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Notre Vue

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Here you will find news, lifestyle and entertaining tips, winemaking ideas, recipes, wine pairings, and adventurous behind-the-scenes stories:


 

David McCluskey
 
April 13, 2020 | David McCluskey

Virtual Tastings Now Live!

We're excited to officially launch our Virtual Tasting Series!

During this time of turbulence, it's nice to sit back with a glass of wine and feel normal for a bit.  With that in mind, we've put together a few packages to allow you to do just that.  Our Virtual Tasting packages are designed to give you a glimpse into the Notre Vue & Balverne wines YOU find most interesting.

Our options include:

Shades of Red

Our reds package. This box includes a bottle each of our 2019 Balverne Rose of Pinot Noir, 2018 Balverne Reserve Pinot Noir, and our 2017 Notre Vue Proprietor's Red Blend.

Whites & Bubbles

As you might guess, this is all whites & bubbles!  A package to get you through the coming warm months, this box will include a bottle each of our Notre Vue Non-Vintage Brut Sparkling, 2018 Balverne Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, and our 2017 Balverne Chardonnay.

Mixed Bag

An overview of the Balverne brand, this package includes a bottle each of 2018 Balverne Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, our 2017 Balverne Chardonnay, and our 2018 Balverne Reserve Pinot Noir.

All of our packages are reasonably priced and the shipping is only $5 per box!  Additionally, the first 10 orders placed will receive a complimentary Eau de Vie Tasting here at Notre Vue Estate after Shelter-In-Place has ended!  That's right, join us digitally and we'll reward you with the real thing as soon as we're able.

 

Stay Healthy,

 

The Notre Vue Crew

Time Posted: Apr 13, 2020 at 4:57 PM Permalink to Virtual Tastings Now Live! Permalink
David McCluskey
 
March 25, 2020 | David McCluskey

Curbside Pick-up

Dear Friends,

By now you've probably seen that our tasting room is closed, and while you may not be able to come to us we are certainly more than willing and able to come to you! That's why through the end of Sonoma County's "Shelter-in-Place" we're including local delivery for our surrounding communities. 

That's right, for the communities of Santa Rosa, Windsor, Healdsburg, and Sebastopol, orders of 6 bottles or more will include "curbside" delivery!  For our part, we are respecting current "social distancing" etiquette and are following all of the other recommended precautions.  When your wine arrives, it will be as clean as possible! To arrange for curbside delivery, please place your order by emailing Jared at jared@notrevueestate.com.  Once your wine has been delivered, we recommend having a glass on the back patio and enjoying one anothers company during this brief pause from our daily routines. 

In case you'd like to get out for some fresh air, we're also offering "curbside" pick-up options.  You can place your order either through our website or through Cellarpass and we'll have your order ready for you in half an hour.  Then just swing by and one of us will happily bring your wine out to you!

Time Posted: Mar 25, 2020 at 3:09 PM Permalink to Curbside Pick-up Permalink
Renee Brown-Stein
 
March 26, 2019 | Renee Brown-Stein

Notre Vue Spring Newsletter


Spring is here! 

With the stormy weather behind us and the sun awakening, we are excited about your next visits. The Block 23 Terrace and Lakeside Pavilions are ready for you, your family and friends to enjoy; Music is in the air and wine is flowing!

Pete has updated the Cultivar food and wine program, and we have to say, it is fantastic!  You will have to swing by and give it a try.

Jen has been busy making sure every detail is covered, and every experience is engaging and fun! We are really looking forward to Summer Sundays; you can see the details on the events page.

You may have met Jared, our son. He has been busy working in the background with us. He has committed to the family business and we couldn't be happier!

Last but not least, we have new additions to our hospitality team. Our wine family is growing, as well as new wine members! We can't wait for everyone to meet.

As always, we look forward to your next visit!

-Bob and Renee Stein

It's Springtime at Notre Vue Estate! From a winemaking perspective, this past winter has been a blessing. We've received an abundance of rain, cool weather without any serious freezes and plenty of breaks in the rain to give the soil time to absorb and store the water between storms. We are set. Bring on Spring!

As the change in weather and season brightens our days, the vineyard crew is actively pruning the vines making sure we are ready for budbreak. If you've never pruned a grapevine, you should make an effort to come out and watch our team at work. Pruning certainly has a scientific, botanical basis but it is also an art form. It's easy to whack away at a vine and cut off last year's growth. It is a whole other ballgame to do it correctly, in order to maximize quality and production for each individual plant. Watching pruners at work is like watching a ballet. Each move is graceful and with purpose, each plant an individual with individual needs, all addressed one by one as the artists move steadily down the rows.

While the vineyard team has been hard at work pruning as weather permits, the winemaking team was finishing up Harvest 2018. Our first wines of the vintage are stabilizing in the bottle and will soon be ready for you to taste! Balverne's 2018 Sauvignon Blanc will be hitting your local wine shops shortly, while the Balverne Reserve Sauvignon Blanc and Rose will be available for tasting here at the winery soon. As always, the two reserves offerings sell out fast so mark your calendars and visit us to pick up your allocation. Remember, just before harvest, I suggested 2018 might be the perfect vintage...you be the judge.

Balverne 2016 Reserve Malbec

When I came on board here as the winemaker, I was immediately struck by the quality of the fruit on the property in general and of the Malbec in particular. In fact, so much so, that I lobbied to produce a Malbec to offer our Club Members and winery guests. That dream has come to fruition and I am very proud to announce the release of the Balverne 2016 Reserve Malbec!

A blend of Malbec with hints of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, one is first struck by the intense color of the wine followed immediately by the lush perfume of dark cherries, lingonberry, and spice. Notes of the finest French oak waft seductively in and out, complementing the incredible fruit. Those same characteristics permeate the palate and linger long into the already silky finish.
A perfect complement to grilled duck breast, I can only imagine how wonderful this wine would pair, too, with Lingonberry Sauce served over Swedish Meatballs.

From all of us at Notre Vue Estate Vineyards and Winery, let's welcome spring together with a glass of your favorite Notre Vue and Balverne wines. We look forward to hosting you here in the very near future. A votre santé!

 -Michael Westrick, Winemaker

2016 Balverne Reserve Malbec $45.00 /750ml

We are incredibly proud to be releasing the first Malbec ever produced by Notre Vue. While your mind might first go to Argentina when you think about this varietal, our Chalk Hill Reserve is
certain to shatter your belief that great Malbec only comes from South of the equator. Showing a deep, inky purple, the fruit was brought in right at the end of our 5-year drought, resulting in small, concentrated berries. After spending 2 years in 50% new French oak barrels and another 6 months in the bottle, the wine is beginning to express its true identity. Deep fruit, subtle florals, and perfect structure rests under every cork.

 

2015 Balverne Reserve Chardonnay $33.00 /750ml

Crafting a great bottle of Chardonnay requires artistry, patience, and skill. With a fairly neutral profile, the grape responds well to various winemaking techniques. The Balverne Reserve Chardonnay has been carefully crafted, employing methods such as a secondary,
malolactic fermentation and batonnage to give the wine a smooth, creamy mouthfeel. 12 months in the highest quality French oak
barrels has enhanced the profile, affording the Chardonnay notes of vanilla and nutmeg. Finally, it is impossible to create great wine without quality fruit. Our vineyards have been carefully tended, resulting in beautiful grape clusters and expressive wine. 

 

2015 Notre Vue Rhone $49.00 / 750ml

The Syrah grown on the Estate thrives at one of the highest reaching blocks on the property. Extensive sunshine coupled with
mountaintop breezes allows the grapes to ripen beautifully, delivering a concentrated, dark fruited wine. Aged for two years in 100% new
French oak barrels, the 2015 Rhone blend picks up delicate hints of vanilla bean, espresso, and dark chocolate. The wine is the perfect companion to filet mignon and bacon blue cheese burgers alike.

Hello... Jen here! We have officially released our 2019 Event Calendar and couldn't be more excited. We have been lucky enough to have hosted a handful of great events already this year; there is literally something for everyone, and we are looking forward to seeing you all here this year ... although most of these events are aimed at our locals, we hope to see you here on a future visit. We have something fun going on several times a month, so please check out our website or visit the tasting room for details! We have also updated the tasting experiences on the property, so please grab a friend and come taste the delicious new releases inside our salon, lakeside or overlooking the estate on our Block 23 Terrace. Please visit our events page or contact:
Jennifer Hanshew
707.433.4050 x126
jennifer@notrevueestate.com

Here is a sneak peek at a few of our upcoming events:

  • Barrel Making Seminar: April 12, 2pm-5pm
  • Movie Night: April 26, 6pm-8pm
  • Wine Club Party: May 4, 1 pm-4pm
  • Spring Floral Workshop: May 5, 11am-2pm
  • Spring Celebration Luncheon: May 18, 12pm-3pm
  • Painted Cellars Paint Night: May 30, 6pm-8pm

 

Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberry Sauce

Ingredients:
3 pieces white bread, with the crust removed, torn and soaked in whole milk
1 lb. ground beef, 1 lb. pork, and 1 lb. veal
4 Tbl. of butter
1 small minced onion
2 egg yolks
1/2 c. of heavy cream
2 Tbl. of salt
Cracked black pepper
2 tsp. of allspice
1 bowl cold water
 

Sauce:
2 Tbs. of butter
2 Tbs. of all-purpose flour
3 c. of chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
112 c. of heavy cream
1 to 2 Tbs. of black
currant jam
1/4 c. of chopped
parsley leaves
Lingonberry jam, for serving
 

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Move the onion to a plate to cool. Wipe the pan with
a paper towel.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground meats, egg yolks, heavy cream, and onion. Add salt, pepper, and allspice.
Squeeze excess milk from the bread and add it to the bowl. Mix gently.

4. With a bowl of cold water standing by, form meatballs 1-inch across. Dip your fingers in cold water to keep the
meat from sticking.

5. Melt the remaining butter in the saute pan and add a layer of meatballs as the foam mellows. Do not over-crowd the pan and shake it occasionally to round out the meatballs. Brown all of the meatballs, in batches, moving them to a large oven safe dish when cooked. Put the dish in the oven for about 20 minutes.

6. Sauce: Pour off most of the fat from the skillet and return it to the heat. Add 2 tbs of butter and swirl it around to coat the pan. Sprinkle in the flour, and stir with a whisk to dissolve the flour into the fat. Pour in the chicken stock and stir to loosen the bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer, stirring, until liquid is reduced and mixture thickens to a sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat and stir in the cream and black currant jam. Add the meatballs to the sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are heated through 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

 

 


Time Posted: Mar 26, 2019 at 10:00 AM Permalink to Notre Vue Spring Newsletter Permalink
 
November 19, 2018 |

Thanksgiving Notre Vue Style

Harvest is finally over and Thanksgiving is coming up quickly.  Those of you that follow my blogs will recall that I wrote about “2018 - The Perfect Vintage?” earlier this year.  As it turns out, it was exactly that!  One of my cellar hands declared this year’s Pinot Noir to be the “best I’ve ever tasted off this property!”  And you know something?  He’s spot on.  It was a perfect vintage and for that we have a lot to celebrate.

And celebrate we will!  I’m starting off our Thanksgiving festivities with a Monterey Jack and Goat Cheese Melt with a Roasted Poblano Sauce served with blue tortilla chips and toasted slices of sourdough baguette.  The accompanying sipper has to be Balverne’s Sauvignon Blanc, of course.  The incredible fruit of this wine, along with the nice acidity, makes it a perfect pairing for this zesty cheese appetizer.

 I am opening dinner with Shrimp Tamales and Garlic Corn Cream Sauce.  Rich and flavorful, this needs a wine with some richness of its own and some good acidity and Balverne’s Chardonnay is the perfect match!  The delicate pear/apple notes of the wine and toasty vanilla notes from the oak barrel aging pop the shrimp and corn masa flavors while the acidity of the wine works wonders with the garlic corn cream.

Gotta have pumpkin on Thanksgiving so next is a Pumpkin Soup spiced up with a dash of chipotle purée.  Wine?  Just keep working with the Chardonnay.  You’ll be stunned!

For the main course I’ve opted for a Barbequed Orange-Garlic Cornish Game Hen with a Cranberry-Mango Sauce paired with Balverne’s 2015 Reserve Pinot Noir, an exquisite wine.  Such a great pairing, you simply have to try it for yourself!

Given we’ve already incorporated the requisite pumpkin into the menu, dessert focuses on warm chocolate cakes with dulce de leche centers.  Decadent, I know.  And what a pairing for the Notre Vue Bordeaux blend or Notre Vue’s Rhône blend.  Simply heaven!

Whatever’s on your menu this year, there is a Notre Vue and Balverne wine for every step of the way. 



From all of us at Notre Vue Estate Winery, best wishes
 for a very Happy Thanksgiving!


(Source: Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill cookbook.)

Time Posted: Nov 19, 2018 at 4:00 PM Permalink to Thanksgiving Notre Vue Style Permalink
Renee Brown-Stein
 
October 29, 2018 | Renee Brown-Stein

Harvest Winemaker's Dinner Photo Gallery


We held our first Winemaker's Dinner on September 15th at our newly completed Block 23 Terrace. We proudly served our award-winning wines, which were perfectly paired with food by The Cook and the Drummer; a good time was had by all!

The view from the Block 23 Terrace is spectacular and is now available for your enjoyment to host your own special occasion, or to be a part of one of our many upcoming events. You can view photos from the evening in our online photo gallery.

 

Time Posted: Oct 29, 2018 at 10:54 AM Permalink to Harvest Winemaker's Dinner Photo Gallery Permalink
Renee Brown-Stein
 
October 20, 2018 | Renee Brown-Stein

Notre Vue Fall Newsletter


Bob and I are excited to share with you,  all of our current news at Notre Vue Estate. It has been a busy year!

We held our first Winemaker's Dinner on September 15th at our newly completed Block 23 Terrace. We proudly served our award-winning wines, which were perfectly paired with food by The Cook and the Drummer; a good time was had by all!

The view from the Block 23 Terrace is spectacular and is now available for your enjoyment to host your own special occasion, or to be a part of one of our many upcoming events. You can view photos of the evening here!

We want to thank you for being part of our journey and commitment to creating many more lifetime memories together.

NOTRE VUE - NOTRE VIE - NOTRE VIN
OUR VIEW - OUR LIFE - OUR WINE

-Bob & Renee Stein

By the time you read this, we will be just about done with Harvest 2018 and that means another summer has come and gone. I confirmed that this morning by noting a slight nip in the air. I even had a sweater on! The weather is cooling, the days shorter, leaves are changing color ... what better time than now for one last backyard barbeque party?

And what better wine to welcome your guests with than the 2014 Notre Vue White Blend! This seductive wine will stun and amaze your friends, making you look like a world-class sommelier. It is a blend of Chardonnay and Viognier. While neither is an unusual varietal by any means, a blend of the two is not common. But what a wine the two make together! Chardonnay offers the classic ripe pear and baked apple notes with a touch of spice and vanilla from the French oak barrel aging. Add to that a little Viognier offering floral notes, perfume and hints of white nectarine and the result is a very aromatic and complex wine, perfect for an early fall evening in the garden.

And if you are indeed barbecuing, then Balverne's 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is just the ticket. Rich and concentrated with all the great character that Cabernet Sauvignon has to offer, this wine benefits hugely from the addition of a little Malbec. Malbec does particularly well on our property giving us a big, bold, spicy wine loaded with notes of violets and black cherries.

If the coolness of the evening takes you inside to enjoy roast Muscovy duckling or a well-marbled, perfectly cooked standing rib roast, let's pair that up with a glass of Notre Vue's 2014 Bordeaux blend. This classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, our lush Malbec and a hint of Cabernet Franc was aged in 100% new French oak of the highest caliber all designed to complement the beautiful characters of the best fruit the Estate has to offer. This is a serious wine, one that drinks well today, but will continue to deliver over the next decade. Don't hesitate to tuck a case or two in the cellar.

Lastly, I am incredibly proud to be releasing the 2015 vintage of our Notre Vue Bordeaux blend. Aged for 2 years in 100% new French oak, the blend utilizes all five of Bordeaux's classic varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. In one of the final vintages of the California drought, we were rewarded with small berries yielding concentrated flavors and an impressive tannic structure. With a 90-point score from Robert Parker, the new release of the Notre Vue Bordeaux is certain to be satisfying palates for years to come.

We look forward to welcoming each and every one of you here to the Notre Vue Estate property. See you soon?

Until then ... a votre santé!

 -Michael Westrick, Winemaker

2014 Notre Vue Bordeaux Blend $59.00 / 750ml

Complex, ageable, balanced, and delicious; the 2014 Bordeaux style blend has all of the classic hallmarks of an incredible bottle of wine. Dark fruit permeates the blend with notes of blackberry, plum, black cherry and currants radiating from the glass. Two years in French oak deliver a touch of spice and vanilla that linger into the finish. Pairing beautifully with duck breast and short ribs alike, the 2014 Bordeaux Style Blend is the perfect wine to keep you warm this winter. 


 

2014 Notre Vue White Blend $39.00 / 750ml

Chardonnay and Viognier make an unlikely team in this sumptuous blend. Lush aromatics of Bose pear, white lilac, and lemon zest deliver elegance and nuance before the first sip reaches your lips. A balanced touch of buttered toast and spice carry through the mid-palate, mingling with Granny Smith apple on the wine's long, subtle finish. The 2014 Notre Vue White Blend is the perfect companion to seared scallops with wild mushrooms. 


 

2014 Balverne Cabernet $33.00 / 750ml

This Cabernet is richly layered with flavors of spice: vanilla, allspice, cinnamon, and cardamom, blended with hints of berry, raspberry and cassis flavors from the grapes. The lengthy finish is smooth and well-balanced. This exotic mélange continues to develop during bottle aging. A noteworthy wine will change as you consume it - every swirl and sip will bring forth a new sensory aspect of the wine.

 


 

2015 Notre Vue Bordeaux Blend $59.00 / 750ml

There are few things more exciting around the winery than the release of new wine. After waiting an entire growing season, two years as the wine developed in the barrel, and another year in bottle, the 2015 Notre Vue Bordeaux blend is definitely worthy of patience. With notes of cassis, black currants, tobacco, and plum, the blend finishes with a perfect balance of tannin and acid.

 

Hi ... Jen here, I am the hospitality and events manager here at Notre Vue Estate! I wanted to let you all know that we have some exciting upcoming events to share. Whether at the winery or out in the community, please join us and let's have some fun together!

We will be announcing our 2019 Calendar of Events soon. We also have our Block 23 Terrace completed in addition to our Notre Vue Room and pond-side Pavillions; we can't wait to host tastings and events for you and your guests. Please visit our events page Upcoming Events. Contact Jennifer Hanshew at 707.433.4050 x126 or jennifer@notrevueestate.com.

  • Wine and Food Affair: November 3-4, 11 am-4pm
  • Winter Wine Walk: November 15, 5pm-8pm
  • Paint Night with Painted Cellars: Nov. 8, 6pm-8pm
  • Wreath Making with Dragonfly Floral Design: December 2, 11am - 1 :30pm
  • Notre Vue Holiday Party: December 8, 1 pm-4pm

Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Sauce

An outstanding wine calls for an outstanding dish to match. With wine as bold as the Notre Vue Bordeaux style blend, nothing compares like a perfect cut of steak. The robust tannic structure is perfect for the richness of the filet, while the blue cheese and port wine sauce provide powerful flavors to compliment the wine.

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter

½ cup white onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp thyme, fresh chopped

¾ cup beef broth

½ cup port wine

1 tbsp vegetable oil

4 filet mignon steaks, 1 ½ inch thick ¾ cup blue cheese crumbles

¼ cup breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Saute onion, garlic, and thyme in butter until onions are tender.

2. Stir in beef broth and port wine, bring mixture to a boil. Reduce down to ½ cup. Set sauce aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350F

4. In a cast iron skillet, heat oil over high heat and sear both sides of the filets until brown. Place skillet in oven.

5. Roast fillets in the oven for 15 minutes for medium-rare.

6. Remove skillet from the oven and preheat the broiler.

7. Mix blue cheese and breadcrumbs together and sprinkle over fillets.

8. Place filets under the broiler for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Let sit for 10 minutes.

9. Serve with warmed port wine sauce.


 

Time Posted: Oct 20, 2018 at 1:57 PM Permalink to Notre Vue Fall Newsletter Permalink
 
September 24, 2018 |

The Perfect Vintage?



As a winemaker I would never, ever suggest, just one week into harvest, that this might be a “perfect vintage.”  Why jinx it?  Why take the risk of inviting Mother Nature’s wrath so early on when we have so many weeks to go?

So, I won’t.  However . . .

We have both lots of Sauvignon Blanc in the barn.  Perfect numbers.  Our first Pinot Noir came in today and I was just handed the lab report for the lot.  Perfect numbers. 

By “perfect numbers” I mean the sugar and acid content are ideal for making stellar, well-balanced wine with minimal winemaker intervention.  We won’t have to adjust the sugar or the acid and that’s a good thing.  Natural is always preferred over making any sort of add or adjustment.  Perfect.

And the weather?  The forecast is for excellent ripening weather over the next few days then a bit of a cool down that will slow sugar development but will allow flavors to continue to mature.  Sunny and dry.  Perfect.

Yet I am petrified!  How long can “perfect” continue?  I’m hoping for about another eight weeks.  That’s all I ask.  But that is a long time this time of year.  There is no reason a heat wave won’t hit us in the near future.  The riper fruit gets the more susceptible it is to damage by extreme heat.  So, no heat wave, please.  Or, heaven forbid, we should get some rain.  Ripe fruit, with softer skins, is very susceptible to damage by mold.  And mold thrives in moist, damp air.  So, no rain, please.  Just perfect.  That’s all I ask.

 This is the life of a winemaker.  Faced with perfect conditions for the foreseeable future, here I sit worrying.  I’m trying not to think about the weather, though I did just check the forecast again minutes ago, for the nth time today.  And its only 10 AM.

The good thing is that, whatever comes our way, I’m ready and that does take the edge off things a bit.  This is my thirtieth harvest.  If I don’t know how to handle a little adversity by now, there is no hope for me as a winemaker.  I keep thinking about the Farmer’s Insurance commercial “We know a thing or two ‘cause we’ve seen a thing or two.”  So true.  I’m ready for anything.  I hope.

The perfect vintage?  Could be.  Too early to tell but things are looking mighty good out there right now.  Though this winemaker, for one, will not ever say that.  Not now.  Nope. No way.

 

Time Posted: Sep 24, 2018 at 11:33 AM Permalink to The Perfect Vintage? Permalink
 
September 11, 2018 |

Attention: All Balverne Sauvignon Blanc Fans

Harvest 2018 is underway!  The first of our Balverne Sauvignon Blanc grapes came in this morning in stunning fashion.  We’ve had a beautiful growing season to date with just a bit of a cool snap for the last week or so.  While sugars might not accumulate rapidly in the cooler weather, the flavors do continue developing, the result being that I found this year’s Sauvignon Blanc ready to harvest at lower Brix levels (sugar content) than usual. 

Why is this good?  Because it translates to lower alcohols in the finished wines.  You may have heard the adage that “wine grapes benefit from a long hang time.”  That means the longer the grapes hang on the vine, the greater the chance flavors will be more concentrated in the fruit at harvest, resulting in a more flavorful wine.  While we’re blessed in California with beautiful, warm summers, the heat can sometimes be a little too much of a good thing making sugar accumulation (and therefore potential alcohol levels) run ahead of flavor development.  The ideal situation, obviously, is to have maximum flavor development just as the grapes reach that magical sugar content.

For me as a winemaker, a lower alcohol is important as it helps keep the wine “in balance.”  Put another way, a wine with an excessively high alcohol will taste “hot” or have an alcohol “bite” to it that may not be pleasing, and that higher alcohol may mask some of the more delicate fruity and floral notes of a wine.  Sauvignon Blanc, known for its lighter body and bright, crisp fruit aromas and flavors, most definitely benefits from these lower alcohol levels.   

Any winemaker anywhere in the world will always tell you without skipping a heartbeat that “This vintage is the best we’ve ever seen!”  Well, you know what, I’ll say that right now about Balverne’s 2018 Sauvignon Blanc.  And we haven’t even made the wine yet!  Make a note on your calendars to visit Notre Vue Wine Estate in April of next year to taste  Balverne’s 2018 Sauvignon Blanc.  Trust me, you’ll be stunned!  And happy you visited!

Keep tuned to this blog to hear about our upcoming  Pinot Noir harvest.  The weather for the foreseeable future is ideal and the Pinot Noir grapes are already tasting simply fantastic.  In fact, I’m thinking this vintage will be the best we ever seen! 

A votre santé, mes amis!

Time Posted: Sep 11, 2018 at 5:17 PM Permalink to Attention:  All Balverne Sauvignon Blanc Fans Permalink
 
September 5, 2018 |

Bottling - A Necessary Evil

At least once a year a winery is faced with the challenge of bottling its wine as it is pretty hard to sell it otherwise.  Admittedly this should not be a big deal and generally it isn’t.  But bottling is not without its inherent pains and worries.  Its not a part of winemaking that any winemaker enjoys.  Or is it?

As we gear up to bottle our Balverne Chardonnay and Pinot Noir here at Notre Vue this fall, we’re attending to lots of little details and making sure everything is in place for a successful bottling run.  We have our labels, corks and capsules.  Glass supposedly arrives next week.  We are scheduled to bottle just after the glass arrives.  All this is carefully choreographed so that everything comes together perfectly and all on time.

We need to make sure the wine is ready, too.  Following any final blending we will address the acidity along with the level of residual sugar and adjust each as necessary.  The wines will be cold stabilized to prevent them from throwing tartrate crystals and will be heat stabilized to prevent protein hazes from developing.  Fining might be done to soften tannins and/or to remove bitter components from the wine.  One last decision to be made will be whether or not to filter.

 


Bottling our 2017 Balverne Pinot Noir

 

Once the wine is ready and the materials arrive, its time to bottle.  Again, this should be pretty straight-forward.  How complicated can it be?  You fill a bottle, cork it, label it and pack it away, right?  Well, yes, that is the ideal scenario.  But what if the wine is too cold and moisture is condensing on the outside of the bottle such that the labels won’t stick?  What if we’re under- or over-filling bottles?  What if the labeler is not cooperating and your margins are off meaning the labels are not centered?  Or the labeler is skipping every third bottle?  Or the filler is skipping every third bottle?  Or some bottles are missing capsules?  Or the wrong labels are being used?  Or the filter fails?  I could go on and on but you get the idea.  “Best laid plans, yada, yada, yada!”

But once this necessary evil is complete, however challenging it might have been, the bottling line cleaned up and the exhausted crew headed home, you sit at your desk finishing up paperwork and look up at a few samples of the day’s bottlings each with perfect capsules, straight labels and all filled with delicious wine ready for wine lovers everywhere . . . life is suddenly all good again.  Grab a bottle . . . I think you’ll agree!

Time Posted: Sep 5, 2018 at 1:14 PM Permalink to Bottling - A Necessary Evil Permalink
 
August 30, 2018 |

Got Grapes?

Benjamin Franklin once wrote “ . . . nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”  Let me amend that statement to read “Nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes and HARVEST!”

Here we go again, kids!  We’re gearing up for Harvest 2018 and I suspect we will have grapes rolling in in just a few weeks.  It seems like I just finished writing a blog about Harvest 2017 . . . how time flies when you’re having fun!

Always a great time of year for a winemaker, harvest brings long days and hard work for sure, but it also brings a new beginning, a new start, a chance to try the latest and greatest ideas, a chance to make yet again another great wine.  There is excitement in the air like no other time of year.

 Its sort of ironic because, as I said, with harvest comes long, tiring, never-ending days.  There is no question that it is exhausting, yet everyone here can’t wait for it to start!  Every day people are asking me “When do you think you’ll start?  How are things looking?  What looks the best this year?” 

The crush pad is set up and ready.  Must lines, pumps and hoses are being cleaned and sanitized.  The press has been checked.  We’re stocking up on yeast and making sure the lab is prepped.  Interns are getting last minute instructions on how things will roll, what their duties are and how to do everything we’ll need to do. 

I love this time of year not only for the winemaking opportunities but also because it offers me another chance to excite a new group of young people contemplating making a career of winemaking as I did.  This is a time for me to pass on my experiences, to teach them the tricks of the trade and to get them excited about what we’re doing each day.  You can always tell which of the interns each year might go on to become winemakers.  They are the ones that never mention being tired, always show up early, are eager to stay to the very end, never complain about being cold, hot, wet, hungry, exhausted.  Always smiling, always the first to greet me saying “You gotta try Tank 324 this morning!  That stuff is liquid gold!” 

And all of you reading this blog, all our Notre Vue and Balverne fans out there, this is your chance, too, to get involved, to get excited about harvest.  Being a smaller operation, I have the time to welcome you to the winery personally and to guide you through the activities of the day.  This is your once-a-year chance to taste harvest-ready grapes, to see us crushing fruit, making juice, filling barrels and to taste the juice and fermenting wines.  Don’t pass it up!  We’d love to have you visit the winery, be part of harvest and to stay for a tasting of our current releases.  See ya soon ??

Time Posted: Aug 30, 2018 at 1:30 PM Permalink to Got Grapes? Permalink

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