News

November
Harvest should be over… but it’s not this year. There’s still lots to do before we close that last tank or barrel and take some time off. The Tasting Room is undergoing some changes with the seaso; the swamp cooler which provided a cool breeze all summer has been replaced by the patio heater, the halls are being decked with holiday decorations, and candles provide a gentle glow. Also it’s time for new wines – be sure to try Medeiros Family’s new Cabernet Sauvignon (and watch for the release of the new Saudade) and La Vie Dansante’s new Syrah.

Holiday hours for each of the winemakers have been announced – check their websites for up-to-the-minute news and changes. La Vie Dansante Wines will be open Thursday through Monday in November, including the Friday after Thanksgiving. All three winemakers plan to be open every Saturday and Sunday. La Vie Dansante will be closed December 24th through the 28th but other than that December is business as usual.

October
It’s October and Harvest 2018 is still going strong. In fact we’re all only about half-way through when in a normal year we’d be talking about wrapping things up and taking a little vacation time. This was such a cool summer that all of the fruit seems to be coming in about three weeks late which will drive harvest all the way to Thanksgiving. The other impact of a cool season is to drive the fruit quantities down. In order to get the clusters to ripen in a cool year we drop a lot of fruit – fewer clusters mean the plants have a greater share of resources for each cluster. Where this all comes together is that even though this is a particularly long harvest, it’s not a very big one so all of the winemakers are spending a lot of time standing around looking at each other. A very strange season indeed.

Since everybody is busy with harvest there hasn’t been a lot of work put into the grounds or events. Next up on the schedule is our Annual Holiday Party on the evening of December 21st. This year we’re bringing in live music in Jason Cade, a fantastic singer/songwriter from the Fresno area. We’ll also have holiday goodies to enjoy and special wine deals to celebrate the season. Watch this website, our member wineries websites, and Facebook for more information as we get closer to the date.

September
Around here we have a love / hate relationship with the month of September. On the love side September marks the beginning of harvest. The time of the year when we get to ignore all of the day-to-day tedium like paying bills and writing social media posts in favor of making wine. There is nothing we’d rather do than make wine. On the hate side this is the most accessible month for organizations to host events. The weather cools off and the kids are back in school. September is both the national and California Wine Month. It’s wine club releases and Taste of Morgan Hill. Every school is having their fund raisers. Finally, there’s the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley Fall Passport.

Don’t get us wrong, we love all of the opportunities to interact with our guests and make new friends, but it can be a grind. So if you see us around the winery with dark circles under our eyes and looking a little worn-out, dont worry, were just a little tired and it will pass… in December…when harvest is over.

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