Weeks 51 - 52
December 25, 2005 to January 7, 2006 

	Wednesday January 4, 2006 Yes we have had many inches of rain in the last few weeks, but we are safe and have everything under control. The floods do not effect us. We are on the valley floor, but are fortunately on a higher plane than most areas around us. We also have extremely well drained soil which of course also helps us to produce superior wine grapes during the growing season. Since the vines are dormant this time of year, standing water has little effect on any vineyard unless flooding occurs with rushing water and debris or downed trees that can run into and damage the vines. Over the years I have also contracted and established many drain pipes that divert any running water off Dry Creek Rd to a section of the vineyard that can handle any amount of water. Also the pond near Dry Creek Rd was established to collect most of the water and divert it to this same section of the vineyard.  Today we are now setting up to blend the fifteen 2005 wines. The first wine to blend today will be the 2005 Block 4. Tomorrow we will follow with the Aca Modot and Barbera. Within a week the blended wines should be tasting good.  Thursday January 5, 2006 Tonight I would like to talk about Velcorin and Vince Young. Velcorin sounds like the cure for most of what could ruin a wine. Vince Young looks like the cure for what ails the Raiders. I know 75% of you are yelling at me now. You want Vince Young to be on your team. Vince Young put on the best performance of any athlete I have ever seen in my 55 years of watching FOOTBALL. AND he made it look natural, instinctive, almost easy. I say almost easy because you could always see in his eyes, "How Am I Going To Do This". BUT  Have you heard, Most so called experts say he hasn't got the best motion on delivering a pass. He slings the ball (The Fastest release I Have ever Seen) and does not throw it overhand. In other words, All the big, tall linemen in the pros will knock down his passes, because he throws the football sideways or too low. Of course no one noticed those USC linemen looked very large and tall, just like most of the slow linemen in the NFL. Vince is too quick. And I can think of many successful QBs who threw sideways many times. I want Vince Young!! He is the new Savior! I also want Velcorin, but it looks like it will cost me about $55,000. Velcorin has been used for over 10 years to protect liquid food products, manly fruit juices. It requires a special machine to dispense it in small doses. I know little about how it works, but it does kill yeast and bacteria. That means it can control re-fermentations and kill Brettanomyces. This stuff could be as good as Vince Young. Velcorin and the machine will be here within three months, just in time to bottle our 2005 Late Harvest Sauv Blanc and Dry Chardonnay. Just look up Velcorin on the net to learn more. You say that is a lot of money? But think that we made 7,000 cases of wine last year. Even if we sold only 4,500 cases that would only amount to one dollar a bottle for one year. Draw that out to 20 years and you have only 5 cents a bottle. I always keep everything in perspective. I want to make the best wine I can and then preserve it as long as I can. I will have Velcorin, but I fear Al Davis will pass on Vince Young. Maybe I can't have everything.
	Dave
	Home | Buy | Read | Diary | Public Forum | Tell Us What You Think of Our Diary! | Last Week | Next Week