Flying with Wine!

With liquid bans here to stay, how DO you get your wines home with you on the plane?

As you may know from a previous post, I've tried stuffing mine in clothing and hoping for the best as I loaded it in my suitcase. But even if it makes it home, who knows the temperature damage it will encounter on the way...your luggage lingering on a hot tarmac...

We've already had requests for us to ship our wine out of state. Oh how we would love to ship out of state, however strict laws make it nearly impossible for a small winery like ours to do so. The big guys perhaps can afford the multiple fees per state for the permission to ship in, or they work through distributors who do not have the same restrictions placed on them. But the remarkably complex, entirely unworkable and exorbitantly expensive wine shipping permit system now in place makes shipping out of state extremely cost prohibitive for us little guys. Bummer!

So, back to the plane...in the days before liquid bans, you could carry several bottles of wine home in a carry-on foam-padded type wine bag...now you just have to check these items.

Great news! Our friend Anthony came across this cool new gadget that can make traveling with your wine so much better, and it's FAA approved!




It also comes in smaller sizes as well.

Check it out, it seems like a pretty slick solution to me!

Oh, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Latest News

Although we've had quite a few challenges with our remodel project, we must say that our experience with Jardine Construction has been more than positive. Rick & Mike (pictured here) are not just carpenter, painter, awning, construction experts, they are both also pastors! So during break they decided we'd better have communion!

We're getting close to the end of this project, and in some ways will be sad to see it over. Rick and Mike have been lots of fun! Mike (on the left) specializes in awnings. He's going to be providing one for us on this job. You can find out more about Mike's awnings at www.sunwestawnings.com. Rick can be found in the phonebook under Jardine Construction in Jackson, CA. Both Rick and Mike are terrific people and come highly recommended. Not everything flowed exactly as planned on our job, and thankfully Rick has handled all the issues with patience and good judgement. And so far he's making sure everything looks great too!

This past weekend we had guests over for our annual Halloween party. Everyone tasted our 2006 Late Harvest Syrah (My Sweet Baby) from the barrel and loved it. An opportunity came up again this year for us to get another 1000lbs of Late Harvest Syrah at around 32 brix. So it looks like we'll have yet another sweet baby on the way!

The 2007 harvest looks to be very promising. We're seeing great colors and flavors coming out at pressing time. I think this will be a great year for Amador County wine.

The FIRE Tank!

We just may need lots of water to put out the fires started by our TNT Dynamite Red!



Thanks to the County, we'll be covered!


It's amazing the requirements we have had to fulfill to open our small family run business here in Amador County. It looks like we are nearing the end of the list with the addition of a 5,000 gallon water tank. This tank has been deemed necessary by the County to protect us from fire danger. It's an interesting requirement since we did not add any new square footage with our remodel. None the less, we were thrilled to recieve our tank this weekend and we look forward to getting it filled and hooked up so we can get signed off and ready for business!

Andrew single handedly lifted the tank from the truck and set it in place...no, just kidding, he may think he's Superman but he still needs help now and then!

We're considering our artistic options for our lovely new addition. We may plant a viney trellis in front of it, or perhaps place lathed wood slats around it to disguise it as a huge wine vat! Your creative ideas are welcome!

Mulled Wine Recipe for Halloween!

With cooler weather swirling in and the holidays around the corner, nothing could be cozier than a toasty mug of mulled wine. Mulled wine, the vine’s version of a classic hot toddy, is a traditional holiday treat in many Old World countries. Mulled wines have been warming people for centuries, they are wines that have been sweetened, spiced and slightly heated - offering a delightful alternative to traditional coffees, ciders and toddy’s at holiday gatherings or just a cold winter's night.

The word "mulled" simply means heated and spiced. Many liquids can be mulled - mead, cider, and of course wine. Mulled wines have a long history. In medieval times these wines were called Ypocras or Hipocris, named after the physician Hippocrates. These heated drinks probably helped keep people healthy through the cold winters.

Mulled wines today are as varied as sangria recipes. There are different styles in every part of the world - some favor using white wine, others red. Some add in only a few spices, while others pour in oranges, cloves, twelve spices and more fruit for color! Your mulled drink is limited only by your own imagination! Here is a great basic recipe. Halloween is a good time to enjoy this hot drink with friends!


INGREDIENTS:
One bottle (750 mL) of red wine (suggestions: Zinfandel or Barbera)
One peeled and sliced orange (keep peel to add zest to taste into cooking pot)
¼ cup of brandy
8-10 cloves
2/3 cup honey or sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp fresh or 2 tsp ground ginger (allspice can be substituted)
Serves 4-6
PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients in either a large pot or a slow cooker. Gently warm the ingredients on low to medium heat (avoid boiling), for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure that the honey or sugar has completely dissolved.

A Dynamite Night!

It was a Dynamite Night for many reasons. This evening we labeled our 35 cases of TNT Dynamite Red! We're finally rounding the learning curve on the labeling machine. This was the best labeling experience yet! After all our hard work we decided to open a bottle with dinner and we were thrilled with the aromas and flavor! I'm very proud to have our name on this bottle of wine and only wish we had produced twice as much. On first tasting, it was cherry and berry with some awesome spicy notes that we just loved. Andrew tasted vanilla and oak too. Later in our meal I was picking up some hints of olive. Very delicious, very enjoyable wine...in a word....YUMMY!





This weekend we also pressed our Tempranillo and Pinotage, and this morning we crushed our Sangiovese. It's a busy time around here, but before we know it things will slow down again and we can begin preparing the tasting room for visitors!