J. Kirkwood Winery

Hi Everyone!

Fall is slipping away, the crush is over, and the wine has been barreled down for the season.  Now for a little blog update.

The growing season was one of the best we’ve ever had.  Although the yield was low, the weather cooperated and the grape quality was extraordinary.   The flavors were fully developed and the chemistries were spot on.  The merlot in the barrels tastes great!

This year marks our first effort at making some cabernet.  We made about 15 barrels from fruit we received from a Calistoga vineyard.  The vineyard is at 1300 feet elevation and is at the base of Diamond Mountain.  Since we also have some cab franc we made from vines that were budded over in our own vineyard, it’s going to be fun this year playing with various blends.

The wine this season was made using our new destemmer-crusher and our new wine press.  The new equipment made the process more enjoyable and we were able to crush lots of grapes smoothly and more efficiently.  Additionally, I set up an in-house lab and have enjoyed learning how to do the various necessary tests.   Having the ability to do our own lab testing will allow me to keep an even closer eye on things and, hopefully, make an even better wine.

The biggest news of the year had nothing to do with wine.  As of June, we are full members of the grandparents club.  Our daughter, Kyla, gave birth to baby Hannah.  Kyla and her husband, Erik, are great parents and we are in grandparent heaven  Life is good!