MCV FARM NEWS - 8.13.10 - Fingers Crossed!!!

Morning Ya'll,

     It has been some time since I have written and I apologize.  Lots of things have happened since I have last written, but like Ceasar Milan says, "Live in the now."  The vineyard continues to chug along.  If you have not yet done so please take a quick walk out to the vineyard and check out the veraisoning (sp?) or verating (Is that a word?) of our grapes.  Veraison is when the grapes change color.  
     Since all grapes start off as green like the canopy (wine industry way of saying foliage) the color change obviously differs for red and white grapes.  Our white grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier will turn a beautiful golden color.  An exception to this green to golden color change rule is Pinot Grigio (or also know as Pinot Gris).  Pinot Grigio turns from green into a grayish (gris, grigio) purple.  However, the wine will turn out to be a white wine.
     As for the red grape varieties their color change is much more dramatic.  It is amazing to watch the fruit change from green into a deep red color.  It truly is magical to watch this all unfold.  Honestly, the whole process of grape growing from the very beginning is truly magical.  As our logo indicates we are "Growing Magic."  However, this color change signals to Robin and I that we must prepare for the second half... winemaking.  
    The season is looking to be a full two-weeks ahead of schedule.  However, Jim and the crew has remained ahead of the curve and continue to do things in a timely fashion despite no one telling us that this season would be two weeks ahead!  Mother Nature just does that to you sometimes...  Jim and the crew are now applying nets in an effort to thwart off our avian friends.  While I personally am becoming a bird lover, nothing drives me more crazy than a huge flock of starlings flying into the vineyard.  Veraison is the vineyards way of advertising that "Sweet and juicy fruit is available here!"  The birds are more than happy to sample.  Bird netting will deter these voracious customers, but will not prevent them.  The most frustrating thing about Starlings is that they are not a native species.  But, it is suitable really because neither are our grape vines. Keep your fingers crossed as we come down the stretch! 
    This weekend we will play host to a Wiffle Ball Tournament and the NoFo Craft Beer Festival.  It is suitable as we are the "Official Craft Wine of Craft Beer Drinkers."  I will have the opportunity to see many of my good friends and colleagues from the brewing world.  In fact I will speaking on a panel with Spencer Niebuhr from the Southampton Publick House (my old stomping grounds).  We will be discussing food and wine vs. food and beer pairings.  It should promise to be a very entertaining discussion, to say the least.  
Lastly, I would like to say congratulations to Robin Epperson and her fiance Andrew McCarthy as they prepare to get married. Robin will be returning as Robin Epperson McCarthy on Wednesday! Congrats Robin and Andrew! As always Eat Local, Drink Local, Live Local!! WoRd...

Cheers,

- Juan.

Juan Eduardo Micieli-Martinez
Winemaker - Martha Clara Vineyards
6025 Sound Avenue Riverhead, NY 11901
Email: phermentation1@aim.com www.marthaclaravineyards.com
CHECK OUT THE JuanMaker on Youtube.com!

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WINERY!

FRIEND ME ON FACEBOOK!
 
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: @phermentation1 and #marthaclara
 

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MCV FARM NEWS - 7.9.10 - Martha on the Move...

Morning Ya'll,

     It has been a busy week at the farm and winery.  The vineyard continued its record procession towards ripeness this week.  A report that was issued this week from Cornell told us that we are around 200 growing degree days ahead of 2007.   If anyone recalls 2007 it was an incredibly warm year that yielded beautiful fruit.  At this point in time we are well ahead of that and we still have the rest of July, August, and September to go!  Typically we will begin to harvest in late September, but this could happen sooner if we continue this warm trend.  
    At the winery we have finally received some our long anticipated packaging material so we will be able to continue bottling soon.  Robin and I have been discussing and tasting blends.  This morning we will be tasting through the 2009 reds as we prepare to rack these wines.  Additionally, we have been discussing our strategy for the 2010 winemaking season.  It is closer than we would like to think!
     This weekend we have a whole bunch 'o things going on at the vineyard.  We will have live music on Sat. and Sun.  Tomorrow at 11am I will be leading a group of people and canines on our first Vines and Canines walking tour.  Along the way I will discuss the history of Long Island's geography, the history of the farm, and information about viticulture.  On Saturday evening we will take back to the high seas for our Sunset Sails Wine Cruises with Captain Bob.  Please be sure to check out the website for all of the great stuff we have going on!
     For the folks in Nassau County we will be hosting a wine dinner at the Plattdeutsche in Franklin Square on Saturday evening July 17th.  It will be a great opportunity to enjoy Martha Clara Vineyards wines without having to come out to the vineyard.  The dinner will be served al fresco at the Plattdeutsche which if you have not been, is a truly special place filled with a rich German history.  Please tell friends and family to the West to come on out and join us!
       Lastly, we will be releasing the much anticipated 2009 SO VIN YON BLONK in the tasting room.  The 2008 SO VIN YON BLONK is just about running out.  The 2008 won Sauvignon Blanc of the Year at the New York Wine and Grape Foundations annual competition.  The 2008 is a beautiful wine, but the 2009 steps up the intensity.  Both are dynamite wines, but I am just happy to be able to offer the 2009, so come on down and give it a taste!  Catch ya'll later!!!

      Cheers,

           Juan.

Juan Eduardo Micieli-Martinez
Winemaker - Martha Clara Vineyards
6025 Sound Avenue Riverhead, NY 11901
Email: phermentation1@aim.com
www.marthaclaravineyards.com

CHECK OUT THE JuanMaker on Youtube.com!

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WINERY!

FRIEND ME ON FACEBOOK!
 
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: @phermentation1 and #marthaclara
 
IMPORTANT: E-mails from this company normally contain confidential material for the sole use of the intended recipient. The use, distribution, transmittal or re-transmittal by an unintended recipient of any communication is prohibited without our express approval in writing or by e-mail. Any use, distribution, transmittal or re-transmittal by persons who are not intended recipients of this e-mail may be a violation of law and is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient please contact the sender and delete all copies. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this transmission. This message is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or related financial instruments. All e-mails sent to or from Martha Clara Vineyards, LLC, and its affiliates are to be used for our business purposes only. E-mails sent from or to the company are subject to review by the company.
 

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MCV FARM NEWS - 7.2.10 - Celebrate Independence, DriNk LoCaL.

Morning Ya'll,

      Well, the Summer continues to motor on as this weekend is already
the Fourth of July!  Traditionally we celebrate our freedom from
"Mother England" by grilling various foods and drinking copious amounts
of fermented beverages.  This year I ask ya'll to celebrate by drinking
a bit of the great local wines that the region has to offer, and there
are a plenty to be had!
     The vineyard continues to move right ahead.  The warm dry weather
continues to be relentless as growth in the vineyard continues.  In
fact, we have completed fruit set and now have pea sized berries across
the vineyard in all 14 varieties.  Jim and the guys continue to hedge,
leaf pull, shoot position, and have even begun some irrigation.  The
craziest thing about all of this is that the extended forecast
continues to look favorable for fruit development.  At this pace
harvest could start 3-weeks earlier, but I don't want to "jump the gun"
on this one.  
     The next step will be the arduous task of fruit thinning.  Grape
vines will always produce more fruit than is ideal for making wine.
 Remember, natures plan in all of this is to promote the species, not
to make wine.  We are the crazy ones turning the grapes into wine.  In
order to make high quality wine we will "thin crop".  In doing this we
take newly developed clusters and cut the to the ground in the hopes of
taking the vines fruit ripening ability and focusing it in on fewer
clusters.   Thus, producing riper and more flavorful fruit.  Both of
these are critical to produce the tasty good stuff we offer in the
tasting room.    
     As for the winery we are preparing to bottle the 2008 reds as well
as the remaining 2009 Whites and rose'.  It has been a tumultuous
bottling season with some packaging being harder to secure than others.
 However, there is now some light at the end of the tunnel.  
     So, as you go about your normal holiday routine please remember to
drink responsibly and drink local when you can!  Happy Fourth of July!  

        Cheers Ya'll,

                   Juan.

P.S. - The Dog Days of Summer officially start tomorrow!

Juan Eduardo Micieli-Martinez
Winemaker - Martha Clara Vineyards
6025 Sound Avenue Riverhead, NY 11901
Email: phermentation1@aim.com
www.marthaclaravineyards.com

CHECK OUT THE JuanMaker on Youtube.com!

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WINERY!

FRIEND ME ON FACEBOOK!
 
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: @phermentation1 and #marthaclara
 

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MCV FARM NEWS - 6.25.10 - Strawberry Moon.

Morning Ya'll, 

       The season is in full swing.  We have reached and passed the Summer Solstice, Strawberry Festival, and the Strawberry Moon.  The season continues to be a great one in the vineyard.  Jim and the guys are in the midst of pulling leaves, lifting wires, hedging and mowing!  Fruit set is all but complete in the vineyard and it seems like we have had a good fruit set.  The next step is to get leaves removed in order expose the newly forming clusters to sun and air.   Leaf removal will naturally give a better resistance to diseases that sometimes can affect the vineyard. Also, Jim will be giving his second class of Vines to Wines. There will be much to discuss in Vines to Wines. 
      It is going to be a busy week on the North Fork.  The first annual Food and Wine Festival will be held in Greenport.  In celebration and conjunction with the festival we will offer a barrel tasting at the tasting room.  We will be offering barrel samples of the 2009 Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  Robin and I will be on hand to offer these samples .  For more information on this festival check out our website and click the link to the North Fork Food and Wine Festival. If you like food and wine, well you will not want to miss this! 
     Last weekend we had our Maiden Voyage for Sunset Sails and a great time it was!  We had a wonderful evening of beautiful scenic views, great wine, great food, great people, and great conversation.  We have more dates available and highly suggest people take advantage of at least one voyage. Sunset Sails is a great deal for our wine club members as they receive $20 off of each ticket. 
     If you are single and/or you know some single people tonight is our Singles Mingle.  DJ Phil will be making the tunes happen and Arthur Murray Dance Studio of Patchogue will be offering a group lesson.  But, hey Singles Mingle is not limited to singles!  If you like to dance and drink great wine, well Singles Mingle is for you as well! Enjoy the great weather and hopefully you will be making the North Fork a destination this weekend! DriNk LoCaL.   

      Cheers, 

           Juan. 

  Juan Eduardo Micieli-Martinez 
Winemaker - Martha Clara Vineyards 
6025 Sound Avenue Riverhead, NY 11901 
Email: phermentation1@aim.com 
www.marthaclaravineyards.com 

  CHECK OUT THE JuanMaker on Youtube.com! 

  SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WINERY! 

  FRIEND ME ON FACEBOOK! 

   FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: @phermentation1 and #marthaclara 

   IMPORTANT: E-mails from this company normally contain confidential material for the sole use of the intended recipient. The use, distribution, transmittal or re-transmittal by an unintended recipient of any communication is prohibited without our express approval in writing or by e-mail. Any use, distribution, transmittal or re-transmittal by persons who are not intended recipients of this e-mail may be a violation of law and is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient please contact the sender and delete all copies. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this transmission. This message is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or related financial instruments. All e-mails sent to or from Martha Clara Vineyards, LLC, and its affiliates are to be used for our business purposes only. E-mails sent from or to the company are subject to review by the company. 

    

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MCV FARM NEWS - 6.18.10 - Summer in Full Swing!!!

Morning Ya'll,

      Well, Lady Summer is in full effect showing us all why we love Long Island so much!  Sometimes during the Winter it can be tough here on Long Island, but then Spring rolls around.  Soon after Spring we have our beautiful Long Island Summers.  We are in the midst of one of those beautiful and very seductive summers right now.  Many things are ahead of schedule this year including the vines.  Jim and guys have been trying to keep up with all of this wonderful weather we have been having.

      In the recorded history of the wine industry on Long Island this is the earliest we have seen flowering and fruit set. There are many activities that are being completed all at once in the vineyard. We are suckering, mowing, raising wires, hedging, and starting to remove leaves all at once.  In a typical year we would be conducting two to three operations at once.  Does this mean we are going to be picking earlier this year?  Well, the jury is still out on that one...  We will just have to wait and see...
     I received some very good news yesterday.  It seems at the NYS Fair Commercial Wine Competition we received several medals.  We received Double Gold for the 2008 Viognier, Gold for the 2009 Riesling, and Silver medals for the 2009 So Vin Yon Blonk, 2009 Gewurztraminer, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2007 Five-O Red.  The wine club members this quarter received a knockout selection of wines with all three of their wines receiving medals!  To see the results for yourself check out this link: 

       http://www.nysfair.org/uploads/files/results/2010_Commercial_Wine_results.pdf 
    

     Our wine club event last week was a huge success.  It was great to see everyone and share our latest offerings!  Two of the three wines are not even available in the tasting room yet!  Yet another great reason to be a member of the wine club.  Lastly, we will be heading off with Captain Bob this weekend into the Sunset.  Sunset Sails will be this weekend.  It will be a great opportunity to see the North Fork and all its splendor from the Long Island Sound.  It will be 1.5-2hour cruise aboard the Captain Bob V in Mattituck. Some light food will be available and with each sail we will have some wines that are library or not in release just yet... I hope to see you on one of the sails this Summer.  Check out the website for more information!!!

      Cheers Ya'll,

              Juan.

Juan Eduardo Micieli-Martinez
Winemaker - Martha Clara Vineyards
6025 Sound Avenue Riverhead, NY 11901
Email: phermentation1@aim.com
www.marthaclaravineyards.com

CHECK OUT THE JuanMaker on Youtube.com!

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WINERY!

FRIEND ME ON FACEBOOK!

  FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: @phermentation1 and #marthaclara

  IMPORTANT: E-mails from this company normally contain confidential
material for the sole use of the intended recipient. The use,
distribution, transmittal or re-transmittal by an unintended recipient
of any communication is prohibited without our express approval in
writing or by e-mail. Any use, distribution, transmittal or
re-transmittal by persons who are not intended recipients of this
e-mail may be a violation of law and is strictly prohibited. If you are
not the intended recipient please contact the sender and delete all
copies. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or
error-free. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any
errors or omissions in the contents of this transmission. This message
is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed
as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any
securities or related financial instruments. All e-mails sent to or
from Martha Clara Vineyards, LLC, and its affiliates are to be used
for
our business purposes only. E-mails sent from or to the company are
subject to review by the company.

 

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MCV FARM NEWS - 6.11.10 - As Local as Local Wine Gets...

This was supposed to go out early this morning, but I had some problems with sending it...  Enjoy!

Hey Ya'll 

      Well, we received some much needed rain. We were considering turning on the irrigation, but Mother Nature did just that for us! The rain has come during the sensitive time of flowering in the vineyard. In 2009 we had several severe storms that came during flowering and these greatly lowered yields. We will evaluate to see if we had any damage. 
    It surely seems that Local is in! It seems that many bars and restaurants are proudly talking about their use of Local produce and Local wines. It is great for our region to have more and more of this occurring. We are fortunate to be in region that grows incredible grapes and other forms of produce. As farmers we are integral part of keeping the East End as beautiful as it is. 
    When you buy Local wine it supports so many people in the local community. It is an integral part of the economic ecosystem on Long Island and NY as a State. It is a great time of year where you can visit a farm stand and buy produce and then visit a vineyard to purchase wine. If you are a on-the-go type of person there are many great options for restaurants serving Local as well. 
    As always I know it is not possible to keep Local in the food and drink rotation 100% of the time, but just keeping it in the rotation is doing your part to support Local and I thank you! Every little bit helps! It is not criminal to substitute a non-local wine in here and there, but only as long as it is here and there. Otherwise, the "Local" Police may come for you. They are kind of like the "Fashion" Police except the "Local" police where denim coveralls. 
      Lastly, I want to mention that we have some cool things going on in the near future. For starters tomorrow night we have our quarterly wine club event. It is an Exclusive gathering for Wine Club Members. I will be on hand to talk about our new release 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, 2009 Riesling, and 2007 Five-O Red. Also, next Saturday and during other Saturdays we will have our Sunset Sails Wine Cruise's. These are an hour and a half cruise leaving from Mattituck Inlet with Captain Bob. Reservations are a must! We will feature an assortment of wines, some library wines not available in the tasting room for sale. They will be a lot of fun! Please check out the website for dates and times. 

    Cheers Ya'll, 

    Juan. 

  Juan Eduardo Micieli-Martinez 
Winemaker - Martha Clara Vineyards 
6025 Sound Avenue Riverhead, NY 11901 
Email: phermentation1@aim.com 
www.marthaclaravineyards.com 
CHECK OUT THE JuanMaker on Youtube.com! 
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WINERY! 
FRIEND ME ON FACEBOOK! 

   FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: @phermentation1 and #marthaclara 

   IMPORTANT: E-mails from this company normally contain confidential material for the sole use of the intended recipient. The use, distribution, transmittal or re-transmittal by an unintended recipient of any communication is prohibited without our express approval in writing or by e-mail. Any use, distribution, transmittal or re-transmittal by persons who are not intended recipients of this e-mail may be a violation of law and is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient please contact the sender and delete all copies. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this transmission. This message is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or related financial instruments. All e-mails sent to or from Martha Clara Vineyards, LLC, and its affiliates are to be used for our business purposes only. E-mails sent from or to the company are subject to review by the company. 

  

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MCV FARM NEWS - 6.4.10 - Eat Local, Drink Local, Live Local.

Morning Ya’ll,

     Well, Summer is certainly upon us and this warmer weather has accelerated growth.  It is estimated that we are approximately 2-3 weeks ahead in the vineyard!  The recent warm weather has caused one of the earliest blooms in the history of viticulture (fancy way of saying grape growing)!  Bloom is when the small flowers on the vines come into “bloom”.  The earlier than normal bloom could have impacts on our harvest, but it is entirely to early to say what will happen.  We will have to keep a keen eye to the weather and watch as 2010 unfolds.  The uniqueness of the wine industry is that you are always at the whims of nature and no two vintages are alike.

     One week ago we had our first ever Wine and Wigs Dance Party and it was a great time.  We had a number of great wigs on hand and the Penguin even had a wig too!  You can follow the Penguin on Twitter @mcvpenguin.  There is always great banter between Robin and the Penguin on Twitter as they sort out there differences.  The Penguin has been quoted as calling Robin a “poser”.  His issue is that she falsely implies she is a bird with her name “Robin” when in fact she actually is a mammal.  I understand his argument, but chill out Penguin!  Robin can be followed on Twitter @robinepp.

     Local seems to be all the buzz.  It is great to see an emphasis on local.  Local food and local drinks are incredibly important to our local economy. (Pun not intended)  When you buy locally produced products you support your neighbors.  It can be challenging to live a life completely filled with only local products, but if everyone gets local into their rotation it could greatly help our local economy.  So the next time you are out and there is a local option, please consider local.  Your neighbors thank you!

     Cheers,

          Juan.

Juan Eduardo Micieli-Martinez
Winemaker - Martha Clara Vineyards
6025 Sound Avenue
Riverhead, NY 11901
Email: phermentation1@aim.com
www.marthaclaravineyards.com

CHECK OUT THE JuanMaker on Youtube.com!

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WINERY!

FRIEND ME ON FACEBOOK!

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: @phermentation1 and #marthaclara

IMPORTANT: E-mails from this company normally contain confidential material for the sole use of the intended recipient. The use, distribution, transmittal or re-transmittal by an unintended recipient of any communication is prohibited without our express approval in writing or by e-mail. Any use, distribution, transmittal or re-transmittal by persons who are not intended recipients of this e-mail may be a violation of law and is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient please contact the sender and delete all copies. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this transmission. This message is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or related financial instruments. All e-mails sent to or from Martha Clara Vineyards, LLC, and its affiliates are to be used for our business purposes only. E-mails sent from or to the company are subject to review by the company.

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