Toucan Wines Slideshow and More

New on the Toucan Wines web site is a slide show page which I continuously update with our winery and vineyard pics.

Welcome to May, I'm working in the winery and staring out the winery window as the clouds move-in to present a slight chance of real rain. I just mowed the vineyard and weedwacked the frontage on Huasna Road. Sunday, I'll hand spray all the new shoots with Catfish emulsion to add needed micro-nutrients and help early development.

Frost and Heat - a Damaging Mix

Frost from the past two weeks has taken a toll on early leafing vines - mostly our estate Petite Sirah. A little damage on early Zinfandel too. This week we face the extreme heat that arrived Sunday and will last three days. This heat may burn young leafs and damage further the vines struggling to recover from frost damage. This is the first real frost damage to the vineyard in several years, last time we had only a few vines burned near the road - this year especially damaged were young re-plants of Petite Sirah that replaced the hard freeze of three years ago.

Warm Days Ahead...

Where did spring go, I'm enjoying the green? Maybe this will just be a heat wave, but were expecting some very warm weather. The vines will love it, 90's over the next few days will also give me a chance to catch-up on winery work, paper work and anything inside. We just finished siding the shed and once it cools down a bit, we'll get a fresh coat of paint on it.

Toucan Wines Club

Our Toucan Wines Club is a buyers program that rewards our customers who purchase three or more cases of Toucan Wines in any year (12 month period) directly from the winery. Enrollment is easy and the benefits include:

20% off all wine orders, and first access to:
Limited production wines
Over-sized bottles (magnums)
Under-sized bottles (splits)
Library wines which become available
Shipping at current rates - right now it's $1
Local delivery is included

Here's how it works: Complete the enrollment form and get it to us, you select the three times a year you want a case of wine shipped or delivered - we coordinate with you the exact wines you want in each case. It's pretty simple. Further, you may order additional wines throughout the year at the same 20% discount, just place those orders directly with us via email or phone.

Spring Activities

We've recently enjoyed a little rain and now very mild weather. The spring flowers are out and the valley is beautiful. We've been busy with landscaping projects and work on our tractor shed. Next in the vineyard is a hoeing project and then we'll be suckering the unwanted shoots.

Bud break at the Toucan Wines Vineyard

The first leaf of the vintage has popped our swelling buds. As always, it's the 86 east facing Zinfandel vines sloped toward our water tanks that break bud first. This section is quickly followed by vines on top of the hill where thinner soils make growing a challenge, and next by the Petite Sirah.

Happy Spring

Warm weather, still hoping for rain

We've had a warm couple of days, and I'm still hoping for rain this weekend - but the chance has been reduced to 40%. It's really a beautiful time of year with the green grassy hills and the tree leafing out. When you come to the central coast, please stop into Lund's on Saturday to taste our wines.

If you enjoy Facebook, please join us - our group is Toucan Wines and here you'll find updates, events and even special offers.

In the Vineyard...

Waiting for bud-break, but we're in no hurry! The vineyard is pruned, cuttings removed, we mowed and weed-whacked, now it's time to focus on other projects. In 2008 bud-break was on 3/14 and in 2007 bud-break was on 3/25, I'd prefer later to avoid frost damage -- just last night we suffered from a heavy frost and that's not good for young growth.

Kathy's Pick

KATHY'S PICK - March 5, 2009

Toucan Wines 2006 Zinfandel Arroyo Grande Valley

This darkly-hued wine offers intense notes of blackberries, boysenberries, and black cherries that are rich and ripe, almost jammy notes but kept in balance by its natural acidity. Although it’s drinkable now, you’ll be rewarded by cellaring it three to six years. A good choice for barbecued ribs or steaks, meat, and cheese pizza, or penne pasta with sausage and mushrooms. Only $34 at Lund’s in Arroyo Grande or online at toucanwines.com. Read the New Times San Luis Obispo - http://www.newtimesslo.com/food-wine/