Wine Competition News
I live in Placer County, California. My winemaking neighbor and I shipped some wine to the Orange County Fair for a large Home winemaking competition, and came away with two silver medals. We entered our wine in an unofficial tasting in Placer County months ago, and went head to head with 18 professional wineries with our Petite Sirah, and our 2004 Petite Sirah was judged best overall of all Professional and Home made entries.
Now we are submitting two Petite Sirah's (2004 & 2003) to the California State Fair competition.
I won't know the results until August 21st. In the interim we will submit wines for the Nevada County Fair during the first week of August (while I am in Hawaii).
It's been a pretty hot summer to date, and the vines are doing great. It looks like an earlier than expected harvest. I'm guessing mid-September. We'll see how it works out. I have a huge and healthy crop. I'm thinning the crop to reduce the strain on the vines, and to improve the quality.
posted by mrsleep @ 5:17 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Congrats on the silver medals and best of luck for the next competition. That is so cool!
That's really cool. You just took this on as a hobby, right? Funny how we find that later in life we have aptitude for things that are completely new.
Hey, enjoy Hawaii! Maui is one of the best places on Earth, and a testament that excessive law and order isn't needed to make a decent society. Just watch out for the pu pu (Hawaiian for tapas) at the native bars.
II & Od,
Yup just a hobby. It's more than a hobby really (in terms of the amount of time to do it right).
Still I need the creative outlet. I'm really happy with my progress as a farmer. By far this is my healthiest, and more robust crop ever.
Mr & Mrs Sleep leave for Maui in 22 days. No, this is not the exotic, cultural exploration Dina aspires to, just a staid, week plus at the beach for me.
A little snorkeling, hiking, and just letting the beauty of it all soak in. Just may read a Vonnegut book or two as well. Maybe a Bradbury.
The Sleep household is not so sleepy any more. #2 son is home until he gets married in October (saving money), and #3 son is home for about a month, as he gets ready to head to San Luis Obispo for College. While it is nice to have them home the empty nest harmony has been disrupted for now.
Is that why you and the Mrs. are escaping to Hawaii? :-)
II. Part of it.
It's odd. We love our kids, but we have learned about the benefits of an empty nest. When your children come back home, even if it is for a short while, they expect they can do whatever they want and Mom and Dad, will be there for them.
Yes, we will be there for them, but the game does change. We are dealing with that now. Let me be quite clear. We have great kids.
The fact is that my wife and I work our butts off 55 hour weeks at a minimum, and 60+ hour weeks are not a-typical, not counting commute times. That is why we need Maui-time.
I did some camping at a black sand beach there, near Hana, at a State Park called Waianapanapa and it was incredible. The next day, I went in to Hana and talked to some locals, and they turned me on to a red sand beach that wasn't on the map. You walk through an abandoned field and duck through a fence and you'll find the trail. Just be pleasant and strike up a conversation and someone will point the way for you, although the resorts won't because of the potential liability. Just be very careful and take your time on the path. If you get out that way, that is. Right before you get to the park there's an old hippie with a juice bar, everything grown right there. Great stuff.
I met some really friendly and down to earth people there, and almost everyone is willing to share a secret spot or two.
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