Harvest Time in Napa
September 29th, 2015
We had the wonderful opportunity to share the harvest festivities again with Peter and Patricia Kitchak at Kitchak Cellars in Napa last weekend. While not responsible for helping to actually pick grapes this year, we got to sleep in on Sunday after howling at the orange Super Moon on Saturday night! The grapes in the photo were picked before dawn, weighed, de-stemmed, sorted and put into the tank before the cool morning temperatures warmed up. The fruit benefits from being processed while the berries are still cool. Warm September days and cool nights made for an early harvest and we have high hopes and our fingers are crossed for another fabulous vintage. Anyone having the adventure of participating or watching the “harvest crush” firsthand, gets a special peek at the complicated journey of grapes into wine. Cheers!
More to Wine than Making it
February 2nd, 2014
There is more to know than making wine or drinking it, for that matter. On Friday, January 31, 2014 the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, the preeminent grape and wine professional society in the United States, hosted a symposium honoring Dr. Ann C. Noble, Emerita Professor and Sensory Scientist/Flavor Chemist from the Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis.
Dr. Nobel invented the “Aroma Wheel” which is credited for a greater understanding of wine tasting and education. Peter Kitchak, of Kitchak Cellars, and I had the honor to be among some of her last students in the Wine Program at Davis before she retired.
Photo: Dr. Nobel graciously agreed to be photographed with me following her lecture on Friday.
Follow Us!
