Happening in the vineyards ...

The 2016 vintage was harvested in late August and early September.  Another growing year is over.  The really great news is that the nets worked!  We had basically no bird or bee damage this year.  The fruit looked great.

Picking up the nets was a learning experience this year.  Our new Australian attachment worked really good once we figured it out.  Here is a little video.

Retiring again...

 After 16 years of farming Gary and I have decided to retire...again.  We are only retiring from farming, not from making and selling wine.  Woodworth wine will still be available online and locally at Crush & Brew and other restaurants.  We have several vintages bottled and in barrel, so the wine club continues and we are busy planning some interesting events, including the barrel tasting in November.

As you know we do much of the day to day farming ourselves (mostly Gary & Isaura that is)  and it has just become too much for us.  So we have sold the vineyards to a wonderful woman who will be developing her own brand over the next several years.

It's a bitter/sweet change for us.  We've thoroughly enjoyed our adventure over the last 16 years, but believe it's the right thing to do at this point of our lives.  Gary will get a chance to relax a bit and fish (I hope)  and we'll be able to travel more.

Here are some pictures and a video from the start of Woodworth Vineyards that you might enjoy.  Brings back memories.

New Fall Recipe for Wild Bandit ...

Many of you know Bandit, the feisty little stray we found on the road by our house.  He turned out to be a great little sidekick for Gary.  We're not sure what he is, but think maybe a Chi-Wienie.  In our house if you don't work, you don't eat, so naturally he needed his own wine.

Our Reserve Wild Bandit is a great blend of 65% Syrah and 35% Pinot Noir.  It has big fruit, tobacco and licorice notes.  Bandit's wine has won several very special awards including:

Double Gold, Best in Class, 2015 Women's International Wine Competition; Silver Medal, 2015 LA International Wine Competition; Silver Medal, 2015 Grand Harvest Awards; Silver Medal, 2016 Inland Empire Magazine

The recipe developed to pair with Wild Bandit is a Mushroom Leek Tart.  The butteriness of the tart shell and the cream and cheese in the filling work well with the wine's tannins and allow the blackberry and black cherry notes to come forward.

For the complete recipe with step by step instructions, use this link: 

Mushroom Leek Tart

Save This Date ...

It's time for the Annual Barrel Tasting & Club Pick Up Party! 

See all these happy people?  They are having fun at last year's Barrel Tasting.  Don't miss out, join us for an evening of wine, food, music and friends. 

 When:  Saturday, November 19

Time: 5 - 7pm

Location: Temecula Valley Winery Management (Diaz Rd, Temecula)

We're looking forward to seeing you so put it on your calendar and I'll be sending out info on how to RSVP in a few weeks.

Woof Notes ...

We hope you enjoyed this month's Newsletter.  You can buy wine and read more about us at www.WoodworthWine.com.  Or follow us at www.Facebook.com/woodworthvineyards

Gary & Mar

Happening in the Vineyards ...

Of Noodles and Netting

June's big project was getting the new bee netting on the vineyard.  We way underestimated the amount of work involved in this project. 

The cool attachment for putting the nets on came from Australia.  We picked it up after it arrived and it looked like a piece of modern art.  A couple of days of assembly and voila!

We had an incredible heat wave last week.  It hit 112 for two days.  The avocados in De Luz and San Diego county really suffered some losses.  It's amazing the damage that an extra 10 degrees can do.  Most of the vineyard only sustained 5 - 10% damage.  The Syrah, however, looks like about 30 - 40%. 

The Merlot, Pinot and Chardonnay are looking great, not much damage and now in veraison.

How to read a French wine label ...

Unlike wine labeling in the United States, labeling laws in France are incredibly strict.  French wines are labeled by region not by grape variety.  A Bordeaux, for example could be a Merlot, Cabernet, one of several other varieties or some combination.  Unless you know the specific vineyard, you may not know exactly what you are drinking. 

Using the picture below, here are some of the French label basics. 

1 - Vintage,  2 - Producer, 3 - Appelation or sub-region, 4 - Region & style, 5 - Translates as "bottled at the estate", 6 - Alcohol content, 7 - Winery address, 8 - Volume.  You will notice that while we know from the label that it is a Rose from the Rhone region, we don't really know what the grape variety is.

There are six major regions for French wine (and several lesser known regions).  So, if you get a bottle of French wine you to understand the primary grapes grown in the region to get an idea of the wine.

Bordeaux

Bordeaux is know for bold red blends, generally based on Cabernet and Merlot.  The primary red grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec & Carmenere.  Generally you will find that Bordeaux wines are full bodied, dry and earthy.

Champagne

This is the center of the world's sparkling wine production.  The primary grapes are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Munier.  Champagne region is known for sparkling wines with high acidity.  As you probably know you can't call your sparkling wine a Champagne unless it comes from the Champagne region.

Burgandy

Burgandy is equally famous for both red and white wines.  The vineyards in Burgundy were sectioned off by monks hundreds of years ago, so it is a very intricate growing area.  The primary grapes are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay.  Burgundy wines are light bodied, dry reds and Chardonnays that can be crisp and steely or richly oaked.

Alsace

 Alsace has a long history of Germanic influence with the easiest labels to understand since they are mostly labeled by grape varietal.  Love that German organization!  The primary grapes are Riesling, Pnot Gris, Gerwurztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Muscat.  Alsace is know for it's crisp, dry whites and a few delicious dessert wines.

Rhone

The Rhone region is very diverse.  It has searing hot areas in the south and frigid mountains in the north..  The primary grapes are Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre and Viognier.  The Rhone is known for is wild, gamey reds; rich aromatic whites; and bone-dry roses.

Loire

The Loire region follows the Loire river.  Virtually every style of wine is made there.  The primary grapes are Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc.  The reds and the whites are general herbaceous and mineral-driven.  There is also a lot of sparkling, sweet and rose wines made.

So, stop by your local wine store and try out your label reading skills. 

Junk Food Pairings...

Summer is here and it's time for the beach, camping, BBQ's, porch sitting and trashy novel reading.  A common theme to all these activities is junk food and adult beverages.  My favorite adult beverage is wine, so naturally I want to make sure that my cheese doodles are paired with the right wine.

About 6 years ago Patrick Bartlett (my favorite chef) and I got together and worked out some junk food pairings.  We've updated the pairings for our current wines and obviously evolving tastes.  Here are the recommendations.  Bon Appetit!

Chardonnay

Cheddar Chex Mix, Terra Chips, green apple jelly beans, mac & cheese, spinach/artichoke dip, quacamole & chips

Golden Maggie

Kettle corn, almond cookies, hot wings, smoked almonds, pretzels

Herc's Field Blend

Green apple jelly beans, white cheddar popcorn, pizza (especially with tomato and olives), potato chips

Sweet Sophie

Beef jerky, kettle corn, almond cookies, mac & cheese

Pinot Noir

Terra chips, beef jerky, Jolly Rancher Cherry candy, smoked almonds, white cheddar popcorn

Black Dog, Sidekick & Wild Bandit

Cheddar Chex Mix, cheese puffs, beef jerky, coffee jelly beans, cocktail franks with BBQ sauce

Sparkling Wine (Champagne)

Potato chips, potato chips & potato chips

July Pick Up Party ...

Have you heard about 'Slow Food'?  Well, July is 'Slow Pickup'.  Our July Pickup party will start on Friday, July 8 and end on Sunday, July 17. 

Come in to Crush & Brew any time during those dates and pick up your wine.  Have a complimentary cheese plate & wine before you pick up your shipment.  Just tell them you are a Woodworth Wine Club member and they will take care of you.  While you are there, stay for lunch or dinner.  The menu is great!

If you can't make it anytime between July 8 - 17, it's ok.  You can pick up your wine after the 17th, there just won't be a great cheese plate waiting for you.'

Here are some interesting recent articles about the California wine country.  Thought you might enjoy checking them out.

In Contra Costa County, a vineyard that defies all odds

Forty five miles east of San Francisco sits Frank Evangelho's vineyard.  It's a sandy beach of a vineyard.  Its 130 year old, head trained grapevines might look like coastal dune grass to the casual glance.  PG&E owns the property.  Transmission towers crown it, electrical lines canopy it, railroad tracks form its northern border.  It faces a motel with rooms for rent by the hour.  Yet Evangelho Vineyard is one of California's most precious viticultural treasures.

Read More

Justin Vineyards bulldozes forest of old oaks, sparking uproar ...

The Wonderful Company, the corporate arm of Beverly Hills billionaires Stewart and Lynda Resnick, promotes itself incessantly as an exemplar of social responsibility and a guardian of sustainable agriculture.  Don't tell that to the company's neighbors in Paso Robles, the heart of California's Central Coast wine country.

Read More

Lodi outlook bright, but rising costs an issue...

The Lodi area grape and wine industry is coming up roses, or perhaps that should be Rose.  Lodi has come out on the right side on a yawning divide in the wine industry - lower riced wines, those generally less than $8 a bottle are falling in volume and dollar sales while higher priced premium wines are rapidly growing.

Read More

Woof Notes ...

We hope you enjoyed this month's Newsletter.  If so, please forward to a friend.  You can read more about Woodworth and check out our wines at www.WoodworthWine.com.  Also join us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/woodworthvineyards

Gary & Marlene Woodworth

In the vineyards and groves ...

Spring is definitely here.  We have fog in the morning and blue skies in the afternoon.  No (or not much) rain.  It looks like El Nino was a bust for Southern California.   

   While we haven't had much rain, the rain we did have came with winds, so we had about 25 or 30 trees blow over.  We decided to take the downed trees out and replace them. 

We've done one pick of Avocados so far, getting the largest ones off the trees.  We will pick again in another month when the smaller fruit sizes up.  We had a good crop this year, probably around 120k lbs.  Unfortunately, however, the prices aren't great because of a huge amount of Mexican fruit in the market now.  We're hoping it will be better in a month. 

 We also picked the last of the Leucadendron this month. Glad that's over, cutting flowers is hard work. 

The vines are growing really fast.  We had bud break at the end of February and now the shoots are 2+ feet tall.  Gary and Isaura have been shoot thinning and putting up the wires up for the last several weeks.  It's a lot of work, but they finished it off this morning, and the vineyard is looking good.

Blessing of the Vines ...

It's time for the annual Blessing of the Vines.  Join us on May 22nd.

We book up every year, so make your reservation soon using this link:

BLESSING OF THE VINES

Pairing wine with spring vegetables...

The grocery stores and farmers markets are full of great spring vegetables.  My garden, of course, has nothing planted yet, so I'm going to have to concentrate on summer veggies.  Anyway, it's sometimes a challenge to come up the right wine when building a meal or appetizers around vegetables.  Here's a handy chart for you to use. 

A great new recipe for Wild Bandit ...

Our favorite chef, Patrick Bartlett has come up with a great recipe for our award-winning Wild Bandit.  This interesting wine has won a Double Gold/Best of Class at the Women's International Competition and Silver Medals at the LA International, the Grand Harvest and from the Inland Empire Magazine.

The Mushroom Leek Tart is a wonderful combination of wild mushrooms, leeks & shallots, sour cream and Gruyere cheese in a puff pastry.  Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

Wild Bandit is a delicious blend of 65% Syrah and 35% Pinot Noir.  The big, fruit, licorice and tobacco notes harmonize with the rich earthiness of the mushrooms and leeks.  The butteriness of the tart shell, along with the cream and cheese, tames the wine's firm tannins and allows the layered notes of blackberries and black  cherries to rise up and bloom.

To see and print the recipe, with step by step instructions, use this link:

MUSHROOM LEEK TART 

There's an app for that ...

Here are a couple of new apps that you might enjoy.  If you have a large wine cellar, or have been studying wine for years, these may be a little basic for you.  If you are looking for a way to learn more, or find the right wine for what you are cooking while you are standing in the wine store, these might be for you.  They are free, so no risk. 

Plonk

Demystify wines and grape varietals with Plonk (Android, iOS), a quick and elegantly designed guide that allows users to quickly learn about grape varieties and wines. Simple, color-coded tiles allow you to explore grape and wine varieties, reading up on their various traits, preferred food pairings, as well as recommendations of similar wine varieties. Users can rate and star particular wines and grape varietals, as well as mark particular favorites for easy reference down the line.

Hello Vino

Hello Vino (Android, iOS) is designed to be your personal wine assistant. Rather than aim for the gung-ho wine enthusiast, Hello Vino is designed to assist the everyday wine buyer, suggesting the best wines for your food. Users can snap pictures of their purchases and add notes to their favorites. The app's extensive wine guide allows users to read up on wine and grape varieties as well. As a premium feature, users can scan wine labels to bring up tasting notes, ratings and recommended food pairings. Users can even call a California-based wine concierge for advice in choosing just the right wine for an occasion.

Woof Notes ...

 We hope you enjoyed this month's Newsletter.  If so, please forward to a friend.  You can read more about Woodworth, buy wine and sign up for the Newsletter at www.WoodworthWine.com

Please join us at www.Facebook.com/woodworthvineyards

Blessing of the Vines...

We're sorry, but this year's Blessing of the Vines is

SOLD OUT. 

Please keep us in mind for next year.

Join us for the annual Blessing of the Vines celebrating the new 2016 vintage. 

Enjoy an afternoon of wine, food, music and friends. 

Date: Sunday, May 22nd

Time: 2 - 5pm

Location: Woodworth Vineyards, De Luz

Cost: $25 for Members, $35 for Non-Members

Tickets Below

March 2016 Pick Up Party ...

I'm sorry but we have a full house for our March Pickup Party at Hotel Temecula, so we can't take any more reservations.

There is limited space at the site and the response has been fast and overwhelming. You will be able to pick up your March shipment at Crush & Brew beginning on March 11.

********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

It's time for our March Pick Up Party.

Join us for a fun evening at a very cool venue. 

 Richard Beck and Chris Greer (Wine Club Members of course) purchased and lovingly restored The Hotel Temecula, using much of the original furnishings and fixtures.  Built in the 1880s,The Hotel Temecula has a rich and interesting history.  Learn about this great Old Town landmark and tour the grounds and rooms while enjoying Woodworth wine and some appetizers. 

You will also be able to pick up your March shipment, and you are welcome to bring guests.

Date: Saturday, March 12

Time: 5 - 7 pm

Location: The Hotel Temecula, 42100 Main Street, Old Town Temecula

You can check out The Hotel Temecula and see some pictures and a great video at  www.facebook.com/thehoteltemecula

Please RSVP below