Tuesday, September 9, 2008

1st Estate Pick at Our Home Ranch

It may have only been 6:10 on a chilly (48 degrees) foggy September morning, but there was great excitement in the air! This was going to be our first grape harvest from our Edward Sellers Estate Vineyard in Paso Robles. The three of us (Ed, Dani & pup Cooper) were excited…today we were picking Marsanne!

In 2005, after much analysis, Amy Butler, our winemaker, and I went about the task of laying out the vineyard to plant our six Rhône varietals, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and today’s pick, Marsanne. We selected a perfect location in a back block of our property where the soil was rich in limestone to plant our one and one-half acres of Marsanne. After three years of tending our new vines, watering, pruning, training and praying to “Mother Nature”, it was now time to reap a little “fruits of our long labor”! We may have only picked ¾ of a ton… not a lot in the great scheme of things, but an important beginning to our Estate Wine program. This fruit will yield great softness and rich texture, with those slight flavor hints of mineral, stone fruits, almond and tuberose. This will make a stellar addition to our already elegant Blanc du Rhône.

If you are not familiar with Marsanne, it is a white grape varietal, most commonly found in the northern Rhône Valley of France, where it is often blended with Roussanne, another white Rhône grape. It is the predominate variety used in the production of the famous white Crozes-Hermitage and the sparkling and still St. Péray white wines. Marsanne is not permitted in the white Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines found in the southern Rhône Valley, although it is one of the eight white varieties permitted in the Rhône Valley’s Côtes du Rhône. The seven other white varietals are Bourboulenc, Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanc, Muscat Blanc, Picardan, Roussanne, and Viognier.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Vineyard Party Extraordinaire!

Wow! What a great event for the first party in our vineyard in Paso Robles! With almost 100 people in attendance, the party went strong until dark! With the cool sounds of FUNK:30 playing in the background, the gorgeous, panoramic sunset views of our vineyard, made for the perfect August afternoon!

Our Cellar Club Members and their guests munched on fabulous food, prepared by Jeff Jackson of The Range restaurant from Santa Margarita, and sipped our new 2007 white Rhône wines, along with five of our multipule gold medal winning red wines! Jeff grilled mouth-watering morsels such as lamp lollipops, garlic shrimp skewers, oak grilled chicken sausage, artisan cheeses, jalapeno cornbread and a variety of delectable veggies. Thanks Jeff, they were enjoyed by all!

Vineyard tours by our winemaker, Amy Butler, were offered throughout the afternoon allowing guests to get a first-hand glimpse at our 20 acres of planted Rhone varietals....coming soon to an Estate bottle near you!

As the evening wound down, Ed also unveiled the official renderings of the future Edward Sellers tasting room, winery and 8-room bed and breakfast! It was so exciting to see the renderings on display as we stood in the future spot of those beautiful buildings!

There's so much more fun to be had at the Edward Sellers Estate Vineyard! If we missed you this time we hope you will join us at the next one!

Cheers!

The Edward Sellers Team

PS: We are now taking reservations for our Harvest Festival Dinner at Bistro Laurent in Paso Robles on Friday, October 17. The cost is $110/person for Cellar Club Members and $125.00/person for other guests, and seating is very limited so please call us in the tasting room to reserve your spot today! 805.239.8915 or email kcarson@edwardsellers.com. This is a gastronomic event that shouldn't be missed!