Looking back 5 years: Joan's story

Grand Opening day, 2007

Sept. 22, 2012 will be five years to the day that I first stood behind the tasting counter eagerly awaiting our first customers. I can still see the first vintage of our Estate Syrah at the end of the lineup. My first grape babies, from the grape vines I nurtured for three years, were in those bottles. I knew people would appreciate the great wine Tim made from those grapes. But when I looked at the bottles of that wine I saw so much more.

Emma helping, first planting day, 2003

It all started many years before. We purchased the land in 2001, began the infrastructure work in 2003 and started growing the grapes in 2004. The challenges for me were many, from learning how to grow grapes to setting up an agribusiness to trying to squeeze one more productive hour out of a day. There were many days of exhaustion, sore muscles and what sometimes seemed like too many problems to solve.

The rewards have far outweighed the challenges. This has been a family endeavor. My children, Kathryn and Ian, and my daughter-in-law, Rhian, have all given generously of their time and talents.  Sharing in this with them has been priceless. When I walk the vineyard or look around the tasting room, I am filled with a boundless pride. We all built this together.

Some of our friends and frequent bottlers:
Nikole, Matt, Mike and Steph (and Ella,
who was adopted at Canelo Hills)

Many other people have been part of our success. The other AZ grape growers and our friends have all helped out. One of the best things that came from the tasting room has been meeting so many wonderful people, many of whom over the past five years have become good friends, volunteering their time to help.

When you come in the weekend of Sept. 22-23 to join in our celebration, I will behind the same tasting counter. When I am filling your glass I will be pouring all the love and experiences of the last five years along with our wine.

Our 2009 Harvest

Last weekend we harvested almost all the grapes from the Canelo Hills vineyard. After a few nervous days worrying about the damage from a bad hail storm, we were relieved to discover that nature smiled on us this year. The hail damage was minimal, and a few days of hot, dry weather made the grapes ready for picking before bees or ravens or coyotes could get to them.

The crop looks great. The Syrah, Zinfandel and Tempranillo that we picked are going to make some fantastic Estate wines. Be looking out for them in fall 2010.

I shouldn't say "we" picked--by the time my mother and I arrived to open the tasting room and take turns picking, the harvest was within minutes of completion! Our friend Ken drove down from Tucson and was a huge help.

Now only the Cabernet Sauvignon, which needs another couple weeks of ripening, awaits harvest. My dog Charlie and I inspected the clusters of nice little grapes, and they look great.

It's a happy time when the grapes are in and the wines bubbling away. Too bad we have to be patient and wait a whole year to enjoy the awesome 2009 Sonoita AVA vintage...

Blog Quiz: What happened here?

This one is a little complicated, but if you can describe how these interesting shapes were created, and you're the first person to comment with the correct answer, you'll win a free tasting for your next visit to Canelo Hills. Happy puzzling!

Time to be Merry

This weekend a group of Sonoita Winemakers got together to sample the fruits of our 2008 labors. From time to time we do this - pull off samples from our barrels and gather to taste and critique each other's wines.  It is takes a few months to recover from harvest, so the winter solstice is usually a good mark for our first tasting.  20+ samples in all, so there is a lot of tasting and spitting. Otherwise our wits leave us quickly. I must say the wines I tasted were all very good. Certainly the 5 of us have different wine making styles and philosophies so similar wines using similar grapes often tasted quite differently one from another.  But all good. It is becoming more and more clear that there is a very distinct quality to Sonoita grown grapes.  We all make Estate Wines so we have the luxury of honing in on that unique wine profile.  It is unmistakeable, even when expressed through our various styles.  The 2008 vintage will be a big hit when it is released over the next few  years.

Grapelings

So much is happening in the vineyard this time of year. As a farmer it’s a challenge to keep up with the plants. Thankfully Joan does an amazing job and manages to deliver incredibly luscious grapes for our Estate Wines. (Did you know that according to the Federal Government a wine can only be called an Estate Wine if it is totally the product of the owners’ vineyard and winery and only if the property is located in an American Viticultural Area? For us that is the Sonoita AVA, the only AVA in Arizona). So busy farmers we are. But the grape vines just keep chugging along, single minded in their pursuit to make a biological impact on this earth. These young Tempranillo grapes are gorgeous and will make a dynamite 2008 vintage wine when they grow up.