Harvest 2018 Update

Coast Grade Vineyard September 2018

September 10, 2018

Dear Wine Club,

It is the evening before our first pick for the 2018 vintage and the final day of bottling for the year.  By this time last year, I already had 150 harvesting bins of fruit across the scale.  This growing year is much cooler and therefore is a slower ripening vintage.  When the grapes have more ‘hang time’ we can generally count on an to elevated wine quality.  This slower ripening is one of the main reasons that wines from the cool coastal mountain ranges are undoubtedly higher quality than the wines that come from hotter inland appellations.  A cooler vintage like this one makes me inspired and thankful that I have a large investment in grapes pending for 2018.  By the end of this week we will have three small picks completed.  I expect that we will have a slow trickle of fruit this year rather than the explosion we experienced last year.  But we shall see.

First Fruit of the Year

 

For the 2018 vintage, I will double my production of our Estate wines.  Bald Mountain harvest will be my biggest yet and so will Coast Grade.   I have a stronger feeling of purpose in my wine making this year.  And I also believe that the story I want to tell in my wines is now just beginning. For me, I am not after the monetary pursuit in my craft.  I want to tell a story.  I want my story to be repeated.  I want to share my passion of for my family’s vines to a slightly larger audience.

Carlos & Carlos Punch Downs

October 1st 2018 5:30am

the Beauregard Ranch

Dear Wine Club,

Amidst writing to you I experienced an explosion of production work and therefore had to put finishing this letter to you on hold.  But alas, I am back.  I heart-fully enjoy writing these newsletters.  In the last 10 days I have had a few mechanical breakdowns and some rather busy harvesting.  This morning, I have 30 pickers coming to bald mountain as soon as the sun rises.  We will harvest 8 picking bins of Chardonnay for our sparkling wine and then move the crew to Beauregard Ranch where we will pick Chardonnay and then Pinot Noir.  The Chardonnay at Beauregard Ranch is significantly riper than Bald Mountain because of the elevation change from 800 feet to 1,800 feet.  This will be the tenth harvest from our “new vines” at The Ranch.  At this point, the vines are at peak maturity and will remain there for the next 20 years or so before productivity will begin to decline.  I have been working with a new cooper (barrel builder) called Damy from Burgundy France and based upon the 2017 vintage (which you will be able to taste next spring).  I am thrilled with the results of this barrel combined with this Chardonnay.

Well, at this point I better be off to pick up my first load of grapes of the day.  It is going to be a long day but it is going to be a magical day.

I hope to be able to cheers you at the tasting room soon and I am planning to have an open house day in the production area soon so that you can come take in the smells of fermentation.  Stay tuned.

Thank you so much for being part of the Beauregard Vineyards community, it is a privilege to make these wines for you and this is a true labor of love.

Blessings to you and your family!

Ryan Beauregard