Join us for some fun in the Sonoma Valley

Join us for some fun in the Sonoma Valley

Living in the Sonoma Valley wine country is definitely gratifying. We constantly meet happy people on their vacations. And we eagerly share our wine and vineyard and farm life. Like everything in life, there is work involved in growing grapes and making wine, sometimes hard work. But at the end of the day, it is worthwhile. Please enjoy these photos and captions of the most recent weeks around the Sonocaia winery and the Sonoma Valley

Visitors to Sonocaia and Dysfunctional Family Wineries

Hawaii visitors - Join us for some fun in the Sonoma Valley

Standing in front of the winery “totem pole”, wonderful winery clients visiting from Kukui ‘Ula resort in Koloa, Kauai. Their visit was so entertaining. Every few minutes, another couple of their friends wandered in. We started as a group of 7 and ended at 13. And they walked away with smiles and much wine including dramatic large-format bottles. Great group.

 

Euphoria Yoga Day Retreat

We partnered with Euphoria for a Yoga Day Retreat. Guests enjoyed a full al fresco yoga practice, relaxing sound healing, and a complete wine tasting experience.

An invitation – Travel with us to Umbria Italy: Wine, Wellness, and Culinary Retreat with Euphoria

Special offer just for Sonocaia Winery blog subscribers
Get a whopping 25% off your Umbria Italy Euphoria Retreat Experience
September 29th – October 4th, 2024
Book today at EuphoriaRetreats.com with  25% off code: SONOCAIA25
Euphoria c - Join us for some fun in the Sonoma Valley

Join Euphoria Retreats, a Sonoma-based luxury retreat company, for a visit to Umbria Italy. Immerse yourself in Italian cuisine, culture, wine, and nature at the famed Borgo di Carpiano Resort. This retreat offers a blend of wellness and indulgence, featuring activities like cooking classes with Chef Luca, wine tastings, and walks through the wooded landscape. Guests will explore the medieval village of Gubbio, enjoy three glorious fresh light meals a day prepared by your very own in house chef. There will be plenty of time to relax by the pool and warm evening toasts. The retreat promises a rejuvenating experience in a setting rich with history and modern comforts. In the mornings you are invited to mix in some wellness and try on some light exercise, including stretching and flowing with resistance bands under the guidance of Lisa Carlsson, co-owner of Euphoria Retreats. For more information call 707.309.0010, we love to chat about travel!

Note: Cynthia and I travelled on a version of this Euphoria tour two years ago. We like to think that Tuscany is to Napa as Umbria is to Sonoma. As dedicated growers of the rare Umbrian Sagrantino red grape variety, we were on a pilgrimage to taste the original Sagrantinos in their native land of  Umbria.  And we concluded our travels at the very glorious Umbrian mountain hideaway, Borgo di Carpiano. We can highly reccomend this travel excursion. And as subscribers to this blog, you get 25% off using the special discount code, if you apply soon!

Euphoria b - Join us for some fun in the Sonoma Valley

Expansive view from the Borgo Di Carpiano Resort terrace

Euphoria a - Join us for some fun in the Sonoma Valley

It’s always time for fresh homemade pasta at the Borgo!

 

Rack and Return – time for a bit of wine science

The primary wine fermentation, when yeast converts sugar to alcohol, take places in the first few weeks after harvest in the Fall. Then the wine is pressed and moved into barrels to settle and ‘elevage.’ Sometimes spontaneously, but traditionally after winter when the barrel cellar begins to warm up a bit, a secondary fermentation begins called Malo-Lactic fermentation. Malic acid (like the tartness in a green apple) is converted to Lactic acid (like the acid found in dairy). The result is a profound softening of the wine along with an increase in desirable aromatics.

And, after the secondary Malo-Lactic fermentation is complete, it is traditional to perform a ‘rack and return.’ Simply put, the wine is drained from the barrels into a vessel, the barrels are cleaned, and the wine is then returned to the barrels to complete the ‘elevage’ or cellar aging.

The most critical activity during rack and return is the very labor intensive act of sanitizing the entire winery and all of the equipment, moving the wine out and back to barrels, and then sanitizing everything again. It is fair to say that the number one activity in a winery is sanitization. Keep things spotless, like a hospital, and most trouble can be avoided.

Vineyard management – and a bit more wine science

Sonocaia sagrantino grapes deleafing - Join us for some fun in the Sonoma Valley

We just completed deleafing the fruit zone on the north side of the Sagrantino vineyard the result is to bring in plenty of air and light to the grape bunches on the north side of the canopy but avoids sun burn on the south side of the rows from the scorching sun by leaving the leaves in place; we’re going for perfect ripening here. We also irrigated for the first time since the winter rains. We’ve captured surface rain water for just this occasion. We’re trying to stretch out irrigation as the vineyard gets older. Eventually, we should be able to dry farm 100%. Dry farming saves water. And makes grapes very deep, dark, and delicious. The roots reach deep every year looking for water. And eventually they go deep enough that they don’t need added water. The result is very evident – dense dark rich wine vs. somewhat watery, bland, and/or weak wine.

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art

Sonoma is blessed with many non-profits including several that enrich the lives of the residents. The SVMA museum is a treasure in our small town, with a constant flow of challenging and intriguing works on display. This summer’s annual museum gala was held at the famous Buena Vista Winery. Built in 1861 (see stone walls in photo), revived by the Bartholomews in 1949, and brought back to life again in 2011 by Jean-Charles Boisset and Gina Gallo. 

SVMA gala - Join us for some fun in the Sonoma Valley

The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art held its annual gala at the stunning Buena Vista winery. It was a spectacularly successful event, with delicious food and drink al fresco, and funds raised support art education in Sonoma Valley.

Hot Air Ballooning

Hot air ballooning is a year-round spectacle in Sonoma Valley. If you’re up early enough, you’ll very likely see hot balloons in the sky. Cynthia signed up with a visiting friend and joined Sonoma Ballooning for a ride. Call time is bright and early at 5am. Here a few photos from the ballon and from the ground.

Click here for Cynthia’s hot air balloon flight log video

Sonocaia 2 balloon pano - Join us for some fun in the Sonoma Valley

A blurry but close view of the Sonoccaia winery, Sagrantino vineyard, and surrounding Hydeout farm

Sonocaia ballloon 1 - Join us for some fun in the Sonoma Valley

Another perspective of the Sonocaia estate grounds, vineyard and winery on the right half of the photo

 

Our wines! You have not yet tasted our fabulous Sonocaia and Dysfunctional Family wines? What are you waiting for? Call us to plan your visit:

Dysfucnctional Rose - Join us for some fun in the Sonoma Valley

Dysfunctional Family Winery rosé, made in the traditional French saigneé style, a bit darker and more robust than typical cotton-candy rosés, best ice-cold with appetizers before dinner

And when you’re done with rosé, consider these gorgeous red wines:

Enjoy the rest of your summer. And thanks for reading!

Ken Wornick

 

One last thing – a taste of San Francisco

Yes, San Francisco is in the news, currently challenged with an endless homelessness and crime problem/debate plus empty offices and vacant retail spaces due to (depending on who you ask) covid, work from home, taxation, crime, etc. But, “The City” still provides many glorious ways to enjoy it. 

Palace SF - Join us for some fun in the Sonoma Valley

Driving back from a wine tasting event in San Francisco, we could not resist pulling over and marveling at the beauty of the Palace of Fine Arts on Lyon Street, host the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. It’s like a little taste of Rome or Paris in our own backyard.

Yoga Retreat, Olive Oil, July 4th, and more

Yoga Retreat, Olive Oil, July 4th, and more

Yoga Retreat at Sonocaia – by the team from Euphoria

Just a few spots remain for this Sunday’s retreat at Sonocaia. July 14th. 4:00pm – 6:30pm. Details below. Click here to learn more and claim a spot.

 

Euphoria Wellness - Yoga Retreat, Olive Oil, July 4th, and more

About Euphoria: What began as a dreamy idea in 2008 over a glass of Brunello in Tuscany is now a women-owned lifestyle retreat company with more than 100 retreats enjoyed by thousands around the world. Here’s to dreams, wine, travel and friendships.

 

Euphoria Monika - Yoga Retreat, Olive Oil, July 4th, and more

With 20+ years of yoga instruction under her belt Monika Kaufman has even more passion for sharing yoga with others than ever before. She believes that enthusiasm, curiosity and a sense of wonder fuels a yoga practice that feeds your soul. Her classes will meet you wherever you are at on your yoga journey by keeping it fun, and accessible with just the right amount of challenge to keep you fully engaged and growing.

 

Olive oil from the Sonocaia estate

New: 100% extra virgin, 100% organic, pure, hand bottled; available only at the winery

Olive Oil - Yoga Retreat, Olive Oil, July 4th, and more

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the highest quality, most flavorful, and most costly type of olive oil  – because it’s unrefined – never heated treated or processed with chemicals. And never blended with other oils. It has a green grassy color and bright peppery flavors and is ideal for dipping or drizzling over finished dishes. Stop by and try some Sonocaia EVOO soon.

 

July 4th in Sonoma

Sonoma is a small town with a very big parade and an even bigger fireworks show. Sonoma also has a vast array of non-profits. The Sonoma International Film Festival supports the local high school film department. And puts on a dazzling fully-walkable film festival every March.  This was our first year actually having a float in the parade. We were small but mighty!

July 4th 2 - Yoga Retreat, Olive Oil, July 4th, and more

Top row: Bob Berg, Board Chair, and Ken Wornick, Board Vice Chair       Bottom row, Cynthia Wornick, Siri Berg, board member Ursula Zopp, and SIFF Exec Director Ginny Krieger (note the popcorn purse, winner!)

SIFF float - Yoga Retreat, Olive Oil, July 4th, and more

I just hooked up the vineyard trailer to the Polaris Ranger and off we went. That’s our E.D., Ginny Krieger, looking resplendent riding on the back of the Polaris. Cynthia and Siri holding down the fort in back. The rest of our gang is walking out in front with the Film Fest banner. Next year, we’ll be back with popcorn and music too.

 

How hot was it really last week? 107F! And you’re dry farming grape vines during a heat wave? Yes.

Check this out. In case there was any doubt, the outside thermometer hit 107F in the shade. Everything suffered under the oppressive heat. But three days later it was back to the mid-50’s at night. And everything recovered. We are still mostly dry-farming the vineyard, watering only during the winter and perhaps counter-intuitively often while it’s raining. With this approach, the vineyard builds up larger stores of soil moisture during the winter – with both natural rain and controlled irrigation, simultaneously. And then in summer the roots chase the water down deep as the sun bakes off the surface moisture. The theory is it makes for healthier grape vines long term, and more stress resistant versus making life easy by watering all summer. And likely increases color and flavors in the wine too.

 

107F - Yoga Retreat, Olive Oil, July 4th, and more

75F inside, 107F outside

 

1 Sagrantino - Yoga Retreat, Olive Oil, July 4th, and more

Dry farming the Sonocaia estate Sagrantino in the 107F heat wave

News from Sonocaia

Coyotes have been around much more frequently lately. Thinking it’s the boom in the rabbit population. Also, no explanation yet, but it seems everyone around the Sonoma Valley has massive spider webs everywhere outside – walls, lights, furniture, etc. Even after a good broom or high pressure wash, they come back overnight. Must be an insect bloom of some kind supporting this large population of spiders?

 

The moment before an event is always fun. Here, minutes away from a Sonocaia wine and food tasting

KW - Yoga Retreat, Olive Oil, July 4th, and more

Sonocaia estate barrel room

Sonocaia bottle image - Yoga Retreat, Olive Oil, July 4th, and more

Sonocaia estate reserve 2022 Sagrantino. You haven’t tried it yet? What are you waiting for?

Euphoria’s Wellness Retreat at Sonocaia’s Hydeout and lots of other fun stuff

Euphoria’s Wellness Retreat at Sonocaia’s Hydeout and lots of other fun stuff

Today’s topics: 1) A wellness retreat with Euphoria Retreats hosted by Sonocaia’s Hydeout Farm, 2) a new secret wine project, 3) our ‘Double Buffalo’ Red Blend, 4) plus gardening, bees, chickens, and cowboys…

 

Euphoria’s “A Taste of Wellness” event at The Hydeout Farm. Yoga. Sound Healing. Wine tasting. July 14th. 4:00PM. A few spots remain. Join us for the fun. No experience needed. See below…

 

Click here to go directly to the event page and access a ticket.

 

Euphoria Wellness - Euphoria's Wellness Retreat at Sonocaia's Hydeout and lots of other fun stuff

Euphoria Monika - Euphoria's Wellness Retreat at Sonocaia's Hydeout and lots of other fun stuff

Your instructor Monika Kaufman – With 20+ years of yoga instruction under her belt Monika has even more passion for sharing yoga with others than ever before. She believes that enthusiasm, curiosity and a sense of wonder fuels a yoga practice that feeds your soul. Her classes will meet you wherever you are at on your yoga journey by keeping it fun, and accessible with just the right amount of challenge to keep you fully engaged and growing.

A new very special wine project is in the works!

Three good friends, with over sixty years in grape growing and winemaking, are joining forces for a new wine project to be released in late 2025. John Boich of Napa’s Boich Family Cellars, John Painter of Sonoma’s Las Madres vineyard, and me, Ken Wornick from Sonocaia Winery, are joining forces to create a one-of-a-kind wine. Blending trials are complete. That’s all we can say for now. Watch here and on @sonocaia on Instagram for more news.

SBP - Euphoria's Wellness Retreat at Sonocaia's Hydeout and lots of other fun stuff

Sonocaia’s Ken Wornick, Las Madres Vineyard’s John Painter, and Jon Boich from Boich Family Cellars

You haven’t tried this wine yet? Whhaaa? Killer ‘red blend’. Come by the winery or buy online

The inaugural “Double Buffalo” Dysfunctional Family Red Blend, sourced as always from several friend’s special boutique vineyards throughout Sonoma Valley. Just two barrels produced! And a very fun label too. Half way to sold out. This vintage is very soft and fruity but carries nicely into a long finish. A terrific food-friendly wine, especially great with pizza, burgers, and BBQ. It’s a red wine that can handle a bit of ice in the glass at sunset and still hang around for dinner too. Pinot Noir lovers can slide on over to this wine and still be happy! Blend is 100% Sonoma Valley – 60% Syrah, 24% Zin, 8% Merlot, 6% Cab, and low-ish alcohol. Get it here; pick up at the winery, or we’ll ship to you.

DYS double bufalo bottle image 2021 - Euphoria's Wellness Retreat at Sonocaia's Hydeout and lots of other fun stuff

So much incredible produce pouring out of the Hydeout gardens this week

Featured here, the just harvested and delicious red cabbage, packed with tons of Vitamins C and K, and mega-fiber too. Go to @sonocaia and @kenwornick on Instagram and follow us to see the most recent produce including onions, arugula, and lettuce. Basil and tomatoes just around the corner!

Bees and Honey

Wow, what a spring it has been in the bee hives. Three hives roared back to life after a long cold wet winter, then a few things turned south. Despite rigorous care and good science, two hives swarmed, and what was left behind was robbed. Forty pounds of honey lost to another hive somewhere in the neighborhood. Who has our honey? But meanwhile, the remaining hive is huge and healthy and growing daily being ‘queen-right’ with lots of brood developing every day. With thanks to my generous mentors Chere Pafford and Nic Freedman.

Honey harvest - Euphoria's Wellness Retreat at Sonocaia's Hydeout and lots of other fun stuff

Going through what’s left of the swarmed and robbed hive boxes. Such is life. Even with careful planning and attention to detail, nature will do as it pleases.

 

Chickens

These chicks in the photos below are now four weeks old. We’re slowly bringing the brooding temperature down 5 degrees every week, from a start of 95F, now down to 75F, and lower in the next few weeks until they no longer need the heat lamp. Just like almost all small creatures, they sing and dance and chase each other around, and eat and drink a lot. Soon they’ll get their full fluffy feathers, handle the cool night air, and start developing a ‘pecking order’ (yes, who is the alpha chick and who gets pecked out of line for food and water).

 

Cowboys

The winery and vineyard are in good shape, as are the gardens and chickens and bees, so a brief pause for the summer solstice. Time for a short trip to New Mexico, a couple hours northeast of Santa Fe, at about 7800 feet elevation. This was the highly-regarded Chuckwagon Trail Riders event. I might have been tossed off my horse on the first day of riding and had to slink around camp in bruised-ego shame for a few days. Ugh. Pilot error. Won’t happen again!

Cowboys - Euphoria's Wellness Retreat at Sonocaia's Hydeout and lots of other fun stuff

Stache, Disso, Kork, Oakie, Midnight, and Flaco (Actual assigned trail names, real names have been omitted to protect the barely innocent).

Links:

Attend the Euphoria Yoga Retreat at The Hydeout

Buy Sonocaia wine

Buy Dysfunctional Family Wine

Follow us on Instagram: @sonocaia and @kenwornick

Sonoma, land of Sonocaia Sagrantino, and 1000 things to do and see

Sonoma, land of Sonocaia Sagrantino, and 1000 things to do and see

You need to know what’s happening at Sonocaia Estate Winery – follow us on Instagram

@sonocaia

Sonocaia QR code - Sonoma, land of Sonocaia Sagrantino, and 1000 things to do and see

At Sonocaia Estate Winery, our primary focus is growing grapes and making wine, specifically our estate reserve Sagrantino, a deep dark yet incredibly drinkable red wine.

sunrise on Sonocaia - Sonoma, land of Sonocaia Sagrantino, and 1000 things to do and see

Sonocaia map - Sonoma, land of Sonocaia Sagrantino, and 1000 things to do and see

Find our winery here: Sonocaia home page

Learn about Sagrantino here: All about Sagrantino

View a brief summary of our farming projects here: Farm projects

But Sonoma is also a place with so much going on, it’s hard to keep up. Here is a quick photo journey from the past few weeks…

Bud Break @Sonocaia

You’re probably seeing photos of vineyard bud break all over social media. It’s an invigorating time for everyone involved in growing grapes and making wine. Sagrantino is a late-ripening variety. So we are just about last in line for bud break. It’s kind of like watching everyone else have their babies and wondering will ours every be born! And then boom, you’re suddenly a parent. Now begins the journey through 7 months of judicious farming…

Trashion Fashion – clothing from recycled materials

Hosted by the Sonoma Community Center, building community by offering opportunities to connect, learn, and grow, “Trashion Fashion” celebrates the intersection of fashion, art, and sustainability. There were over creative 45 entries.

This is the first time I have ever designed or made a garment of any kind. Luckily, Cynthia was a willing model. The dress, head band, train, and shopping bag are made entirely from used plastic chicken feed bags (and some trimmed pieces from potting soil bags and salt crystal bags). That’s it. We had a great time. Didn’t win any awards. But we had a good laugh! (And the boots are Cynthia’s actual chicken boots for when she actually feeds the chickens and collects eggs).

Springtime on the farm

Blooms are going crazy around the 11-acre Hydeout farm and the Sonocaia winery building. Some of these images are from our fruit trees, others from various ornamental and native plants around the farm:

Go-Kart Racing at Sears Point Sonoma Raceway

A very good friend invited me and some pals to learn how to race High Speed Go-Karts at Sears Point Sonoma Raceway. The carts sit just a few inches off the ground and fly at 60 mph. We had some great classroom time, some track sessions, more class instruction, then off to the races. The Sear Point Sonoma Raceway is just a few miles south of the town of Sonoma.

Spring vegetable garden

Nothing like growing your own food. You can do it too. Even just one tomato plant in a pot. Give it a try. I seeded our raised bed vegetable gardens in the dead of winter, and covered them with frost cloth until the last frost passed. We’re now harvesting lots of lettuce and arugula, with cabbage and onions and radishes and artichokes close behind:

Sonoma International Film Festival

The Sonoma International Film Festival just wrapped. It was a record-breaking event in terms of attendance, quality of over 100 films from around the world, and sponsorships. Sonocaia donated many of cases of wine which were poured around the various venues.

Hydeout chickens

As the weather warmed, egg production took off. In the winter they put their energy into growing down feathers and staying warm. In spring, they produce eggs like machines. And like most living things, chickens too have personalities. Some are shy and some are friendly. We have two roosters right now that guard the hen house from airborne predators, mainly hawks. Rocky (the old fella with wicked claws), and Harvey (the young buck who is very aggressive with the hens, we’ll leave it you to guess where he got his name). One day soon, Harvey will pick a fight with Rocky and they’ll fight it out for dominance.

Chickens in spring - Sonoma, land of Sonocaia Sagrantino, and 1000 things to do and see

The pretty winter weather coming into Sonoma from Petaluma

San Francisco, still worthy of a visit

I shot this photo on the side of the road last week. It was such a pretty moment. The Palace of Fine Arts is a monumental structure located in the Marina District of San Francisco, originally built for the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition to exhibit works of art. It was constructed from concrete and steel, ahead of its time. Our public works projects don’t look like this anymore.

Palace SF - Sonoma, land of Sonocaia Sagrantino, and 1000 things to do and see

After your visit to the Sonoma Valley, cross the Golden Gate Bridge, and stop here for a photo before you head south for the SFO airport!

Keep up with the news and photos from Sonocaia on Instagram.

Just point your camera at this QR code:

Sonocaia QR code - Sonoma, land of Sonocaia Sagrantino, and 1000 things to do and see

Thanks for being a subscriber to this blog. See you next time!

Ken

Ken Wornick
Owner/winemaker
SONOCAIA estate winery
Insta – @Sonocaia
Blog – https://www.sonocaia.com/blog/
20656 Hyde Road
Sonoma, Ca 95476
Book your corporate or family event at Sonocaia winery and Hydeout farm

Book your corporate or family event at Sonocaia winery and Hydeout farm

Thinking about booking a corporate event or a private family function? Our winery and farm might be just the right place…

Sonocaia is more than just a warm and inviting estate vineyard and boutique winery.

We’re also eleven acres of compelling ecological and agricultural projects.

Venues

We offer corporate team building functions and private family events, all mixed with learning about sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Explore the symbiotic relationship between nature and viticulture. Savor serious wines and farm-to-table produce while fostering a commitment to ecological and agricultural values. Schedule an educational seminar on a variety of grape, wine, and farming topics.

The winery and farm has a continuous and evolving set of projects underway at all times. Visitors are encouraged to inquire in advance about topics of interest.

Click here to inquire about booking your customized event

Catering

We partner with great chef-caterers offering delicious food options as part of your event plan.

Add an ecological or agricultural topic to your visit

Begin with a farm tour of bee hives, fruit orchards, and olive trees. Meet in the elevated pool house for a customized educational seminar. Take a stroll through the vineyard. Learn about composting, creek restoration, and surface water recovery. Or head straight to the winery to taste wine and enjoy a carefully curated chef’s meal.

In addition to grapes and wine, here are a few examples of the potential topics for your corporate or family visit:

Chickens - Book your corporate or family event at Sonocaia winery and Hydeout farm

Bees - Book your corporate or family event at Sonocaia winery and Hydeout farm

Olives - Book your corporate or family event at Sonocaia winery and Hydeout farm

Compost - Book your corporate or family event at Sonocaia winery and Hydeout farm

Creek - Book your corporate or family event at Sonocaia winery and Hydeout farm

Learn about estate Sagrantino, our special Umbrian red wine

Our estate grown Sagrantino is a boutique-scale effort; it is a traditionally-made deep red wine that transports tasters to the hills of Montefalco, Umbia, Italy. A rare find in California, this varietal is relatively unknown in the new world and is sparking curiosity from both the casual traveller and the serious wine critic. We have painstakingly cultivated our highly regarded Sagrantino vineyard over the years with careful sustainable farming practices. The resulting rich wine makes a bold but approachable statement.

Learn more about our estate Sagrantino here: information about Sagrantino

Shop for our Sonocaia estate reserve Sagrantino and other wines here: shop for wine now

Book your event today to secure the best dates

2024 bumper sonocaia - Book your corporate or family event at Sonocaia winery and Hydeout farm

Use this link to book an event: I’m thinking about booking an event
Or leave a message of inquiry for winery: 415-793-7985

Sonocaia map - Book your corporate or family event at Sonocaia winery and Hydeout farm

Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success

Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success

Three days of launch parties

With thanks to you, our loyal band of blog post readers, customers and fans, the 3-day launch of the Sonocaia winery sold out quickly. And went off without a hitch. See photos below for a glance at the various events. More carefully curated events are being placed on the calendar now – winemaker dinners, ranch tours, etc. We look forward to seeing you here soon:

Grand opening Friday - Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success

Friday – the raucous crowd was ready to start their weekend

 

Grand opening Saturday - Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success

Saturday – this group had excellent probing questions about clones and rootstocks and farming and winemaking

 

Grand opening Sunday - Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success

Sunday matinee – this was a very fun crowd enjoying their Sunday afternoon after the clocks were turned back for daylight savings time

 

Preparations for the 3-day event involved the careful selection of five wines – one rosé wine and four reds – a saigneé provenćal rosé, the double-buffalo 2021 red blend, the inaugural preview of the 100% Sonocaia estate 2021 Sagrantino, the black label 2019 reserve, and one library wine, a robust 2017 Cab-centric blend.

During the 3-day event, we revealed the inaugural release of the Sonocaia Estate Reserve 100% Sagrantino label. And the newly designed Dysfunctional Family Winery iconic “double buffalo” label:

Grand opening tasting note cards - Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success

Customers studied the wine menu notes carefully, offered helpful comments, and purchased their favorites

 

charcuterie - Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success

A selection of curated charcuterie was served table side

Sagrantino harvest 2023

Just prior to the Sonocaia grand opening, we completed the 2023 harvest, crush, and winemaking. This was a long cool growing season, with much needed rain last winter, a mild spring, and a long summer with very few heat spikes. Some of the colder spots around Sonoma had the latest harvest date in years. Our estate Sagrantino, below, did finally ripen to perfection; the resulting taste and technical lab numbers were nearly perfect. The 2023 now rests in barrels and will certainly be the boldest and most varietally accurate of our 5 harvests.

Sagrantino fruit 2023 vintage - Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success

Freshly harvested 1/2 ton bins of Sagrantino fruit awaiting handling at the winery

Sagrantino in Fall - Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success

A view of the estate Sagrantino vineyard looking south from the Sonocaia winery. Fall weather arrived just in time to complete the 2023 winemaking and get the winery open.

Composting

We’re doing our best to manage all of the food and beverage waste cycles here at the ranch. One project is our substantial composting operation – where nearly all brown and green organic material is recycled into the massive compost pile – including chicken manure, garden waste, tree trimmings, and below, post-fermentation grape skins.

Acorns

One of my very favorite annual projects is the collecting of oak acorns. During my wanderings around Sonoma, I have identified a few “mother” trees which are huge 100+ years old behemoth oaks that produce incredible acorns almost every year. I think we can all agree that an acorn is a marvel of the living world! An impenetrable hard shell protects the inner meat and seed from the harsh sun and animals. After soaking on the ground in the cold rain all winter long, the root emerges and immediately digs a deep tap root. It takes years for the tree to reach 4-5 feet above ground. But in successive years after it establishes itself, it quickly rockets to the sky becoming a huge and gorgeous canopy offering shade, food, water retention, carbon sequestration, and visual joy.

Acorns - Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success

Others topics:

The olive harvest is the next task on the horizon. This year, anecdotal data suggests a very large crop significantly devoid of the usual destructive olive fruit fly.

Olives on tree - Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success

Hot air balloons are a very common site here at the ranch. They depart at dawn just north of us from mid-valley, and as the sun rises the air briefly moves toward the bay blowing the balloons south and right over our backyard, and then exactly on cue the wind shifts north and off they go headed to Carneros and Napa for their landing.

Hot air ballons - Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success

See you at our next event. Warmly. Ken Wornick, Sonocaia owner/winemaker

Ken - Sonocaia grand opening was a wonderful success