mead107 Posted October 11, 2017 Posted October 11, 2017 Thoughts and prayers to all affected by the fires
Chef Jim Posted October 11, 2017 Author Posted October 11, 2017 To be clear, I never said it was "always a bad fire season." I said they always claimed it was going to be a bad fire season. If it was a dry year it would be bad because of an elongated season. If it was wet, too much fuel. Regarding your other post about buying wine that is recently harvested, did they give you the "chemistry" on it? We sell about 3000 pounds a year to a winery, but keep about 10 gallons for our own production. I have found, over the years, that the chemistry at harvest has been a far more accurate indicator of eventual flavor than when it's new in the barrel. I often taste our wine that the winery is producing, and don't get a feel for the final product until its been in oak at least a year. I assume they discussed the chemistry but I didnt really care too much about it. I just thought it was fun to taste the raw unfiltered product that was sitting out on the vines a few weeks before.
Seasons1992 Posted October 11, 2017 Posted October 11, 2017 This is terrible. My uncle lost his catering business in Healdsburg 3 years ago due to fire. He lives about 5 miles from the big fire in that area. Willi's Wine Bar is where we went to eat an amazing dinner last January.....very sad. My ex and I went to Paradise Ridge winery with a picnic dinner and sat on their back patio and watched the sun set. Hope everyone out there stays safe.
sherpa Posted October 11, 2017 Posted October 11, 2017 I assume they discussed the chemistry but I didnt really care too much about it. I just thought it was fun to taste the raw unfiltered product that was sitting out on the vines a few weeks before. I get that, but you mentioned you had purchased the wine after a barrel tasting. From reading your posts, I think you are a bright guy with discriminating tastes. As a producer, I know that wine goes in the barrel after a minimum of about six weeks of fermentation and clarifying. I have four week old petit verdot sitting right behind me in secondary, anaerobic fermentation. The same stuff we sold that will end up at over $25-$30 per bottle in a couple years. Initially, the tannins and other proteins are so overwhelming that there is now way for a consumer to judge the final product at that point. So...If I was going to make a purchase decision on fresh wine just put in oak, I would ask what the chemistry was at harvest. Without going into specifics, they would have the three or four data points involved, and knowing the appellation and the specific wineries history, I could make a decision.
DC Tom Posted October 11, 2017 Posted October 11, 2017 That was the crazy thing, it happened so suddenly. The winds picked up late Sunday and these fires just exploded. Lots of stories of people waking up to flames practically at their front door, people literally running for their lives in many cases. Just crazy. It rained lightly for about an hour once.....since April A PGA tournament was held over the weekend at Silverado. Everything was fine for golf Sunday afternoon. That night, the resort was evacuated in a great big hurry with no warning. This brewed up amazingly fast. The 1991 Oakland firestorm is the only one I can think of that compares.
sullim4 Posted October 11, 2017 Posted October 11, 2017 List of wineries affected: http://wineindustryinsight.com/?p=85305 A ton of household names there. Sadly, Imagery is on that list, although their FB page as of yesterday said they hadn't yet sustained any damage. I thought their wine was very good.
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted October 11, 2017 Posted October 11, 2017 At first i read this as "fries." is that wrong?
Dante Posted October 11, 2017 Posted October 11, 2017 Got windy again and the smoke here is crazy. I could swear the fire was 5 miles away.
Augie Posted October 12, 2017 Posted October 12, 2017 Got windy again and the smoke here is crazy. I could swear the fire was 5 miles away. Good time to be on a cruise! I'm a hurricane vet, but wild fires are crazy!
The Dean Posted October 12, 2017 Posted October 12, 2017 Got windy again and the smoke here is crazy. I could swear the fire was 5 miles away. Spoke with a friend who lives in SF (Civic Center area) today. She said woke up to find ash in her bathtub. Wow.
Chef Jim Posted October 12, 2017 Author Posted October 12, 2017 I get that, but you mentioned you had purchased the wine after a barrel tasting. From reading your posts, I think you are a bright guy with discriminating tastes. As a producer, I know that wine goes in the barrel after a minimum of about six weeks of fermentation and clarifying. I have four week old petit verdot sitting right behind me in secondary, anaerobic fermentation. The same stuff we sold that will end up at over $25-$30 per bottle in a couple years. Initially, the tannins and other proteins are so overwhelming that there is now way for a consumer to judge the final product at that point. So...If I was going to make a purchase decision on fresh wine just put in oak, I would ask what the chemistry was at harvest. Without going into specifics, they would have the three or four data points involved, and knowing the appellation and the specific wineries history, I could make a decision. I'm was a club member. They had a party. We tasted that vintage wine in the barrel. I like their Chardonnay. I bought a case. You're overthinking this. Spoke with a friend who lives in SF (Civic Center area) today. She said woke up to find ash in her bathtub. Wow. I remember when we lived in Aliso Viejo in OC there were fires in San Bernardino 60 mies away. We had ash on our patio. The smoke was to thick you could look at the sun and see sun spots. Now that was cool.
Marv's Neighbor Posted October 12, 2017 Posted October 12, 2017 Have enjoyed a lot of bottles of chateau St. Jean Love Kenwood Zin. This is a real tragedy for the businesses AND the people who lost everything. Quite traumatic, I'm sure. Since Napa/Sonoma always seemed so manicured, irrigated and well maintained, didn't know they had wildfire dangers too.
Chef Jim Posted October 12, 2017 Author Posted October 12, 2017 Love Kenwood Zin. This is a real tragedy for the businesses AND the people who lost everything. Quite traumatic, I'm sure. Since Napa/Sonoma always seemed so manicured, irrigated and well maintained, didn't know they had wildfire dangers too. It's not so manicured. It's very hilly (hence the valleys). They fires are up the hills. I was just looking at a fire map and Sonoma Valley AVA is hit real hard. That's where Kenwood and Chateau St Jean are. Dry Creek ACA so far has been spared. In Napa it's mostly Silverado Trail area (Stag's Leap AVA). I don't know Napa as well as Sonoma.
KD in CA Posted October 12, 2017 Posted October 12, 2017 A PGA tournament was held over the weekend at Silverado. Everything was fine for golf Sunday afternoon. That night, the resort was evacuated in a great big hurry with no warning. This brewed up amazingly fast. The 1991 Oakland firestorm is the only one I can think of that compares. Yup, kind of caught everyone by surprise. Monday was a school holiday and my wife planned to take the kids to Santa Rosa to go apple picking and get pumpkins. After I caught ten minutes of the news driving to the ferry in the haze I was texting her like mad to turn on the news and not go anywhere. Got windy again and the smoke here is crazy. I could swear the fire was 5 miles away. This morning started out clearer here but apparently got much worse as the day went on. They kept all the kids inside again, canceled all sports for the week, etc. Winds have picked up and are shifting. New neighborhoods under evacuation order or warnings. If it starts blowing the wrong way, downtown Napa and/or Sonoma could be next in line. Up to 3500 buildings and 23 dead. Hundreds missing. Usually disasters turn a corner for the better after 24 hours, but not this one.
BillsWest Posted October 12, 2017 Posted October 12, 2017 This has been a terrible week for Santa Rosa and the surrounding areas. So much destruction. Things that you never thought would be gone are now burned to the ground. Whole residential blocks wiped out. Some of the most expensive neighborhoods gone. We're hoping our apt complex makes it. We've been back a few times since leaving Monday morning at 2:30, but shouldn't have since it is in an evac area. Winds are whipping up again tonight. Won't be the 60+ mph like Monday, but could shift the fires back to our area. We're keeping ourselves ahead of the flames.
mead107 Posted October 12, 2017 Posted October 12, 2017 Like I asked in the shout box, any idea how the first fire started? No thunderstorms could it have been a camper? They say the fires came from the tops of mountains? The devastation just seems unreal
Chef Jim Posted October 12, 2017 Author Posted October 12, 2017 Like I asked in the shout box, any idea how the first fire started? No thunderstorms could it have been a camper? They say the fires came from the tops of mountains? The devastation just seems unreal No reports yet. At this point they are spending 100% of their time and resources on fighting the fires and savining lives. Expecting high temps down here this weekend so could be trouble here.
Marv's Neighbor Posted October 12, 2017 Posted October 12, 2017 It's not so manicured. It's very hilly (hence the valleys). They fires are up the hills. I was just looking at a fire map and Sonoma Valley AVA is hit real hard. That's where Kenwood and Chateau St Jean are. Dry Creek ACA so far has been spared. In Napa it's mostly Silverado Trail area (Stag's Leap AVA). I don't know Napa as well as Sonoma. Any news about Sebastiani?
Chef Jim Posted October 12, 2017 Author Posted October 12, 2017 Any news about Sebastiani? No. They are pretty much right outside of the town of Sonoma so I think they are ok. Further east are places like Gunlach Bundschu which suffered some damage. One of my favorites. Got this email from Kendall-Jackson over south of Dry Creek. Dear K-J Wine Club Members and Friends, On behalf of the Kendall-Jackson winery team, we extend our heartfelt wishes and prayers to those impacted by the devastating wildfires in Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Solano and Yuba counties. Thank you also to all of you who have reached out to us with your concerns. Kendall-Jackson Winery has not been touched by the fires so far, despite the fires being less than a mile away. We are so thankful to our first responders for their heroic efforts.
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