Reached a milestone with the stone grape arbor today

Stan the mason and I put the capstones on my rustic stone walls today. It's (almost) done! Earlier, Russell and I built the wooden framework, and before that, I built the stone walls and, earlier still, the foundations they sit upon. Finally (almost) done. Once the grapes cover it, it will be darling.

Next is to build a one-step stair up into the "room" inside the arbor, and to install flagstones and pea gravel in there, and then have a double-person "loveseat" Adirondack chair to go inside.

I highly recommend Mastercraft Masonry (Stan) and Quickbuild Homes (Russell). As to my own masonry skills, I might just have to drop my earlier plans to build a Scottish keep on our farm--it's not so much the lack of skill--I think I know how to do it, after spending 1.5 years doing the stone walls on this arbor--but it's the lack of time. I'd need an army of 50 masons, and a lot of mortar and scaffolding.These little stone walls used an AMAZING amount of rock.

A City of Wine - Why Not?

Sure would be fun to visit this place, opening near Bordeaux.

The architecture alone is fantastic.

And while you're at it, why not go to Ch. Lynch Bages' little village--the winery has added restaurants and shops, all as part of a little destination locale in Pauillac (Haut Medoc, north of Bordeaux). And why not go to Georges DuBoeuf's little destination locale in Gamay (between Burgundy and the Rhone), where he took over a train station and has a wonderful wine museum, to go along with the winery.

France has the right idea! OK, so does Carlton, Oregon ;)

Terroir is a myth!

We call other people's religions "myths." And now the concept of terroir (i.e., the identity of a spot's climate and soil is expressed through grapes grown there) is a myth.

A University of California-Davis professor exposes myths in winemaking, beginning with the biggest one. An article about his book is here.

Wineries use all sorts of mispresentations and outright falsehoods, to market their wines. This is one more. There is no molecule in the soil that can be found in a ripe grape. The soil might nurture a healthier plant (or not), but the soil isn't expressed in the fruit. A sunnier spot, however, might lead to riper grapes, and to that extent a location does make a difference in the finished fruit.

Plastic Wine Bottles?

This article announces a new plastic wine bottle.

Almost all wineries conduct primary fermentations in plastic (I use food-grade HDPE plastic), but most winemakers conduct long-term wine storage in glass, stainless steel, oak, or concrete.

But the lower weight of a plastic bottle, compared to glass bottles, is so striking that over the next few decades many millions (perhaps billions?) of dollars could be saved by moving beer, wine, and liquor into plastic containers. I predict it will happen. The right plastic SUPPOSEDLY is able to store wine (and the acids in wine) for a long time, with no leaching from the plastic into the wine, and without too much oxygen transfer into the wine.

Probably some wineries will try it first, within the next few years, and wineries like Ch. Lafite will take a hundred years to change over.

Thanks to Audrey for mentioning this article!

Spring!

The Jupiter seedless grape is budding in the vineyard. From a dead-looking stick unfurls a gorgeous pink-tinged leaf, reminding us of so many good things: The opportunity for growth, not just in grapes, but in us. A reminder that we are still alive. The promise of renewed life. Advice that there will (nearly) always be a brighter day after a troubling one. The humble grape can tell us all this, if we only take a moment to pause, look, and see.

On the other hand, this Walla Walla Cab aged beautifully:

2008 Seven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Seven Hills Vineyard (Walla Walla): This was outstanding with a grass-fed NY strip. The bouquet wasn't as strong as I like, but on the palate the wine is bursting with fresh blackcurrant notes. A vivid and fresh wine. I love it when a wine ages this well. Only $21 (my price) when I bought it, and what pleasure now!

This is why you should lay down certain reds, if you can in good storage conditions. This is why I love SE Washington wines.

Note: Mine was 2008, not the 2007 as pictured.

Note: Yes, cabs can be expected to age better than Chards. But still, this was GREAT and youthul, versus the Chard which was probably over the hill many years ago. And, to be clear, I love love love Amalie Robert wines. I only learned that their Chards don't age for 8 years, at least in some vintages (see previous post).

How one Oregon Chardonnay didn't age well

We opened a 2007 Amalie Robert Dijon Clones Chardonnay. At 8 years old with impeccable (very cool) cellaring, I expected it to be great. I loved it when it was young.

But the first indication of issues came with the too-golden color. And the wine had some oxidation evident--some sherry-like notes. Most of the Chardonnay varietal character was gone. Rats!

The remains of it sat recorked in the fridge for a couple of days, and upon retasting it, it was, at that point, awful. (For younger wines, this kind of short-term storage for a partially-empty bottle usually works great.)

Most wines are made to be drunk in a few years. However, great Chardonnays (and Rieslings) can age for a decade or more. Maybe 2007 was too poor of a vintage for this length of storage.