My new year excitement was watching the ball drop in Times Square. We always celebrate the New Year coming in - New York time. That way we can get up before noon.
We could have celebrated, of course, things are quiet at both Lafond Winery and Santa Barbara Winery.
We have not started bottling, although we are getting some small lots of the 2005 reds ready. Most of our wines are bottled before the next harvest but some of the special small lots are held over until January or February. These include our vineyard designated Pinot Noirs and Syrahs as well as many other small lots such as Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and others.
Some of the new wine is still going through malolactic, or secondary fermentation, and each barrel has to be checked. Once malolactic fermentation is complete and not generating CO2 we have to top the barrels more frequently to prevent oxygen reaching the wine. The barrels should breathe out and not in.
The first picture below shows the mounds of red pressed grapes drying in the open. These grapes, when dried, make wonderful ground cover around plants. The dark red color does not fade and provide a great contrast to plants and flowers. We have used these around the winery for several years. What we have left over we return to the vineyard. It has no nutitional value but is an excellent mulch.
The next picture is of the small pond we have near the winery. The goldfish we put in to control the insects have grown and multiplied. I am always amazed on how they survive - one way is to dissapear under the vegetation whenever anyone or anything casts a shadow over the water.
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