Well, hot August is pleasantly cool after a blisteringly hot July. The hot, dry weather has pushed the local grapes along in their ripening. I haven’t talked to the folks in eastern Washington but I assume they are just a bit ahead. The warmth of the last few weeks balance out the cool, damp spring.
I will be making Syrah this year and some Grenache, and maybe a touch of Viognier to add to a blend of all three grapes in the style of the Rhone wines. The Syrah will come from the Dwelley Vineyard in Walla Walla, the Grenache from Snipes Mountain’s Upland Vineyard. I’m not sure yet about the Viognier.
I just blended a new batch of Tramp Harbor Red. Each time I make up a batch I use one barrel from the previous batch. To that I add three other barrels; this time, one from the ‘06 Merlot, another of the ‘06 Cabernet Franc, and one of the ‘07 Accidental Red.
Have I told you about the Accidental Red? Or more accurately, the (almost) Accidental Red. Well, in the excitement of the ‘07 vintage I agreed to purchase Malbec from a vineyard up north, north of Vantage, near Crescent Bar. After I agreed to purchase them right there at the vineyard, I then measured their sugars and they were unbelievably high. I started my drive back to the winery…….three hours straight, all freeway driving. I was a bit nervous about my brakes but on the freeway I never really had to use them. Then when I left I-90 to get on I-5, I merged over to get in the lane to take me over the West Seattle bridge. This little car tried to cut in front of me and I slowed down but then he slowed way down and dropped behind me but I was watching him through my side-mirror when suddenly the car in front of me was stopped…….I could see that there were three people in the small Ford Focus and I was going to rear-end them, and I thought my brakes wouldn’t hold…..but somehow I didn’t hit them. I must have missed them by less than an inch and I was so happy, that I didn’t recognize the swooshing sound coming from the back of the van….when all of a sudden my seat got hit by the 1000 pound bin of grapes and I was trapped against the stirring wheel. But I was alive, and those in front of me lived and I just needed to get on that ferry and get home.
Then I got a call from Rex Noah of Vashon Island. Rex wanted to know if I wanted some Cabernet Sauvignon and some Merlot from Walla Walla. I was kind of hard up for grapes and said yes. When they arrived the next day, I measured their sugars and they were low, about 20.5 brix…..so I crushed the grapes altogether and co-fermented the grapes (the second accident); and it turned out fantastic. I’ve used two of the barrels for the Tramp Harbor Red blend but I have saved one that I hope to bottle as Accidental Red.
I also will be releasing Folk Red which is the same as the Tramp but with a commemorative label for the Vashon Winery Folk Festival.
That’s all for now. Hope to see you at the Folk Festival.
Oh, and we are also planning a Scott Cossu concert at Sound Food Restaurant on September 6, Sunday, and combination with a reunion of Sound Food people. Both events are $10.
