Looking down

With Aran in Australia, I find myself visiting the winery in Saratoga much more often than before. Time to reflect on what Aran and I are doing with Carlotta Cellars is certainly in abundance these days. With the beautiful back drop of the silicon valley, perched a few thousand feet up the Santa Cruz mountains I find the quiet of this massive expanse to be almost ironic when juxtaposed with the constant pulsing of my own hopes and dreams. Down below there are tech start-ups finding success next to already thriving dynasties like google etc...I have a strong respect for those guys down there, although we are in different industries I believe the pursuit of happiness is something that we all share. These are the men standing near me in the Arena, fighting for what they can, fighting for a better life, a better community, all in all, a better way. The understanding that just down there so much is being done to change the world everyday is beyond inspirational. I often wonder, do any of those guys look up from their computers, out their window up at the mountain and think if only for a moment "I wonder who's making a difference up there, who is up there putting it all on the line for what they believe in?" Perhaps this is far from reality, but then again, perhaps not.

A few pictures from OZ...

Beautiful Country

Sunset @ the house

The red Cambrian soils of Heathcote

Tiny Shiraz berries at about 18 brix.

Fishing on Phillip Island

Carolyn with a view of melbourne

Heathcote

Carolyn and I have been settling in quite nicely in Heathcote. Our house is located on the vineyard about 20 minutes north of town. The country side here is beautiful...similar in ways to, say, Sonoma County, but also unlike anywhere I have been before. Rolling hills of brown grass, scattered gum trees, and plenty of sheep are visible as far as the eye can see. In front of our house, the occasional kangaroo can be seen hopping through the vineyard rows, or lounging around the olive trees.
I have to admit that after a few hours of being in Heathcote, we had started to second guess our decision to come here... But by day 4, I am convinced that this is one of the most up and coming wine regions in the world. Heathcote town is slightly larger than Redwood Valley, and the people here would feel right at home in small town Mendocino! The local wine merchant, Cellar and Store, has a collection of 80 or so local producers, of which almost all of them have strikingly attractive packages, which include prices that reflect the image. The upside to this is that It shows an immense amount of confidence in the producers for the quality of their wines. The people of this region believe that their wines belong next to the greatest in the world.
The brand I am currently working for, Heathcote II is revered as one of the best wineries of the region and produces only 600 cases a year!!
Carolyn and I had a bottle of the 2005 Myola, a Bordeaux blend, with dinner the other night, and were in awe at the concentration and depth of flavors which were perfectly framed with a proportionate amount of T and A(tannin and acid =).
A few of the components that I believe make this region so great include the following:
Ancient Cambrian Soils. The Red, clay based soil is a key ingredient to the success of local growers due to its high water retention which allows for the grapes to be dry farmed; further increasing the skin to juice ratio.
Diurnal Variation: The days can reach up to 105F, and cool off to 50F at night! This allows for the grapes to ripen fully, but slowly, allowing for full development of flavors and retention of acidity.
Wind: There is a constant blowing wind here. Similar to the mistral of the Rhone. The wind can gust upwards of 40mph on a constant basis! The wind is less during flowering, but is enough to cause a slight amount of shatter in the vineyards which ultimately reduces yields. Also, the drying effect of the wind makes mildew and rot a non-occurrence. Without the worry of mildew, there is little need to spray chemicals in the vineyard.
Ok, enough for now...working early tomorrow!