A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

Enjoy this pictorial journey of Fall in the Sonoma Valley

From our sun-soaked vineyard to the bustling crush pad, immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the Sonocaia Estate Winery in the Sonoma Valley. Explore the heart of California wine country and savor every moment of the season.

With our 2022 vintage, we reached the promised land having created a Sagrantino wine with superb color, great depth, structure, and varietal distinction. It’s simply a gorgeous wine that goes so very well with grilled beef, rich pastas, and aged cheese.  And the most perfect match of all – mushroom risotto!

 

Bottling the 2022 vintage

 

bottle sonocaia - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

The finished product – vintage 2022 Sonocaia estate reserve Sagrantino. The first truly representative example of our almost decade-long effort to replicate Umbrian Montefalco Sagrantino in the Sonoma Valley. 

 

Shop here for Sonocaia Sagrantino

 

The bottling crew

 

Valley of the Moon “Vintage Festival”  – Grand Tasting Event

 

We poured our recently bottled 2022 Sonocaia Sagrantino estate reserve and the 2021 Dysfunctional Family ‘Double Buffalo” wine at the Valley of the Moon “Grand Tasting” event at the Barracks on the Sonoma Plaza. A really large audience crowded around our tasting table for three hours, a wonderful surprise given that we were literally surrounded by much larger and more famous wineries. 

Grand tasting 1 - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

Grand tasting 2 - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

The Grand Tasting inspired a big crowd from around the country

Grand tasting 3 - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

Lead by Executive Director, Robyn Sebastiani (2nd from right), the entire Vallay of the Moon “Vintage Festival” staff made the event a great success.

 

Valley of the Moon “Vintage Festival”  – Harvest Dinner and Auction Event

Celebrating 200 years of Sonoma Valley wine and farming, we donated a monster 6 Liter Methuselah of the 2017 Red Blend – 32% Cabernet, 29% Petite Sirah, 25% Syrah, and 14% Merlot, all from 100% organic, 100% Sonoma Valley vineyards, and 100% grown, produced, and bottled by our company.

 

 

Valley of the Moon “Vintage Festival” – Grape Stomp

 

stomp 2 - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

As a large audience roared with encouragement (from a significant distance), 2-person teams raced each other to stomp ten pounds of grapes and produce a winning volume of liquid, and happily got themselves and the judges covered in red grape juice in the process

 

stomp 1 - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

This was the winning team’s submission. And the stomping was much harder than it looked, even for the energetic youngsters.

 

Recent visitors to the Sonocaia estate

These are a few of the photos of various visitors to the winery, very random and with instructions to “just act natural.” They were all very good at following instructions.

86555F58 53BD 4F43 91DF AC23A5EEA1B4 - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

3 guys - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

Guests 2 - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

Impact 100 B - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

Hawaii visitors - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

Guests outdoors - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

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Vintage 2024 – harvest prep

Sanitation and equipment checks are a constant at the winery. And especially at the start of harvest. Even more so when your assistant winemaker, Dominic Smith, also of Domesday wines, shows up with a new ultra-sleek, super-gentle, and very expensive Italian must pump.

 

A brief pause for some fun on the Sonoma Plaza

The Sonoma Plaza has an all-summer-long Tuesday night Farmer’s Market. It always attracts a large audience, especially when the food trucks and the music make the scene.

 

A grand rodeo at the Wing and Barrel Ranch in Carneros

The most incredibly all-American and patriotic event of the year in Sonoma, other than Fourth of July, our hosts Christine and Jon Curry of Landers Curry (famed Sonoma home builder and interior designer) served us ample cold beverages, provided perfect seats to view the parachute, barrel racing, and bull riding (and it should be called bull falling), followed by an hours-long BBQ. The right way to prep for harvest.

 

Watching, waiting, tick tock, and finally, it’s go-time for the harvest

It’s a bit nerve-racking and daunting to work to diligently farm a vineyard and then put your head on the pillow every night in October and say to yourself “should I pick…now?” The decision will affect the quality and features of that vintage for years to come – in barrel, in bottle, and on your dinner table. But the decision must be made. And so in my view you make it fearlessly and without hesitation.

Night harvest - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

5:00am, the sky is dark, the air is perfectly cool, the tractor lights are glowing, it’s time, let’s do this.

 

harvest 1 - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

The team is psyched for the final bin as the sun begins to set on a long day, and the mighty Kubota tractor keeps on chugging

 

Wait, did you wash those feet?

Funny? Yes. But not a joke. Mike and Dom dropped the last 20% of this fruit into the bin as ‘whole clusters’ (stems on) and foot-tread the fruit. Truly, the most gentle and really pretty compelling way to very softly break up the berry skins without cracking the seeds. Works really well on smaller lots of 1-2 tons. Not so much on 100 tons!

Grenache 7 foot tread - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

 

Final thoughts

With all the wines quietly fermenting in the winery, we’re now busy with punchdowns and pumpovers 2-4 times every day for the next month. Then, it will be time to press that wine into barrels. And then eat some turkey and mashed potatoes.

But meanwhile…wait for it…Acorns! Just like clockwork, as the last grapes are harvested, the oak trees start dropping acorns. And I start yet another year of passionately collecting them for the baby oak tree nursery.

acorns - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

Acorns - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

And from the Hydeout gardens, a payoff of amazing Fall potatoes

potatoes - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

 

Warmest regards to you each for a fantastic, cold, rainy, quiet, and peaceful winter

 

CBW and KW - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

 

Shop Sonocaia here – buy now in time for Thanksgiving – online or pick up at the winery

 

Next post – a review of the over 100 blogs posted here since June 2017

Balloons - A pictorial grape-to-glass wine journey

Happy tourists in their hot air balloons grace the early morning October skies over the Hydeout Farm and Sonocaia Winery

 

You gotta read this blog post, it’s not only about wine!

You gotta read this blog post, it’s not only about wine!

Rosé sale. 20% off. For the last hot days of summer.

Just 7 cases remaining. Who wants some?

 

Cellar find! We found 7 perfectly pristine cases of 2020 Rosé hiding in plain sight. Our beautifully aged rosé is made in the French saignée style, meaning ‘to bleed.’ Most rosé is made by going straight into the press when the fruit when arrives at the winery. That approach often results in a light cotton candy colored wine, with little to no tannin but nice fresh fruit. In the saignée style, the red grapes are first processed into a fermentation tank. Then some liquid that has sat ‘on the skins’ is ‘bled off’ and then fermented as a rosé. What remains in the tank becomes a more concentrated dark red wine. And the resulting rosé in this approach is a darker red, slightly more tannic, slightly crisper, and is thus actually age-worthy vino. And that is what we’re offering here. Aged 4 years in bottle in the winery cellar. Pristine condition. We recommend drinking it ice-cold on the last of the hot summer days still ahead.

Rose sale! 20% off instantly. Because you are a subscriber to this blog, you are automatically in our “friends and family” discount program! When you order, for UPS shipping or pick up at the winery, enter this discount code for an instant 20% off:   FF20

Click here to have a look at the rest of our wines, including our Sonocaia 100% estate Sagrantino and our Dysfunctional Family red blends

What I did on my summer vacation (only because some subscribers asked)…

Dear Teacher,  bottling and harvest starts this week with work in the winery likely lasting through Thanksgiving. So we jumped on the motorcycle for our summer vacation. This year, we rode to the Canadian Rockies and back. Thousands of miles. 3,508 miles to be exact. The ride took us through Kalispell Montana, crossed into Canada, headed north to Edmonton (and went to the Metallica 72 Seasons concert) then rode back to Calgary and met up with nine friends on their moto bikes, rode west to Vancouver via Banff, Revelstoke, and Whistler/Blackcomb, then turned back east to Kamloops and Kelowna, and then finally headed south to home  – via Yakima, Bend, and Klamath Falls. It was an epic adventure full of great roads, wildlife, hiking, food and drink. And a very important new cultural discovery – Hawkins Cheezies, a corn meal and cheese snack far superior to all other cheesy puffs! Not kidding. Have a look.

Metallica at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Click here if you need to bang your head – Wherever I May Roam, oh come and click it, even if you don’t like metal, you’ll enjoy the buzz!

 

Motorcycle riding through the spectacular Canadian Rockies from Calgary to Vancouver and back with our riding group from Florida, South Dakota, Arizona, and NorCal

Canada 3 - You gotta read this blog post, it's not only about wine!

Canada 7 - You gotta read this blog post, it's not only about wine!

Hiking the Rockies

Canada 6 - You gotta read this blog post, it's not only about wine!

The famed Canadian bar “drink-in-meal”, called the Giant Bloody Caesar. What the heck is this you may ask? It’s a monster Bloody Mary, plus two giant loaded sliders, a few fried zucchini sticks, some veggies, and a lot of napkins, it just goes on and on…

Canada 9 Caesar - You gotta read this blog post, it's not only about wine!

The famed Hawkins Cheezies, which we discovered on a fuel stop. Don’t laugh. Like no other cheesy puff you have ever had. For real. Super crunchy and cheesy. Made from corn meal, not wheat. Available only in Canada. And as it turns out, you can get em from a supplier via Amazon.

Canada Cheezies - You gotta read this blog post, it's not only about wine!

Oh, so this is where Cynthia gets her superpower!

Canada 8 Cynthia - You gotta read this blog post, it's not only about wine!

3,508 miles, and the bike and us safely back home in time for bottling and harvest

In the next blog post…
  • Bottling the 2022 vintage of Sonocaia Sagrantino.
  • Racking the 2023 vintage of Sonocaia Sagrantino.
  • Harvesting the Sonocaia Sagrantino. The 2024 harvest is now just around the corner. This week, brix (sugar readings) were in the 24.3 range. Shoots are lignifying. Seeds are turning coffee colored. I am hoping to push the harvest out as late as possible as Sagrantino’s thick skin loves a long growing season. And the refined tannins are way more important than sugar water measurements. But as always, the weather will be ultimately in charge.
  • And soon, a full report on a new professional colleagues wine tasting event we’re launching here at Sonocaia

Warmly, Ken

P.S.  – The Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers is hosting their annual Vintage Fest. Click on this link to see the entire schedule, buy tickets, bid on auction items. Sonocaia and Dysfunctional will be pouring at the Plaza Barracks on Saturday eve, Sept 28th, at 6:00pm.

But wait, there’s more…

Sonoma International Film Festival

27 years of the best in film, food, wine, and fun – it all starts up again on March 19-23, 2025. Four days of amazing film, food, wine, and parties. It’s an all-walking film festival around the Sonoma Plaza. Feature films, docs, animation. Buy your passes starting on October 1st: Purchase tickets here for SIFF.   This week’s SIFF’s monthly film featured “Giants Rising”, “the secrets and superpowers of the Redwoods”, and winner of more than six film festival awards, at the Sebastiani Theatre on Sonoma Plaza. Sold out crowd. Great film. See images below.

 

SIFF Redwoods 1 - You gotta read this blog post, it's not only about wine!

SIFF Executive Director, Ginny Kreiger, introducing the film, Giants Rising

 

SIFF Redwoods 2 - You gotta read this blog post, it's not only about wine!

Director Emeritus, Kevin McNeely (left) doing a great job with the Q&A after the screening of Giants Rising.

Sonoma Farmer’s Market

At one of the last Tuesday night Farmer’s Markets of the year, where a Doors tribute band rocked the Sonoma plaza. And we dined al fresco with friends. And drinking Dysfunctional vino.

Bobcats

Wildlife is a constant presence here at the Hydeout Farm. It constantly ebbs and flows as rapidly-reproducing animals at the bottom of the food chain (like mice and rabbits and squirrels) get consumed by apex predators who are higher on the food chain. Two weeks ago, a pregnant Bobcat appeared, and then a week later, two baby Bobcats showed up. It’s been interesting to observe how rapidly the population of rabbits and squirrels drops off – whether they are eaten, relocate elsewhere for safety, or both. Even the raucous and very pack-like black crows have vanished.

Red Tail Hawks and Cooper Hawks

Life is dangerous for the apex predators too, but in different ways. In this first image, a Red Tail Hawk adult stretched its wing near some power lines, causing an electrical arc and sadly, the hawk exploded with 7000 amps of juice. I found its severed foot at the bottom of the power pole. Very impressive claw! One week later, an adult Coopers Hawk was training a fledgling to hunt. But sadly, it hit something… maybe misjudged a tree, and broke a wing. We found the young hawk sitting in the driveway looking dazed. When we approached slowly, it just fell over. We collected the hawk into a box and drove it up to the Santa Rose “Wild Bird Rescue.”  We’re waiting on news of its recovery, and hope to repatriate the fledging bird back to its home soon.

Sustainable vineyard farming practices

Our Sonocaia and Dysfunctional Family wines are 100% organic. We do our best to balance old world methods with modern science. We never use toxic chemicals of any kind; after all, we live on this land, eat the food, and drink the water. As the grapes ripen, wild birds and other animals positively lose their minds on the sugary grapes. One of the best deterrents is to install bright reflective tape in the vine rows. As the breeze blows and the tape shimmers, little blasts of confusing bright light reflect out in a kaleidoscope fashion. The streaky light makes the birds nervous. It’s not perfect, they do learn to overcome their fear. But hopefully we minimize damage to the fruit we’ve worked so hard to grow over the previous 9 months. I like to say we’ll keep 4 acres for the humans and the wild life can have the other 7 undeveloped open acres.

New Rooster and chicks

Some weeks ago, 20 new baby chicks arrived from the nursery. And just 10 shorts weeks later, they are ready to be introduced to the adult population. In this first photo, you see the chicks just as they arrived, little baseball-sized fluff balls. In the second image, it becomes quickly obvious that one of the babies was incorrectly sexed at the nursery and is in fact not an egg-laying hen, but a rowdy teenage rooster. Note: “Slim” is available for adoption (we already have 2 adult roosters which is twice what we need or want!)

 

Featured wines and entertaining Sonoma Valley stories and images

Featured wines and entertaining Sonoma Valley stories and images

Two featured Dysfunctional Family Winery red blends

DysfunctionalFamily Label forweb - Featured wines and entertaining Sonoma Valley stories and images

Our Dysfunctional Family 2021 Red Blend also known as the “Double Buffalo” is drinking well right now. It is a deeply colored, medium-bodied, easy-drinking wine, with an all-American blend of 62% Syrah, 24% Zinfandel, 8% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet. Your dinner party guests will enjoy this very approachable wine that drinks nicely all evening long. Plus, the Dysfunctional brand name and “Double Buffalo” iconography make for good conversation. Less than 25 cases remain.

Find it here: Dysfunctional 2021 Red Blend ‘Double Buffalo”

 

DF Wine Bottle Gray 1 - Featured wines and entertaining Sonoma Valley stories and images

Taking a step back to an older favorite, we have a few cases remaining of this 2018 Red Blend, this one sourced from my colleagues’ 3 small hand-farmed 100% organic vineyards in the heart of Sonoma Valley; for those who prefer a softer version of our annual blend, this is juicy wine with a smooth plush texture, soft red fruit, and silky tannins – looks like Cab (65%), tastes more like a fat Syrah (23%), and finishes like a Pinot (9% Cab Franc and 3% Merlot). Let it breathe a bit, then enjoy with it salmon, or lightly smoked/barbecued/roasted food.  It is aged for 20 months in a mix of French and American oak. Less than 12 cases remain.
 
Find it here: Dysfunctional 2018 Red Blend

 

Click here to have a look at the rest of our wines here, including our 100% estate Sagrantino, rosé, and many red blends

20% off instantly! Because you are a subscriber to this blog, you are automatically in our “friends and family” discount program! When you order, for UPS shipping or pick up at the winery, enter this discount code for an instant 20% off:   FF20

 

News from the Hydeout farm and around the Sonoma Valley

Bobcats

Wildlife is a constant presence here at the Hydeout Farm. It constantly ebbs and flows as rapidly-reproducing animals at the bottom of the food chain (like mice and rabbits and squirrels) get consumed by apex predators who are higher on the food chain. Two weeks ago, a pregnant Bobcat appeared, and then a week later, two baby Bobcats showed up. It’s been interesting to observe how rapidly the population of rabbits and squirrels drops off – whether they are eaten, relocate elsewhere for safety, or both. Even the raucous and very pack-like black crows have vanished.

 

Red Tail Hawks and Cooper Hawks

Life is dangerous for the apex predators too, but in different ways. In this first image, a Red Tail Hawk adult stretched its wing near some power lines, causing an electrical arc and sadly, the hawk exploded with 7000 amps of juice. I found its severed foot at the bottom of the power pole. Very impressive claw! One week later, an adult Coopers Hawk was training a fledgling to hunt. But sadly, it hit something… maybe misjudged a tree, and broke a wing. We found the young hawk sitting in the driveway looking dazed. When we approached slowly, it just fell over. We collected the hawk into a box and drove it up to the Santa Rose “Wild Bird Rescue.”  We’re waiting on news of its recovery, and hope to repatriate the fledging bird back to its home soon.

Sustainable vineyard farming practices

Our Sonocaia and Dysfunctional Family wines are 100% organic. We do our best to balance old world methods with modern science. We never use toxic chemicals of any kind; after all, we live on this land, eat the food, and drink the water. As the grapes ripen, wild birds and other animals positively lose their minds on the sugary grapes. One of the best deterrents is to install bright reflective tape in the vine rows. As the breeze blows and the tape shimmers, little blasts of confusing bright light reflect out in a kaleidoscope fashion. The streaky light makes the birds nervous. It’s not perfect, they do learn to overcome their fear. But hopefully we minimize damage to the fruit we’ve worked so hard to grow over the previous 9 months. I like to say we’ll keep 4 acres for the humans and the wild life can have the other 7 undeveloped open acres.

 

Sonoma International Film Festival

27 years of the best in film, food, wine, and fun – it all starts up again on March 19-23, 2025. Buy your passes here: SIFF.   Also, mark your calendars for SIFF’s next monthly Tuesday night feature, “Giants Rising”, “the secrets and superpowers of the Redwoods”, and winner of more than six film festival awards, at 7:00pm on September 17th at the Sebastiani Theatre on Sonoma Plaza.

Hot Air ballooning in Sonoma Valley

Your adventure begins the moment you arrive at the Sonoma Skypark in Sonoma.  You’ll want to allow at least 3-4 hours in total for this unique outdoor adventure. The first image is looking up at the balloons from the Hydeout pool deck. The 2nd image was of the Hydeout farm and Sonocaia winery, taken from the ballon. You can see a portion of the vineyard at lower right, the winery at far right. The last image is also looking out over the pool deck ten minutes later. They were moving very fast despite looking like the balloon wasn’t moving at all.

Sonoma City Party

On August 1st, the Sonoma City Council and the City of Sonoma presented the 27th Annual Sonoma City Party. The City of Sonoma hosts this annual party to bring our community together for fun, festivities, and to celebrate our vibrant community. A long-standing tradition, this unique event celebrates the rich history of Sonoma, its residents, businesses, and non-profits. The event is free to attend and concludes with a raucous band and dancing as the sun sets.

Zucchini races on the Sonoma Plaza

Sonoma hosts a fabulous farmer’s market  on the Sonoma Plaza every Tuesday evening all summer long. On August 20th, instead of music, they held the hilarious, energetic, and wild zucchini races. Adults and kids alike entered. The track was swarmed by screaming participants. The world briefly stopped spinning on it’s axis as the gate fell and the utterly ridiculous zucchini’s raced, rolled, and toppled over the track. Zuchini race 1 - Featured wines and entertaining Sonoma Valley stories and images Zuchini race 2 - Featured wines and entertaining Sonoma Valley stories and images Click here to watch a very brief Zuchini race movie

New Rooster and chicks

Some weeks ago, 20 new baby chicks arrived from the nursery. And just 10 shorts weeks later, they are ready to be introduced to the adult population. In this first photo, you see the chicks just as they arrived, little baseball-sized fluff balls. In the second image, it becomes quickly obvious that one of the babies was incorrectly sexed at the nursery and is in fact  not an egg-laying hen, but a rowdy teenage rooster. Note: “Oreo” is available for adoption (we already have 2 adult roosters which is twice what we need or want!)

 

Doing good in Sonoma – Impact 100

We hosted the entire board of Impact 100 here at the Sonocaia winery. It is our pleasure to support the local non-profits.  Impact 100 Sonoma is a women’s philanthropic organization founded in 2009 to support the vital services and programs of nonprofits serving our community. By working together and pooling our resources, we’re helping to build a just and thriving Sonoma Valley.

 

Last, a bit of humor

Not meant to be political, and you could probably take this either way, left, right, or otherwise, but it still made for a good and slightly ashamed laugh… Guns and Indians - Featured wines and entertaining Sonoma Valley stories and images

Next up…
Harvesting our Sonocaia Sagrantino. The 2024 harvest is just around the corner. This week, brix (sugar readings) were in the 17-19 range. I am hoping to push the harvest out as late as possible as Sagrantino’s thick skin loves a long growing season. And coffee-colored seeds and refined tannins are way more important than sugar water measurements. But as always, the weather will be ultimately in charge.

Warmly, Ken

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