David Coffaro Vineyard and
        Winery

arrow July 10 - July 16, 2016

Sunday July 10, 2016

9:30 Pm: Tomorrow we will finish the last day of bottling our 2015 10 Month wines. It will be fun

My Neighbors in a small house, I guess about 800 square feet or less just like Pat and I were in when we were first in love, 1979.

We met these very nice people back about 10 or so years. There is this small house on the 15 acre vineyard to the North of us and another smaller house maybe 500 sq feet which is not allowed on such a small property. I do not want to turn them in to the county but it is becoming a big problem.............

For the last 4 or 5 years I have put up with this large dog with a bit bull head coming over here. Because we were friends with Hila and Tall we put up with this until the last few weeks.

This large dog all of a sudden last night lunged at me. We spent $1000 on a fence 100 feet up beyond these peoples house and the large dog still came around for several hundred feet and came on my property. I am  suddenly afraid (I am a tough person but) to go out to my vineyard tonight with my two cats and look at the grapes to see when we will harvest............and this dog confronts me? This dog needs to disappear from my life. I hope the county will help............

So we have and agreement between owners..........for an area between two properties which is through all vineyards in Dry Creek Valley or I am sure other vineyard counties. We have in both lines between properties, about 20 feet so we can navigate equipment and thus turn around in an easy way. I was told when I first bought this place, Frank Teldeschi took over part of my vineyard close to where these people live. I also know John put down a leech line down on my property so he could rent out these houses. So I have been putting up with this for 20 years. So do I still put up with this dog?..........

more tomorrow

Monday July 11, 2016

8:00 Pm: Today we finished bottling our 2015 10 month aged wine. We are not through until tomorrow because we have to rack our 2015 aged wine for 16 months. Josh and Jose will make sure I get a bottle of each before it is barrel aged for 6 months and not racked. Usually we rack every 3 months. Some wineries believe a wine should be in the same barrel for 6 months to pick up character from the barrel. I don't necessarily believe it makes a difference but i am willing to try different things. Hey I like OAK so it will be fun.

I have not heard back from the county concerning this large dog next store to us. I am heading out soon to the vineyard so I hope I am not confronted by this violent dog.

http://www.teldeschi.com/OurHistory/tabid/213/Default.aspx

You should look at the link above because it will help to understand............

I am so happy to know Frank Teldeschi for 5 years when I first arrived in Dry Creek Valley. He died in 1985. He was always talking more than I and I know I could talk a lot then and still now. But he had a passion and made me proud to know him and be in Dry Creek Valley. So Again read what his family put up with the link above.

Early 1980's, I remember many times Frank and I would be up to Gallo delivering grapes late at night. Gallo was the only one to pay an OK price, but we would never know what the price would be until November..........long story........Hey on any one night there could be 20 or more trucks full of Dry Creek Valley great fruit but Gallo had to figure out which tank this fruit would go into so we waited sometimes an hour or more. Frank one night was the most entertaining. He was upset as we were waiting, so he would relate stories and of course I was new and enjoyed his conversation. AND then he turned to me. I was not saying much just taking in what these great growers who knew more than I were relating. So Frank says: "Dave? Do you own stock in Union Oil?" I said "what do you mean?" Frank smiles and says: "Dave you have not turned off your engine in your car!" So I had to admit I had a bad battery in my little truck so I had to keep the engine running so I did not need a battery jump. Frank was a lot of fun.................BUT

Teldeschi is the family who still owns the vineyard next store and the family in control after Frank is allowing renters and dogs that are causing me trouble.............  


Thursday July 14, 2016

We have still not heard from the county so maybe they contacted these people to warn them again. I have not seen the dog for a few nights so I am hoping tonight it will be the same, not a dog confronting me.

Tuesday was the last day of blending and bottling wine. Each day we did do the same as we have done for the last several years: We took all the wine lots out of barrels and put the whole amount in a tank, without nitrogen. Most wineries store wine in large tanks and put some gas on the top to preserve it until bottling, usually several days. I do not believe in storing wine in tanks for more than two hours. I think the wine losses some fresh fruit character, but like I have said before that is the tradition of wine making for many centuries. Also wine traditionally is still fermented in large vessels and left for several days after finishing fermentation and thus no sugar left. We choose to stop fermentation and press into barrels with still a little fermentation active.

I have to talk about the wines I have tasted in the last 10 days. Someone has to do it so it was hard.......I can only guess I tried 60 wines, 10 or more each night. So if I only try a small amount, like one ounce, I am fine. That's only 10 ounces, 40% of a bottle, but I had a few ounces of a great German Riesling last night and a few ounces of a blend of all wines so I probably had a bottle...........

The 2014 wines are darker, more like the 2012 wines. I have said before the 2012 wines are starting to show well. I still prefer the 2013's. The 2015 wines are more like the 2013's and they are already showing well.  

Friday July 15, 2016

9:00 Pm:  We might have closed today or soon. We have sold our large house and nice corner lot in Seattle. We will have more money to pay off Kate's place in San Francisco so what do I do with some left over........

As you know I state: my life is an open book so ask me any question...........SO, We could have over $250,000 left over even when we pay taxes. We bought this nice place in 2010. Seattle is in demand now so we have done OK. I want to go up for a visit. I miss Seattle............

I would like to give back some of this free money. Pat wants some but I need to give. I really don't want to give unless I know the cause, but I do not get out much so it will be interesting to see if I can solve this puzzle..........

Tonight the Giants play again so I will be up stairs soon.

But, I must say.........There will be a very important event tomorrow HERE.

Everett and Arlene will be married here. It will be the first wedding here. I met Arlene in 1965 or so. She and her husband Jerry danced to the Doors..........it was fun. Everett was one of my first who thought I could make good wine so I have Know him since 1995. Jerry passed away a year or so and Everett had his wife die in about a year or so So it will be fun to see two of my best friends tie the pledge.................





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