We here at Taft Street enjoyed a bountiful Thanksgiving with family and friends. The holiday weekend brought the additional gift of rain, and more is due over the next few days. Though the Russian River continues to flow below normal rates, our reservoirs are still at desperately low levels, and the Sierra snow pack is […]
Happy Holidays 2014! Read More »
The crush is over, and a good one it was. The rains have begun, lightly at first, but gaining in intensity. The San Francisco Giants have won a very exciting World Series. Yes, life is very good indeed! In the cellar our crew took in the last of our clients’ grapes in mid October. Our
Taft Street’s Harvest #33 is drawing down, as an exhausted cellar staff brings in the final lots of client grapes. The overall impression of the vintage was speed; the grapes came in early and all at once. Quantities varied, with Pinot Noir a bit heavier than usual and Chardonnay a bit lighter. Taft Street finished
Harvest Drawing To A Close Read More »
Today (September 2nd) officially starts the 2014 Harvest for Taft Street. We have just brought in 25 tons of Chardonnay – clone 17 – from Saralee Kunde’s Catie’s Corner Vineyard, located west of Windsor near the Sonoma County Airport. The fruit is clean and aromatic and hopes are high for a terrific wine. Pinot Gris
With the hot weather continuing the grape harvest for 2014 has begun. The first grapes on the North Coast were picked this week for sparkling wine. The general prediction is maturation is 10 days to two weeks earlier than normal, so by this time next month we should be in full swing. Indications are the
The summer growing season is now in full swing, with daytime temperatures reaching the 80’s and 90’s; then dropping thirty degrees overnight. This is the pattern that produces world class grapes – one’s that sweeten to maturity while keeping a fresh acidity. Only in Sonoma County (OK, and a few other places as well). It
Summer at the Winery Read More »
Summer means barbeque and there are not many things better than smoked brisket. We usually go with the traditional Taft Street Zinfandel, but on very hot days a well chilled Taft Street Russian River Valley Pinot Gris hits the spot. This was a big hit at our recent “Grill 116” – wine and food pairing
Taft Street’s Smoked Brisket Read More »
We have settled into our summer weather pattern – warm days and cool nights. The vineyards look great and we may be headed for a third straight high quality year. In fact, our most pressing concern at the moment is low inventory. We have pushed up our bottling schedule to ensure our positions on retailers’
Summer in Wine Country Read More »
With a heat spell passing through the area, growers are reporting yet another possible bumper crop. The first couple of weeks in May are typically the last of frost season, so fingers are crossed. We will keep you posted as the vintage progresses. Bottling season continues, with most of our current efforts going to our
It was 32 years ago, on April Fools’ Day in 1982, when Taft Street Winery opened its doors in the Russian River Valley town of Forestville. As they say, the rest is history. Family and friends, including younger generations, continue making wines from local vineyards; we continue sharing our products at the drop of a
Happy 32nd Birthday! Read More »
