Harvest 2011- Celebrating 55 years of grape growing in Russian River Valley

Fall and harvest are finally here and we want to share with you what has been happening in the vineyards! Our Fall 2011 Free Run Wine Club has just shipped to all our members.We are excited to be releasing our 2007 Zinfandel sourced from our own, Bacigalupi Vineyards in Russian River.

This winter we will also be releasing our first vintage of Petite Sirah. This highly anticipated release is coming soon and with only 200 cases produced it is sure to sell out fast. To pre-order e-mail tastingroom@johntylerwines.com or call the tasting room at 707-473-0115.

We will also be pouring for Winter Wineland 2012. To purchase tickets visit The Wine Road website and come visit us over this fun weekend of food, wine and art!

Happy harvest and cheers from John Tyler Wines & Bacigalupi Vineyards

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Free the SO2

Taking barrels samples is an important and ongoing process in the world of winemaking. As the wine progresses and changes over time it is vital to consistently keep a close watch on the state of each barrel and additionally, the lot as a whole. Today we took samples of all the 2008 vintages mostly looking for levels of free SO2. Free SO2 or free sulfur protects the wine from oxidation and remains an invaluable tool for inhibiting bacteria that otherwise might spoil wine. Locally we use Vinquiry for all our wine analysis. They are quick with results and very friendly to work with. While sampling for SO2 this also gives us the opportunity to taste the lots combined to get an idea of how the wine is developing. The following are the notes from this barrel sampling.

2008 Pinot Noir Free Run, 20 barrels- At this time the wine shows a supple texture which is difficult to come by with a young Pinot Noir. You tend to get all the viscosity and weight but loose all the varietal character of the fruit. We tend to extend cap time by controlling the temperature for a long, cool fermentation

2008 Pinot Noir Free Run in T-bins, 9 barrels- We added 5 tons of whole clusters for fermentation. The whole berries lend themselves to letting you hold onto the carbonic maceration, adding more fruit character. This wine has a little sharper edge to the finish from slightly higher acid.

2008 Pinot Noir Press Wine, 2 barrels-We barrel the press wine separately from the free run so I can blend appropriately. This wine is progressing very well with good weight and nice fruit. It will assimilate nicely with the free run juice.

2008 Zinfandel Free Run, 12 barrels- What I love most about our Zinfandel is that it is technically dry (no residual sugar) but it doesn’t appear to be so when you first taste it. We are also producing a 100% Zinfandel, single vineyard designate designed to showcase the true varietal characteristic.

2008 Zinfandel Press Wine, 2 barrels- Great fruit, good acid and tannin

2008 Petite Sirah Free Run, 5 barrels- This is our inaugural vintage and what I like best about this wine is it’s incredibly balanced, already at an early stage. The trick with PS is finding the right balance between tannin and acid. Additionally like all well made wines it has a deep and vibrant color.

Who else makes a Bacigalupi vineyard designate?

From their 53 years in the wine making and grape growing business, my grandparents Charles and Helen have collected quite a variety of wine from over the years. From these years in the industry, we have also sold grapes to over approximately 50 wineries and wine producers ranging from Northern California and Napa Valley to Manhattan. With all this history, I thought it might be fun to do some detective work and raid my grandparents wine collection.  Their cellar isn’t fancy by any means and although humble in appearance it holds some real gems and resembles their 53 years in the business. Here is a closer look at some of the wineries that have produced Bacigalupi vineyard designate wines: past and present.

Most recently– during the 2008 harvest–we sold a Dijion clone Pinot Noir to City Winery located in downtown Manhattan. City Winery gives urban wine enthusiasts the opportunity to craft their own wine without even leaving Manhattan. The opening of this winerymarks the first time that wine has been produced in Manhattan since the repeal of prohibition.

Rudd Chardonnay

Possibly even more recognizable is Rudd in Napa Valley. For the past decade Rudd has purchased the famed Paris tasting block of Chardonnay and produced a vineyard designate under their label. These same vines were the source of the legendary 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. Winemaker Charles Thomas creates a chardonnay that is truly old world in character.

Perhaps as identifiable is Williams Selyem–located right up the road from us in Russian River Valley. With a waiting list for their wines at just over a year, this producer of small lot Zinfandels and Pinot Noirs has been purchasing fruit from our vineyards for the past nine years.

Armida Pinot Noir

Another great winery, also located on Westside Road is Armida. Co-owner Bruce Cousins is so easy to work with because he understands the importance of cultivating relationships with growers and has been producing a Bacigalupi Pinot Noir for the past five years.

Recently crafted from winemaker Danny Glover along with the support of friends Nora and Curt Cravens was born the venture of Glover Cravens Wines. It was a long time dream of Danny’s to create a great Pinot Noir and in 2006 he purchased a ton of Pinot Noir from our Frost Ranch vineyard.  His inaugural vintage is now released.

Foppiano Petite Sirah

Known for their Petite Sirah production as well as being one of the oldest still family owned wineries in Sonoma County,  the Foppiano‘s have purchased petite sirah grapes from my grandparents for many years. Over this time our two families developed friendships that span over several generations and is still present today.

For several years during the 1980′s Belevedere Winery produced a Chardonnay with the Bacigalupi Vineyard designate. The winery was sold recently and was re-named C. Donatiello but my grandparents still have a few bottles left with the old label.

 

What is your favorite wine from the Bacigalupi Vineyards?

Where to rest your head on Westside Road

When travelling one of the most important decisions to make is…where are we going to stay? In an unfamiliar area it’s all about location, location, location. You want to be close enough to town to enjoy the restaurants and bars but also be able to enjoy the scenery and surroundings that are unique to the place that you are visiting.

Westside Road in Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley is world renowned for producing some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnays. It’s winding roads and beautiful, panoramic views of wine country make it an popular place to visit. After living on this road for 25+ years I’ve had a lot of time to think about where I would want to stay should I visit this area. Here are my picks for the best places to stay on Westside Road.

B&Bs are where it’s at. There are several absolutely charming B&Bs on Westside Road that are truly not to be missed. My top choice would have to be Madrona Manor. Right at the crossroad of Westside Road and West Dry Creek, this place is a must visit in Healdsburg. I have memories of coming here since I was little and every visit is better then the last. Our family has a tradition of having brunch here ever Easter Sunday. The eggs benedict are my personal favorite. The best seat in the house would have to be out on the patio which overlooks the beautiful garden area.

Joseph Bain is the wine director at Madrona Manor and treats us like family every time we visit. My grandfather use to tell me stories about how some of the rooms  in the Carriage House where haunted. So if you are superstitious, dwellers beware!  The inn is an ideal site for weddings, photos and special events and was just awarded One Michelin Star from the 2009 Michelin Guide, San Francisco.

Next on my list is the FarmHouse Inn. Technically located in Forestville but still in the Russian River Valley and at the end of Wohler/Westside Road. What I like the most about this place is that not all the awards and accolades, although these are very impressive ( it also has been awarded One Michelin Star) but that it is family owned and operated.  Owned since 2001 by a brother and sister pair whose family has farmed in this area for five generations. Coming from a family who has similar longevity in the farming community I always admire and like to support family businesses. Between the spa treatments and their celebrated cuisine, I warn you it will be difficult to leave.

I also recommend the Raford Inn. Tucked away and literally overlooking Russian River Valley this beautiful villa is a great location to just get away from it all. Originally built in 1880 this estate manor is a historical landmark. All rooms are individually decorated and are named after medicinal herbs, representing their healing properties. Your stay includes a wine reception and full breakfast. Voted best sunset by Lonely Planet!

Let me know where you like to stay in Russian River Valley, we can comapre notes!

Working wine sisters

Katey and Nicci Bacigalupi at the age of two

In launching a new (and improved) website I have been combing the house looking through old pictures, trying to find photos that really represent our family and who we are. I came across this one of Nicci and me. It was taken in October 1985 so we were about 2 years old. Growing up on a ranch we were destined to be cowgirls. Climbing trees, scraping knees and chasing lizards; as you can see we got introduced to all that at very young age. I can remember the one day I got stuck in the tree outside our house. I climbed up this very large walnut tree we have in our yard. I was so focused on getting to the middle of the branch that after I had got there I realized I had no way to get down. I couldn’t turn around to climb back down and it was too high to jump. I was so scared, but I waited until my dad got home and he could get a ladder and help me down.

Family businesses aren’t easy, in fact I would definitely take bets that they are way harder to work in then just hiring a bunch of people that you don’t know. But can they can be very successful; look at the Gallo’s, the Foppiano’s and the Seghesio’s, all family run wineries that have been around for nearly a decade. It is true that sisterly love is very strong, and probably the strongest of them all are twins. Over the 25 years of our existence we have learned how we are very different and how we are frighteningly the same. Working for the family business has been both of our dreams for a very long time. We realize the opportunity put before us and are anxious to learn the inevitable up’s and down’s of the business. But finding this picture helps to bring back the simple thoughts of life. When you were two years old and the highlight of the day was getting a ride on the tractor.

Spending some time with the owls

Owl Box

It is hard to believe that it is January with all the beautiful weather we have been having recently. This weekend my dad and I set out to accomplish the very messy but important job of cleaning out the owl boxes. In keep with our sustainable farming practices, a few years ago my dad hand crafted 6 owl boxes and put them at the Frost Ranch vineyard. Using owls as a natural predator to help manage pest populations in the vineyard is not a new idea but with the increasing popularity and importance of sustainable and organic farming the use of this technique has increased. Hawks, bats and owls are beneficial predators that hunt unwanted rodents in the vineyard, reducing the need to use pesticides.

Annual cleaning of owl boxes is a small time frame, usually between Nov- Jan. Using gloves is a must and if you run into an owl while cleaning try to disturb them as little as possible. Today we did not run into any owls but there was evidence that they had been used, which is exiting! As you may imagine a strong stomach is good to have when doing this activity as owls tend to regurgitate a lot of what they eat. Nevertheless it’s all part of the job. This winter my dad has plans to build up to 5 more boxes to increase the presence of possible owl habitation in the vineyard. I look forward to next years cleaning!

2005 John Tyler Pinot Noir wins bronze medal

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Our 2005 Pinot Noir was awarded a Bronze Medal in the 2009 SF Chronicle Wine Competition. This is considered the largest competition of American wines. Held over a period of four days at the Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds in January, this exclusive event has once again broken world records with 4,235 wines entered into the 2008 competition, all of which were evaluated by an elite panel of more than 60 professional wine judges from across the country

It’s 2009!

It is always so surreal to realize that the year has come to an end and another year is just beginning. 2009 is going to be a very exciting year for John Tyler. We have several big plans in the working for the next year…

1. Probably the most exciting of the year will be the opening of our Russian River Valley tasting room in the fall of 2009. This project has been in the works for the past 2 years and the Grand Opening promises to be like no other!

2. 2008 saw our first public event here at the vineyards at Grape to Glass as a part of the Russian River Valley Grape Growers. 12 visitors indulged in a gourmet lunch cooked by famed Sassafras chef Jack Mitchell as well as a gondola tour of our vineyards and a flight tasting of all our library wines. 2009 will bring more events with fun themes, great food and of course fantastic wines.

3. The launch of our new, interactive 2.0 website. This winter we will be launching our new, totally redesigned website with new photos, videos and the ability for you to post your thoughts about our wine right on the site.

4. The release of our 2005 vintage. Here at John Tyler we know that producing a great wine takes time and patience. 2005 was one of the larger harvests in recent years. With an additional two years of ageing both the 2005 Pinot Noir and 2005 Zinfandel are ready to go!

5. We are all looking towards the 2009 harvest with anticipation and the apprehension of the unknown. it is still to early to tell what the 2009 growing season will bring but we are planning to harvest our first vintage of Chardonnay this year. Also in the working will hopefully be a late harvest Zinfandel port.

So lots new and exciting things are in store for 2009 with John Tyler. Stay tuned for updates on all these plans for 2009 and more!

Questions? Comments? Let us know!

Winter maintenance

So even though there is not a whole lot going on in the vineyards right now, one thing that we are focusing all our attention on is pruning. We started pruning about a month ago and we will continue to prune all through the winter until budbreak in March. Pruning is an important step in winter vineyard maintenance. It removes the old, dead growth from the vine to make room for the new growth in the spring. Because this is all done by hand there is a special technique and it can be time consuming. This photo was taken this morning. We were pruning the south block of Chardonnay and all the vines and ground were covered with frost.
This time of year frost and cold weather are actually desirable and benefit the vines. The cold weather will help the vines go to sleep and become dormant. It is during this time that they are storing energy and nutrients for the spring. All we need is some rain and we will have a good start to the new growing year.
On the other hand frost can be very dangerous when the shoots are starting to emerge at spring time. The frost will kill the buds and the new, delicate growth. This is what happened this past spring and what effected the crop sizes of this year’s harvest. I think that all vintners, including myself are hoping that Spring 2009 starts out with some warm weather.
~ John Bacigalupi

Another look

 This is a computer model and Lindsay, our architect did for us of the outside of building and it’s natural surroundings.

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