On the road during harvest
- By mjms47
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- 17 Sep, 2014
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The alarm was set for 3am yesterday morning. That much seemed normal. But instead of slipping into my boots and work pants and heading out for a pick, I was packing my white pants and heels and heading off to the airport. Now I sit looking out over the Tampa bay at the causeway to […]
The alarm was set for 3am yesterday morning. That much seemed normal. But instead of slipping into my boots and work pants and heading out for a pick, I was packing my white pants and heels and heading off to the airport. Now I sit looking out over the Tampa bay at the causeway to St. Pete’s, the thatched-roof cabana – empty after last night’s revelry – cormorants perched on the pilings below, and a rainstorm blowing in from the Gulf,while I sip my coffee and prepare for a very different kind of day.
I am in Florida meeting with a potential new distributor here. My guides in this venture are two fantastic guys who are wine brokers. They will be my “boots on the ground” here – working the market, keeping in touch with the salespeople, and being ambassadors for Ancient Oak Cellars. Last night we had a fantastic dinner at Charley’s – a local restaurant with the kind of impeccable staff and service you only get in some old-fashioned steakhouses. We shared a bottle of Laurel Glen Sonoma Mountain Cab. Next time I hope we’ll be able to enjoy some wine grown just next door to the famed Laurel Glen vineyard, on our estate Berger Vineyard..
Off I go to this different kind of harvest – gathering in a team of salespeople to help me bring our wines to the people of Florida. Although I resisted taking time away during harvest, this has been a good break, where I am reminded of the pleasure people have in learning about the hard work of our growers, our vineyard workers, and our winemaker and cellar staff, and then enjoying the liquid results of that labor.
Ancient Oak Cellars, and Jon McDaniel with Second City Soil, gathered 60+ of the top sommeliers from around the country to taste four wines that Ancient Oak had sent to each -- and to enter into a discussion of the wines, farming and winemaking philosophies, and a wide-range of other related topics. We had a blast!
Re-live your experience, or take it in for the first time. Then be in touch to continue the discussions. Cheers!
A video introduction to the neighborhoods of the Russian River Valley.
watch a video of winemaker Greg La Follete talking about the importance of family-farmed wines and native yeast fermentation.
An occasional series in which we learn about wine professionals -- Somms, Wine Directors, Winemakers -- and whether they are really of another species, or whether we should view them as friends who know more about wine than we do, and can help us choose and learn more about wine!
We visited Novavine nursery, in Sonoma Valley, recently to see the progress of our newly-grafted grapevines, and to learn more about the process.
As you may know, Siebert Ranch -- the house, barns, and vineyards where owners Melissa and Ken Moholt-Siebert live -- was destroyed in the 2017 wildfires. We are on the long path to recovery and rebuilding. You can support us by buying our wine!
Melissa will be pouring Ancient Oak Cellars' wines at the Pomona College Alumni Vintner Tasting
A look at how oaks reproduce -- and a list of other interesting facts about oaks.
Our family's special Easter decoration, found inside the ruins of our barn following the 2017 wildfires, serves as a symbol of hope.
We continue to follow the long road to recovery following the Tubbs Fire, which destroyed the Siebert Ranch PInot Noir vineyard. In this installment, we explore the process of grafting the new vines that will make up the new vineyard.
