spice, and kiwi with mango that really burst out of the glass. In the mouth- pure pink grapefruit. Really fun- though a little one dimensional in the mouth for me- no mid or finish, but at 10% alcohol, well it was pretty pleasant. I had a kind of love/hate with this wine as the 'fusel' aroma was a little much for me, but I loved the other aromas and I loved the grapefruit flavor.

This was not a bad match with my skewers- the scallops better that the shrimp, in fact excellent with the scallops. I kept thinking that I should have done a grapefruit buerre blanc with the scallops- might have been fun.

Tomorrow I will talk more about the events I have gotten myself to the last couple of weeks.
But before I go- Bloom has started in the Tres Palmeras vineyard here in Cloverdale! Harvest is around the corner........

Cheers to good food, good friends, and family,
The Mustang Winemaker

Wine and Taxes

2008-04-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

It's tax time! Personal and business, fed and state-"the horror, the horror".......
Like wine it is vintage dated and brings it own challenges. And like wine you remember the good years and the not so good. So far this year has been good on both fronts. I just finished last night and now am recuperating from crunching numbers and no sunshine. Amazing how quickly the body deteriorates within a short amount of time.

So, today I am making up for lost time- checking out the vineyard and the garden and cooking. Tomorrow I will be taking time with the wines-make sure that no barrel has missed my presence. There has not been a lot to do in the cellar this past month. The rest of this month will be tasting all the barrels to start making decisions on blends that will be bottled in late May. Along with getting ready to bottle is gathering all the supples, making any label changes, getting approvals. No rest for the weary is definitely taking hold.

It is crazy to see how fast the vineyard has grown in my absence! It seems like yesterday that I was reporting that the vineyard had just burst its buds. Now the Tempranillo has 12+ inch shoots. We had some very cold days last week, but it looks like all was spared- it's good to be on a hillside, all cold rolls downhill! So far so good. But we could still use a little more rain-keeping my fingers crossed....

Today is absolutely beautiful and warm out. I have the laptop outside typing this, a chicken on the barbeque rotisserie, an iced coffee made from home roast beans, and a bottle of Tempranillo Rose' in the frig- ahhh, another tax vintage over!

Cheers, the Mustang Winemaker

It's Wine Blogging Wednesday!

2008-04-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

Cheers to the first addition of Wine Blogging Wednesday on the Tempranillo Tango Blog. Once a month those of us crazy enough to try, describe a wine to fellow wine lovers of the world. For more info and to join : http://www.winebloggingwednesday.org/
What I really love about being a part of this is that I have a good excuse to taste wines I might not otherwise try. Then when everyone has posted about the wines they have tried, there is a great wealth of information about the wine(s) of choice. And not only from people that make wine, but people that love wine, want to love wine, a broad range of palettes.

This months choice was Cabernet Franc from France. I purchased this wine as a WBW three pack from Domaine 547, an online wine retailer that was kind and brave enough to put these together.
http://domaine547.com/She has wines that I would have to travel a long way for and with gas prices- well- this was the way to go for me.

Now, on to the review!
The wine is from Chateau Du Hureau of the Saumur-Champigny region-their non-designated 2005 bottling (http://www.domaine-hureau.fr/uk/fichestechuk.htm)
I really like to taste wines with food, so the first night of tasting (yes, more than one, explanation to come) I put together a cheese fondue made with gruyere. My thinking was that it would help to bring out certain components, like fruit, of the wine. I opened the bottle and the aromas of the wine immediately started flowing out- good sign. A great precursor when you are about to taste-get the senses moving. Poured the glass- aromas of blackberry, vanilla, some warm spice, and dried herb came first. then a little more of the barrel wood-smoke, burnt rubber. There were no 'technical flaws', meaning volatile acidity or Brett or any other nasties. A very clean, young nose.
Tasting the wine brought a lot of hard tannins-not harsh, but young, need more time and less wood tannins. A little of the blackberry fruit came through, but was mostly overcome by the oak for me. Perfect acidity, making this potentially a good food wine. It also had a lower alcohol-very refreshing for me since I am immersed in high alcohol reds here in California......
With the cheese fondue this aspect of the wine was intensified, with the fruit totally fading away.

With this I decided I had not made the right food pairing decision and decided to cork up the wine and try it the next day with a beef and mushroom dish with egg noodles and steamed broccoli. The stay overnight I though might help to 'loosen up' the wine a little, allowing the beautiful fruit I could find to perhaps emerge. I am always the 'eternal optimist', but this was not the perfect pairing I was hoping for either. The overnight partial bottle did soften up just a tad, but the fruit still struggled to be free-the oak definitely kept it's hold!

I would love to try this bottle in a couple of more years- allow the fruit and oak to merge and become more as one.

I have said enough about my wine adventure- the Mustang Winemaker, Penny

Oh by the way, many of you may not know-I have an e-newsletter with monthly wine specials for news subscribers only and updates-www.coralmustang.com and click on the sign me up or respond to this blog.

Budbreak for Coral Mustang Vineyard!

2008-03-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well, the growing year has begun- the first sign of leaves began about a week ago with the Grenache and has moved into the Tempranillo and Zin. The few vines of Bordeaux varieties in this vineyard have some pretty fat buds, but no leafing yet.

This is always an exciting time-seeing the vines come back to life. This is also nail biting time because a good frost right now can cause a lot of damage to the new growth. There are 'backup' buds, but the fruit is not as good even if it is a good way for the vine to perpetuate the species. Today the temperature is in the high 70's-hard to believe that there could be more cold- I have to keep telling myself that it is still only March!

This last week was a hectic one for the Mustang Winemaker. It was the first bottling run for the new winery in Hopland that I am a part of, as well as a QUICK trip to Pasadena for Family Winemakers of California. Both events went very well, though all seems like a blur now.

Bottling took three days with Reisling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Merlot bottled for different clients- this means label, bottle, corks, foils change with each wine. Settings for these changes take time and can be frustrating to get each package just right, but a great team makes it seamless. May will be the next bottling run- the 05 Reserve Tempranillo and the 06 Vista Creek are on tap to be bottled at that time. This will happen on a brand new line that is going in now- yippeee! I will send pics when all is setup.

Pasadena- met a lot of great people for possible distribution of Coral Mustang. It was also time to do a little catching up with people that I only see on occasion- trade ideas, plans, broker names, how big the kids have grown. Not as much time to do that as I was back on a plane two hours after the event was over at 6pm.

Just before I started writing this blog today, I voted in the American Wine Blog Awards-http://www.fermentation.typepad.com/

There are some great blogs out there- found a couple more to add to my feeds to attempt to stay up to date with the latest and greatest. Check this site out and vote! This blog is not in the running as I did not have enough posts-but look out next year, here I come!

Until Next week- Cheers from the Mustang Winemaker

Feels Like Spring!

2008-03-08T14:58:00.000-08:00

Let's hope this is just a breather before more rain- we are starting to move below average for the year. But it is still early and as a winemaker you learn not to make any predictions this early-weather, crop load, quality- Mother Nature can do so many things between now and harvest!

But for now I am thinking about those days when I can catch some rays and drink.........yes, pink wine. Better yet, St. Patricks day is coming and a perfect pairing with corned beef and cabbage- yep, Rose'- it will be there on my table! And if you are in need- I can supply it- http://www.coralmustang.com/. While there, sign up for the newsletter where every month is a wine special only for subscribers.

Now for wine news: a couple of weeks ago the preliminary 2007 Grape Crush Report came out. It is full of numbers; number of tons crushed, comparison numbers, cost numbers- for anyone into stats this is the grape publication for you, www.nass.usda.gov/ca. Being somewhat of a statistical geek I read this to see where the state of the grape for wine. You can find out how many tons were used for other grape products as well, but too much info for me. My big interest the last couple of years is to see what is happening with Tempranillo. To my delight there were approximately 1200 more tons harvested this last year compared to 2006. That means about 76,000 more cases produced if it all went to wine- not bad. And if I figured it right it was about a 25% increase from the year before- woohoooo! The word is out- Tempranillo is making the news. In fact there was a recent article in the Ukiah Daily Journal about Tempranillo - http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_8407024?source=email.

March is a special month for me- it is my birthday month. I like to try to celebrate the entire month, try something different, learn something new. It is also the month that the Family Winemakers of California does an annual event in Pasadena and the Mustang Winemaker will be making her debut there this year. This is a great time of year to talk with retailers, restaurateurs, brokers, and distributors because this is when they do their purchasing- the big holidays are over and time to restock!

It is tax time and I hear the IRS calling my name- so until next week, cheers to good food, good wine and good friends- the Mustang Winemaker

February and the Weather is Fine-Global Warming?

2008-02-19T06:45:00.000-08:00

I love February in Sonoma County! Pretty much every year we have one gorgeous week-no rain, temps in the high 60's, low 70's, flowers start to bloom- false spring. I look forward to this break and try to make the most of it. Trips to the ocean, picnics, dust off the barbeque and I break out the Rose', not that I ever put it away........

This was President's weekend, so there was one extra day to revel in the weather. Saturday was fresh oysters from Hog Island Oyster Company paired with a fig cake and 2005 Coral Mustang Rose' as well as an Elizabeth Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. The Rose' was a great match with the Kumomoto oysters-fruity vs salty- and the Sauv Blanc went better with the more 'steely' Freshwaters.

Yesterday was more Rose' paired up with my famous clam chowder- again the fruity and salty, along with some of the crispness balancing the creaminess of the soup. I also tried a Saint Gregory Pinot Blanc with the soup. This fruity, slightly creamy wine was almost too light to balance with the soup, but it went quite well with the oysters that we set aside from the day before- that doesn't happen very often!

Speaking of the incredible weather, this weekend was the 2nd Climate Change and Wine Conference - http://www.climatechangeandwine.com/eng/index.php

Catavino, one of my favorite sites has been there and reporting back 'live'- please take a look-http://www.catavino.net/
They are doing an incredible job of reporting! There are a few other blogs out there reporting as well-some interesting comments that I will comment on later in the week.

It is also time to vote for your favorite blog : http://fermentation.typepad.com/fermentation/2008/02/about-the-ameri.html
There are some great bloggers out there, many that I have 'met' through blog sites like Twitter and Wine Sense. I hope next year to be in the running!

Unitl next week, cheers to good food, good wine, and good friends- the Mustang Winemaker

Tempranillo Hits Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento California!

2008-02-12T17:38:00.000-08:00

What an exciting time! Tempranillo is making the news in the grape growing world. This was made clear at a seminar that was presented at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium that takes place on the west coast once a year -http://www.unifiedsymposium.org/ The TAPAS organization was approached (http://www.tapasociety.org/) to organize this seminar and it was very well done. There were several grape growers in the crowd that wanted to know how, when, and where to plant Tempranillo. This is very good news to those of us who love this grape and the wines that come from them.

This was also the time for the annual meeting of the TAPAS organization. New officers were introduced and wines from those in the group were shared. This was a great time for me to acquaint/reacquaint myself with other members and talk about the trials and tribulations of this varietal.

This month you will see some updates to my website which is always sadly neglected during harvest. Please stop by and let me know what you think- http://www.coralmustang.com/
I also want to invite you to the e-newsletter that has wine specials and new recipes that I have fine tuned to go with my wines.

That's all for now- see you all next week- Cheers to good food, good wine, and good friends,
The Mustang Winemaker

Snow Blankets for the Vineyards

2008-01-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

It has been a chilly week here. This is a view out my window when there was a short break in the weather. It is snowin' in the hills!

This has also been an exciting week-more awards for the Coral Mustang at the San Francisco Chronicle tasting! I really like this competition because it is one of the few that recognizes the Tempranillo varietal as its own category, meaning it doesn't get lumped with the Misc. reds..............http://www.winejudging.com/ to see the results.

The home vineyard is pruned and ready for the spring thaw- heck, I'm looking forward to the spring thaw. Did get a chance to make it out flyfishing before the snow and cold- no fish, but a great day to think about the wines and the best way to get them out to you. Any and all comments welcome! The biggest battle is with all of the state shipping regs-old news-but ever present on the minds of winemakers-especially those of us that are very small.

I would also like to welcome everyone to sign up for the monthly newsletter. In it is news about Tempranillo, coupon specials, food and wine pairings, and anything else I can squeeze onto a page.

Speaking of news- a couple of articles about Tempranillo in Bon Appetite and Better Homes and Gardens. One was pairing Tempranillo up with a holiday menu, and the other expressing how much they loved Tempranillo. There will be a session at this years Unified Grape and Wine Symposium about Tempranillo and a tasting of Temps from around the world-should be very interesting. I will write more about that after I have attended.

That's all for now-until next week-The Mustang Winemaker, Penny

Into the New Year We Go! Drink More Tempranillo!

2008-01-07T07:18:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year All!

Over the last couple of weeks I have had the chance to make some new blog friends, look at changes to the website and see where I need to go to get Coral Mustang out to more of the wine world-it is not easy being small and a producer of a varietal that many don't know yet-but I love being on that forefront-bringing something new and wonderful. Changes to the website should be showing up any day!

You will see some new links off to the right, and down the page will be the latest Wine TV spots-Gary brings a great new perspective on wine-this is truly innovation for the wine and tech world to merge. There was also a great podcast and blog discussion about where wine blogs are going:
http://winecast.net/2007/12/19/unfiltered-7-wine-blogging-today/
http://www.catavino.net/2007/12/12/wine-blogging-in-2007-how-far-have-we-come/
I would love to hear any comments!

So on to winemaking!
The wines are in resting phase at this point-in barrels and waiting for the day that they are ready to be bottled. My wines generally do not go through any fining (example eggwhites), but I always like to keep that option as it is still a natural process-people do this same procedure with soups to clarify them. The direction the wines are going this year, I don't see that they are going to need anything except some time to age. The vineyard here in Sonoma County has seen 5 inches of rain in the past few days- this is a good thing! It has also been cold- another good thing. The vines need the rest-as they are in hibernation mode they are not using much energy to survive, thus leaving the strength for the growing season. And that will be here before you know it.

Please contact me if you would like the latest e-newsletter- it has great information about Coral Mustang Wines as well as wine specials-penelope@coralmustang.com or see the signup area on the website www.coralmustang.com.

Until next week- cheers to the New Year- The Mustang Winemaker

Happy Holidays- Looking ahead

2007-12-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the year when many of us in the wine biz are looking ahead to where our business is going- where can we go, what can we do to make stay ahead of the game. One of the areas that I am very focused on is blogging! There are some great blogs out there from wine lovers, winemakers, wine retailers, wineries............what a great way to get info about what we are drinking or not. I am now following several blogs, as can be seen from the side list, and some more that I will be adding. Keep watching- I think I'm getting the hang of this and liking it!

So, the New Year is almost upon us- hard to believe. In a few moments I will be going out to taste the wines from 2007- this will be the last time this year. The 2007 Tres Palmeras is coming along beautifully, very complex- it is a 'field blend' of grapes from my own vineyard. The majority of the blend is Tempranillo with a good smattering of Grenache and Carignane. Then there are little bits of Cab, Merlot, Zin, Petite Sirah- all adding their contribution. There is warm spice, cassis, blackberry, blueberry, some plum, and a hint of dried herb.

The 2007 Vista Creek is all Tempranillo. This wine just finished it's second or malolactic fermentation-just in time for the new year. It is in a bit of a 'dumb' stage as it is trying to get itself together from fermenting. Wine is funny this way-it is always evolving- the trick is finding at what point that evolution has peaked. Hence one of the many challenges in winemaking.

On to the New Year- may you all have a prosperous, wonderful, fulfilling year!
Until Next Week-
Cheers to good food, good friends and good wine- The Mustang Winemaker

Tempranillo and Paella

2007-12-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

Well, the wine for review on Saturday was corked! Very unfortunate since I was really looking forward to it. Instead I opened up a 2001 Gundlach Bundshu Rhinefarm Tempranillo. This wine was subdued in its aroma. There was some light blueberry aromas with overtones of oak-not heavy handed oak. The wine didn't hold up to the Paella spice and would have been better with a beef dish with herbs. A younger and fruitier wine would have been a better match, but you don't always know until you try it. Then again I could have made the Paella not so spicy..................nahhh! I do recommend trying the G-B Temp- something that they have been producing on a regular basis.

On another note, it is that time of the year again for wine competitions. There is a new competition with a focus on women- Wines Women Want. As a founding member I am giving it a go this year. Then there is the San Francisco Chronicle Tasting coming up about the same time. I always wonder if the awards really mean anything to wine consumers, but it does lend credibility to the wines and those of us that make them. Still waiting for a domestic Tempranillo only competition. Maybe something that another organization I belong to, TAPAS (http://www.tapasociety.org/) may be able to get going one day!

Well, back to the cellar, checking on the wines that are resting after this hectic hectic year-
Cheers to good food, good friends, and good wine- The Mustang Winemaker

Paella and Tempranillo tonight!

2007-12-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday! Just finished reading reviews, returning emails, updating Quickbooks, and thinking about what's for dinner. Paella is on the menu and with that a Rioja- a 1996 Reserva- Marques de Murrieta Ygay. This is a blend of Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Garnacha, and Graciano- can't wait to try it. I had picked this up a while back to keep up with wine styles and the competition. Report later.
So far the 2007 wines are looking, tasting, and smelling great. The Tres Palmeras Vineyard Tempranillo blend has finished with it's malolactic (2nd) fermentation and is now waiting in barrel for a pronouncement that it is ready to bottle. That won't be until next year-probably the fall for this wine. Unlike the Vista Creek Vineyard that has a lot more structure to it and will remain in barrel into 2009.
This last week has been exciting- new equipment for the winery I work for- Rack and Riddle. For those that may not know, I work full time for Rack and Riddle and have my own brand as well that I make at Rack and Riddle. What it means is that I get to work with a lot of other brands wines, which is a lot of fun. The equipment is for some sparkling wine that we will be disgorging soon- as soon as it gets hooked up!
Well, my stomach is rumbling thinking about the Paella- time to get started!
Until next week- cheers to good food, good wine and good friends- the Mustang Winemaker

Shhhhh- the Grapevines are Going to Sleep

2007-12-02T18:14:00.000-08:00

The short days of winter are here along with dropping temperatures. This has prompted the vineyards to drop their leaves, eat less, and go into hibernation mode. It is always beautiful to watch as the leaves turn color and litter the ground. So ends another year for the grapevines. It won't be long before they will awaken for another year to bring us one of the pleasures in life- wine.
This is also the time for many celebrations-some religious, some pagan, some just for thanks that we are here- a time to reflect.
This past harvest has brought some incredible wines. This year has brought me some incredible opportunities for me as a winemaker. I am now getting the chance to work with a nice spectrum of wines and the many challenges that go with starting from scratch. The sparkling wines will be following next harvest. Pretty exciting!Sometimes you never know where your life will lead you with all of the twists and turns.
I have finally sent out my first newsletter-if anyone is interested please email me or you can signup on my webpage. Speaking of webpage-I hope to have some updates soon. With the new opportunites I have not done the updates that I had envisioned.....Stay tuned!
I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving-until next week,Cheers to good food, good wine and good friends-The Mustang Winemaker

Harvest has Ended and the Wines are Incredible!

2007-11-16T06:26:00.000-08:00

Back from a very crazy harvest year- construction going on as grapes are being crushed, barrels of wine dodging construction workers- craziness! But I have survived what is shaking out to be an incredible year for wine.

My day job is with a custom crush facility. This means that I got to work with many varietals and from a variety of areas. This was a cool growing season allowing the grapes to mature slowly, but it almost looked like it might be too slow for some cooler growing areas. Mother Nature did bring in enough warm waether, just a little bit of rain to give a little boost in a drought year, and, WOW- grapes at their best! I heard one winemaker say that he thought this might be the best year in the last 30 that he has seen. I can only go back 21 years, but I have to say this is right up there.

So, now that have come up out of the pomice of harvest, I would like to let you know that I have finally composed a newsletter. I will be putting this out monthly and will be attaching some kind of wine special to them. If interested you can signup on the website- www.coralmustang.com

This month's special is 2005 Rose for the holidays- no rolling of eyes- this is the perfect holiday wine! Goes with Turkey for Thanksgiving, then if you are into ham for Christmas- the best pairing.

Well, it is great to be back to the 'real' world.
Until next week- Cheers- the Mustang Winemaker

I'm back- Tempranillo Tango is alive!

2007-08-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

After a much too long hiatus, I am back! I have just transitioned into a new day job to try and keep Coral Mustang Wines alive. About a month ago now I left J Vineyards and Winery- actually I was replaced- nepotism is alive. First time I've have had this happen to me. My naivete has always led me to believe that hard work and loyalty would be worth something and get one ahead in life............I'm old enough to know that business is business, but my optimism always takes over.

This has been a fortunate turn of events as it made me get out there and see where else I could use my skills. I am now part and partner to a brand new venture! Very exciting- retrofitting an empty warehouse into a working winery- before harvest- this year- in fact in a couple of weeks! So far it is looking good. Press and destemmer are in, floor finished tomorrow, then tanks will arrive. Most of the lab has been set up, then there is the myriad of paperwork- yikes- gotta love the government. This new facility will also allow me to make my own wines on site, which will make my life a lot easier.

With all of that going on, I have just arrived in Paso Robles where the grapes I source for my wines are located. It's a five hour drive from where I live, but this is a great vineyard. I am going to be checking on the sugar levels and taste lots of berries to get a feel for what I'm in for this year.

Also this year I will get a chance to see how my own vineyard grapes will be for wine. So far the fruit is pretty tasty, which is a good start.

Well back to work on paperwork for the new venture-see you next week!

The Mustang Winemaker

Twitter for Tempranillo

2007-06-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, how the world has changed- getting smaller in some ways. It has become so easy to communicate, very exciting stuff! I still remember working in research and how exciting it was to be able to hook your phone receiver to a cradle that then could transmit and share data with another computer............ Here is my newest venture into the Tech world :

follow CoralMustang at http://twitter.com

I have to thank Wine 2.0 and meeting with some people from companies that are trying to use the technology at hand, for bringing me into the world of communication. It will be very interesting to see what this does in the big world of wine.

News Flash- Just received an email from the San Francisco International Wine Competition- Silver for the 2005 Tempranillo to be released August 1, and a Bronze for the 2006 Tempranillo Rose'. It is pretty cool to think that out of all of the wines that are tasted that my wines are getting recognition! Now if I could just get through all the regulatory #*&% for interstate shipping.........

WineQ has signed on the Mustang Winemaker

2007-06-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Great News- you can now find my wines-Coral Mustang- on Wine Q! http://www.wineq.com/browse/wineries/17
You put together your own wine club by selecting the wines that you want, very cool for those of you that like a selction of wines from several sources.

Lot's of news on the Rose' front. It is summer and it is getting hot out there so the press has turned to writing about them. It has been interesting to see how many new ones are out there now as they are becoming acceptable as a 'real' wine. By the way, I am having a great deal on my 2005 Rose' if anyone is interested- free shipping in California, and free shipping for a full case anywhere else that I can ship to, which is expanding. Something I will be working on very hard to bring the wines to as many people as possible.

Which brings me to the direct shipping laws- wow- what a mess! Not much more I can say about that........www.freethegrapes.org does have more to say- check it out.

I have been tasting through some Spanish Tempranillo that has been in my cellar collecting dust for the last year. It has given me some perspective on some regions that I was not very familiar with. Very fun- I will post some of my comments on http://catavino.net/, a great blog about Spanish wines.

Well back to making wine, Cheers to good food, good wine, and good friends- The Mustang Winemaker

Wine 2.0 - the Mustang Winemaker will be there, Tempranillo in hand

2007-05-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Wine 2.0 in San Francisco!

I am very excited to be able to network with others in my position- how can the technology out there help sell wine and what else is coming on line. El Jefe, Jeff Stai of Twisted Oak has really hit it on the head with some of the obstacles that wineries and especially small, 'virtual' wineries are faced with. Time is my biggest obstacle as I have a day job at a reputable winery. Then after my 10+ hour day there devote time to my 'project'. But that was my choice,kind of...so I can't complain. If I was profitable I could lose the day job, so finding ways to get there is foremost in my mind these days.
http://www.winetwo.com/?p=72 (to Jeff Stai on Wine 2.0)

Which reminds me- I have an incredible deal on 05Tempranillo Rose-see www.coralmustang.com. You can purchase it there or on a number of online sites like Appellation America.

Back to the day job-
The Mustang Winemaker

Rose' Season Part 2- and of course,Tempranillo

2007-05-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

Well we are well into the season here in California- nice weather! I am running into the notion that Rose' needs to be very young. If it is not 2006 vintage, then it must be too old.

Most of my customers are asking for 2006 vintage, but I have to say that the 2005's, my own included, is tasting absolutely incredible. Part of this may be due to the use of certain varietals that can stand the test of time. I say this as it seems that Rose' made from Pinot seems to tire and turn orange, whereas Grenache, Syrah, and Tempranillo don't. In my opinion some of these even get better! Look at some of the vintages of French Rose' out on the shelves- not many 2006.

And even with all of the press that Rose' seems to be getting, it is still a tough sell. It is too sweet, too dry, only good when it is hot out- still some rough bumps before acceptance of one of the most versatile wine types out there.

So a little plug- I have an incredible 2005 Rose' still for sale(www.coralmustang.com). I have had to release the 2006 and I hope that this time next year I will have a 2007- the verdict is still out on whether it makes sense to continue making what I feel is a great deal for this versatile, yummy wine.

I am a glutton for punishment, I make Tempranillo, which is also a hard sell. But I can feel the excitement that is being generated by those that are looking for something different. The 'tipping point' is coming, I know it. Then again, you need to know that I am the 'eternal optimist'.......................untill next week, cheers to good food, good wine and good friends- the Mustang Winemaker

It's Rose' Season!

2007-05-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

The weather is warm here in the Alexander Valley of Sonoma County- actually it is summer desert hot for this time of the year. The warm/hot weather spells the beginning of Rose' drinking! Do I hear a cheer?

This has got to be one of the most versatile wine types, IMHO, but one of the least thought of when perusing the aisles of wine shops. And the notion that there is a season, (late spring and summer) for Rose', well, that's just hogwash (in nice terms). What wine goes with fall and winter dishes like ham, turkey, stews, soups- it's Rose'. One day I know that those who don't know this wine will and will wonder why they didn't give it the credit that it is due.

But enough ranting. I just have to have faith that the word will get out and all of us that love to make and drink this type of wine will make it through another year.

I have missed writing the past couple of weeks due to a business trip to Italy and Portugal. More on that next week- hey, I have to have something to keep you coming back!

Until next week, drink more Rose' (and Tempranillo)!
Cheers from the Mustang Winemaker

Tango in the Vineyards- it is Spring!

2007-04-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

It is Spring in Sonoma County and the vines are looking great. It is on these beautiful days that I have to keep in mind that it is early in the season, meaning we could still encounter frost. Or there could be rain at bloom. Or...................Mother Nature still has the upper hand! Right now, my partner/Husband/Vineyard Manager is out walking the Tres Palmeras vineyard (Coral Mustang's home Vineyard). I am hoping to get fruit off of this small vineyard this year, so close attention will be paid to making sure this vineyard's first year is a good one.

With Spring comes taxes and I am working to get them finished before I am off on a business trip to Europe on the 14th- no Easter break for me! Hopefully 'Uncle Sam' will be kind this year.

On a brighter note- Steven Tolliver sent a comment/question to my last post (please see comments on Competitions, Good or Bad). He has a lot of knowledge when it comes to Tempranillo and a blog by that name as well (see-www.manfatta.com/wineblog/). Glad you found my musings Steven and I look forward to hearing from you again.

The TurboTax program is calling my name- The Mustang Winemaker- Cheers!

Wine Competitions- good or bad

2007-03-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

Tis the season for wine competitions- newspapers, fairs, magazines. Making the decision what is the right competition or whether to compete is difficult. And for good reason. You never know what the outcome will be. One taster loves you, the next thinks you are not worthy of mentioning. Then, if you have a varietal that is not mainstream, well, you never know what you are going to be compared to. For example, Tempranillo. The standards are from Spain and even there they are going through a major evolution- so I say standard somewhat loosely. There are not that many of us making Tempranillo yet, so these wines get lumped in as Miscellaneous Red. That can make coming up with a fair evaluation a challenge even for the most experienced of tasters. So, I am challenged- any comments, recommendations- how do you look at competitions?

Take a look at Tempranillo wineries and vineyards @ www.tapasociety.org/ - this is an organization that is growing and gaining some momentum. When I started with this group there was just a handful, now there are four. A recruitment drive is on, so I expect we will see this list grow.

I also wanted to share a couple of sites that are promoting varietals and appellations : www.avawine.com and www.appellationamerica.com - another good source for domestic Tempranillo as well as other fun varietals.

Well, it is time for a glass of wine and watch the rain- Cheers from the Mustang Winemaker

Mustang Winemaker Birthday

2007-03-05T10:03:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a couple of weeks since I have written. Sometimes time just slips by............

Saturday was a total lunar eclipse and it was my birthday! Unfortunately I was not able to see the eclipse here in California, but my birthday arrived none the less. I won't say how many years I have lived- more than I imagined and that I feel have passed. Nice day, sun was shining, birds out building their nests, and I made an incredible dinner. Duck breast with orange sauce that I made from oranges out of my yard, wild mushroom risotto, and steamed broccoli. Dessert was my favorite Dagoba chocolate.

This week is the week I will be bottling the 2006 Rose'. I will be picking up a sample for evaluation today, tomorrow it will be filtered, then Wednesday into the bottle. My baby has grown up and is ready for the world!

The 2005 Tempranillo will be getting labels this week as well. This will give me a chance to give it a taste and see where it is now that it has had some time to rest.

Well, now it is time to go back to my day job- more winemaking!

Cheers until next week- the Mustang Winemaker, another year older