Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving has historically been, for me, an occasion to gather with family or friends to enjoy good food (accompanied by an excellent bottle of wine, of course), conversation and a friendly game of cards or Scrabble.  Occasionally something I read or saw would remind of the holiday’s origin and its true meaning but I rarely took the time to appreciate what I had to be thankful for.  But life has a way of giving wake up calls to those of us who take our many blessings for granted.  So this year I humbly give thanks for the life I have been handed and especially for:

My incredible wife Shriti who has fiercely fought for me, my health and our future together.  Her unmatched fortitude is responsible for my being here today.  She is tough and there is no one I would rather have in my corner.  I owe her my life and so much more….

My son Amrish who has sacrificed many things while my medical issues were being addressed.  He has always been the first in line to cheer me up or offer a seemingly mindless distraction.

The many friends and even acquaintances who have offered their support and prayers over the past several months.  I never imagined our building a winery would result in a gathering of such wonderful people who care so much about our wellbeing.

I am blessed and will be forever thankful.

Fall means Fire Pit Fridays & Football

Frimly in the grip of fall now sliding into early winter, we are enjoying the fire pit, the mulled wine and the football frenzie.  We have also switched to more indoor events (Pinot Noir tasting coming up) but we have one more harvest on the calendar.   This will be new for us - the grapes should have been harvested a month ago but we bird netted them and let them hang.  This will be our first late harvest.  For those joining us for the harvest, be patient with us - we haven't done this before so we are figuring it out.

We also revised our wine club for 2012 and have included pick-up parties now.  Started with a Friday night pickup and quickly got feedback (hello e-mail) that one day isn't enough.  So - we switched it to a pick-up weekend this time around and we'll see how it goes.

We have been barrel tasting the Chamborcin and Norton - the Chambourcin will be bottled in the next month and Norton soon after that.  Considering throwing out a Norton barrel tasting night - thoughts??

Glad it's fall and we are able to enjoy all the fall things we love! 

Hello Autumn

It had to happen - the weather had to turn cooler at some point!  Haven't we had the best weather for the last few weeks but it is now getting nippy!  We are still holding out for sitting outside as much as we can so have continued with movies on the patio (often posting last minute) to make it happen, one more time!  The movies have been great fun because people share a new experience, together, over a bottle of wine.  Even folks that have seen the movies before say it was a new experience for them.

The Autumn chill has reawakened our taste for mulled wine and because we could never keep up with the demand, we have switched from the campfire kettle to the 50 cup urn!!  In fact, the mulled wine is perfect for the movie night as well.

Many of you have asked (and thank you), how we did with the harvest (given the heart surgery).  We harvested the Seyval and the Vignoles and fermented it before the surgery.  We also harvested the Chambourcin but sold those grapes as we didn't have time to ferment those.  The Concords are being used for our Grape Stomp weekend and the Vidal Blanc are netted with the hope that we will harvest them in November for a late harvest wine.  Yummy!

Looking ahead?  We are back and are excited to get folks back to the winery so we are planning blending workshops, barrel tastings and wine education classes over the winter.  We are back.  :)

Thank you & we appreciate your support!

Thank you for the support you have all given us through this very stressful time!  We have really appreciated the support you have shown us.  From all the help at harvest to the offers to look after things while we are focused on William's surgery to the company (and distraction) you provide when you visit - thank you!

Being closed for almost a month is disruptive (we apologize to the musicians we had to cancel and the private events we had to reschedule) but plan to be back stronger and with creative new events and offerings.  Of course, we will celebrate when we are back and we still plan to pull in one more harvest so there is lots to look forward to.  Having so much support from everyone is giving a lot of strength - thank you!

Harvest time!

At the end of the day, viticulture is agriculture - we have the same set of issues - pests, weather and lots of uncontrollable factors.  We don't have to replant every year but we do have to maintain the vines and keep them healthy year after year. 

This time of the year holds it's own excitement - what are the sugar levels (we test daily)? will the rains impact the sugar levels? hey, we need volunteers to help us harvest - what if the weather is bad on the one day we have helpers?  what if no one shows?  what about the birds? bees? etc......  The vineyards look great right now - full canopy, beautiful clusters of grapes and all the potential of the next vintage hanging right there!  If you are photographer, now is a great time to be in the vineyards.  If you are a nature lover, now is a great time to be in the vineyards (bees, butterflies and birds galore).  If you are a wine lover, now is a great time to be in the vineyards - the mind races to what this will taste like in the bottle - builds anticipation.  If you like the process of wine making, now is the right time to be in the vineyards - every small vineyard we know of will say thank you when you show up to help harvest!  Our harvest for the Seyval is Sunday, August 21st - can't wait!

Excitement is building

The vineyards are beautiful right now - you can see the fruit set and start to imagine what the harvest will be like in 10 - 12 weeks.  We're going through and doing some cluster thinning and starting to do our planning for the fall.  The weather has been pretty good for the most part and the sunsets are amazing!  Have you seen the latest pictures posted on facebook by Sarah and Jennifer?  Check them out if you haven't.

This is the season of 'fests' - we just participated in the Waterfest and will be at the Winefest on the 16th.  We will also be at the BBQ Fly-in and at the Dog show so - find us at these fests or visit with us at the tasting room.

Summer Solstice Party & Father's Day Barbeque

We've been focused on the vineyards - the vines are lush, the fruit set is beautiful and we can honestly get lost wandering in the vineyards for hours.  When we're not doing that, we're at the picnic tables by the pond or on the patio making new friends.  The Missouri Wine Passport program has brought lots of new guests out and we've enjoyed watching them progress to the various level as they explore the Missouri wine industry.  We've even had some visits from other vineyard and winery owners as we all get to know each other better and learn from one another.  We've added 6 kinds of berries, some nut trees, maple trees to line the driveway and several varieties of herbs on the patio.  New events for the year have included doggie days, a weekend pass to the vineyard, Fire Pit Fridays and several new musical artists.  We've even added picnic benches and a new 11 foot fire pit!  Now - we look forward to one of our favorite weekends - the weekend closest to Summer Solstice and our summer party!  Enjoy music, the Father's day BBQ and just celebrating the summer!  Cheers!

Busy time at the vineyard

It is a busy time at the vineyard.  We're training the new growth, brushing off suckers and even thinning some shoots already.  The trellis wires are tightened and we even planted some lavender on the patio for color and fragrance.  We have now started our music series on the weekends and the Fire Pit Fridays are on in full swing.  We have also signed up for about 6 festivals and will be looking for help from friends and wine club members.  The newest summer event will be the 'weekend pass to the winery' - the ability to camp and sleep at the winery.  We'll have to see how that works but that is currently planned for June 17th.  That is also our barbecue weekend.  This weather has been unpredictable but we are determined to spend this year focused on the basics in the vineyards and the wine making.  The rest will take care of itself!

2 years - what a fun time!

We release a new wine tomorrow evening (Friday April 8th).  This is a red blend - something to sip by the fire pit.  The fire pit has actually become a symbol of ours.  As we visit other area wineries, they often comment that they have heard about the fire pit and stories people tell about sitting there, meeting new friends and ending an enjoyable evening.  To be honest, we use the fire pit even on days when we aren't open.  We will be up there working and start the fire as a place to come and warm up, stop and plan and reheat meals.  It smells great, gives us a reason to stop and take a break and quite frankly, reminds us of why we have created what we've created. 

Tomorrow, we are releasing a new wine - Fire Pit Red - a blend of Chambourcin (our favorite), Noiret (an amazing grape we grew in a small quantity but will be expanding), St. Vincent (love this grape for blending and drinkability) and Syrah (spicy and full of character).  Of all of our wines, this one is probably the most characterist of who we are.  This wine has a lot of layers, soft, subtle and unassuming but absolutely holds it's own.  We are excited about introducing this wine to our friends and guests - there is a story behind the wine and the label - we believe this is going to be the new favorite for the dry red folks.

And back to the 2nd anniversary celebrations - the weather is NOT cooperating.  We've got live music (but the wind is suppose to be so high, he won't be able to play); we've got fire spinners (can't spin fire if it's raining or storming) and we had to reschedule Becca's play day on Sunday (afternoon severe weather predicted - don't need a bunch of upset wet dogs in the tasting room).  Is this going to deter us?  Heck NO!  All 4 of us (William, Amrish, Becca and Shriti) plan to be at the vineyard all weekend to celebrate the fact that the past two years have been an amazing adventure - a journey that has exceed our expectations and has brought a lot of amazing people into our lives. 

This weekend - we are grateful for all the blessing we have had and the people we have met.  Come out and celebrate - have a glass of wine, share a bottle or take some home.  It is all about the friendship - Good fences make good neighbors, a Fence Stile makes neighbors, good friends!

Cheers!

Getting set for our 2nd anniversary celebrations

2 years!   Hard to believe but we will be at 2 years as a winery in just a month!  Lots to do between now and then - plant berries, plant nut trees, plant Maples for the drive, line up the saturday series of music, hope for better weather so we don't have to reschedule any of our artists, create Becca's doggie play area (so she can invite friends up), etc.  So - the good part, we get to get out and enjoy the spring.  The better part -- we have had lots of people who want to get out too so hopefully we'll have help and be able to spend time with friends (and make new ones).  :)

March Madness

For many, March Madness is about basketball.  Our madness is very different!  The weather has been maddening for a start.  And, we are almost done with the pruning.  We have also ordered nut trees, maple trees and berries to be planted - targeting April 16th as a planting day - let us know if you are interested.  Other madness?  Well, we're going to start opening up a couple of friday evenings starting March 11th - Firepit Fridays.  We are so looking forward to being able to dig out of the snow and enjoy our time with all of our friends that visit us on the weekends.  We aren't quite sure we are ready to wander into berries and nuts but what the heck - let's plant them and see what happens.  :)

Frosty February

Football is behind us and we are back from the grape and wine conference.  It is now time to prune the vines (although we may stop for the single digit days)!  Pruning is the beginning of our season - that is when we visit last year's story, put it behind us and write this year's tale!  This time of the year is when we pick the number of buds and spurs to leave - goal is to achieve the best balance for each vine. 

This is also a good time to think of the coming season (how many times should we have music at the vineyard?  how many events should we plan?  should we open up any friday evenings? lots of questions and lots of planning)!

Of course, now is when the greenhouse catalogs are arriving - should we add a berry patch?  more vines? fruit trees?  nut trees?  pumpkin patch?  roses?  herbs??  Oh wait - we need to deal with what we have planted and dig out of the snow first.  Ok - focus on the pruning and let's wait to thaw out.  We'll think about planting more stuff in a month or so!  :)

Frigid January

The extreme cold is disruptive and a little depressing - on the other hand, it is the perfect excuse to sit by the fire.  :)  So, that is what we have been doing on the weekends.  When guests come in, we sit by the fire with them and chat.  It is a slower pace for us but it has given us time to create some new friendships and deepen a few others.

We are going to hold off pruning for another couple of weeks.  We know that a lot of the vineyards have started already but February will likely be our starting time given the coldness and the length of the forecasted winter.

We will also be attending the Missouri Wine and Grape Conference the first weekend in February so hopefully, that will give us lots of great ideas and new things we can be doing!

Happy New Year

Hello 2011!  We took two weeks off so we could get 'caught up' on a few things and visit other wineries and renew friendships!  It has been a great break but we have missed being at the tasting room.  We are ready to start up again this weekend and to hear all the great stories of everyone's holidays.

2011 will be a very busy year for us - we have some additional plans for irrigation, additional tank space and MAYBE some additional vines (still debating that one).  Whatever the year holds, we know we are looking forward to the continued friendship of the folks we encounter at the tasting room.  Welcome 2011.