The Press Democrat reported today that Harvest 2013 has begun, as pickers in the Napa Valley harvested the first grapes for this year’s sparkling wine. We are planning to finish up bottling over the next week or so in order to be ready for grapes as early as the last week of August. That has only happened once in the 32 years we have been doing this, but every year brings its own set of variables. The last wine we will bottle before Crush will be the remainder of our 2012 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.
With summer in high gear we have spent a good deal of time welcoming visitors from throughout the country, both our sales partners and our customers. This will continue through the harvest, as recognition of our location in the southwestern edge of the Russian River Valley as a premier locale for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay continues to grow.
Our summer music concert series – A Little Street Music – continues its successful run. The Americana band Twang Ditty performed a delightful set on a warm afternoon in July. We have saved some of the very best for our final two concerts: Bottle Shock on August 25th; and The Sorrentino’s on September 29th. These Sunday concerts take place on Sundays from 3:00 – 6:00pm. Bring a chair, some munchies, and we’ll take care of the rest.
So here we are at the height of summer – what we await every year. Tomatoes are ripening, Gravenstein apples are here, berries and figs and fruit and veggies are in abundance. All you need is a picnic lunch and a bottle of Taft Street wine and you are in heaven!
Cheers,
Mike Tierney
President, Taft Street Winery