Sideways Wine Club + Toucan Wines Carignane

Welcome Sideways Wine Club members - your recent Maya's Selection shipment of 2006 Toucan Wines Carignane is sure to please - see our Wine page for full details on this wine and info on other current releases. To order more Carignane, please feel free to contact the Sideways Wine Club for your club pricing.

Suckering, Suckering, Suckering

Yes, it's the time of year when each little vine needs special attention to remove extra growth. Particularly the Petite Sirah vines that always grow a little wild. This is the first of two suckering passes through the vineyard.

The process is simple but requires some thought - I remove unwanted shoots that grow from buds formed in odd locations on the truck; I remove those growing the wrong direction; and those creating an excess that will crowd the others as the rest grow up. Really, it's one of the best jobs in the vineyard. Especially when the weather is great and with a little music playing in my ear. That said, it's bending and stooping - so at the moment I'm inside taking a break and justifying that with a note to you ;-)

Wine Pouring, Customers, HOT Weekend

One of my real joys in this industry is interacting with folks tasting our wine. I meet some very cool people, for example this weekend I visited with a couple from S. CA, who had tasted our wine at Tastes of the Valley in Solvang. They went out of their way to find me at Lund's this past Saturday.

And it was HOT this weekend 100 degrees Sunday.

Warm and Sunny Central Coast

We had a couple of nights of frost on the roofs - that took a toll on a few younger vines. But over all our weather has been typical for the season - but a little dry. The wind has been gusting and today a heat wave has settled in. It must be 85 outside today and the claim is 90's on Saturday. All of this means that the grapes are right on schedule and most all 3,000 vines seem to be taking well to this years climate.

Local Wine Picks - The Tribune

The Tribune, San Luis Obispo
LOCAL WINEPICKS...

Sometimes wine drinkers simply want a change of pace from the usual cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay. This county’s wineries and vineyards offer plenty of choices that are a little different. My picks this week focus on two hearty reds, as well as a racy sauvignon blanc.

Toucan Wines 2006 Carignane $28
Toucan, best known for its zinfandel, is in Arroyo Grande, but the grapes for this wine come from Evangelho Vineyard up north in Contra Costa County. The vines were planted in the 1890s and yield a very small crop. These old vines have provided the fruit for a wonderful wine that’s full of character. It’s ripe and full-bodied, with dark fruit, white pepper, a slight floral note, firm tannins and a long, persistent finish.

Windy and Sunny Day

4/6 You just got to love perfect days in the low 70's with a bit of a breeze. The vines are growing fast now that most have broken buds. Funny how the newly planted replacment vines and the vines on the very top of the ridge always pop out first. The picture shown here is from May of last year - only the vines I mentioned (on top) have this much growth.

Maybe the last rain

The most recent attempt of Mother Nature to wet the ground wasn't much of a wetting. I'm sure this will end up being a very dry year and we're getting ready.

I'm doing a few small, well deferred, tasks in the vineyard and we've starting a few small addition projects to sheds.

Thanks to everyone helping us launch our latest release - our 2006 Toucan Cuvee.

And thanks to everyone who continues to read our newsletter and writes to be with comments. Please share our newsletter or release letters with others by forwarding - see the bottom of the letter for a forwarding link.