Winter Update
Cloudy winter morning - waiting for the rain...
Its been a little while since I have written last so it is definitely time for an update from Ampelos. Lots going on here where Rebecca and I are very excited about the new year.
Rain...
Being farmers we know how crucial the weather is for us. Sunshine, wind and rain are key components for the vines to produce the optimal grapes with the right balance of sugar, acids, tannins, color and flavors. Sunshine and wind are pretty consistent here in Sta Rita Hills – but how about the rain?
Our rain season goes from July to June and we average around 14 inches, which we get over the winter and into the spring. From April through September we rarely get a drop, which for many reasons makes our area the ideal location for grape growing - especially Pinot noir and Chardonnay. But we do need the rain at this time of the year to give the vines moisture as they are dormant now, as they soon will start with budbreak, to provide ideal growth conditions for the cover crop and to replenish the aquifer which gives us the irrigation water we need during the vines growing season.
So how has this winter been? Very, very dry! We barely got a drop in the late fall and both December and January have been almost completely dry. Something we have not experienced since we moved up here in 2002. But here it comes: Later this week we should be getting 2 ½”! Love it! There will be dirt roads to fix, driving any vehicle into and through the vineyard will be impossible for a while, the guys will be out in raingear diverting the puddles and clearing the drains and for a while it will seem like too much… but we love it. Let it pour!
"To Travel Is To Live"
(HC Andersen)
The Ampelos Casita on the road
We have had some real fun trips over the last couple of months. Back in December we took our little RV and went up to Napa and Sonoma to catch up with old friends, enjoy the beauty of the valleys, taste lots of great wine and enjoy some awesome meals. Had a great time with our old friend Nico Cueva catching up with him and sampling through his amazing wines. Nico started his journey with us as our 2007 cellar rat and has since then worked around the globe working with an amazing portfolio of different varietals, farming and winemaking styles, terroir, equipment, coopers etc. It is always inspiring spending time with Nico
Tasting wines with Nico at Haynes Vineyard in Coombsville, Napa
A few weeks ago we went down to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico – a place that has been declared the top town destination in the World. A beautiful colonial town with everything you could be looking for. Our main reason for the trip was that our good friend Jim Denavan, the founder of the amazing table-to-farm concept Outstanding-In-The-Field was hosting an event outside San Miguel. Together with 150 participants we went to a 15000 acre ranch where the owners together with Jim hosted a great reception and an exceptional dinner. Their approach to sustainability, organic and regenerative farming is very inspirational. We also visited some wineries in the area – which is less than 20 years into this new industry – and tasted some very promising wines.
Outstanding In The Field dinner at the 1500 acre Canada De La Virgen ranch. The northern most pyramid, discovered in 1995 in the back
Bottling Day!
Kurt's 2023 "Goldie" coming off the bottling line
Late January is always bottling time for us here at Ampelos. Last week a couple of our brand new 2024 wines got wrapped up and ready to see the world: Rose of Syrah and Viognier. 2024 is very promising! We also bottled a nice batch of GoGi “Goldie” Chardonnay for our good friend Kurt Russel. Gotta love Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay. A couple of smaller custom projects for friends in Denmark and our 2022 Syrache.
At the end of the day 21000 bottles were filled. Such a great time – really feels like a sense of accomplishment when the wines go from blending tanks to bottles and come out with cork and labels!
Upcoming Events
We love pouring at the events!
Lots going on here at Ampelos the next few months:
As usual Rebecca and I will be pouring wines at the famous World of Pinot Noir. We are probably getting close to our 20 year anniversary participating in this event. Always fun to be there meeting old friends and catching up.
We love supporting the local community and once a year Rotary in Lompoc puts on a their great Wine Tasting & Auction event. As usual we will be there so if you are local or plan a trip to our valley please stop by and join us.
For our “filos” wine club members we have a release party coming up this Saturday. Check our website for details.
I am also working on my annual trip to Denmark which will be in March-April. For our many wine loving friends there: Stay tuned for more details!
All the best from Rebecca and Peter!
Be good to yourself and others - and enjoy great wine!