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Upick Grapes Saturday September 16 2017 Alhambra Valley Road

As you may know, Tom Powers has sold his vineyards to Kevin Balestrieri.  A Upick operation will be held at the Balestrieri Family Farm vineyards at 8:00 AM on Saturday, September 16, 2017.  The available grapes include:  small amounts (a few hundred pounds each) of merlot, chardonnay, and cabernet sauvignon, and several tons each of pinot gris, viognier, and syrah.

Those wishing to pick high quality grapes, should meet at the Alhambra Valley Winery at 6140 Alhambra Valley Road, Martinez, CA at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 16, 2017.  There is a wide parking area in front of the winery.  The winery is about one quarter mile east of where Bear Valley Road and Pereira Road intersect with Alhambra Valley Road.  Note that Alhambra Valley Road/Pinole Valley Road is closed between Castro Ranch Road and Bear Valley Road.  If you are coming from the East Bay, the shortest route is San Pablo Dam Road to Bear Valley Road.

Look for Bonneau Dickson, Czar of the Contra Costa Wine Group, in a white Subaru Station Wagon.  Bonneau’s cell phone number is 510 910 3420, but cell phone reception in this area is spotty at best for services other than Sprint.

Please be on time.  If you are late and I am not at the winery, go to the intersection of Alhambra Valley Road and Pereira Road, turn north (right if coming from 6140).  The entrance to the vineyard is on the right about 200 yards from the intersection.

The vineyard previously belonged to Tom Powers, who wrote the book “Vineyard Simple”.  If you are interested in planting or tending a vineyard, copies of the book will be available for $20.

The price is 50 cents per pound, cash only.  Bring small denomination bills.

If you want to use my crusher/destemmer, you will have to come to my place at 2428 McGee Avenue, Berkeley, CA.  I will help you crush/destem and will even help you press and all this for free

If you think you want grapes, please reply by email to dickson.bonneau@gmail.com giving me your name, the varietal that you want, the approximate number of pounds that you want, and whether you would like to use the crusher/destemmer.  There is no obligation if you decide not to come but it helps my planning efforts if I have some approximate indication of what the demand will be.  Come anyway if you did not manage to let me know that you are coming.  Also let me know and come if you do not want any grapes but would just like the experience of picking grapes.

For anyone wanting a ton or more, we may be able to arrange to have it picked for you.  A deposit would be required.  The pickers usually are not available on Saturday and Sunday.

You can try to reach Bonneau at 510 910 3420 (Cell, but spotty at the vineyard) or 510 845 8625 (Landline but only checked intermittently during the hubbub of wine processing)

Happy grape picking and wine making.

—

Bonneau Dickson, P.E.
2428 McGee Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94703

Tel.  510 845 8625
Cell  510 910 3420
Fax. 510 845 4606

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Request for wine donations: Habitat for Humanity’s National Hurricane Relief Fund

On September 24, Tom and Bobbie Preston are hosting a Wine, Cheese, and Heirloom Tomato Tasting to benefit the Habitat for Humanity Hurricane Relief Fund.  The Prestons would be most appreciative of a few bottles of wine from those growers who can do so, to help make this event possible.  Bobbie would be happy to come to you to pick up any donations.  The event is Sunday September 24, from 4-6:30pm at the Preston home and garden, 1307 Larch, Moraga.
The event will cost $25 per person, with the proceeds going the Habitat Hurricane Relief Fund; there will be personnel at the event to assist guests in making online donations to the Fund, as well.
Thanks for your consideration!  And they’d love for you to come and enjoy the event, too!!
Tom and Bobbie Preston
1307 Larch Ave, Moraga
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Wagner ranch nature area olive festival

The Friends of Wagner Ranch Nature Area is hosting the annual Olive Festival on Oct. 1. Friends sponsors outdoor/environmental education programs for Orinda students. Please consider donating one bottle of your wonderful local wine to this worthy cause. I am happy to pick up and will put together a Lamo basket for the auction portion of the fundraiser.

Thank you,
Colleen Sullivan
Alwazrt@comcast.net
925 254 6993

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Material from Jim Lapsley presentation at last general membership meeting

For those of you who were able to attend the last general membership meeting, you’ll remember what a great presentation we had from Jim Lapsley.  He sent me his presentation deck along with some other material that was mentioned and below are the links to the material.

impact of information on champagne purchase

judges reliability

marketing actions

pate vs.dog food

The color of odors

wine competitions

Bordeaux Does Quality Matter

Bordeaux does Terroir Matter

Do more expensive wines taste better

How does price affect taste

Bill Scanlin, President Lamorinda Wine Growers Association

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The AVA Celebration was a big success!

We had a great turnout for the AVA celebration Friday night.  I believe had nearly 120 people attend.

I would like to thank everyone who attended and helped make the event such a great success.

If you would like to look at the deck that was presented, please open this link: AVA Celebration Powerpoint

Below are some pictures that were taken at the event.  I want to thank Bill English and Leslie Ward for providing these:

Bill Scanlin

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Lamorinda Now a Name of Viticultural Significance
Published March 9th, 2016
Lamorinda Now a Name of Viticultural Significance
By Sophie Braccini
NOET Vineyards. Kristiina and Eero Teerikorpi planted Cabernet Sauvignon grapes two years ago. Photos Andy Scheck

After years of gathering data to demonstrate to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau that Lamorinda is indeed a distinctive region, local winegrowers were celebrating Feb. 24 after the TTB established the 29,369 acres of Lamorinda as an American Viticultural Area (AVA).
Ben Olsen, a Moraga real estate agent whose father has been growing grapes since the ’70s, thinks that the AVA adds credibility and that it can give agents some interesting opportunities, presenting the unique and special winemaking cottage industry to newcomers. “I don’t make wine myself,” he says, “but having that connection has both economic and historical relevance.”
Orinda businessman David Cronin was excited about what he calls a wonderful distinction, an honor and a real achievement. “It can be an additional attraction for the community,” he says. “Not only is the area beautiful, but now it has its own designation.”
From now on, only winemakers within the boundaries of the AVA, using at least 80 percent of grapes grown here, are authorized to indicate the Lamorinda origin on their labels. Members of the Lamorinda Wine Growers Association (LWGA), which funded the study that was submitted to the TTB for approval, say that the AVA adds a sense of place, and puts Lamorinda in a bottle.
“We felt that the existing AVAs did not describe our wines adequately,” says LWGA Vice-President Carol Haag. “What we discovered during the study is that the actual city limits [comprising Lamorinda] match a unique geological region with its own climate and soil composition.” The dominant geological formation, known as the Orinda Formation, supports most of Lamorinda, and the soils found in Lamorinda are a combination of uplifted sedimentary formations, some rich in marine fossils, and erosion from the surrounding mountains. These unique characteristics of the Lamorinda terroir, the natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, are favorable to great winemaking.
There are five bonded wineries currently within the Lamorinda AVA, each producing a few hundred cases per year. TTB identified 46 commercially producing vineyards covering approximately 139 acres in the Lamorinda AVA. The individual vineyards are small, people live where they grow their vines, usually covering less than 5 acres, sprinkled like confetti among the lower density housing areas of the three suburbs. Most of the vineyard owners either simply grow the grapes or make wine only for their family and friends. Not all are part of the LWGA.
None of the winemakers at this time make a fortune with their wineries. “One needs to produce 20,000 to 30,000 cases a year to make a living,” says Sal Captain of Captain Vineyards in Moraga. But those who sell commercially have already won awards in regional wine competitions. The Lamorinda terroir is rich, the flavors are intense, and the colors deep. Now the new appellation is a way for East Bay connoisseurs to source truly local wines. “The diverse topology creates microclimates that allow many grape varietals to grow well in Lamorinda,” adds Haag. “While there are some white wine varietals being grown, Lamorinda is mostly devoted to red wine varietals. Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Sangiovese are most common. Being a relatively new winegrowing area, there is some experimentation going on with some very interesting results.”
It took the LWGA three years to conduct the research and get the TTB approval. Haag said that in June of 2012 the group engaged the services of professors Patrick Shabram, Kenneth Verosub and Michael Oskin to perform the necessary research. “We were fortunate to get amazing support from the Livermore AVA,” adds Susan Captain who was part of the AVA committee with Chair Dave Rey, Vlatka Bathgate, Tom Morehouse, Jim Ward and Bill English. Livermore’s AVA is three times as large as Lamorinda’s, which will be one of the smallest in the nation. The quantity of grapes grown here is likely to remain limited since both the cost of land and the pressure for more housing are quite high.
The five bonded wineries allowed to sell commercially are Captain Vineyards in Moraga, Deer Hill Vineyards in Lafayette, Los Arabis Vineyards in Lafayette, Meadow View Winery in Orinda, and Vincenza Ranch in Moraga. “Lamorinda wines are sold at Cine Cuvee, The Cooperage, The Fourth Bore, Hideout Kitchen & Café, Lafayette Park Hotel, Postino, Walnut Creek Yacht Club, Amorama, Diablo Foods, Jacksons, Moraga Wine & Liquor and the Wine Thieves,” says Haag. Wines can also be purchased online and at the individual wineries. For information, visit Lamorindawinegrowers.com.
Various members of the Lamorinda Wine Growers Association celebrate the new AVA. Front row, from left: Alissa Scanlin, and Leslie Ward; back row: Tony Inzerillo, Larry Haag, Carol Haag, Bill Scanlin, Vlatka Bathgate, and Bill English.
Sal and Susan Captain showing the Lamorinda AVA map Photo Sophie Braccini
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Uncategorized | Susan Captain |

How does this winter’s rainfall compare to normal? An update from Napa’s Hydrologis

rainfall2016

Napa County RCD’s senior Hydrologist Paul Blank recently summarized this Winter’s rainfall:

“As of the end of January, Napa Valley has received 57% of our annual rainfall which has almost caught us up and put us on track for an average year. Normally, we receive 58% of our yearly rainfall by end of January. Given this is a strong El Nino year, there’s reason to hope for above-average rainfall in the coming months.”
Read more on how Paul came up with these figures by following this link. Stay tuned for another update from Paul on this winter’s rainfall in early March. Have specific questions that you want Paul to answer? Let us know!
Uncategorized | Susan Captain |