New CBU Mailbox

We have a new community mailbox installed at the top of the hill. Delivery will be up and running as soon as the Post Office gets out to install their master lock. Please drive carefully!

Scorpion Concrete put in the driveway/pad and did a beautiful job. If you ever need concrete work Sam is the one to call.

Harvest 2018

October 3-5. Picked the Cabernet Franc and the Chardonnay at the same time this year. You just never know what Mother Nature is going to throw at you. The Cab Franc snuck up on me. I was testing the sugars in the Chard, figuring the Cab would be later as usual. Then I figured what the heck, I'll just check the Cab for fun. Pushing 26 degrees! So we scrambled and got everything done. I think I prefer getting it all in at the same time rather than dragging it out over several weeks.

The fruit was gorgeous. No rain since July, just warm days without end. It would have been interesting to let the Cab Franc hang awhile longer, although the acids would have dropped out. Anyway, the winemakers seemed happy. Big thanks again to Beaumont Cellars and Camas Cove Cellars for your continued support.

New Construction on Lot 26

Beautiful ridgefront home rapidly nearing completion. Alderbrook Homes is the builder.

Budbreak 2018

A few days earlier than last year, a little later than "normal." Last season saw reduced yields throughout the state. Typically vines will respond the following year with extra crop. We shall see.

New Construction

...on Lot 40, nearing completion. Another one about to start on Lot 26.
Lots of activity in the area.

Bottling Day @ Beaumont Cellars

Each spring Pete Beaumont brings in a mobile bottler to bottle his wines, including our Cab Franc. The two tons of grapes we sold him in 2016 produced just under 120 cases of wine. (Pete bottled around 4,000 cases overall this year.)

It's a fun operation, everything clicking along at 60 bottles a minute, about as fast as a person (or at least an amateur) can be expected to keep up without pulling a "Lucille Ball."

Our 2016 vintage, I'm told, has developed nicely. Haven't tasted it yet; I'm looking forward to getting a case as soon as it's over bottle shock.

Pruning 2018

It's not even February yet and the vineyard is pruned. A new record I think. I let Panchito do most of it. It's the first time I haven't done it myself. Pruning is always the first opportunity to get your hands on the vines after winter dormancy, and you get to shape the vineyard for the season. You also get a good sense of what went well and what needs improvement in terms of nutrition, water, pest control,etc.

But honestly Panchito is a better pruner than me, and much faster. He did a beautiful job. So I just walked through and tried to inspect every plant. There'll be plenty of work left this year anyway, most of it in the hot sun!