This year’s Vineyard Tour was held later in the year than usual which gave everyone a chance to see the grapes at the start of harvest. The heat wave was over but we had a forecast for potential rains, which did come but missed Valley View Vineyard. The Los Alamos Vineyard got a half inch of rain and Goodchild Vineyard got over two inches. Fortunately, the Goodchild Vineyard is planted with early ripening varieties and we were able to pick them before any problems developed in the grapes.

From a quality standpoint, harvest was very good but a few varieties were low in yield. Megan has her hands full with the new vintage and the new wines are progressing well.

2020 Sparkling Wine: This vintage is half Pinot Noir and half Chardonnay which was our original sparkling wine blend. Our other two sparkling wines are a Blanc de Noirs (80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay), and a Blanc de Blanc, which is a 100% vineyard designated Chardonnay. It takes at least two years to complete the process and each bottle has its own fermentation. It is the creation of bubbles. This one is bright and easy to drink and great for any occasion. I enjoy it with meals, as a cocktail, and a reason to celebrate.

2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, “Clone 6”: The pièce de résistance, this is my favorite of all the wines. It is the essence of Cabernet, 100%. The vines produce grapes with small berries and loose clusters which all mature at the same time, intensifying the color and flavors. Small berries have less juice and a higher concentration of skins. I just tasted a comparison between the 2017 and 2018 vintages. My preference is the 2018. 2017 was great but it has taken longer to mature. This vintage begins where the 2017 is leaving off. It is full of character but has this marvelous softness to it and a velvety mouthfeel. It is what you would want a great wine to be. It wins my vote. Once wine club members have taken full advantage of their release price, the price is set to increase to $88 on January 1st. Stock up now. There isn’t much of it.

In my heart, there is a special place for the Thanksgiving holiday. It is all about gratitude. In this world we live in, we need to take more time to appreciate the good things in life and be thankful.