David Coffaro Winery and Vineyard Winemaker's Diary 2007 Weeks 38-39

David Coffaro Vineyard and Winery Winemaker's Diary

Weeks 38 - 39

September 23, 2007 - October 6, 2007

Monday September 24, 2007
The weather has been cool for the last week so we are waiting for the grapes left to obtain higher sugar. Today we have warmed up to 88 degrees and tomorrow should be hotter. We have now decided to pick our new Cabernet Thursday and we will also be receiving about 4 tons of Petit Verdot from Gallo. Our Carignan will wait until next week. We also have our own Petit Verdot and Cabernet for the Estate Cuvee sitting at 23+ sugar. These two will take another two weeks. Today we are pressing about 50 gallons of Sauvignon Blanc (some grapes are raisins) for our Late Harvest wine. I have ordered some Muscat grape concentrate at 68 percent sugar to add to the 50 gallons we have now. I expect the 50 gallons of Sauv Blanc will only be about 30 Brix and I want over 40%. We are hoping the rest of the Sauv Blanc will sugar up to 40% or more but that could take another month or two.
Tomorrow we are pressing the Ponzo Zinfandel. I hope the quality is good. Check last Monday's entry for the "sorting" story.
Monday October 1, 2007
Well another week has gone by and we did receive 4+ tons of Petit Verdot from Gallo. It looks great!! Our new Estate Cabernet looks even better, but we only got 1.7 tons. Those wines will be pressed Friday. Today we started picking our carignan. The brix is about 26 which could give us close to 15% alcohol. The carignan this year will be used only for the 100% Carignan and our Estate Cuvee. In past years we have a good amount in the Terre Melange, but the yield is down. We now only have a few things to pick. We will receive Cab Franc from Gallo. Our Estate Cab used for Estate Cuvee, Mourvedre for Terre Melange and Petit Verdot for Aca Modot probably will be picked next week. There are no heat spells predicted but all we need is normal weather for this time of year which means low eighties.
The results are in for the Harvest Fair and we received 2 silver medals (2005 Sangiovese, 2005 Petite Sirah) and 2 bronze (2005 Price Family, 2005 Estate Zinfandel. I was hoping for at least one gold so I am very disappointed especially since my favorite wine of the 5 entered, the 2005 My Zin, did not wine a medal. I guess it did not taste enough like a zin, but that is my point to do something different by blending. It takes a great deal of effort to enter so I won't be entering again.

Dave

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	*Monday September 24, 2007* The weather has been cool for the last week so we are waiting for the grapes left to obtain higher sugar. Today we have warmed up to 88 degrees and tomorrow should be hotter. We have now decided to pick our new Cabernet Thursday and we will also be receiving about 4 tons of Petit Verdot from Gallo. Our Carignan will wait until next week. We also have our own Petit Verdot and Cabernet for the Estate Cuvee sitting at 23+ sugar. These two will take another two weeks. Today we are pressing about 50 gallons of Sauvignon Blanc (some grapes are raisins) for our Late Harvest wine. I have ordered some Muscat grape concentrate at 68 percent sugar to add to the 50 gallons we have now. I expect the 50 gallons of Sauv Blanc will only be about 30 Brix and I want over 40%. We are hoping the rest of the Sauv Blanc will sugar up to 40% or more but that could take another month or two. Tomorrow we are pressing the Ponzo Zinfandel. I hope the quality is good. Check last Monday's entry for the "sorting" story. *Monday October 1, 2007* Well another week has gone by and we did receive 4+ tons of Petit Verdot from Gallo. It looks great!! Our new Estate Cabernet looks even better, but we only got 1.7 tons. Those wines will be pressed Friday. Today we started picking our carignan. The brix is about 26 which could give us close to 15% alcohol. The carignan this year will be used only for the 100% Carignan and our Estate Cuvee. In past years we have a good amount in the Terre Melange, but the yield is down. We now only have a few things to pick. We will receive Cab Franc from Gallo. Our Estate Cab used for Estate Cuvee, Mourvedre for Terre Melange and Petit Verdot for Aca Modot probably will be picked next week. There are no heat spells predicted but all we need is normal weather for this time of year which means low eighties. The results are in for the Harvest Fair and we received 2 silver medals (2005 Sangiovese, 2005 Petite Sirah) and 2 bronze (2005 Price Family, 2005 Estate Zinfandel. I was hoping for at least one gold so I am very disappointed especially since my favorite wine of the 5 entered, the 2005 My Zin, did not wine a medal. I guess it did not taste enough like a zin, but that is my point to do something different by blending. It takes a great deal of effort to enter so I won't be entering again.
	Dave
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