At The Winery
As the new year begins, life in the valley is moving at a slower pace, giving us the opportunity to update our culinary garden. We are renovating the entire space by digging it down 2-3 feet and adding construction fabric to prevent burrowing animals from snacking on our plants. Then, we built raised beds and filled them with soil. To increase the concentration of nutrients, we added grape pomace, which is the leftover seeds and skins from the 2023 harvest. It has increased the organic matter in the soil which will help lead to a bountiful garden for the spring. Lastly, irrigation lines were assembled and positioned within the beds for optimal watering. Stay tuned as new produce is planted and the garden starts to come to life again!
In the meantime, we have continued to source the best produce from our local Napa and Sonoma farms. Always bringing in the highest quality ingredients to be turned into delectable B Bites in the tasting room. Check out below what is happening in kitchen!
In The Kitchen
Winter is in full swing as the temperatures drop and the fog lingers longer in the vineyard. The valley is a little quieter, and the vines are taking a much-needed dormant break after a plentiful harvest. However, the tasting room is still buzzing, and the warmth of the pizza oven in our Hospitality House puts you in the perfect mood for a menu that will warm you from the inside out.
Featured on the Tasting Menu
Monte Rosso is located in the Moon Mountain AVA, within Sonoma Valley on the western side of the Mayacamas Mountains. The entrance of the ranch sits at about 700 feet above sea level and then winds up to nearly 1,300 feet. On a clear day, Monte Rosso provides stunning views of San Pablo Bay and San Francisco. These head-trained gnarly Zinfandel vines date back to the original plantings of 1880. This vineyard is highly regarded as one of the top locations for Zinfandel in Napa, Sonoma, and beyond. Its reputation stems from the age of its vines and the exceptional quality of its fruit.
In the Vineyards
It’s not just animals that hibernate, or get their “beauty rest.” After harvest, when the grapes are picked, and the leaves fall off, the vines go into a period of dormancy. From this point until the first bud break, the vines are essentially asleep. This is when we begin pruning and cutting back the growth from the previous year. We do this to control the growth and the fruit load of the vines, keeping them in balance.
When the soil warms in the springtime, the vines wake up from their dormancy and begin to push these developing buds out of the woody canes. We control the amount of fruit that the vine will be able to set for the current vintage to ensure the vine will be able to fully ripen the clusters. Skillful pruning is one of the most critical chores during the viticultural season. This process has started as we have pruned the Cabernet Franc vines on our Oakville Estate.
2020 Richard Dinner Vineyard Chardonnay
2021 Kick Ranch Grenache
2019 Frediani Vineyard Petite Sirah
2021 Stagecoach Vineyard Sangiovese
2018 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
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