This is my commute everyday. I get to walk down the hill from Stermer Vineyard to the winery. It normally takes a grand total of four minutes, depending on how motivated I feel.We're in to the home stretch here and we've already started to send some of the wine down to barrel. It will be exciting to see how all of the partially fermented tanks we've been watching evolve finish up (they grow up so fast).
I read a really interesting article the other day on the "natural" wine movement. I highly recommend it. I am personally a big proponent of a minimalist approach to making wine, but sometimes it's not practical or viable. I think this is something that has to be weighed heavily when discussing philosophies on wine-making. Ultimately you are crafting something that you believe drinks well. However, if your dogma interferes with making a balanced drinkable wine, then, in my opinion, you have failed. It was really enjoyable to read about winemakers who I respect and admire who, although they would prefer to make wines without adding anything, sometimes take a pragmatic approach because of extenuating circumstances (weather, bugs, viruses, etc.).
I'm feeling a bit exhausted tonight but life should get a little more regular in the coming days. Everyone don't forget to vote on Tuesday November 2nd.
Cheers,
Carl
