The good news is the pandemic appears to be more under control, resulting in relaxed regulations and a resemblance of normalcy to our lives. Moreover, the skies are sunny and clear and the temperatures are warm and it feels great to be outdoors. The bad news is we have just experienced our second season of well below average rainfall and reservoirs are dangerously low. The Russian River watershed has been declared an emergency drought area by Governor Newsom, and restrictions will undoubtedly follow. We’ll deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly.
In the winery, Melissa and crew are busy bottling, blending, topping and shipping wines to clients. The Tasting Room is still open by appointment only from Friday through Sunday, and with the good weather has come near capacity crowds. We plan on an experimental music program for Memorial Day, with more details forthcoming. Meanwhile, our social media guru Toby Silver has been organizing a popular series of both in person and virtual group tastings.
The results from the 2021 Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge have just arrived and we had a good ride. We won four GOLD MEDALS; including our 2018 Russian River Valley Grenache (97 points), our 2018 Russian River Valley Garagistes Pinot Noir (92 points), our 2020 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc (92 points), and our 2018 Hopkins Farm Russian River Valley Chardonnay (91 points). All are available online and in the Tasting Room.
Call ahead for a reservation and enjoy these award winning wines and others in our picnic area. It’s a fine time of year to be out and about.
Cheers,
Mike Tierney
President, Taft Street Winery