If You've Ever Been a Mother...

don't become a wine grape grower!

This picture shows what we call, "bud burst." It signals spring is here and these little babies want to start to boogie! The problem is that the last frost isn't usually until the end of the month so odds are that these beautiful buds will get crispy fried before they have a chance to fully grow into long beautiful shoots that will produce grapes.

This means that as their chief caretaker, I am going to spend the next several weeks watching the weather and hovering over the grape vines, trying to talk them into going back into dormancy. Of course, like children, they will not listen to me and will continue to venture further out into the world.

I guess there is one good thing that comes out of my hovering over my vines. My adult children must be overjoyed I now have something other than them to spend my worrying time on. How about it, Kathryn and Ian?

Maggie Presser, Jewelry Designer

This will be Maggie's first year at our Wine and Farm Festival. Maggie makes her home in Elgin where she creates jewelry and framed art. Her art is an exploration of colors and textures, through the use of beads, fabric, polymer clay and precious metal clay. She also uses fiber, threads and acrylic paint. Maggie says her greatest reward is sharing her art with others by creating pieces of art that they will also love.

Awesome

When the day winds down - a busy day in the tasting room or in the vineyard or both - Joan and I often sit on the front porch to watch the sun set. On occasion we also get to see the moon rise and such was the case toward the end of March. Still dusk, the full moon rose over the Mustang Mountains, casting what seemed to be almost as much light as what just departed. The night was so still we could hear that noise in the ears that only comes with complete silence, punctuated by the occasional night animal sound - a coyote howl, a bird hurrying to its' home, a cow bellowing in the distance. Priceless.

Today's Featured Vendor-- Emu Enterprises, LLC

Roger and Priscilla Tabar's Emu Ranch products are a new addition to our Wine and Farm Festival. Their ranch is in Huachuca City and they make skin care products from the Emu oil which is nutritious for the skin and promotes healing. If you come talk to them at the festival they will passionately tell you about the benefits of using the Emu products. Some of the products Roger and Priscilla will have on hand at Canelo Hills Winery's Wine and Farm Festival on May 3 are hand and body lotions, moisturizing cream, muscle rubs and shampoo and conditioner.

Visitors and Friends

One of the joys of the tasting room is when friends pop in. It just helps keep the whole thing real. It's easy to get caught up in the mountain of work that goes with farming wine grapes and making wine and keeping the business running and serving customers and on and on and on. So when a friend appears as a "customer" it takes a moment or two to adjust to the context. Bob Westlake is a friend and mentor from our days in Rhode Island and when he appeared in the tasting room unannounced it took but a moment for Kathryn to figure it out and alert Joan and me. We had a great visit, caught up on his trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and our progress since his last visit about a year ago. Oh yes and we tasted some wine.

2008 Wine and Farm Featured Artist, Sylvia Saenz

Sylvia Saenz lives on a beautiful ranch in Patagonia which gives her much inspiration for her artwork. She is making her second appearance at our Wine and Farm Festival. Multi-talented, Sylvia works primarily in watercolor but also writes poetry, makes jewelry, and makes and binds books. She will have all these artworks available at the festival.

Today's 2008 Wine and Farm Festival Featured Vendor

Fiore di capra is a goat dairy and creamery in Pomerence, AZ. Canelo Hills Vineyard and Winery first served their goat cheeses this past Dec. during our wine and music event. I have never seen cheeses consumed so rapidly! So I was anxious to have them back for our festival.

I was very excited to hear a few weeks ago that the dairy will be able to participate in our May 3 event but it is going to be even better than expected as they are going to make a special cheese for our event. I don't know what it is going to be called but fiore di capra will make a cheese soaked in Canelo Hills Vineyard and Winery's 2006 Riesling wine! We'll all be looking to try that!