Tolosa Winery

Harvest update- heat wave, again

Today we are in the third day of some hot dry weather. Most people would call this Indian Summer. In northern California these conditions when the warm hot air from the interior moves onto the coast are called Diablo, and I think you know what that word means. In southern California this type of weather is called Santa Ana. By whatever name, it is a bit unsettling. I was bicycling to the winery yesterday morning before dawn to meet some Chardonnay that had been night harvested and I broke a sweat riding. Normally a predawn ride around here leads to chills not sweats. It feels off or a bit creepy. Luckily all of the fruit that is intolerant of heat has been picked. The only fruit still hanging is some Syrah, Grenache and Petit Sirah. A few days of heat won’t phase them a bit. I’ll be happy when the cool weather moves back in tonight. The many years of hanging out in cool damp cellars has made me intolerant of heat personally. Next week is supposed to bring rain. This will likely force the harvesting of the remaining grapes by the end of the week or the following one. We’re on our 46th straight day of harvesting as of today, so everyone is about ready to call this one in.

-          Larry Brooks

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Harvest Update 10.2.12

Over the next day or two we are getting the last of the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from our Estate Vineyards. Yesterday and today will both be unusually hot days with mid-day highs of a little above 100F. If it were any other time than right at the end I would be entering panic mode at this point as Pinot Noir hates heat when it is close to ripe, and Chardonnay is not a big fan of it either, though it is more tolerant than Pinot. Remarkably, this is the first really warm weather all growing season. In terms of wine character what this means is that the Pinot and Chardonnay will have lots of freshness both in aroma and flavor. I like wines that taste young in their youth and these cool mild growing seasons produce that sort of wine.

This morning I was out just after sunrise sampling Sauvignon Blanc. It was one of those completely delicious interludes during harvest. The air was cool and the berries I was eating as I pulled the sample were cold and extraordinarily delicious. Sauvignon Blanc is one of those grapes that really shows its flavor in the fresh fruit. It tastes almost identical to the finished wine with the exception that the sweetness is from the sugar instead of the alcohol. It’s going to make some tasty wine.

-          Larry Brooks

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Tomorrow Kicks off Harvest- Time for a Cocktail

Tomorrow it the first day of harvest for the Estate Pinot Noir, and coincidently it is also the first day of harvest at Meeker Vineyard in Paso where we source our Cabernet and Merlot. We’re picking a small block of Syrah there. It will be a bit more exciting than usual as we’ve got a new de-stemmer that we need to figure out how to operate. We put a little bit of Chardonnay through it yesterday for another client, so we won’t be going in to it completely cold. It’s made by Pellenc and it uses a completely different approach to de-stemming. Instead of the typical rotating cage system Pellenc has adapted a vibrating bar system more similar to machine harvesters. We’ve talked to other winemakers who’ve used this system and all are universal in their praise for how gently and effectively it removes berries from the clusters. This should be particularly helpful this year as we’ve got relatively large thin skinned berries to deal with in the Pinot Noir.

I’m also having my first Thursday night harvest cocktail party today. These were a regular feature a couple years ago and I’m reviving them this year. The featured cocktail tonight is a variation on something called the Venetian Fling. Here’s the recipe for what I call the Stones of Venice.

1 oz. Aperol

½ oz. Gin

Combine in a Champagne flute and top with Prosecco, or if you prefer have it on the rocks in a tumbler. This cocktail is very refreshing and pretty low in alcohol so it’s a great summer slurper.

-          Larry Brooks, Winemaker

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Vineyard Update

In the Vineyards with Winemaker Larry Brooks…

It looks like I’ll pull my first cluster sample on Monday. I’ve been out each morning the last few days walking the vineyard rows looking at how veraison is coming along and in the earliest Pinot Noir blocks actually tasting a few berries. You don’t want to start tasting too early as until the berries hit about 20 brix (roughly % sugar) they are intensely acidic and fairly unpleasant to have in your mouth. But, as soon as you can eat them without puckering it’s time to start thinking about formal samples. Within another week I’ll be settling into my harvest routine of spending every morning with bucket in hand tramping up and down the rows pulling samples. I’ve always believed it crucial for a winemaker to take the samples personally as it puts you in regular hands on contact with the vines. Besides actually taking the sample you are getting a feel for how the vines are doing. You are communicating with them. As the vines steadfastly refuse to learn English, I’ve had to learn how to speak “grapevine”. It’s a slow and quiet language and takes time.

-LB

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Tolosa Solar Power Benefits To-Date

Today we took a quick glance online to view our solar power monitor system. The system gives us a play by play summary of the performance, including interval energy, daily wind speed, irradiance, but  for most of us the interesting tool of SunPower’s system is the break-down of the solar-generated electricity, put into environmental benefits.  These are the numbers that really open your eyes to how valuable solar power can be in creating a better environment for our friends, neighbors and future wine lovers of the world.

Just a few astonishing statistics from the screenshot are:

·         To date, this system’s solar-generated electricity has reduced emissions of carbon dioxide by over 1,717 tons. These emissions reductions are equivalent to planting nearly 354 acres of trees or not driving 3,586,567 miles.

Here is a screenshot from the Monitor system from today to view a few more statistics:

During the California Wine Month of September Tolosa Winery will be offering Grape to Glass Progressive Tours of the Winery. During these tours guests will be guided through the winery and vineyards, along with a stop at the 2,505 solar panels! During the tour we will be talking about the various sustainable practices that are carried through the winery from grape to glass, while guests will enjoy food and wine pairings at different stations on the tour.

To learn more about the tours, which will be offered Sundays in September, visit our website here>>.

Cheers to a healthy environment!

Tolosa Winery

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Veraison in the Vineyards

In the vineyards with Winemaker Larry Brooks – 2012 Harvest

The stage that the vines are in this week is called veraison. This is a French word that has no English equivalent that I’m aware of. It is the time in the berries development cycle when ripening begins. In red varieties it is marked by the change in color from green to red. In white varieties it is more subtle as they change from bright green to a paler green, eventually reaching a golden color. It is also marked by a softening of the berry, but that may not be immediately apparent.  It’s of interest to me, as a winemaker, not just because it tells me harvest is 4-6 weeks away, but because it allows you another chance to see the sequence that the various parts of the vineyard will ripen in as well as to see the evenness or uniformity of ripening. If there is a lot of variety within vines, in when the berries turn from green to red, I know that the crop is not uniform in its pattern of ripening. This helps me make better decisions when it comes to picking time. More uniformly ripe vintages can be picked earlier. Less uniform vintages need to get a bit riper so that the under ripe portion can catch up. This year looks more uniform than most. The weather continues to be near perfect as it has been since flowering. Stay tuned to see how the ripening comes along and we have a better prediction of what grapes will be harvested first.
Cheers,

Larry Brooks, Winemaker

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Gold Medals by Beverage Tasting Institute Reviews

Beverage Tasting Institute Reviews - May 2012

2009 "1772" Pinot Noir - 92 pts. Gold Medal
Dark garnet color. Toasty aromas of buttery nut brittle, cherry pie filling and grilled citrus with a supple, fruity-yet-dry medium body and a delicate sprinkle of mocha and spice on the long elegant, lightly smoky finish. An excellent pinot for the table.

WORLD WINE CHAMPIONSHIPS AWARD: Gold Medal
RATING: 92 points (Exceptional)
CATEGORY: Pinot Noir, Red
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 14.5%
TASTING LOCATION: In Our Chicago Tasting Room
TASTING DATE: May-21-2012
View Review online at Tastings.com>>
Purchase Wine Online>>

2011 Sauvignon Blanc - 91 pts. Gold Medal
Rich aromas and flavors of green pepper, exotic tropical fruits, and grapefruit sorbet with a supple, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a crisp, hay, lemon pepper, and mineral accented finish. Great character and style.

WORLD WINE CHAMPIONSHIPS AWARD: Gold Medal
RATING: 91 points (Exceptional)
CATEGORY: Sauvignon Blanc, White
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 13.5%
TASTING LOCATION: In Our Chicago Tasting Room
TASTING DATE: Apr-09-2012
View Review Online at Tastings.com>>

2009 Pinot Noir - 89 pts. Silver Medal
Interesting aromas of pork fat, green peppercorns, nuts, and dried blueberries with a supple, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a juicy, dried cherry, apple, cocoa and spice finish. A very classy sipper or table wine.

WORLD WINE CHAMPIONSHIPS AWARD: Silver Medal
RATING: 89 points (Highly Recommended)
CATEGORY: Pinot Noir, Red
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 14.2%
TASTING LOCATION: In Our Chicago Tasting Room
TASTING DATE: May-21-2012
View Review Online at Tastings.com>>
Purchase Wine Online >>

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Putting Green Back in your pocket this St. Paddy's Day

Every St. Patrick’s Day morning, the bars in downtown SLO open their doors at 6am to welcome crowds of green garmented guests eager to begin the festivities with an Irish Coffee or Irish Car Bomb.  Soon rounds of Jamison shots will be passed around with bag pipes blowing in the background.  Oh what fun!  On the other hand, if you are seeking a more subtle celebration, come visit us at Tolosa Winery!  We will be pouring our “green” wines, not in color, but environmentally friendly, from our sustainable and solar estate vineyards.  

St. Patrick’s Day Offer:

We want to put some “green” back in your pocket by offering $5 gift cards on Saturday, March 17th, 2012  for purchases of 6 or more bottles!

Guests can also enjoy wine and cheese pairings with John Shakley, who is guaranteed to be dressed in green and orange from his socks to a vintage Ralph Lauren shirt or sweater (see last year’s photo).  In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, John themed one of the four pairings; 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon with Cahill’s Irish Porter cheese. Here’s a little clip from John’s description: Cow’s milk from County Limerick, Ireland; pasteurized to protect us from the occasional intoxicated milking cow! Send John an email at jshakley@tolosawinery.com if you would like to make reservations for this weekend’s pairings.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Cheers,

Kathleen Colleen Noonan – Tolosa resident Irish Girl

P.S. Stay away from the green beer and drink GREEN Wine!

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches tomorrow and the bars in downtown SLO open up at 6am for the crowds of people pouring in to enjoy an Irish Coffee or Irish Carbomb, we of course didn’t want to compete with our friends downtown, so those looking for a little more laid back celebration of St. Paddy’s day are welcome to join us at Tolosa! We’ll be pouring “green” wine and putting a little “green” back in your pocket!

We pride ourselves on being a sustainable and solar winery, so not only on St. Patrick’s Day do we consider our wines green, but every day and we want to give our customers back $5 gift cards for every 6 bottles they purchase in supporting our environmentally friendly wines.

We also have a great wine and cheese pairing menu for the weekend with John, who no doubt will be dressed to the nines in his green and orange outfit, see last year’s photo.  One pairing he made sure to point out to me is our 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon with Cahill’s Irish Porter cheese.  

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Pinot and Mushroom and Clam Veloute Soup

I cooked a Valentine’s Day dinner a few nights ago, and while there were many parts of the dinner and day that were memorable, there was one food and wine revelation. There’s a soup I’ve been making for years. It’s a mushroom and clam veloute. It’s simple to make and tasty. I put it on the table last night. We were drinking Champagne, but there was a bottle of 2007 Pinot Noir open as well so I poured a glass and had a sip. I was astounded by how much the soup elevated and improved the wine. I’ve had this wine literally dozens of times before, and I know it like the back of my hand, but it has never tasted or smelled so good. The aroma in particular was expanded by the matching with the soup. Unexpected layers of perfume appeared. The textures in the mouth, already more than decent became velvety. The effect was no less than magical. I don’t normally go on and on about a wine at dinner, but I must have been last night as I started getting “the look” from my bride. I suppose over all the years I’ve made this soup I never once paired it with Pinot Noir. Lesson learned – it’s what I’ll serve from now on. 

-Larry Brooks, Winemaker

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Valentine's Day Solution- Wine and Truffle Pairings + A Red Rose

We’ve got you covered for tomorrow! Start off Valentine’s Day by stopping by the tasting room where we’ll be offering Wine and Truffle pairings for just $15 and we’ll also be giving  away a long stem red rose to your sweetie! Available all day, 11-5pm, no reservations necessary. It’s also a great chance to pick-up a bottle of wine for dinner, and our staff can suggest a few local restaurants that will waive corkage with a bottle of Tolosa. Cheers-

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