What can a winemaker do to ease the shelter in place burden? Hand deliver wine, of course. Members of our growing ‘Dysfunctional Family’ wine community receive their bottles of wine, sometimes in a direct handoff, sometimes over the fence. This was in early April 2020 before masks and gloves! And it’s also a photo travelogue of sorts from around Sonoma. Enjoy:
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First stop, Hyde Road
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Tuscan country villa
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A warm Glen Ellen welcome
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Westside craftsman style
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The new and improved Chalet B&B
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Film Festival President says hi!
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Ms. Basha at her new home
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Tipi top of Norrbom in the oaks
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Downtown beauty
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7th St East where all are welcome
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Designer showcase's lovely darling
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Sneaking around back
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The Lomita windmill
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Gorgeous stonework on Thornsberry
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British accent and a race car
In other ranch and grape news around Sonoma Valley…
Renowned beekeeper and Hydeout Sonoma neighbor Chere Pafford finds a large drone honey bee napping on our driveway. A drone is a male bee that is the product of an unfertilized egg. Drones have bigger eyes and lack stingers. They cannot help defend the hive and they do not have the body parts to collect pollen or nectar, so they cannot contribute to feeding the community. The drone’s only job is to mate with the queen. Link: Sonoma Honey Bees
From the first clutch of wild turkey babies this season, we saw this one (and its 8 siblings) hiding in the brush under an olive tree waiting for its mother to return to collect them all. It’s not safe for them to wander around in the open while the Red Tail hawks are around. Link: all about wild turkeys
Bud break at the Dysfunctional Family estate vineyard, just after mowing the yellow mustard which had gone to seed. We’ll be launching our ubiquitous Dysfunctional Family wines – a Sagrantino-based ‘Estate Reserve’ and the Sonoma Valley ‘Red Blend’ – just as soon as the County lets us convert the old white barn into a functional winery. That story will be told in it’s entirety some day…
Client and friend Steve R. brings out the big gun (his old but very well maintained Kubota with the rear excavator attachment) to help us locate an irrigation supply line in his vineyard. He’s growing Cab Franc and Merlot here on Sonoma Mountain. Steve’s “Octagon” Morning Mountainside label is only available directly from the estate.
Famed photographer and Sonoma friend Jock McDonald makes an appearance dressed as if there was end-of-the-virus party. But no, we were just social distancing. Thankfully, it didn’t end up like the pre-virus visit with Jock naked in the pool and the rest of us trying not to look! Hah. https://www.jockmcdonald.com
Loved this Ken!
Miss our time at Cycle class together Sooooo much.
A virtual hug sent your way.
Peggy
SonomaFit…need some bad mamma.
Wonderful read- we were so happy to have visitor early on SIP. Very thoughtful. It was so hard to not hug u. We r so lucky to live in a community with caring dear friends and especially ones that make great wine. Thank you.
Absolutely agree. Virtual hugs.
Very enjoyable, I wonder where I went wrong not to get a taste of what must be your great wine (whine) . You are a good writer, pretty funny, I will skip the hug but miss you guys. Very clever.
Thank you Simon, really appreciate the kind words. Hugs to you all from afar.
Always fun to read and even more fun to see photos of dear friends. We enjoyed a bottle of your wine the other night and it was fantastic. Happy Mother’s Day to Cynthia.
Love that you loved it, thanks for the shout out!
Great to see your smiling face Mr. Wornick. Love reading the updates from the Hydeout.
Not gonna lie, offended you excluded me. I guess it wasn’t a family friendly photo…
Ya know we scoured our phones, called you to inquire if you had a copy, aggravating; can’t figure out where in the heck that photo went? As I recall, you were just exiting the hot tub and my daughter didn’t think it was rated PG, remember?…
How far do you deliver?
In 8 months, we’ll be licensed for all places where Sally617 lives!
“A drone is a male bee that is the product of an unfertilized egg. Drones have bigger eyes and lack stingers. They cannot help defend the hive and they do not have the body parts to collect pollen or nectar, so they cannot contribute to feeding the community. The drone’s only job is to mate with the queen”.
This is very helpful Kork. Now I understand why my wife calls me “Drone”. Who knew?
Genius!
Do you deliver to Bama?! ?
Thank you so much for our delivery…..oh wait……ummmm…..
Gotta pay to be in this family, I gotta pay the mortgage somehow…
I want to be drone honey bee! What a life, mating with the queen, napping in the driveway…
You sir shall work like a drone until all of your tasks are complete…completion date uncertain!
Ken – dear gosh you skunked Petaluma!! Next year if you have a brooding hen, slip a wild turkey egg under her. She will raise you a not so wild turkey. And did you say bees? Wind me up! The drone is possibly put to work without even noticing it – they help dehydrate the nectar. Before becoming honey – it arrives in the hive close 80% or so water and must be brought down to 18% before they cap it (otherwise it can ferment and will not store). We will start seeing the hives cull the drones ones the homely flow and matting season ends and then all of them as they prepare the hives for winter.
Love these notes from you.
The Cab and oaks are looking very happy.
Yours in dirt
Nick –
Would love to play that trick with a broody hen, but all the turkey eggs hatched before I could find them. Great idea though! I saw the mamma this am, but no sign of the babies. Hopefully the hawks didn’t get ’em all.
Terrific bee hive info as always. Your ranch, farm, and bee commentary is most welcome and encouraged.
Ken – you get around (get around round round you get around). Thanks for the delicious wine!
What a delight your blog is! Right up there with the delicious wine 🙂
Happy to have you as a customer!
One of your best posts yet, Ken! Good read, good photos, and good god, the coat and pants Jock is wearing…as only he can.
Indeed, good god is right, only Jock could pull off that outfit…
Such fun to visit past neighors albeit
from a distance. I’m sending this blog
to my grandson, Nathan, who is in the
bee hive business plus his own
take care and stay well.
Prosit !
NANCY