Monet’s, a Real Small Town Treat!

December 11, 2012

Just to the South East of Fresno (on the way to Sequoia National Park), in the fertile California valley lies a small town with lots of charm known as Exeter. Until recently I had never heard of Exeter and until last night had never been. The quaint downtown is known for its many murals (29 of them), antique shops and of course Monet’s Restaurant and Café. You don’t often venture to small rural towns for fine dining but after reading this you may!

A couple months back I had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer, one of the owners of Monet’s, while working a sales trip for Castoro. After exchanging stories I was very intrigued and we set up a date for me to come pour Castoro at Monet’s and introduce the wines to her patrons. As I drove out to Exeter I had no idea what to expect but I had been told the food at Monet’s is to die for and the atmosphere quite charming. To my delight I found both to be true!

As customers arrived, I made my way from table to table telling the story of Castoro Cellars while tasting them through the lineup of wines we had chosen. Having grown up in the small town of Templeton I have an appreciation for “small town charm” and I felt very comfortable in Monet’s, where everyone seemed to know one another and no one was in a hurry. As I poured and chatted, the food began to come out and I immediately knew I was in for a treat. The meal started off with a creamy soup, cooked to perfection, and went straight into the main course of chicken cordon bleu over wild rice with veggies and a delectable sauce. Of all the wines, I felt the Castoro Cabernet was a great compliment to the main course. For dessert they served a delicious cake that went very well with the final wine, Zinfandel Zinfusion.

I know Exeter may not be on your radar, but if you find yourself in the greater Fresno area or you’re on your way to Sequoia National Park, it is well worth the detour for a great meal in a beautiful historic town.

For more info and reviews check them out on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/monets-exeter

Till Next Time,

Cheers,

Luke

There’s Always Something New!

December 6, 2012

As with any new vintage there are always many things to be excited about, such as new vineyards, new varietals, winemaking techniques etc. Even though we’ve been in the game for a while we are constantly learning and striving to make our wine better and better year after year. It isn’t always easy but it is always an adventure and definitely keeps us on our toes.

2012 has been a big year for us for many reasons and we’ve got a lot to look forward to. This vintage we will be introducing some long lost friends, new blends and even new varietals. To say the least we keep our winemaking team very busy, but we couldn’t do it without them!

First off, we are proud to resurrect our Blind Faith Chenin Blanc, which is a wine that was very much a part of our portfolio (and many other wineries) in the early years and dropped off the map for quite some time. We’ve decided to bring back this wine as it is a very refreshing white and the grapes grow very well in our climate. Regardless of the past, this wine is well worth a shot and although I’m not a betting man my gut tells me you’re going to like it! We’ve also got a couple new blends coming out, one of which I dedicated an entire blog to. East meets West and Pasofusion are two blends that live up to their names. East meets West, as I mentioned in the last blog, is a marriage of Syrah from our vineyards on the East and West sides of Paso Robles (for more info check out the blog “When East meets West”).

“Pasofusion” is another brand new blend we are introducing this year and the sky is the limit for this wine. We have decided to keep this blend open ended to ensure it is always living up to its name. The first blend, which was bottled for our Gold Club members, was Zinfandel and Petite Sirah but we are not restricting this wine and look forward to many variations of Paso’s finest wines!

For new varietals we will be introducing another Rhone wine with our 2012 Grenache. Granache is actually the most widely planted grape in the world, predominantly in France and Spain, and Paso is a great home for this wine. There is still some time before its release but I have a feeling it will be well received!

Till Next Time,

Cheers,

Luke

Holiday Open House

December 4, 2012

For many who work retail, or do the family shopping, the Holiday season can be a nightmare. With all the Christmas music, crowds and eager shoppers, it can be hard to retain your sanity, unless of course, you are pouring/drinking mulled wine and cider and tossing the occasional log on the fire! At Castoro we embrace the Holidays with an open mind and an annual open house. I know it seems like time is flying, but alas the seasons have changed and this coming weekend our doors will be open and there will be more reasons than wine to attend!

We know the Holidays can be stressful and we are here to help you relax and wind down. Our open house will feature complimentary mulled wine and cider, tasty treats and free mini massages brought to you by Vino+Therapy! There will also be a gift fair in the Event Gallery from 11am-4pm, featuring great gifts made by local crafters. There is really nothing more original than handcrafted, unique gifts, which are my personal favorite, because you get the satisfaction of a great gift while supporting the arts and helping out the local economy.

If you’re looking to treat yourself while getting some treats for those you love, come on out to our open house this coming weekend Dec. 8th and 9th from 10am-5:30pm. You won’t regret it, I promise!

For info on Vino+Therapy you can visit their website here: http://www.vinotherapystudio.com/

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Luke

When “East meets West”

November 30, 2012

Over the years, the battle of East vs. West has raged on in many platforms, and as many of you know, this can be a hot topic for discussion relating to the Paso Robles AVA. Even people who have never been to Paso will ask me, “are your vineyards on the East side or the West side?” Or my favorite, “I only like wines from the West side” or vice versa. It’s almost like the French Oak vs. American Oak discussion. Does the average drinker really know the difference or for that matter the enthusiast?

As one of the older wineries in Paso, we have dealt with grapes from all over the county, and from that experience have learned a lot. Our vineyards are scattered all over the East and West sides, giving us a wide array of microclimates to potentiate. Contrary to what many think, it isn’t a black and white discussion when comparing the East and West side. For example, many people think Pinot Noir has no business being grown anywhere but the West Side and for the most part we would agree, but our Blind Faith Pinot, located on the East side has been an award winning wine year after year. When I pour the Blind Faith Pinot, people are often very surprised to learn the wine comes from the East side, because it is a deliciously delicate Pinot Noir with great fruit. Perhaps it’s a fluke but we’ll take it!

Since this discussion has heated up over the years we have decided to have some fun with it by releasing a new wine dubbed “East meets West.” This wine is a blend of Syrah from the East and West sides, showing that the two can get along and even come together in a blissful harmony. This is a big wine in all the right places and is sure to spark a discussion among enthusiasts and hobbyists alike!

You will find East meets West at our Tasting Room in the near future and be sure to spark up a discussion as you let this wonderful wine dance around your taste buds.

Till Next Time,

Cheers,

Luke

So Much to be Thankful For!

November 26, 2012

As usual, we have many things to be thankful for at Castoro Cellars and this year is no exception. With the 2012 harvest officially behind us, we are very grateful to still be doing what we love and for the great growing conditions Mother Nature provided us with this year. As Erik and I have mentioned in previous blogs, the 2012 harvest was one to remember. We brought in great yields from our vineyards and the fruit was bursting with ripe flavors. As farmers we don’t take these years for granted, but cherish them and work as hard as we can to make the most of them. You never know what the next year will bring!

The weather has now begun to cool off and many of the vineyards are losing their leaves as we begin to experience consistent frost. Luckily, the weather over Thanksgiving was phenomenal and we were able to enjoy a beautiful day with friends and family. We started off the day with a “Turkey Trot” in the Whale Rock Vineyard even got to sneak in a few games of basketball before the feast!

In other exciting news, we just finished up a video outlining our commitment to sustainability and organic farming. In the video (link provided below) Niels explains our farming practices, solar projects and overall business sustainability. Our good friend Tyler Franta, who recently graduated from CSU Monterey Bay with a degree in Film Editing, made the video and he did a very nice job.

Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/ZY7APD8QAe8?hd=1

Lastly, our new Reserve labels have arrived and have been bottled on select wines! We are very happy with how they turned out and hope you are too! Keep your eyes peeled for these new labels at the tasting room and in the marketplace in the near future.

Till Next Time,

Cheers,

Luke

Are You Stable?

November 18, 2012

5…4…3…2…1…GRAPES OFF! We are just a few days away from picking the very last grapes of the season and the final batches have been some of the best. Grapes finally came flowing in from our west side Paso CCOF organic Whale rock and Cobble Creek Vineyards. These grapes include small lots of our reserve Zinfandel, Carignane, Charbono, Syrah, Tempranillo and Primitivo varietals. The Cabernet Sauvignon and a very little amount of Zinfandel is all that we have left. Tom says the Carignane and Tempranillo look especially exceptional this year. The Tempranillo should make for a mouthwatering smooth, dry and spice filled wine with hints of black licorice. The Carignane is always an interesting grape coming in very ripe this year, high in sugar content and geared to make a big, tongue awakening masterpiece that will rock your taste buds.

As the vines begin to shed their leaves and turn various shades of orange, yellow and red, the cellar work goes through a slight change as well. There are fewer and fewer grapes to crush and this means less digging and more additions and racking. In my last blog I talked about the intricacies of draining and digging tanks filled with red wine. In this blog I’m going to focus on techniques and additions that are usually only involved in the white wine making process. Sounds kind of boring, but I promise I won’t make you fall asleep, I am not your college chemistry professor with a uni-brow he won’t pluck.

You probably didn’t know that in order to keep white wine from becoming cloudy and murky when exposed to excess heat we actually add dirt. Well, not exactly dirt, but a substance called bentonite. Bentonite is an extremely absorbent substance made up of small positively charged clay particles. When added to hot water and allowed to sit overnight, the substance will turn into a slurry which will then be poured into the wine from the top. As it sinks down the slurry acts as a net attracting all excess negatively charged proteins within the wine like a magnet. These proteins include yeast skins and various other particles that are floating around, and if left untouched excess heat will cause them to denature or puff up just like tiny little eggs. These little puffs like I mentioned before will cause the wine to look cloudy and then the wine cannot be sold. You can still drink it though and it won’t hurt you. Once it passes through the wine, the bentonite will settle at the bottom of the tank and the wine can be racked off the top leaving the color, texture and flavor of the wine completely unaffected.

Now it’s time to get cold, really cold, I mean below freezing in order to cold stabilize the wine. If you have ever freaked out because you thought you found glass coming out of the bottom of a cork that’s because the wine didn’t go through cold stabilization. It wasn’t glass you saw though; it was actually little tartaric crystals that form when tartaric acid in wine is exposed to cold temperatures. First, the tank is cooled down to around 30° F to initiate the crystallization process. To better describe the next step, you can actually do it yourself by placing a Corona or any other bottled beer in the freezer. If it doesn’t move around or get hit by something else while chilling take it out and tap it on the counter. The force of the tap will cause the water in the beer to crystalize slowly throughout the bottle. This is the same basic process we use to remove the tartaric crystals, but instead of tapping the tank, we add already naturally formed crystals in the form of powder called Cream of Tartar. The introduction of this powder starts the chemical reaction and causes the crystals to form, sinking to the bottom or sticking to the sides of the tank. The wine is then racked off the top, while once again the taste, texture and color of the wine are completely unaffected.

It may seem like a lot of science, but the art of wine making is linked hand in hand with the use of science and chemical reactions to reach a final product that will be enjoyed by all. It is impossible to avoid chemistry in the winemaking process whether you are creating alcohol, fining the wine or extracting color and aromas from grapes.

That’s all for now, so until next time, thanks for reading,

Erik

Bentonite

Cream of Tartar

A Wine Filled Weekend

November 12, 2012

One of the perks of my job is getting to travel our beautiful state while promoting our wonderful wines. In the process I get to see a lot of cool places and meet people from all walks of life. Sometimes folks have heard of Castoro and sometimes not, and sometimes I run into people who have been drinking our wine since I was in diapers!

This past weekend I poured two different events and both were very enjoyable. The first event was at the Navy Post Graduate School in Monterey in their exchange, which is basically a store that sells everything. They’ve got iPads, groceries, booze, clothing you name it! I really like pouring here because the people I meet are from all over the world. Most are students, and all are affiliated with the military, navy etc. They’ve got great stories to share and are very eager to learn about wineries in the surrounding area. Another plus to the event is that they can take wine home with them on the spot and many did!

The second event I poured was for the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce for their annual Crush event. This event was a lot of fun as there were 25 wineries and 25 food vendors in attendance along with around 300 people. The food was great and it was a lot of fun to sample the other wines being poured. There were many I have heard of and many I had never heard of so it was fun to broaden my horizons. The food was great as well and the variety was amazing. Highlights included bacon wrapped dates, duck fat French fries, deviled eggs with caviar and truffle sauce, meatballs and even some amazing clam chowder. (I made sure to eat my veggies when I got home, haha)

All in all it was a successful weekend promoting Castoro and I look forward to the next round of tastings, which will be here before I can say Dam Fine Wine!

See you on the road!

Cheers,

Luke

Can You Dig It?

October 30, 2012

Have you ever seen a wall of grape skins 6 feet high and then crawled into a tank full of deadly CO2 gas, through an 18 inch hole, to shovel it all out. The guys out here do it every day during harvest, over and over again. Not to worry though, nobody is going to die at Castoro because we use every safety precaution possible to prevent an accident. They will, however, most likely be completely purple by the end of the day.

Once the red wine is done fermenting, it has to be drained out of the tank and separated from the skins and seeds. Below is an image showing the wine draining out through a spout and into a metal hopper with a giant strainer. The wine is pumped to a new clean tank and what’s left in the tank is a giant wall of skins and seeds that must be removed. The problem is that the only access to this wall, from the bottom, is a hole just 18 inches in diameter. The fermenting process has also created an excess amount of CO2 gas that can be deadly if inhaled for too long. Using shovels and pitch forks the cellar boys must dig a tunnel through the grapes in order to enter the tank. A fan is placed at the top of the tank to blow fresh air in and two guys are sent in the bottom equipped with oxygen monitors for extra safety. The tank is hot, the air is thick and the skins are sticky and moist, but it must be done because the next batch of juice is already ready for fermentation and we need the tank to complete it. The skins and seeds that were scooped out are loaded bin by bin into a press and squeezed of all remaining wine. Nothing goes to waste at Castoro.

Now for a grape update! The white wine grapes have all been picked and pressed, and we have just less than one quarter of the grapes left to harvest. However, that doesn’t mean things will be slowing down any time soon. When I talked to Tom he was really excited about our Late Harvest Muscat Canelli. The grapes were at a higher sugar level than Tom has ever seen at around 40 °Brix. This should create a wine with intense sweetness and ripe, concentrated flavors; a perfect topping for fruit salad, pancakes or sipped by itself after a meal. We also received a large amount of Cabernet Sauvignon and more Petite Sirah with a great inky color and aromas of plum and dark berries. The main crop of Zinfandel is still holding on due to the slightly colder climate of the organic Whale Rock Vineyard on the west side of Paso. This vineyard is also home to many other exciting varietals including the always interesting Carignane, my favorite Tempranillo and the dark fruit filled Primitivo.

That’s all for now folks, and once again thanks for reading!

Erik

Harvest Fest 2012!

October 28, 2012

Thanks to you we did it again! That’s right, another Harvest Festival in the bag and a Dam Fine time it was. Year after year the Harvest Festival grows and matures as an event and this year was no exception! We found ourselves surrounded by familiar faces and were fortunate enough to see many new faces as well.

As usual the weekend was packed with live music, great food, grape stomping, barrel tasting and a lot of Dam Fine Wine. We kicked off Harvest Fest on Friday night with live music by the Damon Castillo Band and they came to rock! The crowd was great and the music was all that we could ask for and more. On Saturday and Sunday, local favorites, Soul Sauce entertained festivalgoers from our outdoor stage, playing a wide variety of classic tunes.

Once again, the biggest hit, was the grape stomping. There is just something special about kicking off the shoes and having some good old-fashioned fun. Not to mention it is nearly impossible to keep from laughing as grapes explode beneath your feet and squirt juice just about every which way imaginable!

Thanks you all very much for being a part of the 2012 Harvest, we couldn’t do it with out you! This has been a crazy year but the grapes are looking very good and we are confident this will be a vintage to remember.

Till Next Time,

Cheers,

Luke

Let the Fermentation Begin!

October 23, 2012

In the last blog I left off as the tanks were filling with juice or crushed grapes and getting ready to change into that wonderful liquid we call wine. Don’t hold your breath though because it will be a long time before this must turns into something you can find in a wine glass at the tasting room.

Now before I even go into what happens next in this crazy process, I have to say that every winery has its own way of proceeding. The basic process of turning juice to wine is the same, but each winemaker has their own special additions, techniques and in some rare cases secret rituals to mold the wine into something incredible. I will explain how we do it here at Castoro, the correct way, haha, just kidding. All shots are called by our super star winemaker Tom Myers and followed precisely by his sidekicks all over the cellar. Think of it like Batman with a whole bunch of Robins running around fighting the crime that is unfinished and undrinkable wine.

The first decision Tom makes is which type of yeast to add to the must or juice. Yeast has about as many variations as there are grapes in the Paso Robles AVA. It can be anything from wild natural yeast to something mass-produced on a farm in France or Germany. When added, in the absence of oxygen and with the correct nutrients, the yeast will begin to eat the sugars in the juice, converting them to alcohol, CO2, and lees or sediment. The juice can be fermented till it is dry and no more sugar remains, or the process can be stopped to keep some residual sugar and create a sweeter wine such as our splendid Muscat Canelli. The higher the sugar content at the beginning the higher the possible alcohol percentage will be and Paso is known for its strong wines. In order to make sure those little living yeast organisms are healthy and performing at their highest level, yeast aid or nutrients are added as well. I attached some pictures of the yeast as well as the more powdery substance, which is the yeast aid. I could write a novel about yeast so I’m leaving you with that brief description and hopefully enough interest to read a little more into the fermenting process yourself.

For the production of red wine, the grape skins and seeds are still mixed with the juice while the yeast and aide are added. However, like ice the skins and seeds slowly float to the top and separate from the liquid. In order to mix the whole batch up, keep it uniform and prevent a hard crust of skins from forming at the top, the cellar boys use a technique known as a pump-over. This involves sucking the juice out of the bottom of a tank and pumping it through a hose back into the top to evenly disperse it over the skins. Pump-over times vary, but on average it is done for about 30 minutes twice a day until the fermentation process is complete. Below is a picture of Wes and Jim, managing the multiple pump-overs they just started after lunch. Red wine is fermented with the skins in order to extract the maximum amount of flavor and color for the end product.

Grape Update! The weather has been near perfect and that means ripe, juicy grapes, deep in color and high in sugar. Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes continue to flow in and we are finally seeing the first of our Zinfandel grapes go into the tanks. The best of the Zin is still to come, however, from our CCOF certified organic Whale Rock and Cobble Creek Vineyards. Both are located on the west side of Paso Robles. Our Whale Rock Vineyard has already produced a magnificent batch of Pinot Noir, riper and more flavorful than ever before. This wine will be sure to knock your taste buds back to life. We also received some Malbec grapes from our Hog Canyon Vineyard, which have, as Tom describes, a great mouth feel, rich tannins and ripe flavors.

That’s all for now, but I’ll be back before you can say “Saccharomyces cerevisiae” (One of the most common forms of yeast used in winemaking).

Thanks for reading,

Erik