News through 2006

12/21/06
Now that Winter has arrived, we're back working in the vineyard with full force. Cultivating the rows and seeding the vineyard with a cover crop has been completed and now we're hoping for a little rain. Pruning the head-trained vines and removing the cuttings is next on our list - this is usually a long-lasting project that we'll likely have complete in early February depending on weather.

Thank you to all those who purchased and enjoyed our 2004 Estate Zinfandel this year! Now that our 2005 has been released, we're hearing some very nice thing about it too:

"..one of California's finest Zinfandels. It's a big, ripe, and
mouth filling wine reminiscent of the highly rated Turley Zinfandels" - Alan, New World Wine
"..delicious and intense and focused.." -Don, Napa Valley Winery Exchange
"this is going to be a great wine" -John, Monterey Street Wine Co.
"..deep purple, flavored with a blend of red fruits that meld with black cherry, plums,
and briary blackberries" -Kathy, West Coast Wine Insider

Attention Oakland: - our 2005 Estate Zinfandel is in stock at Montclair Village Wines - drop in and visit with wine expert, Chris.

12/15/06
A new article written by Alan Boehmer has some very nice things to say about Toucan Wines, here's a tease, read the entire story by clicking below: "...a very unusual, small winery that produces one of the finest Zinfandels in California's Central Coast region - Toucan Wines in Arroyo Grande Valley... The Toucan Wines vineyard, planted to the Dusi clone of Zinfandel with a small section of Petite Sirah provides fruit for one of California's finest Zinfandels. It's a big, ripe, and mouth filling wine reminiscent of the highly rated Turley Zinfandels..." Dec 15, 2006 - A. Boehmer, New World Wine, Suite 101

11/30/06
We are pleased to tell you about the following new locations offering the latest release of Toucan Wines Zinfandel: In downtown San Diego, check out the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center, Bacchus Wine Market, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse. Now for locals, find our wine at The Liquor & Wine Grotto in Montecito and Central Coast Wines in San Luis Obispo. Locals and visitors to the Morro Bay area, our latest release in now on the wine list at Morro Bay's Windows on the Water. Our 2004 and 2005 Estate Zinfandel is now available at the Coach House in Cupertino.

11/22/06
We are finally done removing netting and the last of our 2006 vintage has been pressed and laid to rest in new oak barrels... what a relief. Removing netting and bagging it up for the season takes a while to accomplish. We store the bagged netting in a special storage shed - each bag is marked with the corresponding row. I can tell you, it's easier to apply than remove.

11/13/06
The long harvest is finally over. Today we ended the long growing season with the last of the ripe estate fruit picked and gently crushed. This marks the end of a very challenging harvest - one we won't soon forget. A special thank you to those placing early orders for our new releases, remember that we'll ship your gift of wine to friends and associates any time of year. Give us a call to talk about your need.

11/1/06
Today we're pleased to announce the second and third releases from our small winery, our 2005 Estate Zinfandel and our 2004 Estate Petite Sirah. Both are big, fruity and complex wines and available now.

Our 2005 Estate Zinfandel is a full-bodied, fruit forward and complex Zin packed with flavor. You have to try this one to believe it! Our 2004 Estate Petite Sirah was mostly blended into the estate Zinfandel from that year, but a few cases were held out after barrel aging and given another fifteen months to age in the bottle.

10/5/06
We've had rain, cold, and our share of challenges this harvest. As we get ready for another three days of harvesting, I again want to thank our volunteers for taking the time to support our small winery.

9/28/06
Harvest is coming along section by section, albeit late this year. In the winery, all of our fermentation bins are currently filled to capacity. But, later this week another section of the vineyard will be picked as we press and move the fermenting wine into barrels.

9/22/06
Harvest begins with the help of several volunteers and some cooler weather. The Zinfandel fruit picked from the youngest section of our vineyard has been crushed and sits cold-soaking in the winery. The second half of the vineyard with both Zinfandel and Petite Sirah will be harvested beginning 9/30. Thanks go out to our many friends and family who joined us and stayed with us for the first weekend of harvest; and the local neighbors who joined in on the harvest.

The weekend was filled with challenges, great food, desserts, all the wine we could drink, and our share of laughter and good-times. Thank you: Robert, Lulu, Kathy, Jeff, Vicky, Matt, Greg, Edna, Merlin, Bob, Terry, Julia, Paul, Steve, Arin, and Mike, Cindy, Rick, and Ken.

9/8/06
We've had good growing weather, but a little too much fog. This weekend we bottled the 2005 Estate Zinfandel (with the help of friends and family - thanks to Edna, Merlin, Helen, Barb and James) and next week we may begin harvest. The sugar levels are currently in the 18-22 Brix range and by next Sunday I hope to harvest the first of the 2006 vintage.

8/26/06
Cooler evening and morning weather with fog, and nice days in the 80's have taken hold of our micro-climate. This amounts to an even longer hang-time for the grapes - allowing them to slowly ripen, developing their flavor, acids and of course sugars. Veraison is complete with only a few stragglers, and the yellow jacket traps are filling up with little pests eager to find a perfectly ripe grape cluster to devour.
We're ready for bottling of the 2005 Estate Zinfandel with the exception of the new blending tank which is late to arrive from the supplier; and the corks which I was late to order. Other activities include cleaning the winery and equipment, preparing the new oak barrels for harvest, organizing supplies and testing equipment.

8/20/06
Taste our wines on Friday, August 25th between 5-8pm, I'll be pouring our 2004 and 2005 (barrel sample) wines at the new wine shop (and cheese shop) in San Luis Obispo - the Monterey Street Wine Company (1255 Monterey St). This place is great, brand new and hip - come try the wines, buy a glass, enjoy the bar and the cheese.
Final racking of the 2005 Estate Zinfandel is completed and we've begun preparing the winery for bottling in September. Immediately following bottling, harvest will be upon us.

8/14/06
Please join me this Saturday on KVEC 920 (on your San Luis Obispo radio dial), beginning at 9:30am - I'll be Brenda Hock's guest on her radio show.

8/13/06
With the help of Edna and Merlin (friends of the winery ALL know Edna and Merlin), the four of us netted the vineyard this weekend - what a great feeling to have this job completed and just in time. The birds had just begun discovering the ripening grapes.

8/11/06
Thanks to Kathy Marcks Hardesty, of West Coast Wine Insider for a wonderfully written story on Toucan Wines for NEW TIMES. Busy, busy - it's that time of year, gearing up for harvest and bottling activities by performing last minute vineyard work and the cleaning and organizing the winery, plus ordering fermentation and bottling supplies. This week has been spent removing second crop and opening vine canapés; making a final attempt to prevent powdery mildew - netting the vineyard is our weekend plan. Once netted, I can turn my attention to bottling the 2005 Estate Zinfandel and finalizing harvest preparation.

8/1/06
So far, 2006 in the vineyard has been interesting in deed. Our warm winter days and mild nights gave us every indication that rainfall would be below average. In February, we chanced pruning later than usual to delay growth to avoid seasonal frost in April and some of the fierce winds that break shoots in May. But, in typical fashion the unpredictable weather surprised the Central Coast – we had a rare snow flurry in late February and a later rainy season with freezing nights and cold days in March and April. Coupled with the cool weather and later pruning, by May our vine growth and bud-break was a month behind normal. With nature’s help, the summer heat waves narrowed our delayed development to three weeks by the end of July, with little or no damage to the fruit or vines. Vine growth is abundant as the result of heavy rains this year and last. This extra growth required more effort to thin the canopy and open-up the fruit zone to airflow and sunlight. Fruit set is more consistent throughout the vineyard when compared to last year; and prior to veraison, the expected yield looks to be about the same as 2005 with 250-300 cases of estate Zinfandel.
Our 2005 Estate Zinfandel still rests in barrels, awaiting a final racking and bottling in September. But, we still have a little of our 2004 Estate Zinfandel (only 100 cases produced) available directly from the winery.

7/28/06
It's always difficult determining the vintage yield - even if you spend everyday (this time of year) in the vineyard as I do. One section may look to be carrying more grapes than last year and another less. Terrie and me debated the subject this morning as we worked to remove second crop. Our conclusion, we won't know till harvest - but likely the same as 2005, clearly no more.

We've cooled down quite a bit from last week's highs. Great growing weather in the 90's will take us through the weekend. We've also started talking to our volunteers about helping us with netting and this year's harvest likely in late September through early October. Last year we had the gracious help of over twenty folks contribute in one way or another.

7/24/06
Hot summer weather has kept us inside during the days - 110 degrees and humid yesterday and 98 today. The vineyard is looking good and the vines are just starting to slow down, even shut down for the season. Early morning second crop removal as well as opening up the canapé has us up with the sun.

7/15/06
I had a good time at the CC Wine Classic Barrel Tasting event pouring our 2005 Estate Zinfandel - the wine was well received with lots of positive interest; and tomorrow the 16th we'll be pouring at the CC Wine Classic Reserve Tasting - we'll pour our 2004 Estate Zin and Petite Sirah.

Second crop removal and leaf pulling are still the primary projects in the vineyard. Yesterday I completed our final vineyard mowing for the season and hand watered the 75 or so new and replacement vines scattered around the vineyard.
The 2005 is still in barrels and will be racked one more time in August prior to bottling in September, and prior to harvest. We're waiting on the delivery of a new stainless steel tank large enough to perform the racking in that one tank.

7/5/06
Good weather for growing grapes! The current project in the vineyard is leaf pulling and opening up the foliage on the more aggressive vines while removing second crop growth. Next Thursday, the 13th - we'll be pouring our 2005 barrel samples at the Central Coast Wine Classic. If you're planning to attend, please stop by and try our 2005 Estate Grown Zinfandel.

6/21/06
Welcome Summer! It's been very hot during the days on the central coast and wonderfully cool during the evenings. Hoeing the vineyard is the current chore - and there's a lot of it to do. Six in the morning seems to be the best time to hoe - at this time I'm not quite awake and the job is less monotonous. By 9 - I'm over it, the sun is too hot, and the flies are a pestering me - time to do something in doors.

6/16/06
Topped off the 2005 estate Zin this morning after being forced inside by the heat - 100 degrees in the shade today and for the weekend says the forecast. The 2006 growth looks fantastic - the late growing season has improved the consistency of the fruit-set and vines look great. I haven't seen but a couple of clusters with shot-berries. This would be our first year without the problem to a serious degree. I've always thought shot-berries were the result of strong winds during flowering, but maybe it's a combination of wind and cold? Given our season is so late this year avoiding some of the wind and all of the cold.

6/14/06
With tying and mowing completed, I'm catching up on other needed vineyard maintenance including: weeding and clean-up, gophers, and equipment repairs. Fruit-set, flowering, wind, and sunshine are the highlights this week. The vineyard is in strong growth spurt, seems to be growing as you're watching. Warmer days in the 90-100 in the forecast.

6/10/06
Cooler nights have set-in - typical of this time of year. The day time temps in the 80's makes for pleasant working. A broken ATV in the shop awaiting parts has slowed down vineyard work, but the walking is of course good exercise. I'm on the final leg of tying and leaf pulling, next comes mowing - the vineyard looks a little straggly.

6/7/06
Flowering vines in perfect weather - a relative cool down after 100+ days this weekend. The wind has slowed and today a little cloud cover made for perfect working weather in the vineyard.
5/31/06
HOT, HOT, HOT - finally some serious Zinfandel growing weather moves into the area. 90's+ all week is what the weather folks say and so far they're right.

5/27/06
Seasonal winds howl through the vineyard today breaking off shoot growth, and causing me to rush to tie the longer vines. These high winds every year seem to have a negative impact on cluster formation, because these winds usually blow during flowering. And today, I noticed the first of the flowering in the younger, fastest growing vineyard block.
This week will be spent tying vines, leaf pulling, and performing a final shoot thinning and suckering on every vine. Let me tell you this is back-breaking work. At the moment I'm on a break from tying - determined to continue after taking a hand full of Advil.
This past week we exposed Toucan Wines to a number of Bay Area wine shops with our share of successes. Many, many thanks to our friends for taking time to hangout with us; I had a talkative and very informative afternoon with friend Marty, owner/winemaker of Kathryn Kennedy winery; we enjoyed a fabulous meal and visit with Val and Jack; Robert took two days off to show me Oakland while offering moral support on sales calls; and joined by Jeff - the three of us picked-up new barrels from Napa for the 2006 harvest. We even had the pleasure of meeting Robert's new love - Lulu, Good Times.

5/22/06
A late May rainstorm brought us 1.7 inches of rain yesterday - very rare to receive this much rain this time of year. Great for the vines - and unfortunately for the weeds too. Last year, our last rain for the growing season was May 18th and we only received a few showers.

5/19/06
This very nice wine review was just posted at GRAPELIVE.COM, written by editor Kerry Winslow.

2004 Toucan Wines Zinfandel Arroyo Grande
This one was new to me and I want to thank Toucan for sending it in to try, as it is a lush and dark Zin that is really good. I was surprised at first as it opens much more like Syrah than Zinfandel with black fruits, smoky and game, but after a few minutes it all comes together as a solid Zin. There is some brambly red berry fruit, briar, cedar and lots of cassis with spiciness that refreshes the wine and keeps it lively. The balance seems spot on and the wine gets a sweet fruitiness on the finish along with smooth vanilla from the oak. This is a very fine effort and found this wine with a dollop of Petite Sirah a very interesting red. 90 Points, grapelive

5/18/06
Typical mild to warm weather is why we choose to live in this beautiful part of the world. Work in the vineyard is intensifying - spraying, tying, hoeing, mowing, hand-watering new and replacement vines are all spring activities. Rain in the forecast for Sunday.

I'm very excited about adding new restaurants to those offering our wine. Molly's is a wonderfully comfortable dining destination with terrific food for all tastes and a great wine list. Two Blocks Off the Beach is also very comfortable - a bistro that recently opened in Pismo Beach - perfect for lunch and dinner this place is a must for locals. Tanner Jacks opens next week to an awaiting crowd of locals in search of a great steak - the owners hope to offer as many as 30 wines by the glass and 100 by the bottle.

5/10/06
Today's local paper The Tribune says "Toucan's first commercial wine is a success" - the nice write-up by Laurie Daniel talks about our start-up history and wine. "...earthy, with bright raspberry fruit, a hint of white pepper and firm structure... a promising debut from this tiny family winery"
We are getting great weather this week both for vine growth and the suckering job that I'm in the middle of. With a little luck and few stretching exercises, I'll be done on Friday.

5/8/06
We expect warmer weather to continue for the next week or so. This long awaited warmth is very welcome by the vines and the garden. I began this season's suckering in the block I call E86 - it's a small grouping of 86 vines planted on a steep East facing slope. This block is unique, first of all the slope faces East limiting the late afternoon sun - but it's the first block to receive morning sun; their the first vines to break-bud and the fastest growing in the vineyard - but the last vines picked with the lowest yields. This block is also planted on it's own "old clone" rootstock. Unlike the rest of the vineyard planted on 110R rootstock to assist with draught resistance, we experimented with location and rootstock mostly for the fun of it. To take this one step further, this year the tiny block will be fermented and barrel-aged separately until blending time. Who knows, maybe it's own bottling?

5/3/06
Cool, overcast weather has moved into the central coast over the past few days. Just finished our second mowing of the season leaving several green zones for insects to enjoy. We also just planted 75 new Zinfandel vines extending some rows closer to the house. Today, I'll start suckering the vines with the most growth. This step is really an extension of pruning by shaping the head-trained vine. Decisions made at suckering determines how the arms of the vine will grow and the shape of the vine over time.

4/25/06
This past Sunday, our world and our neighborhood changed forever with the sad loss of a very special person - John B. Loomis. John's generosity to others inspired us to be better people; while his ever present humor and seemingly endless archive of stories entertained us; I hope to always remember John as an honest, straight-shooting, hard-working man of good humor.

4/16/06
I had a fun time last evening pouring Toucan Wines at The Wine Attic, in Paso Robles. Jan Manni presents a fun and fabulous Saturday afternoon/evening Jazz gathering with a great menu and wines by the glass and bottle. During the day, the shop is open for wine sales and lunch - check out The Wine Attic calendar of events.
Friday I received the following tasting notes, on our 2004 Zinfandel, from our reseller customer Don Gillette with Napa Valley Winery Exchange
Tasting notes by
Don Gillette, Napa Valley Winery Exchange:
Toucan Wines 2004 Zinfandel
"Bright, slightly piquant nose of black cherry, red currant, red rose and a bit of white pepper. The wine is rich, yet brisk on the palate despite the ripeness of its currant/cherry fruit. The finish is long and dry and attractively reprises the rich/zesty contrast; has focused flavors of red currant, teaberry, cherry, rose and white pepper all fan out. This delicious Zin is perfectly balanced for food service and it should be just the thing for grilled & stuffed veal chops, roast pork, or veal scaloppini with mushrooms. It was bottled with no fining or filtration and should be decanted due to sediment."

4/14/06
Yesterday was a fabulous day here on the farm, beautiful, warm spring weather with a slight breeze and a full moon. The vines are starting their slow growth and the grass and weeds are growing out of control. I completed our first mowing and weed-whacking of the season, in some areas the grass 3-4 feet tall. This growth was the result of seeding every other row in a test patch. The goal is to smother the weeds and fill-in areas killed off from our earlier years of cultivating. The test will prove successful if the grass weathers over to next year. Today, rain again.

4/10/06
More spring rain with the occasional sunny day have been the norm here on the central coast. The ground has become so soggy that simple activities like mowing the vineyard and tilling the garden haven't been started. The weather has kept me from working in the vineyard, but not from selling our wine. Several fine shops now stock our 2004 Zinfandel and restaurants are being added as well.

Thank you to all our customers for supporting Toucan Wines - we'd like your comments on the 2004 Zinfandel - please email me your tasting notes for posting on our website.

4/2/06
We're enjoying some mixed spring weather with lots of rain. We have bud break in parts of the vineyard, a sure sign that spring has arrived.
Today, the 2005 Zinfandel was racked - a process that went very well with some improvements made to our wine handling and to the barrel room layout. I'm very pleased with the 2005, it will be a very special release - see my tasting notes.

3/20/06
Officially it's spring on the beautiful central coast of California, and the last couple of days have been awesome - crisp, mild, clear and fresh - perfect spring weather. We've enjoyed on and off rainfall for several weeks and now we await the new growth about to push it's way from the 3,000 or so vines in the vineyard - the start of a new vintage.

We've already began planning for the new vintage - French and Hungarian oak barrels have been ordered, adding a wench for lifting empty barrels in the barrel room is in the works, and changes to the harvesting process is being considered.

I'm so excited about all the new folks trying our wine for the first time. Direct orders from the winery have gone well, and the very positive response from wine shops has placed wine in shops that expose us to an altogether new audience. - with more locations in the Bay area and in Southern CA still to be added. That said, we've been processing mail/fax orders on the same day and shipping within 24 hours - I'm finding that UPS is delivering our wine (in CA) within 2-3 days from being ordered.

3/17/06
Spring is almost upon us and the weather has been perfect - cool with light showers. In past years we saw bud break between the 15th and the 20th of March - this year the buds are still swelling but no bud break in sight. This is exactly what we hoped for, by delaying our pruning we hope to delay growth by one-two weeks and push harvest into October. Our goal is to avoid unwanted frost in April and to gain a longer hang-time for the fruit into October. October can offer less extreme days and slow down the sugars, improve ripeness and balance acids in Zinfandel. The risk is that fall brings rain and rain brings rot. We'll need to watch the forecast carefully to avoid getting caught in the rain.

In the winery, I'll be finishing up labeling the 2004 Zinfandel today and packaging up orders for delivery. Yesterday, I tasted through all the 2005 Zinfandel and Petite Sirah barrels and walked away very excited. The nose, color and the fruit are overwhelming - candied wild cherry, vanilla, ripened raspberry, and warmer cherry fruit on the nose and a mouthful of concentrated cherry-raspberry, sweet-oak, and vanilla in the mouth. The 2005 is spending it's time in mostly new French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels and a smaller percentage of second year French and American oak. The wine will enjoy another 6 months in barrels and be racked at least two more times before bottling in September.

3/6/06
Today we released our 2004 Zinfandel by shipping all the pre-release orders to customers. The latest order form is available online for new orders. New orders may also be called in, please leave us a message if we don't answer and you will get a call back. Also, we've been able to add N. Carolina and Florida to our list of states that we ship to.

Our weather has been rainy, mild and windy - the winter vineyard work is complete allowing us to relax and await the spring growth.

2/27/06
Finally, past due rain arrives this week on the central coast.

2/19/06
With the hard working help of Molly, Jeff, and Roberto - the vineyard clippings have been pulled from the vineyard and piled high. This is always a big job - thanks to you guys for all the help this weekend - it was fun.

2/17/06
Snowflakes - that's right we have a little snow here on the central coast. This weekend is forecasted to offer some much needed rain - but last night's temps at 25F brought us this rare sight.
The vineyard has been fully pruned and this weekend friends are joining us to remove the clippings from the rows. The weather has been record-setting warm lately with highs in the low 90's for several days. What a contrast to the snow we're seeing today.

2/10/06
Toucan Wines is now a member of the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers - very well known as ZAP. I recommend you visit the site and consider attending ZAP events:

2/6/06
Hot, dry weather may deliver an early spring here on the central coast. Good weather for pruning but not ideal for the vines. I'm hoping for more freezing nights and plenty of seasonable rain. Yesterday, we reached the halfway mark on vineyard pruning. Terrie's been a great help pruning with me in the younger section, now the older vines will get their turn.
The 2004 estate grown Zinfandel will now be released in March. Labels have been ordered and wine orders have been coming in from all over the country. Shipments for all outstanding orders will ship by early-to-mid March. A new order form has been posted on the ORDER page, replacing the pre-release order form.

The 2005 estate grown Zinfandel (in barrels) is coming along nicely. A tasting from each barrel, over the weekend, tells me the wine is aging perfectly in oak, still going through ML and a few barrels still slightly active at converting residual sugars.

1/20/06
Glorious weather here on the central coast has been a true joy - even if our rainfall is below normal. All is well here on the farm and in the winery. I've been spending time attempting to better understand state-by-state shipping restrictions and acquiring permits for direct shipments. Direct shipping for wineries is big problem and especially a struggle for the small winery. I'm amazed that so many states have made the process so complicated, seemingly to discourage free-trade, that wineries without large volume eventually give up trying to ship into their state. To learn more and to do something about it, visit: http://www.wineinstitute.org/shipwine/ another resource for shipping to your state is: http://www.ups.com/wine

And the annual ZAP Zinfandel festival - Jan 25-28th - If you haven't been - you must go. This is the largest gathering of Zinfandel producers on the planet, check it out: http://www.zinfandel.org/festival/

1/9/06
Thanks to Jeff for reminding me to update What's New... continued mild weather and rain filled our holidays. A good rain ploughed through serving to increase our rain totals without damaging the vineyard or property. These heavy rainstorms play havoc with the gophers, the water rushes in their holes flooding the network forcing them out (and subject to prey) or drowns the lot. Either way works for me. Our season rain totals are below average and I suspect we have a lot more rain to come in January and February.

We've been finding projects around the property to keep us busy, this past weekend we planting acorns from Cork Oaks that we located in Santa Barbara. These beautiful old oaks, near oak park, are some of the only examples in the area. I hope to have several cork trees growing to compliment the Red Oaks and White Oaks growing on the property. Also this weekend, we finally got around to emptying a storage room to make way for shipping materials in support of our upcoming 2004 release.
On the horizon, pruning will begin toward the very end of January, along with weed abatement. Happy New Year.

12/24/05
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our friends and supporters!
This week our weather has been mild with cold nights - some small amounts of rain have kept the ground moist and the grass growing. Today we performed the first racking of the 2005 Estate Zinfandel having completed ML fermentation. The wine is tasting very bold and beginning to take on the influence of new oak aging.

12/9/05
A mix of rain and mild days make the central coast of California a very special place. Nearly every night brings a little frost and the days are keeping in the mid-60s to 70 degrees.
I've started some early work in the vineyard by pulling a small number of vines planted several years ago in error. These are table grape vines that became mixed-in with the Zinfandel cuttings. We left the vines in the vineyard for 5 years assuming we'd eat the fruit when it ripened. The problem is that the vines never produced and now take-up prime growing space. Now we'll re-plant these vines with old-clone Zinfandel. While we're at it, I'll add another 100+ vines to the vineyard filling in areas left open when planning for construction of the winery and our home.

11/30/05
We anticipate rain for the first couple of days in December (typically our wettest month). The vines have lost most of their leafs and the few nights of frost have done-in the veggie garden for the season. This week's rainy day activities include servicing the tractor, ATV, mower and all the miscellaneous power equipment that help keep the place going.

After the rains, I'll drive the cultivator through sections of the vineyard and plant a cover crop for winter. A cover crop will help develop the soil and reduce some of the weeds that tend to take over in winter/spring.

11/24/05
Happy Thanksgiving! As we move toward the end of another year, we give thanks for our many gifts and we wish you all the best of times during the holidays.

10/22/05
We had a great time with all our vineyard volunteers during the 2005 Harvest Party. Fall weather has arrived with it's cool air and fresh smells. The vineyard has started it's turn to red, yellow, and brown. Here's a recent picture of my daughters.

10/7/05
This year's harvest is all in barrels and settled in for a long winter rest. The young juice is tasting deliciously ripe and has some residual sugar that will finish-off in the barrel.

We're removing netting from the vineyard and offering the vines a thank you of water, prior to the winter rains, and now that harvest is complete.

9/25/05
Our 2005 harvest is finished (thank you), all the grapes are in fermentation bins or barrels. Early this morning, after a cool 35 degree night, about a dozen wonderful vineyard volunteers picked the last of the ripe Zinfandel from our vineyard. The fruit came into the winery cool, clean, and ripe with sugars of 25-plus Brix. Thank you to all the vineyard volunteers!

9/21/05
Harvest and fermentations have kept us very busy these past several days. The harvest has yielded more wonderful fruit than expected. In fact, I've had to purchase additional barrels twice. We harvested on Sept. 11th and on the 17th and expect one more day of harvest fun.
This year we've taken full advantage of our new winery building. Finally having the room to move fermentation tanks around, having room to clean equipment inside, plus a lab on-site and good music in the winery makes winemaking a pleasure. Also our new winery equipment is working well and volunteer recommendations are improving our picking and movement of grapes to the winery, while coffee and sweet rolls are now served during the harvest hours.
2005 Vineyard and Winery pictures by Bob and Debbie Garner

9/13/05
We began harvesting the Toucan Vineyard on the 11th, with the help of several volunteers, we picked the Petite Sirah first (after a 38 degree night) which came into the winery as cold as I've ever seen grapes (about 50 degrees when crushed). The South facing Zinfandel was next and our first picking was complete by 11am. With sugars ranging from 25 - 26+ Brix this has turned out to be a great start to the harvest.

9/8/05
Calling all volunteers. We're looking at our first harvest dates as being this Sunday and next Saturday. We'll start with the Petite Sirah and finish with Zinfandel. A cooling trend has moved into the central coast and this should slow down ripening just a bit and allow us to spread-out harvest over the next two or more weeks.

9/1/05
I was asked yesterday "are you ready for the big push?" referring to harvest - and later I thought - I don't see it as a push, but more of a process hinged on timing. Yes, it's a creative release too, but a process of chemistry, labor, coordination, and luck. Yes, even luck. But timing is everything at harvest, selecting the time to harvest (using taste, chemistry, and risk assessment) given sections of the vineyard ripen at different times. Then, there's coordinating the timing of volunteers at harvest, winery and harvest equipment preparation (cleaning, machinery testing, cleaning, barrel prep, did I mention cleaning, did I order the yeast and fermentation supplies?), all the while we fight hungry birds, yellow jackets, fox, and everything else interested in eating fruit that's nearing 25% sugar. Even the dogs want in on the harvest fun, while chasing a bird caught in the netting - one dog shredded a section of netting uncovering 200 feet of vines - what a mess.
Currently sugars for the south facing hill are 20-22 brix and our temps are in the high 80's and low 90's - with a high of 102 on Monday.

8/26/05
Amazing the weather changes this year. Earlier this week we had an overnight low near 40 and the days were foggy and cool - today highs near 100 and night temps are warm. It's a weird year to be sure.
Veraison is 100% throughout the vineyard, sugars for the south facing hillside are about 19-20 Brix for both Petite Sirah and for the Zinfandel. We are at the mercy of the climate, but my earliest estimate starts harvest mid-September.

8/22/05
The weather has been cooler then past years with morning fog that keeps me worried about mildew in the vineyard.

8/7/05
Today, with plenty of help from friends and family, we placed netting on most of the vineyard. Our continued steady climate is making for a great growing season.

7/30/05
A steady climate of 80's and 90's, and cool nights, have made working in the vineyard very pleasant. Last minute work with the vines has prepared us for netting the vineyard. Given the strong growth, most vines needed the canapé opened-up or a few leafs pulled to expose the fruit to more sun, we also completed the removal of any 2nd crop growth from aggressive vines. Netting will begin next week and then the waiting for harvest begins.

7/13/05
Some much needed HOT weather has moved into the central coast and looks like it's going to stay for a while. The heat of 90's to 100 will be great for the Zinfandel, but makes working outside difficult. Yesterday we poured 20 yds. of concrete for the winery crush-pad, parking area, and walkway. This is the first of several upcoming hardscape projects planned for the property.

7/8/05
Thanks to all our friends for sending congrats on our licensing... we appreciate the support!
Our other news is a change to the future availability of our 2004 vintage, we did not plan a commercial release but it's been cleared by the licensing gods and we look forward to a Spring of 2006 release of our 2004 Estate Zinfandel.

7/1/05
Today, Toucan Wines officially became a fully licensed winery!!
The weather has been mild for this time of year, some early morning fog but not the usual hot days. Work around the farm includes a new crushing pad and walkway for the winery to be poured next week. New crushing equipment has been manufactured (thanks to some good friends), and we're gearing up for bottling sometime in August. Little to do in the vineyard but wait for ripening fruit - just kidding - before harvest we'll pull second crop (2nd pass), thin fruit from over productive vines, hoe for weeds, and net the entire vineyard.

5/22/05

By this time last year, we had experienced several 100 degree days and had irrigated the vineyard three times. Yesterday we had our first real HOT day, 103 degrees in the sun, and today 107. I still hope to avoid irrigation until Summer.

This week's vineyard update: I've just about finished tying the vines for the year. You might ask, why tie head-trained vines? Because head-trained vines require training of the shoot positions (in order to create the arms of the plant) over the first several years. This is one more reason why this style of trellising is very labor intensive; also we've experienced huge rainfall this year causing the grass in the vineyard rows to grow past the usual time, because we still need to mow - tying the vines buys another month before the vines will grow to the point they fall into he center of the rows blocking access. Some head-trained vineyard are cultivated before vine growth blocks access to the vineyard. However, this cultivating leaves only the bare earth, and we believe that the grass we encourage bring beneficial insects and helps with the rain run-off.
My next pass thru the vines will be to thin the clusters once they're all formed. Thinning reduces volume but allows the vine to focus more intensity on remaining fruit. When complete, the cluster numbers (per vine) will range between 2 and 8 depending on the age and strength of the vine.

5/16/05
Today we have received more rain after 3 - 90 degree and windy days. Another indication that the season is moving by quickly - barrels and bottles arrive this week, while corks and capsules need to be ordered for bottling in August.

5/11/05
The year seems to be slipping by so quickly. The vineyard is growing well and the winds have been on and off, very little damage to young growth so far. We just received some rare Spring rain (1.5 inches) and the vines loved it (the weeds too!). Mowing, weeding, vine tying, and gophers will keep me busy for the next several weeks.
The 2004 Estate Zinfandel was recently racked and is tasting terrific, I'm very pleased with the balance in such a young wine and the burst of fruit in intense.

4/18/05
Spring brings growth and warmer weather, but we're still getting a little frost that may take a toll on the young vines (about 20 vines saw frost damage). The growth in the vineyard is between 8 and 16 inches. Like last year, the wind is back with gusts that tend to break shoots and play a negative role while vines are pollinating their flowers. Once suckering is completed, I'll focus on tying vines at risk from the wind. But all news in not bad, the growth in the vineyard looks terrific and the newer sections of the vineyard will yield their first fruit this year.

3/16/05
Continued Spring weather in the vineyard encourages young growth. The green hills and blooming tress are a sight this time of year. The flowers, vines, and weeds are all growing well. More rain in the forecast.

3/10/05
The past month delivered more rain (over 30 inches for the season), that has turned to warm and Spring-like. The vine's buds have begun to swell and break-out, two weeks ahead of last year.
Landscaping construction has begun around the winery building. I'm also performing equipment maintenance and repairs. The 2004 Estate Zinfandel received it's first racking and was blended to include 12 percent of estate Petite Sirah. Then, returned to new oak barrels to rest.

2/14/05
The Central Coast of California has enjoyed several glorious weeks of clear weather allowing the vineyard to dry-out and we finally completed the annual pruning (a big job done). We also performed the first mowing of the season on grasses nearly two feet tall. With these chores behind us we can re-focus on the wine and completing the interior of the winery building. The weather forecast calls for rain over the next 7 days.

1/19/05
After all that "rain, rain, wonderful rain" (some 22+ inches of it) we're drying out with 80+ degree days... wild California weather! Pruning in the vineyard has finally begun (between jury duty days) and I'm hopeful of mowing and spraying the vineyard over the next several weeks - once the soil is dry enough to allow the tractor to clime the hills.

12/28/04
Rain, rain, wonderful rain has arrived as a winter gift to the vineyard. The central coast of California may receive up to 10 inches of rain over the next 7-10 days. Of course this slows down any work in the vineyard, but raises the water tables in our beautiful valley.

12/13/04
With early rains and warmer than usual Winter weather on the central coast, the weeds are getting out of control. Just yesterday we had fog due to the warm weather (weird!). In January we'll start pruning the vineyard, but first I'll need to mow the fast growing grass in the vineyard.

11/6/04
Rain and overcast weather continues on the central coast and the days are short and chilly. We bottled the 2003 Estate Zinfandel this weekend with the help of Edna, Merlin and Robert and put it back to rest in the cellar.
Here's a couple of new pictures: 2004 fermentation, hanging-out with Benito Dusi, one of Terrie's flower gardens, vines in Summer.

10/21/04
At Toucan Wines the 2004 harvest is complete, the wine's fermented and put to rest in barrels for the long winter sleep. Now we get the chance to take a breath and enjoy the Fall season and the vineyard work that comes with it. This week we received the first rains of the season and we took our first taste of the 2004 Estate Zinfandel, after having settled in barrels.... the wine seems as big and lush as we had hoped. In the next couple of weeks the 2003 Estate Zinfandel will be bottled and laid to rest for a year of further aging in the bottle.

9/28/04
Fall is in the air and our final picking is planned for this coming weekend. Our annual harvest party for volunteers was lots of fun. We appreciate all the help we received and look forward to getting together again soon. Even the dogs like harvest.

9/13/04
Harvest began this past Thursday the 9th with Petite Sirah and continued Saturday and today with the picking of Zinfandel. A recent heat wave forced the sugars higher allowing us to start earlier than planned.

8/31/04
The vineyard is netted and the weather has been mild, were hoping for a warm up this coming week.

8/17/04
A warm but consistent climate is ripening the fruit on schedule for a mid-to-late September harvest.

7/22/04
The wind I've mentioned had an impact on the formation of clusters in our vineyard (and other vineyards in the area). The production will be limited. The growing season has been dry and warm, not triple digit hot, less fog this year with very cool nights. Fruit set affected by high winds left loose clusters, not full, and fewer clusters per vine on those vines affected. No mildew.
The fruit is just beginning to turn, as the sugars rise and our bird population awaits, we are preparing for netting of the vineyard. The dogs are enjoying all the action on the farm, the winery construction, and the activity in Terrie's Garden.

5/12/04
WIND! We are rushing to tie the vines to their stakes. The wind has been terrorizing the vineyard for several days now, tearing off growth and in some cases we have lost all new growth from several young vines. The dry weather continues, but milder highs have us back to normal Spring conditions. The new fruit crop looks great and I'm excited about this year's possibilities.

We have begun building the winery, we poured the 30x40 slab and the retaining walls last week. We are hoping to start framing the walls next week. Also last week we racked the 2003 estate Zinfandel and had a tasting of our 1997 late harvest Zinfandel and port, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002 Zinfandels. All these wine still showing very well. The 2000 always seems to be a favorite, with the 2002 and 1998 close behind.

3/9/04
HOT! Seems like we slipped right into summer with temps in the 80's. Currently we're 75-80% of average rain fall, with no rain in the forecast.

2/15/04
This winter has been if anything mild. The winter colors in the vineyard and the hills are beautiful and the sunsets this time of year can be a special experience. The pruning and other winter duties in the vineyard are complete, even the dogs are ready for a rest. As we wait for the vines to bud in spring, with hopes of still more rain, we turn our efforts to building a new winery structure to be ready for harvest.

1/22/04
The central coast of California is experiencing a relatively dry winter season, currently we're several inches under normal rain fall. We are half-way through our annual pruning, the grow tubes have come off the newly planted vines, and my fight with the many weeds that grow in the vineyard continues.

The 2003 Toucan Wines Zinfandel is developing nicely in barrels, while the 1998 and 2000 Zinfandels make regular appearances at the dinner table.

12/5/03
We've had a busy season. Our first estate harvest (all be it a small harvest) was very successful with several volunteers helping us with the early morning picking and the crush. Because of the low yield, from newer vines, the process when fast on a very beautiful morning in late September. Today the 2003 Toucan Wines Estate Zinfandel is safely tucked away in barrels. The vineyard is displaying the colors of fall and the weather has turned sharply cool. Changes in the season came more suddenly this year and I'm reminded how very quickly time passes bye.
Winter work in the vineyard will begin soon. Pruning, weeding, and repairs on equipment will be the first order of business after the holidays.

I've recently sampled several of the older vintages of Toucan Wines. I found the 1995, 1997, and 1998 Zins really at a peek for flavor and balance, while the 2000 Zin continues to be my favorite for it's elegant style. Also very yummy is the 1997 Zinfandel Port.
Improvements to the our land continue, we have moved into our new home and plans are being finalized for the shop and winery building.

8/26/03
The warm Summer continues as the grapes turn and the sugars rise - we await harvest. Our first harvest from the Toucan Vineyard is estimated to be the week of October 1st.

7/20/03
The heat is on, we've had 90-100 degree days on a regular basis with a one day high of 107 degrees. The new vines planted Memorial Day weekend are doing very well. They're getting plenty of water, sun and encouragement.

6/10/03
Cool, overcast weather has overwhelmed the central coast this past week. The new vines are thriving, and we finally have time to think of tasks other than the vineyard. This past week we received and planted the last vines needed to finalize the big planting effort that began over the Memorial Day weekend. Our small 3.5 acre vineyard is now completely planted.

5/29/03
With lots of help from our friends, an acre and a half of our vineyard has been planted with specially ordered "old clone" Zinfandel bud wood from the Benito Dusi Vineyard grafted on rootstock 110R. A BIG thank-you goes to Greg and Ellen, Neil and Ruth, Marisa and Jeff, of course Terrie, my folks Merlin and Edna (Chef), and Robert (Master Planter) for hanging out and planting all weekend.

5/15/03
We completed the irrigation system, sprayed for weeds, and moved old grow tubes from one section to the new section. We look forward to seeing our friends and family next weekend for planting.
The weather has started to warm-up, perfect for growing grapes. Normal annual maintenance is the cause of the day - weeding, hoeing, suckering, mowing, and spraying are all taking time.

5/2/03
More Spring rain started today, we expect as much as 2 inches in our area. We've completed most of the preparation for the new section of the vineyard, recently we hung the drip wire and hose and next the emitters need to be placed at each stake. The vines are slow to leaf with 80% having broke bud, some with growth as much as 18 inches.

4/14/03
A Spring rain came through the region offering the vines a real growth incentive. As we approach Easter and the early days of May, I'm relieved that we have an ever growing chance of escaping a deadly Spring frost.

4/5/03
We are at the last stages of installing the final phase of our vineyard. Terrie and I have another 100 or so holes to auger and wire baskets to make, and a few hundred more stakes to install. I'm eagerly awaiting planting on May 24 and 25th.

3/21/03
The buds on the vines have been swelling for a couple of weeks now, and finally the first few sets of leafs have shown themselves. The continued mild Spring has been a warm 70 - 80 degrees with night temperatures as low as 28 degrees.

2/23/03
We've had more than our share of sunshine this winter. In some parts of our county, the vines have over 6 inches of new growth. This is a problem is areas that will get a freeze in late winter ~ as the new growth may die-off from the frost.
Our warm winter has pushed the 2002 Toucan Wines Zinfandel through secondary fermentation and earlier this month we racked and tasted the wine. When the 2002 was harvested the fruit was dryer than usual. The result was less production and a slightly more concentrated wine than typical. The 2002 seems to be developing very nicely into an elegant wine very similar to our 1999 and 2000 Zinfandel. The Toucan Vineyard is fully pruned and mowed, and we are working toward a planting date in May for the new phase. Good progress has been made on the house, it's sided and painted and the interior work has begun.
Last month's rain settled into a two week heat wave. We've made some progress on the house, and even enjoyed a controlled burn from our front row seats.

11/7/02
The first rain of the season struck today, creating some erosion in the vineyard and leaving our home (still without a roof) drenched.
With the soil wet, we'll begin the process of drilling holes and placing baskets in preparation of the new vineyard section.

10/23/02
The 2002 Toucan Wines Zinfandel has been tucked away in barrels for the long Winter sleep. I add dry ice to start a cold soaking prior to fermentation. A good friend helped with harvest and the wine making, also he was kind enough to loan me some space to make wine during our house construction. This will be another amazing year for Zinfandel from the Benito Dusi Ranch.

9/23/02
Today we harvested from the Benito Dusi Ranch Vineyard, more about the 2002 Toucan Wines Zinfandel later.

9/16/02
We are on sugar watch awaiting harvest of the Benito Dusi Ranch Vineyard. The 2002 Toucan Wines Zinfandel will be made this year at a near by location due to our house construction. Benito is very excited about the quality of the 2002 fruit.
Recently tasted the 1995 Toucan Wines Zinfandel and find it to be in great shape with bright fruit and a soft mouth feel... very nice - drink up!
If you haven't visited the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers web site. I recommend you do:

7/7/02
We are experiencing a very warm growing season and the vines in the vineyard are taking full advantage of the sun and water from the drip irrigation. Growth of the vines has been amazing, this brings hope of advancing our schedule, to produce a first crop, one year earlier. We are working hard on installing the second phase of the vineyard while spending considerable time weeding and maintaining the vines we have in the ground. Additionally, several projects are scheduled for this summer, including drastic tree trimming, a deer fence, and the purchase of a mower for the tractor.
Our house building plans are still on hold pending final approval from the county, our contractor is ready and waiting and we all hope to get started very soon. We recently tasted the 1997 Toucan Wines Zinfandel Port and found it a surprisingly yummy, sweet, and concentrated dessert wine.

5/20/02
New fencing for a garden, training for the vines, and the preparation for next year's planting is keeping us busy. The vines are doing well given a recent cooling period and rain (weird for May in the Central Coast). We are doing weekly deep-watering to encourage root growth. House plans are awaiting approval and a permit; and the dogs are both enjoying the Spring weather.

5/1/02
Spring is in the air. The new vines (in their second season) are showing early growth as they peek out from inside the grow tubes. Cultivating the vineyard is being done and preparation for the second phase of the vineyard is about to begin (an all Summer long project). Our building plans for our home is ahead of schedule, we hope to break ground early this Summer.
We are planning to produce wine this year, from the Benito Dusi Ranch. The 2002 growing season has started off very well, Benito feels he has a good crop on with the growing season being a little cooler than normal.
Lately, we've been drinking the Toucan Wines 2000 Zinfandel and really enjoying the powerful fruit and full-body Zin flavors. We are also drinking the last of our 1996 Zin and our 1999 Cabernet.

12/1/01
Winter has set in on the vineyard and rains have started. A ground cover of clover has started to grow and of course the days are getting shorter. I work to prepare for phase 2 of the vineyard, plant Terrie's first phase orchard, and look forward to the winter work in phase 1 -- including the first pruning. I'm rebuilding a sprayer gifted by a neighbor; we build a pump house for the water system; and I've done some preparation for our recent addition -- the new ranch dog "Sam", short for Samantha. She joined us when she was about 9 weeks and is now a little over four months old.
For the first time in many years, we didn't make a wine this vintage. The relocation has left us with no place to ferment the grapes until a winery is build in the not too distant future. The 2000 Toucan Wines Zinfandel from the Benito Dusi Ranch is drinking beautifully. We continue to work by day and maintain the vineyard and other farm duties each weekend.

8/15/01
It's been eight months since I've updated this site, what with our moving to San Luis Obispo and literally all our available time spent working to prepare the vineyard. Here's a run down of what we've been up to.
Since December we've been drilling holes, inserting baskets, and pounding stakes for each grape vine. This was a much under estimated task that took months longer than we expected. With the help of friends, we finally completed this chore in May (4 months behind schedule). We then pulled a strong wire for the drip line, attached the drip line, inserted drip emitters, hooked-up the water system, and finally in late June started planting the vines. Over three weekends with the help of over a dozen friends we planted phase one of our vineyard project.

8/10/01
The 2000 Toucan Wines Zinfandel from the Benito Dusi Ranch was bottled today with help from Edna, Merlin, Kuni, and Jack. Our 2000 Zinfandel has wonderful Zin-fruit that's nicely balanced with new French oak. Tasting notes to follow. This is our only wine produced in 2000.

12/17/00
I spent this morning racking the 2000 Toucan Wines Zinfandel to all newer French oak barrels. This year, the Zinfandel seems to be turning into wine at a mid-point between the 1999 and 1998 releases - not on the lighter side as is the 1999, but not as heavy handed as the 1998. I'm looking forward to the next tasting once a bit more oak is incorporated.
Recently, we've been in preparation for the upcoming winter activities at the vineyard. We have flagged the vineyard with the location of every future vine, we've made all the wire baskets, and we have convinced a few volunteers to join us over the holidays to help us with the drilling and basket placement work. We'll also be placing the stakes in the holes in final preparation for the vine which arrive in April.

11/26/00
We spent the long Thanksgiving weekend making progress by pulling 1100 feet of electrical wire to the new pump house (a bigger job then one might imagine), we primed the tractor shed, disked and raked the planting area, Terrie attacked the gopher problem, and we laid-out most of the vineyard with flags that denote the location of each vine. Wow, it's finally starting to look like a vineyard.
The long weekend offered us great weather - a slight ocean breeze cooled the 70 degree days (I think we got a tan on Saturday). However, the sunsets over the valley hills by 4:30, this time of year - so the work day is cut short and the temperatures cool off dramatically.

11/19/00
This weekend allowed us to apply all siding to the new tractor shed and now all that's left is to paint it.. finally we see an end to this project and off to the next.
I've made some progress on building the new pump house and completing the irrigation system, but there's more to do.
I spend part of Sunday disking and raking the part of the property that gets the first planting of grapes this Spring. Over the next couple of months we'll finish the irrigation systems, lay out the vineyard and auger the holes to set in the gopher baskets and the stakes for the vines. We'll also cut more bud wood for the second phase of the vineyard. This bud wood is grafted on root stock and raised in the nursery for 15 months before planting.

10/22/00
Today, we bottled the 1999 Toucan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon from the Mann Vineyard, where Mike Mann and his family produce some wonderful Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet, and other grape varietals. The long 1999 growing season produced a very ripe Cabernet, that's full-bodied, round and approachable with it's fine tannins, French oaks and typical Cabernet flavors. This wine spent 12 months in new 30 gallon French oak barrels.

10/8/00
Our recent weekends have been spent completing the tractor shed and preparing wire baskets for our upcoming planting. The shed has clearly taken longer than expected, but it looks great and serves to keep the tractor out of the rain. As fall sets in the working conditions are very pleasant at the vineyard. The weather has been wonderful and the breeze from the ocean always welcome.

9/12/00
Tonight we put the 2000 vintage to bed, pressing the Toucan Wines Zinfandel into French oak - marking the end of another season. With the help of Robin, a winery volunteer, we pressed the Zinfandel fruit from the Benito Dusi Ranch ~ while enjoying conversation and an old bottle of Cabernet. Thanks Robin for the help, Cheers! Here’s to another year of enjoying fine wine.

9/4/00
Harvest of the 2000 Toucan Wines Zinfandel took place today. The selected fruit, from the Benito Dusi Ranch, is from sections of the ranch that we haven't made wine from since 1993. These sections included the old vines behind Benito's shed on the slope nearest the railroad track and the old vines at the frontage road on the south/western side of the ranch. The fruit was harvested in the early morning at a perfect 25 Brix (97% Zinfandel and 3% Petite Sirah). The fruit was crushed by early afternoon, with the help of winery volunteer ~ Jack, and covered to begin cold soaking prior to fermentation.

9/1/00
Our tractor shed got a new metal roof (well a good start on the new roof) over this long labor day weekend.

8/27/00
Today we bottled the 1999 Toucan Wines Zinfandel with the help of winery volunteers: Kuni, Monico and Jack. The 1999 Zin is a delicious, well balanced and fruity Zinfandel with lots of body, but not an over abundance of alcohol. The 1999 Toucan Wines Zinfandel spent 11 months in French oak barrels and finished at 13.7% alcohol ~ we bottled a total of 426 bottles. Look for the release of this in early 2001. Thanks go out to Kuni, Monico and Jack!

8/10/00
Two weeks ago, a new septic system was installed to support the existing home and our future new construction. As we continue to say, this place has become our money pit. This past weekend, we covered up the septic system ~ resetting things to normal having overcome another emergency. Our next set of priorities include finishing the tractor shed, connecting the new water system, making 1000's of wire baskets for the vines, digging holes for the baskets and placing the vine stakes, setting-up the drip irrigation system ~ all this has to be done by March of 2001. We also had the last huge stump dug out from the vineyard.
The Benito Dusi Ranch is about ready to begin harvest ~ recent sugar levels are at 24 Brix. We're hoping to harvest our small quantity following the Labor Day weekend. The 1999 Zinfandel bottling in set for August 27th.

7/26/00
The 1999 Zinfandel (at least one of the barrels) was racked into new French oak to allow for a little more fresh oak flavor prior to bottling.

The Benito Dusi Ranch is experiencing a great year with loads of fruit but an over-abundance of leaf growth. Benito expects harvest by mid-September. Check out the new pictures of this year's growth, these were taken between March and early July.

7/4/00
Over the long weekend we trenched and laid the water system pipe and electrical conduit for the pump house. All the vineyard risers (used for the drip system) is in place, and the place is starting to look like a vineyard may one day appear. We have also discovered that we need a new septic system ~ so, we'll be having that installed later this month.

5/20/00
This weekend's record heat was exhausting to work in. With Merlin's help, we finished framing the sides of the tractor shed and now the roof and lap siding come next, then some paint and it's done. We also moved nearly 4,000 feet of PVC, that was delivered for the irrigation system, by strapping the pipe to the tractor and making four trips up the hill. This took the last of our depleted energy before we both headed home.

4/30/00
Today the 1999 Zinfandel and Cabernet wines got racked ~ I continue to be very pleased with this vintage and I hope to learn a lot about the character of the Benito Dusi Zinfandel made from this odd year affected by challenging weather. The Mann Cabernet will continue to rest in French oak barrels well into next year, but the Zinfandel will be bottled some time late this summer.

4/22/00
We finally started construction on the tractor shed. We spent the long weekend working around the place cleaning up, working in the garden, and building the frame work of the shed. I also spent some more time disking the grass that didn't give way from earlier efforts and was encouraged by the 4 inches of rain that fell the week before.

4/1/00
Well, two long days on the tractor was very therapeutic! This weekend (really, Friday and Saturday) we added 10 tons of lime to the soil and ripped and disked the property as a part of the final soil preparation for planting (section one).

3/26/00
We took the opportunity offered by a break in the rain and disked the property over this weekend. Later in the week, we're adding lime to the land and working that into the soil. This will cause the soil's pH to rise to the 6.0 - 6.2 pH range - perfect for our planting planned for next winter. The land is so beautiful this time of year, it's intense green and everything seems to be in bloom. The White Oaks are putting out their leafs and the wild flowers are in full display.

As I write this brief update, I'm tasting the 1998 Zinfandel from the Benito Dusi Ranch. It has started to come together and integrate it's flavors a bit. It's still awkward with it's high alcohol (a sweet flavor that over-powers the Zinfandel fruit - that may mellow in years), but it's a nice wine with big flavors and a very intense nose. Another one to three years of cellar time will benefit this wine.

2/14/00
After much agonizing, we have elected not to use a "modern" trellising system for our vineyard, but instead stick with the traditional "head trained" method used to grow Zinfandel and other grape varieties for probably hundreds - if not thousands of years. This approach will allow us additional flexibility when installing the vineyard and potentially produce the best possible fruit from our site. I recently spent some time talking with David Gates (vineyard manager, Ridge Vineyards) and he convinced me to follow my desire to develop a vineyard of tradition style, but to use some modern additions such as drip irrigation, leaf pulling, and close spacing. Also, I was recently encouraged by a new vineyard being planted in the Lytton Springs area of Sonoma (arguably one of the best producing micro climates for Zinfandel) with narrow spacing using a traditional head trained system.

I'm becoming quite informed on the science of water systems, drip irrigation, vineyard trellis systems, and installation planning. I recently attended a U.C. Davis class on "Managing a Small Vineyard" and I would recommend the course (4 classes in the series) to anyone interested in planting 100 vines or 10,000 vines. The Winter class was great and right down to earth.
We have very few accomplishments to report. I took soil samples in January and the lab results were similar to previous tests - that's good. And, I was able to identify a few straight lines on the property for the irrigation system, by using a transit and a lot of help from our neighbor.

1/2/00
Happy New Year! Today we selected, clipped and bundled the budwood for the Toucan Vineyard with a lot of help from our family. The clippings came from, where else - the Benito Dusi Ranch, where we selected Zinfandel budwood from the original Zinfandel vines which were planted on the ranch in 1923 (Southern Section). We also selected Petite Sirah budwood from old vines scattered throughout the Northern section of the ranch. The budwood was then delivered to Duarte Nursery where they will be grafted to 110R rootstock and grown for delivery in the Spring of 2001. Next year, we'll repeat this process to obtain the vines for our phase two planting in 2002. Last week, we poured cement for a pump house and a tractor shed. The holiday weather in Arroyo Grande has been amazing, in the mid-70's during the day and sharply cooler at night.

12/12/99
As 1999 comes to a close, we look forward to what another year may bring. The 1999 Toucan Wines are all resting well in oak barrels and tasting like another great year for Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Work on the vineyard begins this Spring. Our vine rootstock has been ordered, irrigation plans drawn, and a new water system designed. Now, it's time to do the work. We hope to have the water and irrigation systems in place this Spring. Fine tuning of the systems will be completed this Summer and planting of the first section in Spring 2001. We also hope to complete a tractor shed this Spring and do some ripping of the vineyard soils.

11/6/99
Today, we pressed the 1999 Toucan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon producing 70 gallons that was put to rest in French oak barrels.

10/27/99
The 1999 Toucan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon has just about finished fermenting and will be starting an extended period of exposure to the skins and seeds. Fermentation was started after 3 days of cold soaking and at it's peak reached 86 degrees - I hope to press the wine in another 10-12 days. Fortunately, the fruit has produced a very nice red wine that will begin it's long aging in new French oak.

10/20/99
Today we harvested the 1999 Toucan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon fruit (at 25 Brix) from the Mann Vineyard located in Southern Santa Clara County. The Mann Vineyard produces some wonderful Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet, and other grape varietals. If fact, the fruit that made our 1997 Chardonnay came from this same vineyard.
A little side tracked....
One of the big advantages to winemaking on a super small scale is the ability to take advantage of ideal conditions. As a small producer, I don't wait on large trucks to deliver my grapes, I'm not subject to the hold-ups wineries experience when their back-logged with wine ready to press and even more fruit is ready to harvest, or worse yet, waiting outside in the sun before processing. When you keep the output small, you have more choices and control, and I think - a better chance for a great product.
This morning was a perfect example of everything going right. It started when I arrived a little early to pick up the Cabernet from the Mann Vineyard. The pickers were just finishing-up filling a 1/2 ton bin of beautiful Cabernet fruit, within 10 minutes of my arriving the bin was full and fork lifted in to my pick-up. I drove home, crushed and destemmed the fruit - all within 1 hour of the fruit getting picked. So, you ask - what's the point. Well, the sooner the fruit gets into the winery - the cooler the fruit is (assuming it's picked in the morning). The cooler the better, today the fruit was very cold and safe from the bugs, dirt, heat and dehydration that effects grapes that sit around in the heat after being harvested.
Cool fruit allows the winemaker flexibility. In this case, the fruit will sit in the cool winery for 3 or more days before we add yeast and begin fermentation. If the fruit was warm or hot, I'd be inclined to start fermentation earlier to avoid mildew or other spoilage - thereby loosing the advantages of cold soaking (more on cold soaking some other time).
I always strive to get newly harvested fruit into the fermentation bins as soon as possible. When harvesting in Paso Robles, we take the fruit as it comes off the vine (first thing in the morning) and load the cold fruit directly into containers with lids. These covered containers are loaded into a covered truck and driven directly to the winery for processing. In this case, we might see as much as 3 hours go by before the fruit is fully processed.

10/2/99
The 1999 Toucan Wines Zinfandel was pressed and put into French oak barrels today.

9/24/99
Today we harvested Zinfandel fruit from the Benito Dusi Ranch (our seventh harvest from this great vineyard) to make our 1999 Toucan Wines Zinfandel. Again, we are fortunate to have harvested just from the old vines (South / Eastern section) on the ranch, a mix of 87% Zinfandel and 13% Petite Sirah. Harvest at the ranch was delayed this year due to unseasonably cool weather in early Summer and last minute rain showers. Harvest began on September 16th, at least a month behind usual. But, yields were the big news this year at the Benito Dusi Ranch, yields are down 50% and all the wineries received substantially less fruit. We feel lucky to have received any fruit at all!

The good news is that the growing season was all-in-all consistent and the fruit is beautiful, juicy and ripe with flavor. Sugars are lower (23 Brix at harvest) than other years, the result of cool-foggy mornings the week before our harvest date. The lower sugar will make a very pleasant, fruitier wine with less alcohol. Keep checking back for news and updates on this wine.

9/11/99
The 1998 Zinfandel has been bottled and a new harvest is upon us. We're looking forward to a mixed bag of grapes (so to speak), we are trying to buy varieties of grapes from new sources - but still we have no firm commitments.

8/99
We have finally bought our new John Deere tractor (model 870) and an off-set disker. This new toy will make chores easier and a lot more fun - look for a picture in the photo gallery.

7/1/99
We have looked for water on the property, in two locations, and came up dry. This news hits hard, but we are negotiating for water rights to a neighboring well. This delay has taken from us the time planned for developing our irrigation system, we'll be delayed till Spring.

6/15/99
We continue to make slow progress on the vineyard property. An old oak tree has been taken down and we're in the process of planking it for flooring or furniture. The property is getting it's first disking and we have experienced delays in finalizing our building plans.
The 1998 Zinfandel was just racked and tasted, it's a great wine from the oldest vines on the Benito Dusi Ranch. It still requires another 4 or more months of new oak.

1/3/99
Today, the 1998 Zinfandel was racked with the help of winery volunteer Geoff McDonald. We tasted the wine and concluded it has bright berry character - of course, still in need of oak aging. Alcohol was tested with the result being 15.9%, higher than any of our previous vintages.

11/23/98
Rains have started with a serious intent here in Northern California, assuring us of no additional grapes from sources finding themselves with left-over. I tasted the 1998 Zinfandel today while topping the barrels. The wine has an intense nose of wild berry and tastes of spicy raspberry and wild Zin-berry fruit. It's already taken on the rounded quality of the ML fermentation and has quite a dose of sweet alcohol on the palate.

10/17/98
After nine days on the skins, we pressed (using our new hydraulic press) the 1998 Toucan Wines Zinfandel and put the wine in 30 gallon French oak barrels. Early indications suggest that the 1998 Zin will turn out to be a very tasty and big bodied Zinfandel, with big alcohol, and medium-dark color. Of course, the wine always changes dramatically while in the barrel (for the better).

10/8/98
Today, the 1998 Toucan Wines Zinfandel was harvested from the Benito Dusi Ranch, Paso Robles, California. This year's harvest was four to six weeks later than usual due to the late rains and cool summer. Fortunately, the fruit quality was fabulous (as always), and for a change, we harvested from only the older Zinfandel vines on the ranch. As we usually do, we harvested some Petite Syrah from the Dusi Ranch to blend with the Zinfandel. This year the Zinfandel blend will include 11% Petite Syrah.

8/3/98
Today, our 6.4 acre Toucan Vineyard property was purchased, in rural Arroyo Grande, in the County of San Luis Obispo. The land was a small piece of the Loomis Family Ranch called "Tar Springs", a cattle ranch and family residence that consisted of nearly 6,000 acres at one time. The small parcel we purchased is in the heart of the Loomis ranch in what we consider to be one of the most beautiful areas of rural California. The ranch is still a working ranch and home to several of the Loomis families, who lease the ranch for cattle and plan to slowly sell off pieces of the ranch as they desire.
The wine making region is known as the Arroyo Grande Valley. Our grand plan is to plant Zinfandel on this site, build a home and winery, and continue our family tradition of crafting fine quality wines for our friends and family.