New look

If you come down to Canelo Hills this weekend for our sparkling wine release, you'll see that our winery building has a new look.

Mike and his crew from Stronghold Signs in Sierra Vista did a fantastic job painting our name above the porch, despite the challenging contours of the building's siding.



We were going for a look that echoed the painted signs of older Western towns, to make a link with the ranching heritage of Sonoita and Elgin. We're really happy with the results -- what do you think?

Another Winning Haiku

Here's this week's winner of our Wine & Western Haiku Contest:

Sumptuous bouquet
Stay with me forever more
Soon a fleeting taste

Visit our tasting room and compose one of your own!

What's a Farmer To Do?

I have a few more weeks left before I go back into the vineyard to start the winter pruning. Tim does the wine-making, Kathryn does the marketing. So, what am I supposed to write in the blog when I have no farming to report? Nothing. I'll just post pictures from the past couple of months. The first is Tim pitching the grapes into the crusher/destemmer. The second is of the juice collecting in the tray after being squeezed by the press. I love watching the running juice and listening to it splashing into the tray. It seems like magic to me even though I know there was lots of work that went on before this. After all, it is the end result of my grape farming.
Oops! I guess I did find something to write about!

This week's winning haiku

Here it is! Thanks to everyone who's been putting their creativity to good use, composing haikus in the tasting room.

We love wine so much
Southeast Arizona . . . Yeah!!
Think I'll buy a bunch!

Winemakers' Hands

Back in October, during the height of the 2008 crush, some of the Sonoita winemakers got together for a much needed break from the long, tiring days of picking and processing grapes. I couldn't resist taking this picture. It is both a badge of honor for the hard work and maybe a little bit of embarrassment when at their day job or simply out signing receipts at stores. It is also an easy way for tasting room customers to pick which wine pourer is the winemaker!

Haiku Winner

Last week's winning haiku came from a visitor to our tasting room. Here it is:

Dry oak, earthen sweet
Cotton clouds on vine and land
Angels' dew on tongue

You can always compete electronically. Email your haiku submission to info@canelohillswinery.com to get in the running.