MCV FARM NEWS - 11.6.09 - Let the Picking Begin!!!

Morning Ya'll,

 

      Well, harvest will re-commence this morning.  We have had a little hiatus as we have wanted to ride out this most recent batch of nice weather.  Jim and the guys will be going in to pick Syrah.  This is the latest Martha Clara has ever picked Syrah, but the fruit that is on the vine is quite nice and will make a beautiful Syrah.  We will also be picking the little bit of Viognier that we have left out to be co-fermented with Syrah.  The most recent 2007 Syrah is a blend of 93% Syrah and 7%Viognier that was also co-fermented.  This is classic blend that is used in Cote Rotie' in the Rhone region of France.  I am very excited to be continuing this tradition in the 2009 Syrah.  Patience is a virtue in the wine industry and it will be at the least two years before this 2009 Syrah is ready for release.

      Speaking of releases...  The wine club is gearing up to receive their December shipment.  We will be hosting a wine release party for Wine Club Members on Friday, December 11th.  This will be an "action packed" shipment!  It will include the 2007 Syrah, 2007 Malbec and the 2008 Estate Reserve Chardonnay.  All three of these wines will benefit from cellar time and will most certainly raise eyebrows and garner awards of all types when media and competitions gets their paws on these beauties...  2007 was a stellar vintage yielding concentrated wines of rich, ripe fruit balanced with elegant tannins and great acidity that makes these wines a delight to have with food.  The next possible release for Malbec will be 2013!  We will not be producing any of this varietal for the 2008 nor the 2009 vintage.  So, this is truly a special and rare offering that quite frankly... Rocks!  I am willing to admit a small amount of bias, but this is the most limited production wine that I have ever made and at only $24.99 it is an absolute bargain for Wine Club Members. Recently I was chatting with another local winery owner, (who shall remain in nameless infamy) and he informed me that they would be producing a Malbec as well for 2007.  The price for their Malbec will be well over $100 a bottle!!!  You may as well put your hands up when buying that wine because you are being robbed!!!  "Oh, but it was hand picked..."  So was ours.  "Oh, oh, but we used new barrels..." So did we.  "Oh, but it was harvested by nubile virgins on the full moon..."  Yeah, I can't say we did that, but if were up to the JuanMaker...

       In any event Harvest continues to move forward and we will be bringing in the Merlot starting next week and it will yield beautiful wines.  It is late for us this harvest, but It doesn't matter how long it takes you to get to the finish line in the wine industry, it just matters that you get there!  I don't like to talk before the Fat Lady has sung, but I feel this vintage will certainly be well above average teetering on exceptional.  It is not the way that I would write an above average/exceptional vintage to occur, but we are still getting to the same end point.  The only thing for this vintage is that the yields will be extremely low.  Fat Lady, start warming up those pipes!

 

        Cheers Ya'll,

 

           - Juan.   

MCV FARM NEWS - 10.16.09 - Bazooka Jim.

Morning Ya'll,

 

       Okay, well it was a big week.  We picked a lot of fruit this week and I am happy we did.  Originally when Jim and I were discussing to pick we were under the impression that the weather was calling for a chance of a few showers over the weekend.  We had no idea or thoughts that a mini-'Noreaster was on its way!  I am pleased to say that we picked a lot of fruit and I am even more pleased to say that its awesome!  This week saw the remaining Chardonnay picked, Viognier, Riesling, and Merlot for rose'. 

       Jim and the guys came out to the vineyard at the beginning of the week to pick grapes and chew bubblegum, and they were all out of bubblegum!!!  So they picked grapes and they picked lots of them!  As the week went on the forecast began to indicate rain being more and more iminant.  However, it was not until Wednesday night that the weather people began to even mention 'Noreaster for Friday.  Boy, I hope they do better jobs with hurricanes!!!  Also, they discussed the rain starting later on Thursday, but by 9:30am yesterday the drops began to Fall.  Luckily we were just about done with the pick when the rain started!  We had the last 3 tons of Riesling to pick yesterday and the last few picking baskets got a little wet. 

      This is the time of year where I have to make many decisions regarding our wines.  However, there was a lot of work put into the grapes getting to me in the winery.  Based on the quality I am seeing on a year that has offered its fair share of challenges I am very excited about the wines we will have to offer next spring!!!  All of the hard work and decisions that have been made in the vineyard through the growing season have paid off!  I cannot wait to offer a third year of awesome white wines!!!   

      However, the job does not stop with me.  I know this time of year is also a busy one for everyone in the tasting room.  There is no, "I" in team and wine is most certainly a collaborative effort.

 

         Cheers,

 

                   Juan.    

MCV FARM NEWS - 10.9.09 - Will Work for Sugar.

Morning Ya'll,

 

       Well, Fall is most certainly here!!!  Everywhere there are signs of the cooler temperatures and shorter days.  We have several things in the winery and fermentations are in full swing.  Thus far we have Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and some Chardonnay in the winery.  We will be gearing up to pick some more on Monday and Tuesday.  We will be picking Merlot for Rosé.

       This is the time of year in which I call into action my kind friends, yeast.  Yeast are the little guys that make all of the magic happen.  Fermentation is the consumption of sugar by yeast, yielding alcohol and carbon dioxide.  The addition of yeast to juice is called, "inoculation." Yeast come in a dried form very similar to that used for making bread.  However, bread yeast vary greatly from the yeast used for winemaking.

       Most of our wines use yeast that is purchased, but our Estate Reserve Chardonnay employs local yeast.  I allow the E.R. Chard to be fermented by yeast that come in with the grapes.  This is what we call a spontaneous, natural, or "wild" fermentation.  Half of the E.R. Chard is inoculated with a yeast that I have selected and the other half is allowed to go spontaneous.  The natural/spontaneous fermentation is slower, but offers a nutty complexity and fuller mouthfeel.  The commercial yeast offers more of the pear and apple apple characteristics.  The two combined offer a more complex wine that has both attributes.  I like to define our Estate Reserve Chardonnay as Burgundian in style, but North Fork in attitude!  Burgundy is the home of Chardonnay.  Many of the worlds most coveted Chardonnay's come from Burgundy, a region in France.  I utilize many of the Burgundian techniques, but seek to make a wine that is balanced with a bit of acidity to make it a great complement to food!  Keep a look out for the New Release 2008 Estate Reserve Chardonnay!!!  Spoiler alert... It's Awesome!  In any event let me know if you are interested in checking out the pick and/or the winery!!!  Talk with ya'll soon!

 

       - Juan.

MCV FARM NEWS - 9.29.09 - Harvest Cometh...

Hey ya'll,

 

       Well, it is that time of year again!  Thus far we have safely in the winery some Sauvignon Blancand Pinot Noir.  We also have all of the Pinot Grigio.  This upcoming week we will finish picking the Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.  The remaining Sauv. Blanc and Pinot Noir look awesome!!!  I am really excited about the Pinot Noir this year.  The other whites are hanging nicely and will possibly hang for another week or two!  The flavors thus far are great and I am very excited about the quality of what has been coming in. 

      The reds are hanging nicely and have at least another month or so before they come in.  I am hopeful that the reds will come around in the next month or so.  Flavor development is starting to happen in the reds, but we just need more sun to help finish them out in the coming weeks. 

      One of the most common questions asked is how we decide when to pick?  Well, the JuanMaker has some words about that...  Check out his latest non-sense at www.youtube.com/juanmaker.  Till next time...

 

       - Juan.

MCV FARM NEWS - 9.11.09 - 2013: A Wine Odyssey

Morning Ya'll,

 

      It certainly is a windy and dreary morning on the North Fork.  Things are moving along nicely in the vineyard as the vines are all netted and the guys have been spending the past week cutting what I like to call "Greenies".  These are the clusters that are the late bloomers.  Okay, what do I mean?  Well, when the red wine grapes turn from green to red this is called veraison.  However, this process in not like a light switch being turned on.  Some clusters start veraison earlier than others, why?  This is a question that is still not fully clear to professionals in the wine industry.  The fact of the matter is that when we get to around 75-80% Veraison you can clearly see the clusters that are ahead and those that are behind.  The guys will go through the vineyard and cut the "late bloomers/greenies" from the vine.  In a week or so we would not be able to discern which was ahead or which was behind.  This small amount of effort can make huge differences in the quality of our wines.  Typically this decision is an easy one to make, but in a year like this in which yields are already so low it means that we are purposely reducing the crop again.  This is a quality minded decision, rather than a quantity minded decision.  Not all vineyards/wineries make this effort, but in the long run it is the best for wine .

      Marth Clara Wines will be on the move and headed South for the Winter.  We have been recently working with a new distributor in Florida called Tag Wine Group.  Should any "snow birds" come into the tasting room please let them know that we can get wines to Florida!  This is pretty exciting as Florida has such a large concentration of people from New York.  I like to call Florida... South New York.   Please send people to tagwinegroup.com. 

      Some of the 2007 Reds are starting to hit the shelves.  The three that are out are the Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Syrah.  I am very excited about these three and we will continue to see more of the 2007's released down the line.  These wines will be sure to turn heads in the wine industry both for wine quality and the fun new packaging that we have selected.  These wines will also have incredible longevity, and will certainly benefit from years of aging.  One of the wines that I am most excited about is the 2007 Malbec. It is stunning and it is for wine club members only!  We will NOT be making this in 2008 and 2009.  The next chance we have at this is 2010.  The next time this wine could be available for sale is 2013.  That is a long time, so this wine is truly special and limited.  In any event that is the news for now, stay dry!

 

                 Cheers,

 

                        - Juan.   

MCV FARM NEWS - 8.21.09 - It's All About the Seed...

Morning Ya'll,

 

        Well, things are moving right along in the vineyard.  The crew is busy applying nets to the vines and tying them at the bottom all in an effort to thwart off our avian (a.k.a. - birds) friends.  The vineyard looks awesome and the berries have begun the all important process of veraison(pronounced veh-ray-sohn).  Veraison is the point in time in which grapes change color.  All grapes start off as green and ultimately will change in color depending on the variety.  Most of the whites turn a golden color, with the exception of Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris.  Gewurz turns a subtle purple-ish color and the Pinot Gris turns a light grey.  Gris = Grey.  Okay, how many of you just had that, "Ah, I get it" moment? 

        The vine has its own agenda, which is quite different than ours.  The vines agenda is to see that it can pass on its genes via seeds.  When the berries first form in the early spring they lack seeds.  These seedless grapes to the eye are as green as the canopy (fancy way of saying the leaves) and are loaded with acidity (think lemons).  Once seed development occurs the grapes will now start to change color as to differentiate from the canopy.  This signals other species of animals to take notice of the berries because they are no longer camouflaged.

       In addition to changing color the tart acidity begins to decrease and in its place sugar is now found.  As the berries continues to mature the acidity continues to drop and sugar increases.  It's an inverse relationship for those of us that remember all of that junk!  This is a process that completely fascinates me. 

       In any event we have had some big news as it relates to two of our wines.  Our 2005 Five-O Red received DOUBLE GOLD in the Best-of-Appellation Program through Appellation America.  This wine is defined as one that demonstrates the potential of the North Fork.  So, it is a big honor to have this.  Additionally, we received BEST SAUVIGNON BLANC in New York State at the 2009 Wine and Food Classic for our 2008 SO VIN YON BLONK.  I just loved reading that spelled out in the email I received informing me of this accolade.  So, we have two more great selling points to offer our customers in addition to the many others! 

     The wine club is being prepared for shipment and in the fall wine club the all new 2008 Syrah Rose' will be included (96% Syrah, 4% Viognier).  This is a wine club exclusive and just this past week we bottled the 2007 Malbec another wine club exclusive that will be available in the Winter wine club shipment.  The Malbec promises to be a gem!   Talk with ya'll soon!

 

        Cheers,

 

              Juan. 

MCV FARM NEWS - 8.1.09 - Spoiler Alert...

Hey ya'll,

       Well, I apologize for my recent weeks of silence.  In any event lots of things have transpired since my last email.  The vineyard is in full swing.  Jim and the guys have been doing a great job of managing the canopy.  One thing is "for true"... the yields will be quite small this year.  One of the benefits of having a large vineyard is that we have lots of vines which yield fruit.  On a typical year we sell fruit to other local growers.  On a year such as this we either don't sell or reduce the quantity that we do sell.
      This year we will only be selling a small amount of fruit, so we will be able to meet our needs in the winery.  Quality is a question and concern of many people I speak with this year.  To be quite frank mother nature has been....hmm...how can I say this...a bit challenging is a nice way to describe her behavior.  However, as of late we have been quite sunny and warm.  Sure, we have been getting rain, but this has been occurring at night maximizing sun during the day.  
     Because the yields are so small the vine will have less fruit to ripen.  So, even though it has been a cooler year historically speaking the yields in the vineyard are quite low.  I am hopeful that this will balance out in the long run.  We have a lot of hang time left and I am hopeful that we will see this year turn around. 
     The winery has been busy churning out bottles of the 2007 reds.  These babies are going to be nice.  Spoiler alert...these wines are AwEsOmE!  The combination of sexxy new packaging and great wine will be sure to have people talking about Martha Clara.  I am quite excited to have these wines hit the market.  These will be the first red wines that I have created fully as a head winemaker!  These are the nicest wines that I have been involved with in all of my years in the industry.  I know there has been much abuzz about the 2007 and 2008 whites, well the 2007 reds will follow that trend when they are released!  I cannot wait!
     That's the news for now... Talk with ya'll later!

      Cheers,

         - Juan. 

Turn on the Switch!!!

Morning Ya'll,

        Well, I would like talk about the weather but quite frankly there really is nothing I can do about it!  In the industry vineyard manager's often talk about Long Island and its seasonal transitions as being quite abrutpt.  It is often typical for one to describe the change from Winter to Summer as if someone has turned on a light switch.  Well, if anybody out there knows somebody...that knows somebody...please have that person in charge of the switch, turn the damn thing on!  I wonder if there is anybody out there that truly enjoys this weather?  
        The primary question I get now is how will this affect the grapes?  Well, the truth is we really don't know?  I am optimistic that it will be minimal because we are taking many necessary precautions to combat the excessive moisture.  Canopy management is always crucial in any year, but it is especially crucial on years such as this.  We have been removing shoots to minimize crowding and also removing sterile shoots.  (Sterile shoots are those that do not bear clusters.)  Leaf removal from the fruit zone is going to be a crucial part of good canopy management.  So, this vintage is not over yet and I am still very hopeful that things will turn around!
       Finally, the U.S. Open finished this week and it was a memorable Open for many reasons.  Many spectators were able to watch World Class golf as well as enjoy World Class wines in the clubhouse.  We were pouring an assortment of wines in the clubhouse and the feedback was great!  We are on "Par" with the best wines in the world!  (pun intended)
      We filmed another episode of the JuanMaker.  Check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDYdVVF6RyQ.  We have gotten a bit better with some of the editing, but keep in mind this is still being done on virtually no budget!  So, I hope that these continue to make people laugh a little as well as make people scratch their heads, mainly wondering, "What is he thinking?"  Yes, some may say I am a little crazy, but remember it takes one to know one!

           - Juan.

No "I" in Martha Clara.

Good afternoon ya'll,

        Well, we had a great write up in the NY Times on Sunday and I wanted to share with ya'll!  Please seehttp://events.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/nyregion/21vinesli.html for more information on this great article.  
       While, I am referenced in this article I just want to let everyone know that this is something that we have all earned.  Wine is not made by one man or woman alone.  It takes lots of hard work by many people and this is not limited to the winery and/or the vineyard.  It requires the assistance of everyone and this is something we all earned.  So, congratulations to all of us!  

          Cheers and Thanks,

                 - Juan. 

Pun Intended.

Morning Ya'll,

       Well, the weather continues to be rainy with intermittent rays of sunshine.  The forecast looks like things should start clearing up next week.  I have been getting many questions in regards to the vineyard and how this is affecting us.  While this weather is not ideal we are not at the end of Harvest yet and we still have an entire summer ahead of us and hopefully a beautiful Fall.  So needless to say I have not yet had any doubts that we can still have a great year!
       The weather does cause us to change strategies.  In many respects vineyard management is like a game of chess.  The reality of this business is when we win it is because Mother Nature let's us.  We cannot out-wit mother nature, but we have to adjust our strategy based on her moves.
      Our strategy in the vineyard has changed a bit.  Every year we remove leaves from the fruit zone (the area in which all of the grapes grow) to allow for sun exposure.   We will begin this process a bit earlier than usual to help counteract the overcast conditions we have had.  I guess you can say that this is a combination of being reactive and proactive.  We do this to encourage drying in the soon to be flowering clusters.  More drying equals better fruit set and less disease pressures for us.  
      On the event side of things the US Open at Bethpage Black is in full-swing (pun intended).  We are very pleased to be pouring at the NYS Hospitality tent. Unfortunately, the rain has put a bit of a damper (pun intended) on tournament play but play will resume today.  It is a great honor for us to be pouring at this tournament of great competitor's.  
       We will be the host of several great events this weekend including a Gala for the Peconic Bay Medical Center, Casino Night for East End Art's Council, Summer Time Grillin', and a Sports Memorabilia Show to name a few!  So, please let people know about all of the great things that we have going on farm.  
       That's the news for now, talk with ya'll soon!

       Cheers,

              Juan.

Let's Do the Twist

Morning ya'll,

      Well, I believe everyone would agree in wanting this rain to get out of here!  The weekend looks like it will be beautiful.  I am looking forward to seeing the sun.  The upcoming week will be warming up, but it looks like the chance of rain will still exist.  It is still early in the growing season but all vineyard manager's and winemaker's want sun!  
      The guys in the vineyard continue to remove suckers and put the first wire up on the trellis.  We put wire on the trellising to provide support for the vines and to minimize damage to the vine as various equipment travels down the vine rows.  In addition to support and minimizing damage the trellis allows the canopy to grow vertically maximizing the amount of sun each vine will capture.  The more sun exposure we have the greater amount of sugars and flavors are developed.  The vine does turn Sunlight into Wine.  An industry book has been written titled this and it is truly amazing what occurs in a grapevine.  
      At the winery we are pulling the 2007 reds out of barrel and prepping for bottle.  We have some new label designs for the reds and look forward to getting these on the bottle.  The labels promise to keep us on the cutting edge of packaging.  The new packaging is simply stated and elegant.  We hope that all will like it!
      I was quoted in the local paper regarding screw caps this past week.  There is a growing interest and understanding of screw caps in the industry as well as by the consumer.  It is unfortunate that many consumers were taught that "cheap" wines went under screw caps because this is no longer true.  There are the hold outs in the wine industry that may never convert, but there are always those people out there.  However, when it comes to consistency of wine quality for the consumer no comparison exists.  Many studies have been conducted involving the bottling of a particular wine under screw cap and cork.  The results time and time again are conclusive that screw caps help preserve freshness in a wine not to mention eliminate cork taint.  Hopefully more people will be doing the twist! 
      In any event I look forward to seeing some of you tonight.  As always feel free to send in your questions!  Talk with ya'll soon.

BAM!

Morning Ya'll,

       It has been another busy week both on the farm and off!  There have been lots of events going on different parts of the Island.  Many of us have been traveling to show off the great wines that we have to offer.  I attended Brooklyn Uncorked this week at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).  This event showcases Long Islandwines to the folks in Brooklyn.  Long Island continues to peak interest for many Brooklyn-ites.  There is a great sense of awareness in regards to the importance of LOCAL wines, not to mention the importance of tattoos and piercings!       
       The 2008 Riesling and Gewurztraminer were huge hits.  People were really enjoying the intense flavors and aromas of these wines.  The 2008 Sauvignon Blanc has also been grabbing peoples attention.  This is not out yet in the tasting room, but will makes its appearance soon.  
      Once again our new screw caps did not receive a single negative comment.  In fact I had several positive comments regarding our conversion.  Additionally, I had multiple positive comments regarding our labels.  Our labels are eye catching and are loved by many!  
      Another webisode of the JuanMaker was filmed this week and is available for viewing at:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnIlld4lU6o .  Please check it out!  I have been receiving lots of positive comments from people in the industry.  Please let people in the tasting room know to check us out on youtube.com as well as friending us on Facebook and MySpace! 
      Lastly, the vineyard has slowed down in pace a little bit as the temperatures have cooled.  It is very early in the season so this does not have any serious season long consequences.  Granted we would prefer more heat and more sun, but it is so early in the season.  Growth looks good in the vineyard and it seems that we have had a pretty good bud break.  The winter was a cold one and it appears that we were relatively unscathed by Old Man Winter.  The crew continues to peck away at various things. 
      In any event if you have questions...ask them, otherwise I shall talk with ya'll soon!

The Tide Has Turned

Morning Ya'll,

      Well, this week has just rocketed by!  Between bud break in the vineyard, tasting's/events in Manhattan, new labels for approval, meeting with miscellaneous sales people, etc. it has been busy!  Things are moving along well in the vineyard.  Bud break has happened earlier than it has ever happened before and just like I said last week the full dandelion bloom coincided with bud break.  Dandelions are the nemesis to many, but the vineyard does look beautiful when the dandelions are in flower!  
      I attended a trade tasting in Manhattan on Monday and it went very well.  The tasting was largely attended by trade and wine writers.  The reception to the wines was very favorable and the only comment that I heard about our screw caps were positive ones.  It is great to see the trade and wine writers embracing screw caps.  They are well aware of the benefits that these have for wine.  The folks that I encountered on Tuesday night at a tasting whom were largely Manhattan twenty and thirty-something's also embraced the screw caps.  It is wonderful to see that the tide has largely turned.
     This weekend I will be attending a gathering of wine bloggers at another winery on Saturday.  It will be interesting to meet many of these people that are blazing the way of the wine world.  While the old stand-by's in print media continue to chug along, it is the medium of the web that is reaching the most people.  We are making large attempts to get ourselves more viewable on the web.  Please let our customers in the tasting room know that they may follow us on MySpace, Facebook andTwitter.  
      During the course of the past week I received many comments on the JuanMaker.  It is was interesting to see the response.  We again are paving the way in a new quirky format of tasting notes via the web.  I really want to deconstruct what has been the tradition of the tasting notes and merge them with the odd-vertising has been all around us in the past couple of years.  It seems to have struck a chord with many and I look forward to creating more of these.  So, keep on passing the word about the JuanMaker (tell them to got to youtube.com and type in juanmaker as one word)! 

What Penguin???

Morning Ya'll,

      Well, Spring showers certainly showed themselves over the past several days.  We received lots of rain and signs of spring are all around.  The vineyard is all but complete with tying and will be done very soon in duetime for bud break.  The next step in the vineyard will be bringing the wires back down in preparation of the new growth in 2009.
      The warm weather that will be coming over the next several days will promise to push bud swell and I would not be surprised to see some bud break around the vineyard.  I have noticed over the past several years that bud break coincides with the big bloom of the dandelions.  I was in the vineyard yesterday with Jim and we noticed sprouting of dandelions here and there.  The vineyard is truly beautiful when the dandelions are in full bloom.  
      Shortly I will be going with Rudy to conduct a tasting with our new distributor.  It is never to early to drink wine as it is always noon somewhere in the world!  We are scheduled to have our meeting/tasting at 6:45AM!  
      Matt and I have been busy developing our new wine tasting note campaign.  We have developed an "odd-fer-mercial" of sorts.  The JuanMaker is the new character that we have developed.  There have been many likeness's used to describe the Juan Maker, but ultimately it is an opportunity to have fun with wine tasting notes.  We want to make them more interactive and have fun at the same time.  If we can get a chuckle out of people and/or get people scratching there heads, we have succeeded.  So please check out the following link to youtube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWLqhpVsXhI  Please feel free to share this with friends, family, or any goats you may know!  Pass on the fun!  There will be more of the JuanMaker in the future.  So, keep an eye out for further adventures of the JuanMaker!  Please also let guests at the tasting room know about the JuanMaker.  The best way to get updates is to follow the JuanMaker on Twitter, Facebook on Martha Clara's page as well as the JuanMakers page.  We will also be posting this on our MySpace page as well!

Sir Lee

Morning Ya'll,

Well, things at the winery have been picking up. We have been receiving packaging for our 2008 wines. Once the 2008 white wines go into bottle the much anticipated 2007 Reds will not be far behind. Both the 2008 Whites and 2007 Reds are tasting really nice and I am excited about seeing these go to bottle.

We will be "racking" (winemaker for saying, "coming out of barrel") the 2008 Estate Reserve Chardonnay. The barrels will be cleaned and the wine will return to barrel for several more months.20 This wine was fermented in barrel and will spend a total of 9 months in barrel before going to bottle. Half of the barrels were fermented with added yeast and the other half was fermented with natural yeast. After the fermentation the yeast was allowed to remain in contact with the wine. We call this extended contact sur lie (pronounced - sir lee) aging. It is a common technique used in Burgundian chardonnay.

When we age sur lie we develop a slight creaminess and nuttiness. What occurs over time is yeast break down releasing different aroma and flavor compounds. This results in increased complexity of our Estate Reserve Chardonnay and main line Chardonnay.

Our main line Chardonnay is aged sur lie for four months, but we ferment in tank rather than in barrel. We obtain nuttiness and creaminess along with the freshness and crispness that a tank ferment yields. Whether it be in tank or barrel I feel that Chardonnay is a varietal that benefits from sur lie aging.

I want to welcome James Thompson onto the Martha Clara team. Jim will serve as vineyard manager on the farm and brings a wealth of management experience. Many people have had the opportunity to meet him. We welcome Jim to the team and look forward to many great growing seasons!

Cheers,
Juan

Bigger is Better

Morning Ya'll,

It was a busy week on the farm, winery, and warehouse. The 2008 wines continue their procession into bottle. When the wines are bottled they are transported from the winery to the warehouse. Dan the Man had a small mishap on his way to the warehouse this week. A strap came loose and cases shifted! In the end a few cases were broken. At the time things looked worse than they were. These things do unfortunately happen and when you move thousands of cases like Dan does a few cases of breakage is small potatoes. The breakage happened in our 2008 GE White. For a small time it looked as if we set-up a U-Pick Wine on the corner of Northville Turnpike and Sound Ave.

During this mishap a very kind woman stopped by with her children and offered to help. In addition she gave us several pairs of gloves that she had just recently purchased to use in the clean-up. While many people just rubber neck and gawk it is nice to know that there are still people in the world that are willing to help. It was an incredible gesture and I really do thank that woman and her family! Thanks!

A bunch of us at the winery have decided to become even more connected to the "Matrix". There are several new Blackberry's on the farm. I was the recipient of a new Blackberry Storm. I really think they designed these things for Hobbits as I cannot manage to touch correct key on the touch pad of this device. Everything is so small! I am old fashioned, but bigger is better. I guess I need one of those Honey I Shrunk the Kids devices to make myself smaller when I am using this thing. I hope it gets better, but I know what my parents felt like when they first tried Atari or Nintendo!

The main purpose of these new devices is to update web sites like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. I will spend more time attempting to figure these sites out and I will be bringing lots of photos and quips about things going on in the vineyard and winery. So, please let customers know to check us out on these websites as well sign up to be friends. Well, that is the news for now. I hope all is well, and a Happy Easter to all!!

Cheers,
Juan

Whole Lot of Bottling Going On!

Morning Ya'll,

Well, it seems that this year March was in like a lion and out like a lamb. April seems to have brought along its showers in 2009. I am hopeful that we will see a spring this year. I can honestly remember as a child having nice springs, where as in recent years it seems a light switch signals Winters' end and Summers' beginning.

In the vineyard the task of brush pulling and chopping continues. Jim has been taking more soil samples and ordered what will be the first soil additions made this year. We will be making many additions throughout the growing season. Our philosophy is to grow healthy well fed vines that in turn will have less susceptibility to vineyard pests.

The winery has been a buzz with lots of bottling going on. We have bottled the following 2008 wines: Rose', Riesling, Gewurtz, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay. The screw capper has been working well and I am quite happy about the move we are making. During the day today I will prepare a little informational sheet about screw caps similar to the one that I created when we released Sabor. I know there will be many questions and if there is something you are unsure about please let me know. There will be many questions and thoughts from our customers. The main one will be, "What about the romance?" My answer to this is "If you need the cork for romance there are other issues going on..."

The main reason we are making this move is quality. I will explain more in my informational sheet. I will also send it via email so those of us that are unable to make it to the tasting room to read it.

I also want to mention to everyone that Martha Clara Vineyards is on Facebook and I will begin a Twitter account as soon as I get a new phone. This will hopefully happen in the next few days. So please have customers check us out on Facebook and Twitter. We will be offering special discounts on these two social networks.

Lastly, we will be offering a special flight of 2007 Reds in the tasting room for the month of May. Right now we are scheduled to be tasting the following wines: Syrah, Merlot, and Malbec. The Syrah and Merlot will have a futures discount available and the Malbec is the only sneek peek non-wine club members will have of this wine. The Malbec will only be a production of about 145 cases and will not be made in 2008. As I have mentioned before I will be making wines for the Wine Club Members only and this will be the first off the line. Talk with ya'll soon!

Cheers,
Juan

Here's to Health, Happiness, and All Things Screwy...

Morning Ya'll,

Well, things have been a bit SCREWY at the winery in the past week. The 2008 Riesling, Gewurtz, and Rose' have been bottled. The most exciting news of all for me was the fact that these wines went in under screw cap. I am very excited about these wines being released. We will be holding off on release of the Riesling and Gewurtz until mid-April. The rose' will be immediately available and you will see the new screw capped version soon. I welcome any questions about screw caps. I have written about this in past emails and I recommend re-reading some of these. Check out my blog on our website for more info. If you have any questions that I have not addressed PLEASE let me know! I want to provide as much information to all of you as we make this transition. I want us to be well prepared for all of the questions that you may receive in the tasting room as well at off-premise tasting's. I will prepare an informational sheet regarding screw caps.

Jim and the guys in the vineyard have been quite busy. As each day passes more brush is being pulled and chopped. The chopping of the brush allows nutrients to be returned to the soil. Jim has been looking quite intently at the soil at Martha Clara. Along with the help of a local soil guy Jim is developing a program that will get us on the road to healthy and happy vines. Healthy and Happy vines yield yummy fruit and yummy fruit yields awesome wine!

I received handful of medals for wines that were submitted to Appellation America. We received Double Gold for the following wines: 2007 Pinot Grigio, 2007 Riesling, 2007 Chardonnay, and 2007 Estate Reserve Chardonnay. We received gold for 2007 Viognier and 2007 Gewurtz. The best thing about the Chardonnay awards is that these were awarded for the Best of Appellation category. This means that these wines define the quality and character of the region. While some of these wines are sold out the 2008 vintage of these wines were made in similar to identical style. So I expect these wines to sell out even faster as the buzz gets around about the great things going on at Martha Clara Vineyards. Well that's it for now, but please email me any questions that you may have.

Cheers,
Juan.

It's Spring Again...

Well, it is now officially Spring and the signs of spring are all around us. In the vineyard the guys have been tying the pruned vines down on the fruiting wire. The chopper has been going up and down vineyard rows chopping the canes that were cut during pruning. These canes after being chopped will return to the earth providing nutrients back to the earth.

While walking the vineyard with Jim I noted that sap is beginning to flow through the vines. We can see this because of where we prune we see moisture. The vine will eventually heal itself and this sap will stop flowing. However, these are some of the first indicators that the growing season is on the horizon. Also, while walking you could see that the ground was cracking as the winter ground thaw goes away.

Earlier in the week Jim and I had a great conversation with a local soil guy. We are looking more intently at the soil and nutrients as we realize that these are the building blocks to fruit quality and vineyard health. With increased vigilance in the vineyard we will see increased fruit quality. Not that we are doing that bad at the moment, with the news that I received from Appellation America today.

I received an email from Appellation America this morning indicating that we received Double Gold for our 2007 Chardonnay and 2007 Estate Reserve Chardonnay. They were both awarded this in the Best of Appellation Category. This is great news as both of these wines in 2008 were made in the identical style to the 2007. I look forward to the 2008 Chardonnay going into bottle as I know many other people do. Talk with ya'll soon!!!

Cheers,
Juan

Brushfire Fairytales

Morning Ya'll,

Well it is another blustery day on the North Fork. The weather for the past week has been quite nice allowing the guys to move along in the vineyard. Most of the pruning is completed with the exception of the Pinot Noir and Syrah. The crew is more or less split between finishing pruning and pulling the brush from the wires. The "brush" is what the guys have cut from the vine. They place the "brush" in the middle of the rows where it will be chopped into mulch that will return to the soil as nutrients. In years past many vineyards would burn their brush, but now it is pretty standard to mulch it.

When the pruning is completed we will begin tying the canes to the fruiting wire. These canes will provide the new growth for the upcoming year. I am very excited about the upcoming growing season. Now having the experiences of two vintages I feel a greater relationship developing with the vineyard. Vines are much like people and each variety behaves in different ways. Also, each variety depending on where it is in the vineyard and when it was planted will change vine behavior. Now I begin to sound "hokie", but good vineyard managers and winemakers listen and pay close attention to their vines and wines. It is these subtle nuances that when noticed or possibly ignored can and will make significant differences in wine quality.

Cheers,
Juan

Turn of the Screw

Morning Ya'll,

A cold morning it is. I cannot believe it is Friday. I have been busy this week between checking things out in the vineyard and winery. This week we received our Stelvin caps. "Stel" or Stelvin is the winemaker/geek way of saying, "screwcap". Stelvin more specifically names the company that developed the technology. We do this often in language with things like Kleenex and Band-Aid. These more specifically name a brand rather than the product itself. However, these become so synonymous with the product that we call all brands by such names.

A year ago when I was looking into screw cap's they were only two companies that were producing. While cork suppliers are a dime a dozen, screw cap suppliers were few. While at Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento I noted several new producers.

The guys in the vineyard are cruising along with pruning. They are finished with the white grape varieties and have finished all of the Merlot. They still have Cab. Franc, Cab. Sauv, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Pinot Noir, and Syrah to complete. Our crew has some pretty serious arctic gear when they are in the vineyard, but when temperatures dip below 25 degrees with serious wind chill factors they do not work. I will say it many times...As a winemaker we often receive all of the credit, but any winemaker is only as good as the guys in the vineyard.

- Juan.

Three guys Walk Into a Bar...

Morning Ya'll,

Well, I am reporting from the West Coast as I am currently attending The Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, California. This is an annual event which highlights trends and important information regarding many aspects of the wine industry. California as we may all well know is at the forefront of agriculture in the U.S. and often they are the ones to first feel consumer demands, shifts, and trends.

Major topics of the symposium this year have included sustainability, market trends, and the economy. The Californian wine industry is seeing increased demand from consumers for SUSTAINABLE products, but what does that mean? I will elaborate on this issue further in future emails.

Major market trends are showing the great acceptance and demand for wine from Millennial's and Women. This is great news for the wine industry as we will see increases in demand for our products. During my own recent "market research" (Ie. having dinner at a bar on Long Island) I noted three gentleman who seemed of various trades as indicated by their apparel sharing a bottle of wine together. I really could not believe my eyes when I wintnessed this. A bar filled with taps of the "big boys" of the beer industry and here they were sharing a bottle of local wine together at the bar! I think a tear came to my eye... This was a testament to me of how wine is seeing greater acceptance across the board.

The Economy has been an issue across all factions of business. While retailers saw declines in consumer spending the wine industry saw an increase of about 7% in increased sales during the Holiday season compared to 2007. It seems consumers are "trading down" when it comes to wine purchases. Value wines are finding their way onto more tables these days. This is great news for a local winery such as ourselves on the North Fork. We have been long known to be a beacon of value and consumers will certainly respond to this as they embark on their weekend sojourn's to the North Fork. I feel strongly that consumers may "trade down" in price for our wine, but will note the high quality that we offer. We offer great local BANG FOR THE BUCK! While we may struggle for competitiveness in pricing with the "Big Boys" of the wine world we are still a dynamite tourism destination offering many things for families to enjoy! Besides buying local wine supports your neighbors! So let's definitely talk up the great values that our local wines offer!

Lastly, I want to mention the sad and devastating passing of Ben Sisson a long time Veteran of the Long Island Wine Industry. I learned of Ben's passing upon arriving here in California. Ben was a devoted and passionate member of the Long Island Wine industry, Friend to many, Husband, Father and will be greatly missed.

Cheers,
Juan

Fridgid Temps. and Industry Losses.

Hey Ya'll,

Morning. This is the first time I have written in the New Year, so happy New Year! The local news in recent weeks has been the loss of two integral members of our small industry. Christian Wolffer was the first tragic loss that we heard of in the New Year. The second loss of Robert (Bob) J. Palmer occurred just about one week ago. Both of these gentleman were quite influential to the industry in their own respects and will be missed.

Palmer was the first Long Island wine that I ever had. It also was the first winery that I visited on Long Island. Fresh out of college with thoughts of finding my "last" Summer job, before I started a "real" job in the Fall I headed out East. I applied for work at that time, but the then tasting room manager informed me they had no positions available. How times have changed... I am now a winemaker and my wife is now the tasting room manager at Palmer. Bob Palmer and Christian Wolffer will be missed.

The vineyard has been cold and the guys have been continuing the work in the vineyard. We are busy pruning away. The work they are doing is the framework for the 2009 Harvest. We are finished pruning all of the white varieties and are beyond the half-way point in the vineyard. Vineyard work is often under appreciated as winemaker's often take all of the credit. The fella's out there gear up every morning and take on the arduous task of pruning in these cold temperatures. When the temperature dips drastically the guys will not work, but it is still pretty cold out there. My hat's off to our guys in the vineyard!

Cheers,
Juan.