Carlotta's Diary

farmers tan

2010-03-24T01:29:00.000-07:00

Been a bit, I know. But I still must keep it short as I have pork belly confit to prepare.
What a crazy thing I signed up for, working harvest in OZ. Waking up at 6am, picking grapes for 7 hours, quick lunch, then processing until 6pm. Makes you appreciate the abundance of cheap labor in the states that enables you to focus on the winemaking....but then again, that's the realization that I have had here...it's all about the vineyard. Working in the vines, more than in the winery. A great vintage is of course made under the sun, not in the cellar.
Its crazy to think that after a 12 hour day, I still have dinner to cook, laundry to do (by hand), and emails...oh yea, and sleep.
Some day's are of course harder than others, and it is difficult to work for someone else, when you are used to working for yourself...but after work, with a cold little creatures brew in hand, I remember something...I'm in freaking Australia making world class wine, haha! This is pretty awesome!

Looking down

2010-02-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-02-04T01:26:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Country

2010-02-04T01:23:00.000-08:00

Sunset @ the house

2010-02-04T01:19:00.000-08:00

The red Cambrian soils of Heathcote

2010-02-04T01:17:00.000-08:00

Tiny Shiraz berries at about 18 brix.

2010-02-04T01:13:00.000-08:00

Fishing on Phillip Island

2010-02-04T01:10:00.000-08:00

Carolyn with a view of melbourne

Heathcote

2010-02-01T02:26:00.000-08:00

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!

Day#2: Fitzroy

2010-01-27T00:08:00.000-08:00

After a much needed good nights sleep, Carolyn and I ventured out into Melbourne's Fitzroy district to pick up our car we had bought off eBay.
Despite the rolling eyes of close friends, buying a car of eBay in another country wasn't such a bad idea. Got ourselves a nice little '93 Audi 100 that suits its purpose perfectly.
So our first stop was the gas station, which was lesson numero uno of the day. This is what I learned: pump first, then pay. Gasoline is referred to as petrol, if you say ask for $50 worth of gas... they think you mean propane. After the confusion, we got on our way and headed to an eatery called Little Creatures. Carolyn's friend, Pat Johnson said it was a must, and over the years I have learned to take people recommendations seriously. The neighborhood outside little creatures was similar to say, haight Ashbury on an unusually warm SF day. Trendy boutiques, and thrift stores alike, hipsters EVERYWHERE, and so many coffee shops that even Seattle would be jealous. Well needless to say, Little Creatures fit right in to the mix. The inside looked as if the someone bought an old rundown warehouse, threw in a bunch of eclectic furniture, and opened shop; An industrial feel, but not "made to look". The seating was reminiscent of a cafeteria, but a bit more comfortable...OK, so on to why I'm writing this! The beetroot/feta dip with warm house made flat bread! Such a simple dish, it really fit with the time and the place. A dish that no doubt will show up at my house plenty this next spring! The sweetness of the beets, and the savoriness of the feta, with the warmth of the flatbred, made me realize that often times where there are great wines being produced, there are incredible dishes being served up as well.
After filling up on gas, and the local fare, we drove down to Fitzroy Gardens, and took a tour of St Patrick Cathedral. Built in the early part of the 19th century, this church had an almost medieval feel to it. Really cool to see considering that Melbourne was not even a city before 1830, and most of the architectural stylings seem very modern.
We spent the better part of the afternoon lying on the welcoming grass of the Fitzroy Gardens.
So, now that we are back at our lovely hotel in the Brighton neighborhood of Melbourne, I have noticed the emanating glow coming from my arms..Gasp!... That's where lesson number two reared its ugly head... Sunburn like you wouldn't believe! Damn UV index here is off the charts!

Melbourne day #1

2010-01-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

A 15 hour flight finds me in Melbourne. Its midday here, and despite being exhausted, its Australia Day. Just like 4th of July in the states, its the Aussie's independence day, and that means warm weather, BBQ's and beer! So it's time to rally. I have 5 days to experience all that Melbourne has to offer before heading out into the "bush". I expect Carolyn and I to take advantage of our hotels proximity to the beach and start showing our appreciation for this great country's independence, and drink a couple cold ones!
Cheers!

Been a while!

2010-01-23T23:01:00.000-08:00

OK, it's been a long time since the blog has been updated, I know. But things are most definitely moving along at steady pace with Carlotta!
Dave and myself have been enjoying the down time since the end of crush. It turned into a benchmark vintage after the past few years of less than perfect ones in Mendocino. We are very excited, not only about the new vineyards we are working with, but also the quality of the wines we have in barrel and the direction that Carlotta is currently heading in.
Currently, most of our time is devoted to preparing for our first big bottling, which is scheduled for May 3rd. We are proud to be working with Santa Cruz neo-pop designer, Janet Allinger, who is helping put our ideas on paper. I could wax for hours on the exciting details of our upcoming release... but ill sprinkle you all with more information over the coming months..

Its time to lay down, and try to get some sleep...My wife, Carolyn and I are off to Australia for the next few months! Going to be making wine with the guys at Heathcote II! ....maybe a Carlotta Shiraz sometime time in the future???

the perfect meal!

2009-05-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

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....

2009-04-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-04-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-04-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-04-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-04-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-12T20:09:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-11T01:44:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-11T00:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-31T23:44:00.000-07:00

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..

2009-03-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

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!