WLW Blog
May 16, 2008
Wine Tips 101: Matching WIne to the Occasion
I don't know about all of you, but I'm clueless when it comes to bringing wines to different events. Here are a few helpful tips courtesy of American Cellars and yours truly:
-A formal dinner calls for special wines: Cabernet Sauvignon or other full-bodied reds, oak-aged Chardonnay, or "Reserve" - style bottlings. I'm thinking our Napa Cabernet Sauvignon or our new 2006 Carneros Chardonnay. If it's the boss, go with Whitehall Lane's 2004 Reserve Cabernet.
- A picnic calls for lighter-style, lower-alcohol, refreshing wines. Ideally our Sauvignon Blanc or Belmuscato- wines that can be chilled down as a counterbalance to the warm summer afternoon or evening.
- A celebration such as a birthday or anniversary calls for a "festive" wine such as Champagne or sparkling wine. Even better: the celebrant's favorite wine, regardless of type, if you know what it is. Even more better: a magnum or 3L of Whitehall Cabernet that you can put a message on with a silver sharpie.
- Ideal wines for a barbecue are those that are both fruity and spicy, to complement the "char" of the grill. Opt for Zinfandel, Petite Sirah or Rhone reds. I myself enjoy Whitehall Merlot with Q'd meats and veggies.
- On cold nights, wines higher in alcohol help warm the soul. Try a full-bodied red or a fortified wine such as Port. And we are bottling some in time for winter 2008 (you heard it here first!)
- For brunch, make selections similar to those you'd choose for a picnic. If egg dishes are involved, go with sparkling wine. I'm going with a mimosa or two! No Whitehall plug here.
- And if you still don't know what to bring, just drop me a line. I'm happy to help. Cheers!
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May 12, 2008
Probing Questions
"How do you grow such beautiful grapes?" "Do you irrigate your vineyards?" "What is that metal rod sticking up out of that vine row?" All probing questions and each with a probing answer.
Besides wine grapes being planted in our vineyards, there are a number of probes also in the ground to tell us how dry the soil is. These capacitance probes are used to generate a vineyard irrigation schedule based on the amount of moisture in the soil. This technology makes it possible to view water needs from the plants perspective.
The probe is burried deep in the soil with a wire running up the vine to a radio transporter that sits above the vines on a pole. This transporter relays the detailed information to a computer every 15 minutes for continuos soil moisture monitoring.
Why do we do this? (Another probing question!) By knowing how much water is in the soil, we can properly identify the amount of water that is being absorbed by the vine's root system throughout the growing season. This helps to control vine vigor in the summer months and helps monitor the amount of water in the leaves and grape berries as we get close to harvest.
It is all part of the science and technology that we employ in the vineyards to grow the best grapes and make great wines.
Posted by WLW at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
May 9, 2008
15th Anniversary Lunch
On a pleasant spring afternoon we came together to commemorate the 15th Anniversary of Whitehall Lane Winery. It was a lovely way to show appreciation to all those that work hard year round. Thank you Tom for making this day possible.
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May 7, 2008
Part of the "cool group" now
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May 6, 2008
Building Blocks
Today the outside wall began to take shape. They begun laying down the 4 foot high cinder blocks that will become the bottom of the outside structure. The remainder of the wall, from the cinder blocks up, will be insulated metal. Man they sure planned ahead. After all I wouldn't trust my forklift driving skills either. What a site that would be... A forklift sticking through the side of our brand new barrel room with a panic stricken blonde in the drivers seat. Oops!
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May 1, 2008
A Building Is Emerging.....
After months of what seemed as if the construction project was on delay, progress is coming along quickly. On April 30th the steel beams for the Infrastructure went up. And in what seemed like the blink of an eye, a steel structure emerged.
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