is upon us. Just after I put away tables from the President’s Club party, stashed cushions and rattan furniture from the decks and patio, and harvested forty pounds of tomatoes – the skies opened. From four to six inches of rain will drop over the next 24 hours. Timing is everything, and this year (and this week) we did just fine. All our grapes are in, and the final arrival (Riesling) began fermentation today.
Our party was a great success. Under overcast skies we enjoyed the music of local band Bottle Shock, ate delicious barbecue from our friend, grape grower and dairyman Dominic Carinalli, and paired wine with appetizers made from our garden. Over 200 people attended the best ever rendition of our fall get together. Check out the photos on the Taft Street Winery Facebook account.
The Gold Medal and Best of Class awards at this year’s Sonoma County Harvest Fair is continuing to excite retailers and restaurants alike. These winners can now be found in virtually every local wine shop, and many restaurants are featuring one or more of the wines. We are doing our bit at the Tasting Room, where we are offering a case with three bottles of each of the GOLD MEDAL winners – 2007 Russian River Valley Chardonnay Garagistes, 2008 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Gris, and 2008 Russian River Valley Riesling – for $195. That is more than 20% off our regular price. Call the Tasting Room (800) 234-8238.
Just had a hectic but productive trip back east last week. On the heels of the Harvest Fair weekend and the hosting of a group from our New York distributor, I flew to Boston for a trade tasting on Tuesday. I was gladdened to note the familiarity retailers and restaurateurs had with our wines, and the reception they had to our current releases. Then it was off to New York City, where we had a couple of very successful days on the streets of Manhattan. Home late Friday night and behind the stove all day Saturday, preparing for the Club party. I slept quite well Sunday night.
We are already thinking about the next event – Una Cuarta Parte Vaca. I mentioned last month of finding a terrific recipe in the new cookbook SEVEN FIRES. The recipe called for a “medium cow, about 1200 ponds, skinned and butterflied.” Mike Martini and I got to thinking about what fun it would be to try this, but in a rare moment of sanity we decided it might be a good idea to try it first on a smaller scale. So the plan is to fire up a quarter of a beef. We’ve talked to local butchers and it’s doable. So on Halloween we will have our annual after crush party with an added attraction
The very next weekend is the Russian River Wine Road’s Wine and Food Affair. It appears we are in the midst of the party season.
Cheers,
Mike Tierney