Autumn at Tablas Creek
Well, fall is here. We're into a cycle of weather where we come near a frost at night (we've actually dropped below freezing a couple of times) and then rise up into the 70s and 80s during the day. It's Paso Robles at its
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Vineyard
A collection of 408 posts
October 20th: Picking Away!
This week has been as productive as we had hoped, and we have brought in over 100 tons of grapes. The weather has been perfect, with days in the upper 80s, clear skies, and a good breeze. We've brought in the Grenache and Grenache Blanc, and most of
Harvest, Week of October 16th
We took a break from harvesting late last week to let an early band of cool, wet weather pass. Parts of the Central Coast received significant amounts of rain (even some big thunderstorms) but at Paso Robles we received a more moderate 0.2" over Thursday night and Friday
Harvest, Week of October 9
The cool and wet weather at the end of last week and the beginning of this week has temporarily halted picking. The light rain has washed some of the dirt off the grapes, and we’ll be ready to bring in more grapes as the weather remains dry. At this
Harvest, Week of October 2
This week we began bringing in more of the red varietals, including almost 20 tons of Syrah and a small amount of Grenache. The Syrah is put into open-top tanks to ferment, and as the grape skins float to the top of the tank, we pump the juice over
Roussanne "Bergeron"
We're enjoying probably the last relatively mellow day before harvest starts in earnest. From sampling we have done, it looks like we're going to see significant amounts of Syrah, Viognier, and Grenache Blanc this week. Ripening is proceding under ideal conditions: low-90s daytime temperatures, upper-
A great shot of ripening Mourvedre
You think these grapes aren't sweet? Yellowjackets and honeybees have a feast on ripe grapes as harvest approaches (Mourvedre in this photo). Thanks to Chandler Smiley for the picture.
Harvest 2006 Begins!
Harvest 2006 is underway! We began picking this past Thursday (September 14) with Chardonnay grapes for our "Antithesis" Chardonnay. Viognier, traditionally the earliest-ripening Rhone varietal, followed on Friday the 15th. This week, we brought in our first lots of Roussanne, earmarked for our "Bergeron" wine,
Vineyard Solar Power System
We're always trying to find innovative ways that we can make better use of the resources we have here at Tablas Creek. One resource we have (as anyone who has visited during the summer can attest) is the power of the sun, which shines about 320 days a
Organic Vineyards... and Organic Wines
I was recently approached by an eco-friendly marketing agency who, along with the Wine Institute, was thinking about a campaign promoting wine made from organic grapes. At Tablas Creek, we believe strongly that organic farming gives us better grapes that taste more like where they are grown and more