The big news in the vineyards the last few weeks has been the abundance of fruit on the vines. It looked like the beginning of a monster vintage. However, it’s always dangerous to predict anything about a grape crop so early in the season, and this year may be no exception. The last week has been a string of midsummer like days, with temperatures soaring into the high 80’s, and it appears this will continue for the next week. Its effect on the crop size is yet to be determined, but the weather has focused everyone’s attention. Another year in the vineyard.
In the winery Evelyn and crew are busy bottling client wines, while tending to our own barrels and tanks. Keeping things topped up will be the order of the day, until final Chardonnay blends will be put together in the weeks ahead.
I have just returned from a successful trip to our New York marketplace, where we have opened a number of new restaurant and wine shop accounts. Paul has been to Louisiana and Texas and will concentrate his efforts in the Southern California market in the weeks ahead. Clayton continues to oversee our successful transition to Morris Distributing in San Francisco and the North Bay Area.
May is the official start of the tourist season and in the days and weeks ahead we expect more visitors than ever enjoying our wines and picnic area. Our annual Spring President’s Club party is scheduled for Saturday, May 11th. On Sunday, May 26th our second Street Music season begins with local favorites – The Pulsators. If you haven’t been to a concert plan on doing so – they are a wonderful way to while away a Sunday afternoon.
You don’t need any excuse to stop by the Tasting Room for a glass of wine and a smile. You are welcome here!
Cheers,
Mike Tierney
President, Taft Street Winery
After a very wet December, winter in Sonoma County has turned cold and dry. It is time for pruning in the vineyards, and getting the early white wines bottled. Our 2012 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc, 2012 Sonoma Country Rose of Pinot Noir, and 2012 Russian River Valley Pinot Gris will soon be in the marketplace.
The results from the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition are in, and we are proud to announce GOLD MEDALS for our 2009 Mendocino Ridge Pinot Noir Garagistes and our 2011 Sonoma County Rose of Pinot Noir. Our 2011 Russian River Valley Chardonnay and our 2011 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir won SILVER MEDALS. Winemaker Evelyn White will pour the award winning wines at Fort Mason in San Francisco on Saturday, February 16th.
Speaking of accolades, we received a nice review from renowned wine bloggers, Two Guys from Napa.
Scoring great wine at known favorites was easy at the 2013 Winter Wineland. If you aren’t already familiar with these wineries, please change that. We have consistently enjoyed their wines over the years and of the ones they were pouring last weekend, these are the wines we preferred the most:
Taft Street Winery – 2011 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, 2011 “Garagistes” Russian River Valley Chardonnay (2030 Barlow Lane, Sebastopol, 707-823-2049)
February will be a busy month for us. Sales Manager Paul Young and I will travel to Southern California next week for an introductory visit with the folks at Ribevi Wines International. Later, Paul will head back east to work in the Massachusetts market. Later visits to Louisiana, Texas and New York are in the works. With Winter WINEland now behind us, Kaitlyn and crew have a month to get ready for Barrel Tasting, March 1 – 3 and March 8 – 10. February would be a great time to visit us, as the Tasting Room will be relatively uncrowded and the season’s new wines will be available.
Cheers,
Mike Tierney
President, Taft Street Winery
31 Years Old and Still Kickin’
Posted by Taft St in Newsletter,State of the Street | January 4, 2013No, this is not an April Fool’s joke. It was 31 years ago today, April Fool’s Day 1982, when Taft Street Winery officially became bonded winery #5547. A lot has gone under the bridge in the ensuing years, and we are still having great fun doing what we love. Friends and neighbors will help celebrate the occasion this Saturday.
We are pleased to announce a new partnership with Morris Distributing, a local specialty beverage distributor from Petaluma. Morris will distribute our wines in San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties. The represent a number of artisanal brewers, and should widen our distribution significantly in San Francisco and the North Bay. We will continue to sell our wines directly from the Tasting Room and online.
April is a busy month. In additional to our party on April 6th, we will have a winemaker’s dinner at Big Bottom Market in Guerneville on Saturday, April 13th. The very next day, Sunday, April 14th, we will participate in the Sonoma County Vintners’ Association “Sonoma in the City Tour” in San Francisco. Winemaker Evelyn White will pair Taft Street wines with the food of San Francisco chefs at the San Francisco Film Centre from 11:30 – 3:00. Then on Tuesday, April 16th we will pour at the Grand Tasting at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio from 1:00 – 4:00.
Sales Manager Paul Young is on the road again this month with trips to Colorado and Louisiana planned. I’ll be in the New York market towards the end of the month. Clayton is busy smoothing out the transition with Morris Distributing, while Kaitlyn is preparing for the tourist season.
Everything is growing in Sonoma County at the moment, with the vines opening up and the hillsides incredibly lush. A perfect time to spend an afternoon visiting the Taft Street Tasting Room, enjoy a glass or two of wine and perhaps play a little bocce. You’ll be glad you did.
Cheers,
Mike Tierney
President, Taft Street Winery
With the Holidays and a very wet December behind us, we at Taft Street are eager to face the challenges and opportunities of the New Year. Among our first tasks will be the bottling of three wines from the 2012 vintage: our 2012 Russian River Valley Pinot Blanc; the 2012 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc; and our 2012 Sonoma County Rose of Pinot Noir. Our 2011 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc has been sold out for months; and distributors, local retailers and our Tasting Room customers are particularly awaiting this Taft Street favorite.
The bottling schedule is fortuitous because the 21st Annual Winter Wineland takes place January 19th & 20th. Participants will have the opportunity to try new releases and have a chat with winemakers from over 100 participating wineries. This event draws thousands from all over the country and beyond, and we look forward to meeting newcomers as well as those who make Taft Street a regular stop.
Sales Manager Paul Young has scheduled trips to our major markets over the next several months, meeting with those responsible for the continued growth of the Taft Street brand. In Northern California, Clayton and Marc have identified key accounts they will open during the year, and in the Tasting Room Kaitlyn and staff look forward to full year of activities in our newly spruced up Tasting Room and picnic area. Marketing man Jake Martini continues to drag Taft Street into the electronic 21st Century, while the 2 Mikes are a constant reminder of our storied past.
All of us at Taft Street wish the very best to you in 2013.
Cheers,
Mike Tierney
President, Taft Street Winery
The first major storms of the season are upon us, and we expect 8-10 inches of rain to fall over the next couple of days. The vines are quickly losing their leaves and the hills are turning green.- winter is on its way.
In the cellar the new wines are completing their fermentation, and indications are the young wines are every bit as good as we had hoped. Alcohol levels are a full point less than the average over the last few years; and with good acid levels the wines show terrific balance.
We continue to adjust and improve our market presence. Our latest move is the appointment of Ribevi Wines International as our Southern California distributor. Ribevi is a highly regarded importer of Italian, Chilean and Argentine wines; and they have hired Mosha Rastgar to head their California wine division, meaning Mosha will continue to represent Taft Street in Southern California. This is truly a win – win situation for both Taft Street and Mosha, and we thank him for his great work over the past year and a half.
The crowds continue in the Tasting Room, though at a more relaxed pace than earlier in the fall. The next event is this weekend, when ten local wineries hold a wine club appreciation day. On Sunday, December 2nd members of all wine clubs can take advantage of discounts from the other participating wineries. If you are not a wine club member, it would be a good time to join and stock up on you Holiday supplies.
The Tasting Room will be open daily through the Holiday Season, though we close for Christmas and New Year’s. You might call ahead on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
May you have a wonderful Holiday Season. We raise a glass of Taft Street to you.
Cheers!
Mike Tierney
Vintage 2012 – One for the Books
Posted by Taft St in Newsletter,State of the Street | November 1, 2012What a difference a year – or two – makes!
After two years of “challenging” harvest – wet springs, followed by fruit shattering heat waves, followed by early rains – this year’s harvest is headed for the record books as about as ideal as possible.
Production across the board is way above the last two years, and above the most optimistic predictions of even a few months ago. Even more important is the quality of the fruit. Growers and winemakers alike are raving about the purity and intensity of flavors. We processed more than 1100 tons of fruit this year, up from 700+ in 2011. In fact, we turned away a number of offers of grapes, as wineries throughout the county (and the state) found themselves with full tanks and barrels.
Our staff, led by winemaker Evelyn White and ably assisted by general manager Mike Martini, put in the 12 – 16 hour days week after week to get the job done correctly. Cleanup has begun and our hats are off to our talented and dedicated production staff!
So what do we do during the chaos of harvest? We party! First we poured our DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL/BEST OF CLASS 2011 Russian River Valley Chardonnay at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. The next weekend we hosted our annual fall President’s Club party; and we ended the month with a harvest party!
How do we start this month? The Russian River Wine Road’s Wine and Food Affair, where we will pair our 2011 Russian River Valley Pinot Gris with a spicy sriracha chicken. Also check out this month’s Mike Kitchen featuring Garlic Tarts.
There’s more going on. Our new sales manager Paul Young was off on his first outing – to New Orleans, and followed that with a quick visit to Southern California. In the winery we are making our plans and budget for 2013, and the energy and enthusiasm are palpable!
With the harvest over and things returning to normal, it’s a great time to stop by for a glass of wine. Kaitlyn and crew will help you enjoy the bounty of our special place.
Cheers,
Mike Tierney
President, Taft Street Winery
Pretty much everyone in the wine business here in California is smiling these days. The weather has been perfect, the harvest is both big and beautiful, and wineries are able to build back inventories after a couple of lean harvests. Most of our grapes are already fermenting, though we still have several hundred tons of grapes to process for our custom crush clients.
Had a busier than usual weekend. On Friday we hosted a dinner for the judges and officials for the 2012 Sonoma County Harvest Fair. (See Mike’s Kitchen for the menu) The next night was the awards dinner, where we managed to wine a DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL and BEST OF CLASS award for our 2011 Russian River Valley Chardonnay. We completed the weekend with our final concert of the season, and our old friends Bottle Shock put on their usual mellow performance.
This weekend we’ll be pouring our award winning wines at the Harvest Fair. The next weekend (October 14th) we’ll entertain our President’s Club with our annual fall party. We’ll finish out the month (October 27th) with our end of harvest party. All this while we continue to make wine!
We would like to welcome Paul Young to the Taft Street family. Paul is our new Sales Manager, and will be responsible for the distribution of our wine throughout the country and overseas. Paul brings with him a wealth of experience, at both Kenwood Vineyards and Heck Estates. He knows the marketplace and we look forward to working with him in the further growth of the Taft Street brand.
For those of you in the area, this is undoubtedly the finest time of year to visit the winery. We’re making wine, the trees and vines are aglow, our picnic area is at its prime, and (as usual) we have award winning wines to taste. Come on by and share!
Cheers,
Mike Tierney
President, Taft Street Winery
The Crush is On!
Posted by Taft St in Mike's Kitchen,Newsletter,State of the Street | September 4, 2012The time is now! The Taft Street harvest for 2012 begins Wednesday, September 5th, when our first grapes arrive. This year the honors go to Russian River Valley Pinot Gris and Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. In another week we’ll be in full swing. So far everything looks good, including the weather report!
Winemaker Evelyn White prepared for the harvest by pouring our wine at the Sonoma Wine Country Weekend – Taste of Sonoma, held at the MacMurray Ranch on Saturday, September 1st. This is perhaps Sonoma County’s premier wine showcase, and thousands of oenophiles attended from all over the country and beyond. The Taft Street wines were a real hit, with the 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and the 2010 Russian River Valley Chardonnay especially praised.
The fun continues at the winery. We enjoyed our fourth successful concert with the music of the Rhythm Rangers, and will conclude our series by bringing back Bottle Shock on Sunday, September 30th. This week we will host a dinner for the folks of the North Bay Biz Magazine; and on Thursday, September 27th we will roast a whole pig from farmer/vintner Lou Preston in our barbecue smoker for the judges and officials of the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. The following day is the Harvest Fair Awards Dinner, and our concert concludes this very busy month!
Be sure to check our my newest recipe: Asian Spicy Chicken Meatballs. If you are in the area swing on by and join the fun. There’s plenty to see, and always a smiling face pouring a happy beverage.
Cheers,
Mike Tierney
President, Taft Street Winery
As the fine weather continues, growers and winemakers alike are anxiously awaiting the weeks ahead. In the vineyards, veraison – the period when grapes soften and change color from green to red or yellow – has begun, indicating an early September start of this much anticipated harvest.
We just enjoyed our third concert with The Smilin’ Iguanas and had our biggest turnout ever! A very mellow time was had by all, and we look forward to our next event with The Rhythm Rangers on Sunday, August 26th.
The next big wine industry affair is the Sonoma County Wine Country Weekend, September 1st – 3rd. We’ll be pouring our 2011 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc, our 2011 Russian River Valley Pinot Gris, our 2010 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, and our 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. You can find us in the Russian River Valley tent!
Overall sales continue at a brisk pace, with particularly strong action in our California direct market and in the state of Texas. Our remodeled Tasting Room is getting rave reviews. If you haven’t been here for a while, there is no better time to try some of your old favorites and some new releases.
Be sure to check our my August recipe: Blackberry Rose Sorbet. See ya!
Cheers,
Mike Tierney
President, Taft Street Winery
The days are warming up, the vineyards are in bloom, and the feel of summer is everywhere. Growers are cautiously optimistic, and there is even talk of a good crop.
Our new twist on capping machine has arrived and is ready to start next week. It will be a busy summer in the bottling room. Our 2011 Russian River Pinot Gris was released last month; our 2011 Sonoma County Rose of Pinot Noir is available as of today; and our 2010 Russian River Chardonnay and 2009 Russian River Pinot Noir will be released shortly.
Our newly renovated Tasting Room and picnic area has enjoyed a terrific opening month. We hosted the annual spring President’s Club party on May 19th, and over 100 members enjoyed wine and food in our new digs. This past weekend we opened our STREET MUSIC summer concert series with local favorite Bottle Shock. The response was wildly enthusiastic, and we can’t wait for the next concert with bluegrass band Blue and Lonesome – on Sunday, June 24th. May was our best month ever for Tasting Room direct sales!
The Tasting Room is not the only place we are selling wine. We welcome aboard Marc Batlin to our sales team in Northern California. Marc is based on the Peninsula, and will cover San Francisco to the Silicon Valley. Our friends in the South Bay will be seeing more of Taft Street.
With good weather finally here and our Tasting Room area all spiffied up, it’s a great time for a visit. Taste our new releases, play a little bocce ball, and picnic under the trees.
Be sure to check out this month’s recipe: Blondies.
Cheers,
Mike Tierney
President, Taft Street Winery