the perfect meal!

A few weeks ago I made my way down to Newport Beach for an ALS research benefit Carlotta Cellars was participating in. before heading to the airport I was sure to walk the beach and soak up the sun. There was this great little bar/cantina right on the ocean that I stopped off at. I was on a mission....beer and grilled fish tacos! I found both and let me tell you it was the best I have ever had.....ahhhh honestly at that moment I was perfectly content with life! Cheers!

Moved to tears....

I consider the day a success if I am moved to tears. Tears of Joy or sadness, tears of passion and appreciation. Open yourself, allow things to move you, tears are nothing less than emotional nirvana. One has reached the height of his or her emotional capacity when tears fall freely, without shame or worry. There is a good chance you will never learn more about yourself then the moments you relinquish all command over your true feelings. It is said that you don't realize what you have until it is gone. Unfortunately this is true because we naturally guard ourselves from feeling and expressing the full spectrum of emotions we hold inside. Drastic measures cause us to let go, allowing us to truly "feel" for what it is that has left our lives. Letting go of this tendency to guard our emotions is difficult and takes both time and practice. The reward of letting life move you is never having to say..."if I only knew how I felt....if I only expressed how much I really cared" I am the most alive when I cry...I am the closest to "me" when I let my feelings be. To be moved to tears is a beautiful thing...!

Focus

Focus
The greatest
people made, from selfless ambition
hope and dreams become real life things
with focus
distractions, disguised as attraction
limited to none, and all are guilty of infractions
satisfaction
keeping on track then, understanding that
the math added up because YOU made it happen
this is not circumstance
life is one big dance
focus on the rhythm
your feet will follow
never fear, with focus, it is all probable
no mistakes, nor magic tricks
focus is free
a natural inhabitant
Focus

Finding Solace.

So much is happening right now that its hard to stand back and put it all in perspective. I'm moving on Monday. I'm also preparing to bottle all next week. On top of that, I still have my day job. I'm a little stressed, but somehow I managed to get three days off before all this goes down. My lovely girl and I decided to take a road trip up to Mendocino to visit my mom, and try and squeeze in some wine tastings as well. Luckily I was able to start the trip off right by getting a tasting appointment at Merry Edwards in Sebastopool. Needless to say the good vibes were in the air for the rest of our trip thanks to wines like the 06 merrideth estate pinot, and the grand 08 sauv blizanc! (holla atcha boy). We arrived in redwood valley just in time for moms home cookin, and crashed afterwards with ease. Waking up in the morning was hard, mainly because the morning frost made my joints ache, apparently its still winter up there. For about 3 hours in the AM the ladies and I worked on prepping the garden for spring time vegetables.. this is a rewarding task mainly due to the fact that next time i come to visit, my mom will load me up with baskets of homegrown produce! After working up a sweat, Carolyn and I took an excursion 30 minutes west of Ukiah to Orr hot springs, where we soaked in the hot water mineral baths for the afternoon. Besides the few unkempt nudies walking around, it was a great time. When we woke up this morning we cruised over to Chiarito's winery/bachelor. This is a winery to watch for! This guy works 3 acres of head trained zinfandel, Nero D'Avola, and Negro Amaro. A true Champion of efficiency; he grows, makes, and sells the wine all himself. A fun trip, but im literally waist deep in boxes trying to polish the open bottle of 08 merry edwards SB... so until next time! Peace!

Back home in mendo

It's a cold morning in the rural town of redwood valley, but it's always great to come home to visit the house that
I grew up in. I definetely feel a connection to this place, and put a lot of stock into mendocino grapes. It's different up here... It's old skool, old souls farming old vines. I once mention to a friend of mine that sourcing your fruit is the most important winemaking descision you will
Ever make. Think about the vineyard where you get your fruit.. Would you enjoy drinking a glass of it's product sitting between the rows?
Probably not if it's located right along a busy California highway...

A beautiful day in Napa...

I must admit, I've had a smile on my face since I took this photo earlier today. I'm so thankful to be in such a beautiful place. Take a moment today to admire the beauty all around you, I promise you won't regret it!

a rough vintage...

A 2003 Brunello tasting...I learned that although this vintage is "spotty" as far as quality is concerned, there are some producers who made well balanced lush wines...very educational!

Hands on is the always best!

Watching Dr. Krebs describe trellising methods in the Napa Valley College Estate vineyard!


A closer look at Muscat Canelli...look at how much growth already!

Burning the midnight oil...

There is something powerful about being up, creating, improving, crafting, and thinking while knowing everyone else is asleep. The night is mine. The world is mine. I will not fail...

HAPPY EASTER

Happy Easter! What a beautiful day in Santa Cruz! these eggs are going into my salad in a few minutes =)

It's all in the details

Just got in the 2006 Raven series Grenache and Syrah from Sine Qua Non....what a sick looking label burnt onto the wood box....I love this kind of stuff...really shows these guys get it...

food is brainpower!

Kobe Burgers at Bistro33 in Sacramento for lunch. Throw in a brain storming session with Matt Byers and you have one highly motivated dude!

Start with Love

I can't help but feel a roller coaster of emotions lately. With an early May bottling of our inaugural release and an expected release of June 1st or sooner, I'm faced with a peculiar circumstance. The entire brand of Carlotta Cellars hinges upon the public's reaction to our first wine "La Reverie". I have seen an amazing show of support from friends, family and wine lovers around the world. When La Reverie is released, many of these people will purchase Aran and I's wine because they trust us, they believe in our dream and ability to create a truly amazing product. One would assume the amount of stress and anxiety would be nearly unbearable. I have found the opposite to be true. My belief in Carlotta Cellars stems from a genuine place in my heart. Carlotta wines are not just a product or brand. Passion, love, respect and unconditional faith are the corner stones of Carlotta Cellars. There is a power I can barley begin to describe that manifests itself when these conditions are met. The power to believe and never doubt, the power to be thankful for the success of the future today. Looking back on this blog post years from now will reaffirm my belief that nothing is impossible if you start with love.

So much to write so little time

As I Sit here listening to Kanye West (seriously the most motivational music ever) my mind starts working on all 12 cylinders. In 30 minutes I have a photo shoot with my lovely girlfriend, Carolyn. She is going to be the Company's logo model. You see, this company's vision inst the product of money trying to make more money. Its the product of true passion and creativity starting from the ground up; Grass roots style. Trying to break the sterile mold of wine industry fish who could care less about the small things and are in it to cash checks. Thats not what wine is about... for Dave and I anyway. Yes, of course its about the end product; the wine itself. But its also about the passion, the dream, and the pursuit of making the wine and delivering our best to the consumer. When our Rose, "La Reverie" is released, my hope is that people will realize that you don't have to be a retired stock broker or tech industry mogul to make an amazing wine in California. Truth will be that its the product of 2 incredibly hard working, passionate 20 somethings, who are here to let you know that, yes my friends, it IS possible.

The Pursuit

I've often heard that the "Secret" means to manifest your wildest dreams into reality through steadfast believe and unwavering determination. Launching Carlotta Cellars with Aran has awaken me to the real "secret", the Pursuit. Yes, the pursuit of happiness, this is the real "secret" to life. The truth is I don't particularly care about reaching an end point. There is no magic number I need to earn or title to obtain. I don't have a specific place I want to be or car I want to drive. I've learned that whats more important than manifesting ones hopes and dreams is living them. I believe that there are no limits to what I can achieve, or how I can live my life. I find that when mentally anything is possible, the kind of life you live is determined by your passion for living it. The secret is relinquishing to passion and savoring the beauty of every second alive. This is the pursuit, constantly achieving through passion, constantly loving and feeling loved in return. I promise there is no other way to live life with more purpose than this. It is this practice that sparked the dream of Carlotta Cellars in Aran and I. We knew from the very beginning that if we let all the limitations of the world around us go, and followed our passion, that we could create something truly special. Our wines are not the product of our creation but rather the by-product of our pursuit. In the end, I suppose what really matters is not how we make our wines or where we make them, but why we choose to do so. Cheers!

Getting in shape..

Tonight I spent 2 hours getting in shape...mentally. It started off with A bufala carpese at Caruso's in the Capitola Village. This was followed by a bottle of 2003 Valpolicella Superiore and a wonderfully prepared porcini tortellini plate. The combination of wonderful company, Exquisite food and a great bottle of Italian wine really helped set my mind straight. One more week and I'll be taking on the next big challenge in my life; moving to Saratoga to be the consulting winemaker for a private estate. So how do I keep my head on straight while being a winemaker for one project, an assistant winemaker for another, and a consulting winemaker on a third??? By keeping in shape mentally with Three essential "vitamins": Great company. Great food. Great Wine!