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Our Wine Adventures Bottling for 2008 Well, it's that time of year again. We've just scheduled (tentative) our first bottling of this year for Sunday, August 10th. We're starting with the Tempranillo, which is so yummy! Anyway, we're also making this the tribute wine to Ira. It strikes just the right note to be his wine. *If you're interested in participating in this bottling or labelling in about 10 days, please let me know. Upcoming bottlings are 07 Petite Sirah, 06 Cabs and any top-off wine/blends that may remain. We are happy to have company while we're bottling. We always have snacks and dinner if it's late. This is the cleanest of the winemaking projects. Cabernet Barrel Tasting and Blending One down! We worked out our blending options on the Mendocino Cab. Looks like we'll be doing a bit of straight Cab for Steve who is our co-winemaker and all around huge help with every major project here! If you haven't met him yet, you need to make one of our events. He and his wife grow Chardonnay and Cows and a little Pinot for pleasure. We'll also be blending up a little bit of a bordeaux style mix and then a more traditional Cab with a touch of Merlot and Cab Franc. We will start bottling after July 4th. Anyone interested in helping out, please let me know and I'll put you on the email list. In the next couple of weeks we will be working on our blending options for the Chalk Hill Cab. If interested in participating, let me know. Barrel Tasting 2008! Here are the highlights of what we liked... Bought futures of Windsor Oaks Vineyards Super T and Pinot Gris! - Frank also loves 05 and 06 Cabernet Sauvignon - Oh, and if you want the recipe for the incredible Windsor Oaks' Truffled Mushroom Bisque click here. Carol Shelton - Wild Thing Zin (bottle) and Petite Sirah good - very fruity in the full berry range Paradise Ridge - Petite Verdot Loved this one and yes, it will be sold as a varietal! - great structure and backbone - won't be drinkable for a couple of years, but it will be a great one when it's ready. It has a little Cab Sauv blended in Joseph Swan Vineyards - loved the 02 Mancini Zin - bottle and I liked the Trenton Syrah - barrel. I think everything Rod makes is very worthy of note. De La Montanya, our source for last years grapes - Very nice Summer White - Also like the Pin Up Cab David Cofaro - Petite Sirah was delicious as always - the field blend (name I can't recall at the moment - he has too many unusual names) was delicious - Family wineries Tasting Room - Lago de Merlo Sonomatage was a solid wine for everyday. Definitely worth trying. Syrah, DCV Award Syrah page and the OC Fair results - Walburg, page 14.