Vineyards

SKANEATELES — After concluding a week of music festivities such as SkanFest U, the Dover Quartet, and the Bill Charlap Trio at Anyela’s Vineyards, the Skaneateles Festival welcomes another week of exhilarating concerts for people of all ages.

The Voice Within kicks off the week on Thursday, Aug. 26 at the West End Theater in Auburn. Discover the voice within from popular and underrepresented composers that use the power of music to speak beyond the capacity of words and language.

The program features 19-year-old rising star Avery Gagliano, first prize winner of the 2020 National Chopin Piano Competition. You’ll hear her masterful interpretation of Chopin’s exciting Piano Concerto No. 1. Avery Gagliano is a young artist who captures audiences with her sensitivity, emotional depth, and musical expression. As a soloist, Avery has collaborated with several symphonies in the United States including the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra and the Capital City Symphony. She is also an avid chamber musician and performs as a guest artist with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players. Catch her in Skaneateles now before she makes her Carnegie Hall debut this fall.

At The Voice Within, you’ll also experience soul-stirring works by African American composers Florence Price and George Walker. Artistic Directors, cellist Julia Bruskin and pianist Aaron Wunsch will be returning this year, performing alongside violinist Emily Bruskin.

All concerts start at 8 p.m. and run for 90 minutes with no intermission. For performances at the West End Theater, doors will open at 7:30 p.m.

The festival’s back-to-back finale features festival fan favorite, Time for Three on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 27 and 28 outdoors at Anyela’s Vineyards.

Sensational string band Time for Three brings their unique blend of Americana, pop, and classical music back to the Festival.

“This remarkable group is not to be missed, and its members play (and sing) with joy, mastery, creativity and supreme artistry in all that they do; truly no one else is like Time for Three” (The Strad).

Violinists Nick Kendall and Charles Yang and bassist Ranaan Meyer draw on their classical training and their love for all kinds of music. Hear various eras, styles, and traditions of Western music fold in on themselves and emerge anew.

Audiences are welcome to arrive as early as 6 p.m. and bring picnic dinners to enjoy on the lawn overlooking the incredible view of the lake. Wine and beer will be available for purchase at Anyela’s Vineyards; outside alcohol is not permitted.  In the event of inclement weather, Friday and Saturday concerts will be moved to the West End Theater. Venue changes will be made aware to all affected ticket holders in advance.

The festival will also present KidsFest with Time for Three on Aug. 28 at 11 a.m. before the night’s performance at Anyela’s.

Kids of all ages will love Time for Three’s energetic, joyful presentation of bluegrass, folk, and classical favorites. Their enthusiastic exchange with the audience and musical show and tell will keep everyone engaged, bringing the joy of music to a new generation.

Time for Three’s exceptional family performance will be held at the Mandana Barn in Skaneateles on 1274 Lacy Rd. Tickets for youth 18 and under are free, and adults pay $5 at the door. No pre-registration is required.

The festival has recently updated its COVID protocols in response to the spread of the Delta variant and recommendations provided by the CDC. They require that all festival attendees be fully vaccinated.

For outdoor concerts, masks must be worn while in line and can be taken off when seated. For indoor concerts, the festival is requiring masks to be worn at all times, regardless of vaccination status.

Children under the age of 18 are asked to wear a mask at all times throughout the festival. The Festival is holding all concerts at approximate 50 percent capacity to leave room for social distancing between parties.

Tickets are on sale now and available for purchase through the Skaneateles Festival’s website skanfest.org or by calling the box office at 315-685-7418.

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Jackson, VP of Sustainability Julien Gervreau, and a team of over 100 employees and external stakeholders put together a set of tangible goals to help reach this state of climate positivity, setting four main pillars of focus for the initiative. In late August, the team will kick off moderating five digital sessions digging into each pillar from the vintner perspective.

The first of these pillars pertains to climate action and greenhouse gas emissions, which directly ties into the goal of eliminating JFW’s carbon footprint. Gervreau said they plan to achieve this by accelerating the company’s investment in renewable energy, largely by constructing additional solar arrays on its properties and moving forward with a wind turbine near Carmel Road in Monterrey.

Similarly, they hope to reach zero emissions for transportation across production, shipping, and the like. The masterclass on this pillar is scheduled for Aug. 31 and will feature Gervreau and Chukan Brown as panelists alongside Gonzalo Munoz, High-Level Champion of Chile for Climate Action with the UN, Brian Kristofic of Ardagh Glass Packaging, and Kimberly Nicholas of Lund University in Sweden.

“Sustainability is a huge driver of business success, and what we’ve learned is we need to work together … We need to collaborate,” said Gervreau. He said that JFW is learning how to “leverage their space in the wine industry to enact positive change,” and are confident in this mix of corporate action and education strategy.

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Newport Vineyards executive chef Andy Teixeira stands in front of an open fire with ten prime ribs hanging by butcher’s string over the smoking pit; the flames dance below the roasts, slow-cooking the meat. Long skewers of slightly charred thresher (a species of sustainably fished shark) are grilling on the grates of the fire down below. The fish will be served Portuguese charrasco style, portioned tableside on plates by servers, right off the rods. The scent of smoke and fire-cooked beef and seafood permeates the breezy ocean air on the patio. Guests are seated at outdoor tables surrounded by vines of growing grapes, and flanked by the indoor tanks of wines that are fermenting in the vineyard’s tasting room.

This is the annual Mid-Summer Fire Dinner, a special multi-course meal that the Newport Vineyards culinary and wine team looks forward to each year. The menu is planned around what is being harvested from the vineyard’s farm and surrounding farms, and Teixeira makes a point to include sustainable seafood and locally raised meats in the meal. Each course is paired with wine made from grapes harvested right at the vineyard as well as some of the beer made in the on-site brewery, Taproot Brewing Co. The vineyard is located on seventy-five acres of preserved farmland on Aquidneck Island.

The wines at the vineyard are earning more accolades as Newport Vineyards’ Dry Rosé recently won Best in Show at the 2021 Rosé Competition held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

“I thought what kind of food am I going to make with this,” says chef Teixeira. “It makes my job so much easier and it just keeps getting better.”

The Rosé Competition received over 160 entries and sixteen wine judges awarded twenty-four Double Gold Medals, 34 Gold Medals, and 75 Silver Medals. During this meal, a kohlrabi salad with strawberry vinegar and blue cheese is served with Newport Vineyards sauvignon blanc.

“We picked the kohlrabi yesterday at our farm,” Teixeira says. “We are a farm and not just a grape farm. We are able to grow vegetables and we do it and we have a lot of fun. We also picked the carrots for the charred carrots this morning. We fermented the strawberries with all of our strawberry trim and we made strawberry jam, so that’s how we got the strawberry vinegar for the salad.”

For the next course, thresher churrasco is served with In the Buff Un-oaked Chardonnay and the grilled housemade chourico is served with the on-site Taproot Brewing Co. Burnout Smoked Lager. “The thresher seems to be the most popular item of the day. I’m glad everyone enjoyed it and it opened your eyes to different species of fish instead of just swordfish, cod, haddock and salmon. Thresher shark is being caught this time of year, it’s in season, it’s beautiful. It’s clean like swordfish,” Teixeira says. “The chourico on fire was inspired by all the Portuguese restaurants I grew up going to. We made chourico this morning. We have a butcher on staff, and we break down animals. We make sausage out of all our trim.”

Prepping Thresher.

In between the next courses, housemade chokeberry sorbet is served; the chokeberries were obtained during what Teixeira dubs “date night foraging.” “When we have a date night, we go foraging because food is our life,” says Teixeira with a laugh, gesturing toward his wife, who is present for the meal. “Thank you Emmy.”

Teixeira also serves Bluefin tuna with charred carrots and onions, paired with the Vineyard’s dry reisling, followed by prime rib with cured tomatoes and spoon bread, paired with the vineyard’s Cabernet Franc. “The tuna dish was inspired by Portugal,” he says. “I’ve never cooked tuna all the way before. I always had it seared rare and sliced. To cook it all the way like that really changed the complexity of the fish. It was really interesting the way we experimented with it.”

The meal concludes with not one, but three, desserts, including a stone slab of shared sweets followed by a plated dessert of vanilla lemon thyme cake with warm lapsang cream, fire-caramelized peaches, blackberry semifreddo and bee pollen lemon thyme windows. The desserts are paired with Newport Vineyard’s Vidal Ice Wine. Then comes the finale: tableside roasted s’mores. Servers walk around with open flames to allow guests to roast their own housemade marshmallows at their seats. It is a fiery end to a roaring good time.

 

While this Newport Vineyards Mid-Summer Fire Dinner is a one-time annual event, guests can still visit Newport Vineyards for wine tastings and a scratchmade, locally harvested farm-to-table menu on the patio and inside Taproot Brewing. newportvineyards.com

 

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About

Join us for an evening of song with Broadway stars Erika Henningsen, Krystina Alabado and Kate Rockwell to celebrate the return of Broadway!

Krystina, Erika and Kate spent a year sharing the stage in Broadway’s hit musical “Mean Girls”, written by Tina Fey. The best of friends on and off stage, these three women have a combined ten Broadway shows under their belts! Come join them for an evening of song to celebrate the return of Broadway and a glass of wine-or two!

Erika Henningsen was most recently seen as Cady Heron in the original Broadway Cast of MEAN GIRLS. She made her Broadway debut as Fantine in the recent revival of LES MISERABLES.

Krystina Alabado was last seen starring as Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls on Broadway! Other Broadway credits include American Psycho and Green Day’s American Idiot.

Kate Rockwell recently starred as the original Karen Smith in Mean Girls, which garnered her a Drama Desk Nomination. A natural brunette, her previous Broadway dumb blondes include originating the role of Skylar in Bring It On: The Musical, as well as roles in Rock of Ages, Hair, and Legally Blonde.

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Panoramic vineyards views with a fountain and sculptures in the foreground at Artesa Vineyards & Winery in Napa. (365 Focus Photography / Shutterstock.com)

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Raymond Vineyards is known for its extravagant parties and over-the-top interiors perfect for an Instagram photo or two. Both the velvet-ensconced Red Room (pictured) and the Crystal Cellar with its collection of historical crystal decanters from Baccarat are now open to visitors. Reservations are requested, and walk-ins are dependent on availability. 1584 St Helena Hwy, St Helena, raymondvineyards.com (Courtesy of Raymond Vineyards)

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Aerialist Nina Sawant hangs upside-down from silks as she pours champagne for Vincent Tamariz of San Francisco at Out in the Vineyard’s Twilight T-Dance at Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena on June 14, 2014. (Alvin Jornada / For The Press Democrat)

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The thrilling JCB Tasting Lounge at Raymond Vineyards. (Courtesy of Raymond Vineyards)

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Château Montelena Winery became world-renowned when it placed first in the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” wine competition with its 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay (unexpectedly beating out the French competition). The majestic ivy-covered winery castle with its Chinese gardens and lake also is impressive and attracts wine-loving Instagrammers from near and far. Reservations are required. 1429 Tubbs Ln, Calistoga, montelena.com (Courtesy of Château Montelena Winery)

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The lake at Château Montelena Winery in Calistoga. (Courtesy of Château Montelena Winery)

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Del Dotto Estate Winery & Caves has three locations, all worthy of being on this list, but the architecture and grandeur of their Venetian estate in St. Helena is unlike any other property in Napa Valley. Kylie Jenner’s first wine tasting experience was at Del Dotto’s Piazza Del Dotto location (which is temporarily closed due to COVID). Reservations are required. 1445 St. Helena Hwy South, St. Helena, deldottovineyards.com (djr8 / Shutterstock.com)

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Sculpture of a winged lion at Del Dotto Vineyards & Winery in St. Helena. (Iv-olga / Shutterstock.com)

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View of the fountain at Del Dotto Vineyards & Winery in St. Helena. (Iv-olga / Shutterstock.com)

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Castello di Amorosa may very well be one of the most Instagrammable wineries in the world with its moat, drawbridge, five towers, high defensive ramparts, courtyards and loggias, chapel, stables, armory and even a torture chamber. Fun photo ops are available outside the medieval-style castle, inside the tasting room or—better yet—on a tour of the dungeon. Reservations are required. 4045 St Helena Hwy, Calistoga, castellodiamorosa.com. (Shutterstock)

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The Great Hall at Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga. (Courtesy of Castello di Amorosa)

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Oasis by Hoopes is a unique combination of winery and animal rescue sanctuary, where guests can enjoy Napa Valley wines and feed baby goats. The sanctuary also is home to miniature horses, chickens, pot-bellied pigs and a wild burro. Guests can stay at The Farmhouse, stop by the organic farmers market or relax with a glass of wine next to the renovated Airstream trailer. Reservations are required. 6204 Washington St, Napa, hoopesvineyard.com (Courtesy of Oasis by Hoopes)

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Inside the Airstream trailer at Oasis by Hoopes in Napa. (Courtesy of Oasis by Hoopes)

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Hudson Ranch & Vineyards can be found between the cities of Sonoma and Napa in Napa Valley’s Los Carneros AVA. Guests can enjoy various tastings, including flights of new releases and olive oils, or experiences like wine picnics and private three-mile hikes with views of the San Francisco Bay. The cactus garden is a favorite among photographers. Reservations are required. 5398 Sonoma Hwy, Napa, hudsonranch.com (Courtesy of Hudson Ranch & Vineyards)

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At Hudson Ranch & Vineyards in Napa. (Courtesy of Hudson Ranch & Vineyards)

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Ashes & Diamonds Winery is regularly named among the “hottest tasting rooms in Wine Country.” And for good reason. Enjoy picnics with Bay Area cheese and freshly made sourdough or a Baja-inspired lunch paired with Napa Valley wines in a hip midcentury modern tasting room that makes for the perfect photo backdrop as the sun sets. Reservations are required. 4130 Howard Ln, Napa, ashesdiamonds.com (Photo by Emma K. Morris)

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Chandon offers several tasting experiences at their Yountville winery. Reserve the Chandon Picnic with season fruits and charcuterie for delicious snacks that pair well with sparkling wines and an opportunity for snapping some beautiful photos for Instagram. Limited walk-in availability for bottle purchases, but reservations are strongly encouraged. 1 California Dr, Yountville, chandon.com (Courtesy of Chandon) 

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Rombauer Vineyards has two tasting rooms. Their St. Helena location, just off the Silverado Trail, offers views of the Mayacamas Mountains and an arched entryway to their wine cave that make for great photos. Reservations are required. 3522 Silverado Trl N, St. Helena, rombauer.com (Photo courtesy of Rombauer)

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The entrance to the wine cave at Rombauer Vineyards in St. Helena. (Courtesy of Rombauer Vineyards)

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Mia Carta is a new indie tasting room in downtown Napa. The building was retrofitted after the 2014 Napa earthquake and the contemporary tasting room is home to six different small wine producers. The mix of a relaxing atmosphere and fun design elements, like a vintage wine cart and a wall made out of corks, are perfect for TikTok videos or Instagram pictures. Bookings are available on the website, walk-ins are welcome. 1209 1st St, Napa, miacartanapa.com (Courtesy of Mia Carta & Interstice Architects)

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A cork wall at Mia Carta tasting room in Napa. (Courtesy of Interstice Architects) 

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Finger Lakes in New York is one of the most beautiful places to visit. Of course, there are beautiful places all over the world worth visiting. However, many will only get to visit them virtually, as in playing at an online casino South Africa.

But Finger Lakes is famous for its wine and beer and of course the wonderful scenery.  There are fabulous waterfalls, state parks, gorges and the lakes to visit.  It has become a wonderful spot for summer vacationing.   Not many people are aware of just how fabulous a region it is and what the region has to offer in terms of natural beauty and attractions. The area deserves more attention.

Some of the must do things when visiting the Finger Lakes:

Visiting the wineries

There are well over 100 wineries in the region and therefore wine tasting is one of the most popular things to do in the Finger Lakes. There are a number of wine trails.  Below are two to check out. The Keuka Wine Trail and the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.   It would be difficult to do too many but a couple is definitely doable and you get to enjoy the scenery along the way.

Keuka Wine Trail:

Keuka Spring Vineyards

When you enter the tasting rooms of the winery you will be presented with the many awards on display from their wines.  You can try a variety of white wines which include a few of their Gewurztraminers and also their red wines.  Save some room in your luggage so you can buy a few bottles to take home.

Hunt Country Vineyards

Great wine and a farmhouse lunch.  The Hunt family make great efforts to be sustainable, running their vineyard and farms on solar power energy and they are certified organic.  For instance, vin order to deal with weeds they use a mixture of clove oil and molasses.  If sustainability is important to you, drop in and discuss the things they are doing in order to be more sustainable in their wine growing.

Dr. Konstantin Frank

One of the very best wineries is situated overlooking the Keuka Lake.  Dr. Frank brought the vinifera grape varieties to the region and these preceded European wines that came to Northeastern US.   It is definitely worth a visit to enjoy the wine and food and go on the tour and learn about the history of Dr. Frank.

McGregor Vineyard

This vineyard is also on the Keuka Wine Trail and known for their production of vinifera wines. The wine experience is really fun and you get to order warm brie to taste with the wine.

Seneca Wine Trail:

Wagner Vineyards

They don’t only have wine but they have their own craft beers too. A great location with views of Seneca Lake. On Friday Nights you have a real treat with Pub Night on the Brew Deck.  Live music and dancing plus a great barbecue to enjoy.

Glenora Wine Cellars

Not only a wonderful winery with great tasting rooms but they have an amazing on- site restaurant called Verasions with wonderful views of the vineyards.  You can enjoy steak or seafood dishes and of course wine.  Here you can enjoy a lavish night out.

Fulkerson Winery

Situated near Watkins Glen they Fulkerson Winery has wonderful tasting rooms.  They also have a great gift shop where you can buy equipment to make your own wine.  It is located on a beautiful farm where you can rent out their farmhouse for a week if you want to extend your trip.

Beer Trail

Finger Lakes is fast becoming a place for craft beers.  There are over 75 craft breweries to check out.  One such brewery near Watkins Glen on Seneca Lane is Two Goats Brewery.  They offer draft Craft brews together with fabulous sunsets over the vineyards and Seneca Lake.  Definitely worth a visit.

Ithaca

Ithaca has over 150 waterfalls within a 10-mile radius of downtown.  Ithaca Falls is in the center of downtown and the amazing Taughannock Falls at Taughannock Falls State Park.  Taughannock Falls is said to be 33 feet taller than Niagara Falls! And don’t leave Ithaca without visiting the campus of Ivy League school, Cornell University

Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen is located on the southern tip of Seneca Lake.   The main street in Watkins Glen is filled with eateries and the Seneca harbor is only a short walk away. You should visit the Watkins Glen Park gorge trail where you can experience one waterfall after another. The trail has 19 waterfalls through a two- mile path and is not difficult and is suitable for every age.   Don’t miss this magical trail.

At the Seneca Harbor you must take a trip on the schooner, True Love.  The schooner was actually used in a classic film which starred Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, The Philadelphia Story, back in 1940. You can enjoy a two- hour sailing trip while eating and drinking and enjoying wonderful music and the sunset with friends or with lovers.

Letchworth State Park

Letchworth State Park is where you can see the New York waterfalls, known as the “Grand Canyon of the East”.   You would likely be happy renting a cabin for the entire week and enjoying the area. There are 3 large waterfalls and perhaps 50 small ones that flow into the Genesee River too.   You can picnic, hike, swim or fish.  You can also do kayaking or whitewater rafting. And of course enjoy the wonderful scenery.

Corning

Visiting Corning is definitely a must.  It is surely one of the best small towns in the area.  Market Street is very welcoming and there are so many different eateries to choose from at any time of the day.  One such place is Hand and Foot.  Poppleton’s Bakery offers a fabulous breakfast and for lunch it is worth visiting Market Street Brewing Co. where you can enjoy a great draft craft beer with your meal.

There are also some lovely boutiques and other quirky shops.  Don’t forget to visit the Corning Museum of Glass where you can enjoy some very impressive glass blowing demonstrations and also experience some hands- on glass blowing.  There are some wonderful glass artifacts to view, some dating back hundreds, if not thousands of years.
Don’t leave town without visiting the Rockwell Museum which has a wonderful collection of American Art.  The Museum also has a very nice terrace with wonderful views over the town of Corning.

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SPARC Theater, sponsored by the Livermore Shakespeare Festival, will present “Life is a Cabernet” outdoors at the Darcie Kent Vineyards, 7000 Tesla Road in Livermore, today through Sunday, Aug. 15, and again next week, from Aug. 19-22.

The presentation is described as “an interactive evening of Bingo & the Bard” under “the comfortable shade of a majestic old Pepper Tree.”

“Rehearsals have been so much fun,” said artistic director Lisa Tromovitch. “We cast five insanely talented performers with musical theater and opera backgrounds, Shakespeare chops, and even stage combat training, who look forward to getting back ‘on the boards,’ in this case literally.”

The 90-minute cabaret performances will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are $35 for front-row seats, $30 for second-row seats, and $150 for tables seating up to six guests. Tickets may be purchased by calling 925-443-BARD or by going to livermoreshakes.org/life-is-a-cabernet/.

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Yonah Mountain Vineyard’s Signature Weekend features one-of-a-kind wine tastings that showcase the vineyard’s limited-production and pre-released wines.

Join us and taste through 10 of our Yonah Mountain Vineyards wines paired with gourmet charcuterie.  This will be an intimate seated comparison wine tasting, curated by the owners of Yonah Mountain Vineyards: Bob, Jane, and Eric Miller.

Hosted in our Vineyard Ballroom, tastings are by reservation only with limited availability. Tastings are a seated, guided, small, and controlled experience. Tastings will be done from a singular crystal Riedel glass which guests take home with them.

Tickets are $89 per guest and availability is limited.

This year’s unreleased wine lineup includes:

2020 YMV Sauv Blanc

2019 Stone Aged Chard

2019 Stainless Steel Chard

2019 Elizabeth Chard

2019 Cabernet Rose

2018 Pinot Noir

2017/8 Meritage

Genesis 11

Katherine’s Cab

Totem Classic

Tasting Dates and Times:

Sat. August 28

2:30 – 3

5:30 – 7

Sun. August 29

1:30 – 3

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This article first appeared in Winepress magazine and is republished with permission.

Compaction under wheel tracks on vineyards is one of the concerns highlighted by a new Marlborough soil quality report, along with reducing levels of soil carbon under vines.

“Some vineyards are better than others, there is no doubt about it,” says Marlborough District Council environmental scientist Matt Oliver, who co-authored the report, presented to council last month.

“But they all have compaction to some degree. They all have degraded soil carbon to some degree.”

The Soil Quality Monitoring Programme has been operating for 20 years, looking at pasture, cropping and viticulture soils, and has begun to clearly identify a declining trend in some soil quality parameters, according to the report.

READ MORE:
* Forgotten corners: stunning wetland emerges on the Wairau Plains
* Forgotten corners: Boosting biodiversity on Marlborough vineyards
* Monitoring shows Marlborough’s soil quality in ‘gradual’ state of decline

Oliver says compaction is a “fallout of our current practices”, with wheel tracks constantly impacted by mowing, trimming and spray runs.

“The compaction is slowly getting deeper and deeper and harder and harder – you are cutting off your supply of nutrients to the vines.” That comes at a cost to business, he adds.

“The biggest impact is probably on the bottom line of the producers; on their profits.”

The degraded soil carbon levels mean growers not already doing so need to look at integrated management of the undervine area, he says.

“You bite the bullet and do something different, such as undervine mowing or cultivating instead of just spraying.”

SCOTT HAMMOND/STUFF/Marlborough Express

A major issue raised by the new Marlborough soil quality report is the impact on soils of establishing new vineyards on what was pasture, including through spraying, cultivating, and earthworks around irrigation.

The report indicates that vineyard management can yield good remedial results, with three of the four 2020 vineyard wheel samples within the target range, and the observation of “good vineyard management practice in the form of well vegetated wheel tracks” observed during sample collection.

Compaction is also evident in vineyards other than the wheel area, “but seems to be dependent on the length of time a vineyard has been in production and the management regime”, says the report.

“Older vineyards tend to have reduced air filled porosity (AFP) in vine, wheel and interrow samples whereas younger vineyards often only show compaction under wheel tracks.”

It also notes that compaction may be increased where vineyard soils are stony, due to heavy rollers used to bury stones.

Nurturing soil recovery is not a one size fits all process, and procedures need to consider soil types, vineyard management and the business model, with remediation designed to be “part of a profitable bottom line”, says Oliver.

It could mean replacing an undervine spray round with mowing, reducing the width of the spray strip, or reducing the number of tractor passes done, and the number done in the wet. Where viable, companies could consider the potential to reduce runs by using multi row machinery, he adds.

Other options available are the addition of compost and other organic matter, or using a side throw mower.

“None of this is new stuff,” says Matt.

“They are all well proven techniques.” He also notes that if companies are putting in place remedial measures, “they should institute them across their entire vineyard area”.

Another major issue raised by the report is the impact on soils of establishing new vineyards on what was pasture, including through spraying, cultivating, and earthworks around irrigation.

“That actually takes out a lot of soil carbon,” says Oliver.

“Within 18 months the area under vine will have suffered a reduction in soil carbon, and reduced ability to hold water and nutrients in the soil. And there are a whole lot of consequent problems with that.”

Supplied

New vineyards are most vulnerable to soil compaction.

He would like to see growers consider the soil more when putting in new developments.

“Think about whether you need to do all that cultivation. Could you mulch or just spray the site then rip? If the cultivation is essential, think about how you can put back the soil carbon that you will lose.”

Going forward, he would like to see absentee landlords taking note of their soil stats, and for contracting companies to incorporate soil conscious practices in their management regimes, with a checklist looking at soil compaction and undervine soil carbon and spray regimes.

Oliver notes that viticulture is a relatively benign land use when it comes to water quality, but less spraying of drains would improve its footprint.

“How much money do we spend on spraying out the drains?” he asks. “Those are the sorts of things that have a material impact on water quality.”

Marlborough is in a good place environmentally, “and what we are talking about here is that, irrespective of what land use you indulge in, you have an impact”, he says.

“We are trying to become aware of what those impacts are and then address them.”

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Are you experienced?

While that Jimi Hendrix song is not the name of one of the Cliff Lede Vineyards “Rock Blocks” it well could be. Perhaps it should be.

“We are all about providing guests who come to Napa an unforgettable experience that includes not just our wines, but great food, music, architecture and art in a beautiful setting,” said Jason Lede, the winery’s hospitality manager and the founder’s son.

As he spoke, he was flanked by a pair of burnished bronze hearts, created by acclaimed artist Jim Dine, in the tasting garden of the eponymous Lede winery. The piece, titled “Twin 6’ Hearts,” are reminders of both the love of art and the passion for the good life that are pillars of the Lede Family Wines projects in the Napa and Anderson Valley regions of California. It is just one of the many museum-quality pieces on the property.

Founded in 2002, Lede Family Wines is a distinctly modern 21st century winery. Over the past 19 years since Canadian construction mogul Cliff Lede (pronounced lay-dee) purchased a coveted 60-acre property on the corner of the Silverado Trail and the Yountville Cross in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, the focus has been on the production of world-class wines and experiences. Little expense has been spared to achieve those goals and, just two decades in, the proof of concept resides in the bottles of Cliff Lede Vineyards Bordeaux–inspired wines from Napa and the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines produced under the FEL label from the cooler climate Anderson Valley.

The experiential refrain is also on exhibit above the Napa Valley floor at what may be the crown jewel of the Lede holdings: the ultra-luxe Poetry Inn.

Perched on a hillside with commanding views of the entire Stags Leap District, the five-room property has the feel of a warm and inviting elegant home. Breakfast on the patio, watching the shadows disappear across the rows of vines below as the hot air balloons float in the distance is unforgettable. Designed by wine country’s most revered architect, Howard Backen, the property feels simultaneously expansive and as comfortable as a cozy treehouse. Currently, the rooms in the Inn — which are, of course, all named for poets (I recommend the e.e. cummings suite) — are receiving an update from Erin Martin, a noted Napa Valley interior designer who promises to “turn it up to eleven.”

BLOCKS AND ROCK

But before we get much further, what the hell is a “Rock Block”? Well, to help organize vineyards and grapes, wineries designate specific “blocks” of vines. A block may signify a single variety of grape or a unique type of soil or a topographic feature. It basically is a way to partition a vineyard. Most wineries use a numerical system, and sometimes wines are produced from individual blocks with a number. In Australia, Penfolds Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, is made from grapes that grow in the Kalimna vineyard’s Block 42.

But Lede, who has a love of classic rock ’n’ roll, was a bit more clever. The overall vineyard property is named Twin Peaks, but rather than designate the blocks numerically he decided to identify them with the names of the classic rock songs that have inspired and informed his life. So now, as one walks the Twin Peaks Vineyard, the signs on the wooden posts at the end of the vine rows read “Pinball Wizard,” “Ziggy Stardust,” “Stairway to Heaven” and other assorted classics from bands like The Rolling Stones, Queen, Humble Pie and yes, Yes (“Roundabout”).

“Cliff brings a freshness and creativity to the valley,” said Tony Baldini, president and chief operating officer of the company, about his boss. Baldini spoke as we stood in the middle of the vineyards (between “Rocket Man” and “Dark Side of the Moon”) on a crystal-clear summer morning before tasting a selection of recent releases. “I think we want people to really enjoy their experience (there’s that word again) when they come visit the Napa Valley. What Cliff does is make things fun and understandable.”

Indeed, in keeping with the theme, a blend of two blocks of Rock Block wines is produced for Lede wine club members each year. The most recent release, from the 2018 vintage, is a “mash-up” of fruit grown in the “Magic Bus” block of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot sourced from the block named for the Moody Blues classic “Nights in White Satin.” The name of the wine? “Magic Nights.”

It sells for $110 a bottle and you can bet that all 2,180 cases will sell out to afficionados of the Lede wine who love both The Who and the Magnificent Moodies. Oh, and to accompany said wines, Jason Lede has put together a 46-song Spotify playlist for those who wish to listen as they sip. To date, the Jimi Hendrix “Are You Experienced” cut from the album of the same name has yet to make the Lede play list. But one can hope.

The rock ’n’ roll themes extend to an art gallery/tasting room off the gardens that is titled the Backstage Tasting Lounge. In the spring of 2019, Bernie Taupin, the lyricist for Elton John’s catalog of hits, debuted new artwork in the gallery. And today those who book into the room for a tasting can do so surrounded by impressive works created by Grace Slick of the Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship. As the writer of the epic “White Rabbit,” Slick, appropriately, has painted several rabbit themed pieces. When sitting below a White Rabbit with a glass of say, the 2018 Lede “Poetry” Cabernet Sauvignon in hand, it is easy to “Remember what the dormouse said: feed your head.”

LEDE AND FEL WINES

But don’t think this whimsy overpowers the headline act of the Lede wines. After acquiring the vineyard property at the beginning of this century Lede turned to accomplished vineyard architect David Abreu to plan and plant the vineyards in Stags Leap to five red Bordeaux varieties with a smattering of Sauvignon Blanc. Today, under the tutelage of Christopher Tynan, director of winemaking for the Cliff Lede and Poetry wines, estate wines led by Cabernet Sauvignon are showing the elegance and complexity of what the Stag’s Leap District can offer.

Lede followed his Bordeaux project with one focusing on the Burgundy grapes of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Anderson Valley. He named the project FEL, a tribute to his mother, Florence Elsie Lede, who inspired his initial love of wine. FEL is anchored by one of the premier vineyards in the region, the Savoy Vineyard, and the wines produced by winemaker Ryan Hodgins, just a decade into the process, are outstanding. I wrote in an earlier column that they are “neither Burgundian nor typically Californian in style,” meaning that both varieties under the FEL label

provide a taste of both worlds. The raw emotion and flavor of the forested Pacific Coast and the elegance of the motherland in France.

They are, if you will, wines that need to be experienced.

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