Your Resource for Wine Region Travel  |
Dear Reader,
I
hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend celebration. We
did! We went up to the Sierra foothills to my Mom's, where she
had 11 for dinner. We had a special visit from my mother-and
father-in-law who came up from Los Angeles for the week. Mom made
a traditional turkey with stuffing, my son's girlfriend made an updated
version of the green bean casserole that turned out great. I made
twice-baked sweet potatoes with dried cranberries and walnuts (check
out the recipe),
a cranberry sauce made with pomegranate juice, and the gravy. My
sister-in-law made a delicious chocolate cake with raspberry filling to
go with the traditional pumpkin and apple pies bought fresh from the
local apple farms. We had a great time visiting and watching
movies. The festivities really began when Larry opend up a Peachy Canyon '04 Jester. We then continued with a Peachy Canyon '02 Cabernet Sauvignon, a Dierberg '03 Pinot Noir and a Nalle
'05 Pinot Noir. It was a nice sampling of California wines
ranging from Santa Maria to Paso Robles and up to Russian River.
Everyone enjoyed everything!
Larry and I did our final interview
with Winemaker B who declared Harvest '08 as over on November
6th. Now we sit tight and wait to see how the '08 wines turn
out. Just be patient, that is what good winos do! We are so
happy that Winemaker B took the time to let us all know the
blow-by-blow details of how the harvest went. If you missed any
of the segments go to the Ask The Winemaker column and click onto the archives. Remember, if you have any questions for Winemaker B, please post your questions on our blog or email him at winemaker@vicivino.com. He will get the answers to you as soon as he can.
Last summer just after I launched the website, we interviewed Bob Mosby of Benovia Winery
in Santa Rosa. They are a small winery in a large facility so
they can grow. It was a different interview than we have done to
date as this winery is just getting off the ground. They are
still planting some of their vineyards and are open by appointment
only. Go check them out, they are in a beautiful area of Santa
Rosa and they make a really nice Pinot Noir, plus a few other
varietals. Along with this interview there are two new recipes
that you should enjoy making and pairing with their wines.
If
you've had any wine tasting or food and wine pairing experiences
recently that you would like to share, please blog about it. It's
really so easy to do. Reading about your experiences adds to our
knowledge, education, and depth about wine.
Don't worry, drink happy!™
Lori Lapides Founder ViciVino.com
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How does the climate affect the wine?
Grapes
vary slightly in their needs, but vines will usually thrive within
certain limits. An average annual temperature of 57-59 degrees,
with a summer average of not less than 66 degrees is ideal.
Summers should not be too hot, nor autumn too cool. Rain, around
27 inches per year, should fall in winter and spring, too much in
summer and autumn can harm the grapes. Bad weather is a worry;
frost, strong winds, hail, and heavy rains are major dangers.
Sunlight is essential to the vines and is most valuable for its
ripening. Check out an article written by Sandra Silven, who has been writing about wine for over 20 years, entitled "Weather rules winegrowing in cold-weather climates". And for something a bit on the lighter note, watch this video done by Gary Vaynerchuk, host of Wine Library TV, where he reviews wine in very extreme weather.
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ViciVino.com
is a website dedicated to help you learn more about wine region
traveling: how each wine region is unique and what it has to
offer, the art and science of wine making, some FAQ's on wine
etiquette, recipes that go great with different wines, plus much, much
more.
Our website features: Ask the Winemaker column in which our dedicated consultant, Brandon, answers your questions. Vineyard Views articles where we interview wine industry personalities. Wine Region area information from wineries and lodging to restaurants, spas and other activities. Food and Wine Pairing Recipes Travel Planning Services where you tell us what you want to see and do on your next wine region getaway, and we will plan it for you. Blog to write about your wine experiences or read what others wine lovers have to say.
If
you want more details within the different wine regions including
wineries, lodging, restaurants, spas etc. plus other perks, then you
should become a Julius Caesar Club Member.
Be
part of helping our website get off the ground, it's easy! All
you have to do is to forward this newsletter along to as many of your
friends and family who you think would enjoy reading and learning more
about wine and the experiences that traveling in the different wine
regions offer. We would greatly appreciate it.
We
will send you periodic newsletters to update you and keep you informed
with our most recent adventures and snippets of what's going on in the
wine world.
Check it out at ViciVino.com
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Wine Quote
"Alcohol - the cause of and solution to all of life's
problems"
Homer Simpson
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 Vineyard Views
ViciVino.com
spoke with Bob Mosby, general manager of Benovia Winery in
Santa Rosa. Bob, who grew up in Texas, first learned about good
wine 30 years ago when he went to explore Europe. Afterwards he
visited
Napa and has been hooked on California wines ever since. He gets
to talk and share his love of wine with you
when you come in to tour the winery.
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