"Before this last heatwave, we had a completely different crop out there."
Harvest at Ehlers Estate. Tuning in to my internal clock of fear and fright, I awake at 3 am. About an hour and a half before I need to get up. I set the alarm again, this time for 4:30 am. Tossing and turning like a fish out of water for the next 45 minutes I resign myself to an early start. I launch myself out of bed, and say under my breath, “Harvest.” It’s humbling. I am not an early riser. I know how difficult it is for me to get up at this hour. I think about the people working at this time every day for weeks on end.
Ehlers Estate grows organic Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
I thrive after dark. The magic hour when the sun sets and the birds are getting settled. Content to enjoy the comfort of my warm bed, it’s got to be something extraordinary to rouse me at this hour. Harvest is not only exciting, it’s invigorating to be in the vineyards with those who are the creators of great wine.
“In three days the world changed in the valley.”
Walking out the door at 5:15 am, I am fully loaded. Gear on my back, four shots of fortifying espresso and a spring in my step. I am heading up valley. When I say up valley, it means north towards Calistoga. This time to St. Helena‘s Ehlers Estate. The roads are dark, but as travel up Highway 29, I am shocked by the number of cars on the road. The traffic is mind-blowing. Uniform in our direction, 90% of the vehicles on the road are heading north with me.
“The 2017 vintage will have a very distinctive characteristic.”
The air is thick. The clouds opaque. The moon struggles to break through the sky, teasing with a game of hide and seek. For a brief moment, it shines then evaporates like a glass of water in the Sahara. Content with hiding, the moon illuminates the vineyards from the veil of a dull sky.
Arriving at my destination, I pull into the empty parking lot. There are only a few cars in the area, all I assume those who are already hard at work in the vineyards. Parked, I exit the vehicle and shiver. It’s not cold. Far from it. It’s eerily quiet, and I panic. Perched in the front of the winery (built in 1854), I’m a little spooked. Completely without reason. Even so, I lock the car doors (like that can protect me from whatever I’m afraid of). Feeling a little childish I call winemaker and GM, Kevin Morrisey. He’s there in a flash and the next thing I know we are walking in the vineyard. Today’s harvest is of Merlot.
“We started picking at 3:00 am, now it’s almost 7 am. Four hours, nine tons.”
It’s perplexing, this season. Coming out of the devastating drought that ended in early 2017, the weather in Napa Valley had been textbook perfect for winemaking. Kevin describes the harvest of the Sauvignon Blanc. “We picked it about two weeks ago. It was before the heat. It was a big beautiful crop. Fresh flavors, really great acids. It’s going to be another terrific year for Sauvignon Blanc.” It’s already fermenting in steel tanks inside the winery. The aromatic scents of tropical fruit coming from the tanks surround the winery. Addressing the heat, Morrisey says “The heatwave was historic. Nobody’s been through that here. It’s not normal. Those berries are black. Imagine you’re dressed all in black, with a black hat, sitting in the sun all day with no breeze at 114 degrees. It started out to be a great harvest, and we lost a lot of juice.”
“There are a lot of people who work hard every day and they don’t make anything.”
The people out in the vineyard have a vested interest. Unique in the valley, the people picking fruit are employees of Ehlers Estate. Not migrant workers. Involved in this process from the beginning they take great pride in the vines. Harvest is a sign of their accomplishments. Working furious & fast in the interest of time, they sing a bit and shout encouragement. The speed at which they fill the baskets is awe striking. They are the guardians of these vines, this vineyard.
I walk the dark rows between the vines filming, the headlamps shine on the black, blue skins of the bunches. The process is fast due to the advance trimming of leaves taking place just before the harvest. This efficiency allows a team of perhaps 20 to pick a whopping 8 tons of grapes in just four hours. It all takes place in the shadow of the moon.
Harvest in 2017 has had all kinds of twists and turns due to the heat. This latest plot twist leaves question on how this vintage will turn out. Morrisey says that this will be a year of recognition. There is no mystery that 2017 was a landmark year. The question is how well the grapes withstood the intense heat. The hope is that it’s reflected positively in the wine. EhlersEstate.com
Bouchaine Winery is the spot to discover great Burgundian varieties made in Napa Valley’s Carneros region. Modern winery meets social hour. Bouchaine Vineyards tasting room
Somm Foundation Receives $25,000 in Support Pouring of Chateau Montelena’s stunning 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Over 200 people descended on Napa Valley’s Meritage Resort & Spa
Sojourn to the apex of Napa Valley with Theorem Vineyards. Adventuring up to Calistoga offers a wide array of wine riches including some boutique & family-owned small lot wineries.
I have a distinct weakness for outstanding Rosé Champagne.
The introduction to this beauty was worth every penny. Every sip. Every moment.
I drank. Yes drank. Not sipped, not tasted, drank in the ethereal elements of this mesmerizing Champagne. Made from 100% Meunier (50% of reserve wine), the Rosé de Meunier Extra Brut took my breathe away. It comes from Vallée de la Marne, in Chavot where the soils are predominately clay.
A luminous example of depth, rich taste and pointed effort. The result is magnificent. There is so much going on in this glass! Voluptuous berries, understated citrus, a bit of mint and minerality. The mousse is elegant and mouthwatering.
The perfect pairing? Duck fat fries.
The vines are approximately 30 years old. Made from 100% Pinot Meunier with 30% maceration, 10% red wine, 60% of reserved wine aged in barrel. Hand picked and fermented in vats, foudres with partial Malolactic, aging on fine lees.
Seven generations have tilled this soil and worked this land. The quest? For the perfect alchemy. It was visionary Jean-Baptiste Lahore who established the estate in the village of Chavost. Later this village would be called Chavot.
Over the years more land was acquired and today two generations are working together to create soulful wine. The latest generation is led by Aurélien Laherte.
#TheWineSiren #KellyMitchell #wine
Ready to cruise unchartered waters? The gods have graced Napa Valley with a worldclass Tiki bar. Here on the roof top deck checking out the views.
There are so many surprises inside. Coming to you the end of October! Get ready for some wicked good fun.
For you Mai Tai connoisseurs, these drinks are legend. The food promises to be compelling. I’m all in. Join me!
#TheWineSiren #NapaValley #KellyMitchell
Savoring every ounce of Porto & Gaia.
These captivating towns! This area is where savvy Europeans chill during holiday. It’s relaxed pace, good natured locals and delicious food and wine grace this region . Their beauty is remarkable. It’s history rich.
This day I ran first to the sea. Yet in the wrong direction. So I never made it there. But I discovered new things. Relived past visits and learned from those I spoke to.
The charm here will draw you in. Hold your heart captive.
Don’t look for crowded streets in the mornings.Life begins in the afternoon here. And then it knows no bounds.
A wedding. An hourly trolly. Buildings that have seen more history than we will ever know.
Dinner. A perfectly cooked tentacle of octopus, beyond generous in portion. Paired with a delectable #Alvarinho. An accommodating chef, and attentive service.
This was a day I’ll remember always.
Do you have a destination that you treasure?
Food by @restaurantebacalhoeiro
Wine by #quintadecidro
Vibe by #Portugal
When jet lag hits Porto and collides with a dirty Grey Goose tini up with Nicoise olive and a twist.
Good night.
Self Portrait: Finally changed my profile pic. Removed the one of me at the Eiffel Tower taken on March 12th just before the borders closed in France and the US.
I think the time after the old pic was taken has truly been a time of self reflection.
Each and everyone of us has been through such a crazy year and a half.
I'm grateful for this time since it's given me time to appreciate and spend more time with my family first. And to focus on the friends who truly are part of my life in ways that matter.
It gave me the opportunity to get in the best shape if my life and focus on the things that really matter in this life.
I hope your journey too has been productive, meaningful and takes you where you want to go.
Wishing you a fabulous weekend in moderation, healthy food and great exercise!
To whatever is in your glass! May it be the most delicious sip ever.
Peace✌️And have a fantastic weekend with your loves.
Melka Estates
Precision is the name of the game. And you’ll certainly find the art of it at Melka.
A venture with two incredibly talented and diverse individuals, husband and wife team, Phillipe and Cherie Melka have created an enviable venture at the top of St. Helena’s Silverado Trail.
Precision’s opportunity presents itself in many venues of winemaking and the one wine creators agree upon is what happens in the vineyard is paramount to creating powerful and diverse taste in the glass.
To capitalize on this during harvest, the Melka’s make not one or two passes in the vineyard but several. To capture the spirit of vibrancy, the depth of flavor, the uniqueness of terroir.
It is a tasting that takes every sense and envelopes it completely. The heights of which taste continually excels the more in-depth one gets into the wine. It brings emotion to the forefront. Part of why I got involved in wine in the first place. Those taste that change one’s perception forever. That open the door to possibility and never let it go.
In the wine space it is not difficult to get jaded on occasion my the dearth of decent wine on the market today. There is not shortage of overpriced above average wine.
Here, the senses are in tune with what nature presents, while taking it a step beyond. The memories of this tasting will long be with me. It gave new life to my interest in wine. It gave meaning and dimension to the thought of truly exceptional wine.
This is a start of the story on the Melka’s and what they are doing for their family brand. Can't wait to delve in deeper!
Pictured: The bottle that brought happy tears to my eyes. 2017 Metisse Martinez Vineyards 70% Cabernet Sauvignon 20% Cabernet Franc 10% Petit Verdot
Great time tasting with dear friend @vinifera_collection. Thanks for capturing the puppy pic!
#TheWineSiren
Learn about new products, wine travel tips and the latest on wine, food and fab.
