The photo below was taken today, Friday March 23, 2008. The Pinot Noir is definitely flowering, maybe a little later than usual because of a cool April, and the weather is still not co-operating. Today has been cool, in the low 50s, and we are even having a little rain.
A little rain is OK, it is more like heavy mist, but heavy rain or even mildly heavy rain can damage the flowering. So far it has remained misty. This is a critical time in the development of the vine. We never know what the harvest is going to be like until the flowering is over. Once over we can better count the number of clusters and determine how they have ’set’.
This year we know the crop is going to be light — the frost took care of that – but with a decent ’set’ the vine may compensate somewhat. Wind and heavy rain can affect the result and what we need, right now, is mild sunny weather with moderate winds.
For a more detailed view click image to enlarge: 
Heads up… The Bistro Restaurant & Wine Bar will hold another wine pairing dinner to celebrate Summer Solstice on June 17. Here’s another chance to hear the winemakers and chef discuss food pairing in great depth, and to taste the successful marriage of flavors that will appear on the prix fixed menu. This will be a great way to kick off summer and engage with some local food, wine, and personality.
I got a preview yesterday afternoon of what will appear on the menu and I can’t wait to see how it evolves. A few of us from the winery met with Josh (head chef) yesterday to discuss the pairings. 
Josh is coming up with some fantastic ideas that are going to be perfect for summer. Every dish was extremely colorful and he has executed each one with precision - from seasoning, to presentation, to aesthetics.
You can read about our Winemaker Earth Day Pairing dinner by clicking on the Summer Solstice image on the right… Make your reservations now!
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery
Don’t miss the Grilled Carmody Cheddar sandwich at the Bistro’s special Thursday evening tonight. Cheddar cheese is pressed between two slices of artisan sourdough bread with tomato and basil, and its suggested wine pairing is our light and fruity signature blend of Zinfandel, Carignane, and Sangiovese (ZCS).
Cheddar Cheese is one of the most popular and frequently purchased cheese in the world, and its simplicity screams childhood memories. The Bistro puts a sophisticated twist on a classic ingredient by making sure it is of the highest quality and grilled to perfection. Its semi-hard texture is produced 
from cow’s milk and originated in England’s village of Cheddar. Naturally the cheese ranges from white to pale yellow in color, but sometimes pigment is added to give it its trademark pumpkin-orange color that pops up in grocery store aisles. With maturity Cheddar develops a crumbly texture and its sharp taste is enhanced.
One interesting fact about Cheddar is the vast range of quality associated with the name. Many well known cheese have obtained the rights to their name, ensuring quality when it appears on the label. Cheddar doesn’t have any name protection so its reputation has been damaged by the low quality mass market products that are frequently produced. Cheddar is widely produced in the United States, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. Its depth of flavor is enhanced by the basil’s refreshingly clean punch and stand out garden fresh fruitiness of the tomato.
Carmody Cheddar is made from Jersey cow milk and aged at least six weeks. Its buttery texture is naturally golden in color. Come by and try it at Pierre Lafond Bistro’s Thursday Grilled Cheese Night.
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery
Rose has written an article on lettuce in the Bistro Restaurant & Wine Bar Blog that she titles ‘Lettuces the - cut and come again - Technique’. Some of the lettuce she has been growing at the Lafond Vineyard organic garden will be harvested this weekend and undoubtedly many of her vegetables will be featured at the Summer Solstice Food and Wine Pairing at the Bistro. Click here to read the entire article
Lettuces are very easy to grow. The most recognizable lettuces are Romaine and Iceberg, but there are thousands of different types of lettuces and are not just green, they come in red and speckled, too. My two favorite varieties are “Blush” butter head/iceberg and “Magenta” loose leaf.
“Blush” Lettuce is remarkable in that it had many different shades of green inside and many shades if red on the outside. Both of these lettuces I am growing for the Bistro and may be on menu for the Summer Solstice Wine and Food pairing on June 17th. Red leafed lettuces tend to be more heat and insect resistant and are very beautiful. The colorful lettuces have more nutrients as well…
Click to read article.
Santa Barbara Winery Stolpman Vineyard 2005 Sangiovese
The Stolpman Vineyard is located in Ballard Canyon about 9.5 miles east of our Lafond Vineyard. The warmer climate in Ballard Canyon is nicely suited for Sangiovese, historically the primary grape of the Chianti region of Italy.
Known for its dense cherry fruit, Sangiovese’s popularity has been on the increase as winemakers around the world discover the structure and full-bodied nature of the wine along with its affinity for blending with other varietals. Winemaker Bruce McGuire continues to be pleased with this newer block of Sangiovese; 2005 is the fourth harvest from this section.
Bruce notes, “In 2005, the crop size was close to normal and made a rich, concentrated wine. I aged the wine in 500 liter puncheons to preserve aromatic freshness which compliments the firm, bright fruit.”
This wine is always a champion in summer especially with dishes utilizing fresh vine-ripened tomatoes. Enjoy between the summer of 2008 and 2010.
Price: 24.00/750ml
To order:
Bottling is no one’s favorite part of winemaking - but it could be the most satisfying. Getting the wine into bottles safely is a sort of accomplishment. It is not the end of the road — it still needs to get into the hands of the consumer.
Winemaker Bruce MaGuire this week bottled the last of our 2006 red wines. 
These were all bottled in the classical high shoulder Bordeaux bottle. Six wines, five of Italian origin and one, Cabernet Sauvignon, of French origin. They have all spent 16 to 18 months in 60 liter barrels and are being bottled without filtration.
2006 Joughin Vineyard Negrette
2006 Joughin Vineyard Primitivo
2006 Stolpman Vineyard Sangiovese
2006 Grassini Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Joughin Vineyard Lagrein
2006 Stolpman Vineyard Nebbiolo
The smallest bottling 260 cases and the largest 405 cases. Except for the Cabernet Sauvignon these are not produced widely in California. All the vineyards that Bruce has selected are in the Santa Ynez Valley in micro climates suitable for these varieties.
Click image to enlarge:
This is a great article in the Los Angeles Times by Mathew DeBord which appeared May 12, 2008 in which he attacks the Luddite mentality of many wine writers.
California wine is the yuppie of global beverages and, at the moment, under assault from a cadre of wine writers, filmmakers and importers who have taken an ultra-conservative, borderline Luddite stance toward its incontrovertible dominance of the global wine business. (They are not, as they would like to be perceived, plucky independent thinkers who are bucking a mega-trend.)
Powerful fruit — the product, for the most part, of extremely well-cultivated grapes, not technological manipulation — is suspect. Alcohol, the result of the high levels of ripeness that California winemakers can achieve, is also a problem. Any whiff of technology in the winery, regardless of the magnificence of the product, needs to be indicted as if it were some unholy transgression against an ancient winemaking pact. Thou shalt not useth the demon oak. Beware the reverse-osmosis heresy. Pick not thy grapes when they art ripe, but rather pick them when they art green and unripe, the better to filleth thy wines with Old World structure and weird herby flavors…
To read the full article:
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