Verasion is almost complete! If you are not familiar with the term, it is when the grapes turn color and head into the final phase of ripening. It won’t be long now before these pinot noir grapes are harvested and fermenting in the winery! So far, 2009 has been a good growing season without the serious extremes of 2008. Finger’s crossed good weather will hold until the grapes are safely in the winery!
Owner & winemaker Suzanne Hagins will be pouring Lutea at Central Market in Petaluma on Saturday May 16th at the Natural Wine Festival. Suzanne and husband Chris Condos will also be pouring their new wine, Horse & Plow pinot gris. All grapes for these wines are certified organic. The event is 1-4 and tickets are only $5! Hope to see you there!
The spring lambs have been born! Is there anything cuter? Already they spend their days out in the vineyards, learning to graze with the flock. The sheep do an amazing job mowing under the vines and in between rows. Their light weight is ideal for the rain softened soil. They happily munch all day and fertilize as they go! To see them in the vineyards is a beautiful sight that is incredibly practical as well. Compare to a heavy tractor, powered by fossil fuels, sinking into the soft soils and causing compaction. Tractor mowers are also not effective under the vines, which is why so many vineyards use strip sprays (Round-up or nastier pre-emergents) under the vines. We salute the farmers who instead take advantage of the cutest, most practical, weed eaters around!
My husband Chris & I had a great dinner at the Starlight in Sebastopol this past weekend. Owners Ted & Heather Van Doorn (pictured) have been big supporters of Lutea since my first 2004 vintage. Chef Thaddeus Palmese’s cajun inspired cuisine makes this Southern girl very happy! Add to it: a great setting with a cool vibe and the fact that the three of them are some of the nicest people you’ll come across, it makes for a great evening!
We took our seats in the packed restaurant, which is a remodeled Pullman train car. Our meal started with 2 glasses of bubbles. I had the Gruet from New Mexico. It has been one of our favorites for years, so much so, we poured it at our wedding! We also enjoyed a lovely Prosecco. For an appetizer we chose the blue crab cake. I like the local Dungeness crab, but it does not compare to the sweet and delicate blue crab. The cake was loaded with crab, had a crisp Panko crust and was served over an apple slaw. It was divine!
For dinner I chose grilled Monterey Bay sardines over greens with a poached egg, shaved Parmesan and a tangy lemon vinagrette. It was great with the Gruet bubbles. Chris had the gumbo, which was classic with shrimp, chicken and spicy sausage in a delicious saucy dark roux. He paired it with the “Starlight” flight of pinot noir, which of course included Lutea! All of the wines were great, balanced, food friendly and local- what’s not to like?
For dessert, an individual apple pie with cinnamon ice cream- all made in house, of course. It was as good as it sounds, with a very flaky and flavorful crust- which is not easy as anyone who makes pie crust knows. Two cups of excellent coffee ensured we made it home!
Thanks to Ted, Heather & Thaddeus for a great evening! If you haven’t already, you must go enjoy a great meal at the Starlight!
We are lovin’ the response to our 2007 pinot noir! More of the best restaurant’s in Sonoma County are pouring Lutea than ever before! Go enjoy a glass at Underwood Bar & Grill in Graton or Zazu and Bistro 29 in Santa Rosa! We’d also like to thank the amazing Starlight Wine Bar for pouring EVERY vintage of Lutea since the beginning in 2004. Go! Eat! Enjoy!
We love our neighborhood restaurants and always jump at the chance to participate in tastings and wine dinners. Two exceptional events are just around the corner! The first is at Central Market in Petaluma on Tuesday, January 27th. Winemaker & owner Suzanne Hagins will be pouring her 07 Pinot Noir’s, suggesting pairings from the fabulous menu and mingling with guests from 6-9 pm. It’s a casual affair, try the new vintage and enjoy a great dinner! No charge for the tasting- you can’t beat that!
Next up, a winemaker dinner at the Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant in Forestville on Thursday, January 29th. Master Sommelier Geoff Kruth will be pairing Lutea Pinot Noir with Chef Steve Litke’s world class cuisine, while winemaker Suzanne Hagins dicusses organic & biodynamic pinot noir. It will be a memorable evening. Visit the Farmhouse website for details and contact information.
We hope to see you at both!
Both 2008 fermentation’s are done! Everyone knows about primary fermentation. That’s the showy one with vigorous punch-downs and heady aromas. The lesser known, much more demure, malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel. The more harsh malic acid (like in apples) is converted into softer lactic acid (like in milk) by a naturally occurring bacteria. As a result, the wines are now stable and tasting more consistent. I’m very excited about the young wines, they’re already showing a lot of potential. They will continue to develop and mature in French oak barrels for another year. But for now, I am happy they are healthy and finished with their ferments! Hurray!
I worked in restaurants for many years, mainly in Charleston, South Carolina. I learned the beauty of a good food & wine pairing- an alchemy that can elevate both to a higher level. Now that I’m the winemaker, I can only hope that my wines are paired with good food, and I focus my sales on fine restaurants to make that happen. I am so pleased about 3 new, local, by the glass placements of my Sonoma County Pinot Noir: at Healdsburg Bar & Grill (managed by Cyrus), Rosso in Santa Rosa, and Central Market in Petaluma. These are some of Sonoma County’s finest, yet affordable, restaurants. I look forward to dining at each to see how the fine chefs and waitstaff are pairing Lutea, and hope you will too!
Well, it’s mid- October and the grapes are finally in! This is Lutea’s latest harvest ever! We picked 15 tons of pinot noir this year, up from 9 in 2007. I’m really excited about the quality so far- our growers are amazing! My last fermentation is cruising along and will be pressed off into barrel next week. Then, the wines will undergo their secondary, malo-lactic fermentation.
Meanwhile, I have released some of the 2007 wines. They are tasting great, though young, and will continue to improve. I will be pouring them this weekend, on 10/26 at the Pinot on the River Festival in Forestville, Ca. Hope to see you there!
This is Lutea’s new blog, where all things pinot noir rule! I’ll be posting harvest updates, vintage notes, upcoming events and fun photos- so check back soon!