Flowers provide a habitat for friendly predators.
Every year we plant large areas to flowers which come into bloom about this time. Because of their pollen and nectar they attract larger insects which follow the food chain preying on the smaller ones. We justify it as sustainable farming but the not so secret reason is we love the colors.
David Lafond, who took the photos, also selected the mix with an eye to color and size. These flowers which have just started to bloom will last well into harvest.
Today workers are going through the Pinot Noir block placing the canes between the guide wires and positioning and tying them so that they do not overlap.
The third photo illustrates the effect – on the right, of the worker, the canopy is open – while on the left, of the worker, the leaves and canes overlap and shade one another. By opening the canopy we maximize the vines ability to photosynthesize and, hopefully, allow the grapes to ripen evenly.
This is important since as the variation in maturity diminishes the flavors and concentration increase. Picking one berry at a time would accomplish the same results but then you are faced with all those decisions.
And finally the last photo shows the Pinot Noir as it is today.
This was really an enjoyable event. Without leaving the city you can visit 5 wineries and in the comfort of an open-air trolley. Food was available, as well as some superb wines, and all this under Santa Barbara’s temperate summer skies and cooling breezes.
To see more photos
The guests, who came from all over the country, arrived late afternoon and enjoyed a casual but excellent dinner. Flower arrangements and coordination were by Manager Mirella Valdez. Photos by Pablo and Mirella.
For more photos
The Pinot Noir Block today. Ideal conditions warm days and cool nights, the crop looks smaller than usual — concentrated flavors, richer and darker. Stay posted.
The New York Times has an interesting story on the wine industry in Europe and the problems of subsidizing an industry. Among these are over-production and poor quality.
Efforts to shore up the European wine industry by tearing out thousands of acres of vineyards and scrapping some subsidies have set the stage for a fierce debate Wednesday as Europeans contemplate the cost of their love affair with the grape.
Vigorous competition from New World producers and complex regulations in Europe have helped create a vast amount of surplus wine, leading also to problems of quality and to increased spending to ease the surplus. To address those problems, the executive arm of the European Union has proposed overhauling the industry by reducing production, cutting subsidies and providing incentives to efficient winemakers.
But winemaking is regarded as part of national cultures in many of the bloc’s 27 members, and efforts to reduce the size of the industry have touched raw nerves like few other European proposals.
To read complete article
Europe, of course, still produces some fabulous wines but much of the lesser wines can be plonk and New World wines continue to gain popularity in the European market.
A Special Event, planned by manager Suzanne Fitzgerald, with chef Micah Elconin on Saturday June 30, 2007 at Santa Barbara Winery.
Micah is a Certified Natural Chef and Educator and Chef/Owner of the Educated Vegetable.
He prepared four dishes – pairing Santa Barbara Winery’s Sauvignon Blanc with an Arugula and Radish Salad with Goat Cheese, the Chardonmay with a delicious Corn Chowder, Pinot Noir with slow cooked Salmon in Shitake Cherry Sauce with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and lastly the Primitivo with Chocolate Truffles.
Below are a few of the photos we took — a little dark — there are a few more at our Tasting Room page.
Recent Comments