Event Season and Awards for Toucan Wines

It's Wine Festival season and you'll find Toucan Wines at several events this year. To join us at one of our events, first locate the event on our website and then contact the promoter for tickets. And let us know your coming. Pictured is Terrie, at the Ojai Wine Festival last weekend, waiting for the festival to open. That was a busy day!

We're also pleased to announce that our 2007 Estate Zinfandel and Estate Toucanet have been awarded recognition from a number of wine competitions. Here's the current break down:

2007 Toucan Wines Estate Zinfandel: GOLD and BEST OF CLASS, Los Angeles Int. Wine Competition - GOLD, San Diego Wine Competition - SILVER, California State Wine Competition.

Estate Toucanet: GOLD, Pacific Rim Wine Competition - SILVER, Los Angeles Int. Wine Competition.

And in the vineyard, we just finished tying the vines and I'm ready for another mowing of the grass. The fruit set looks plentiful and beautiful and should yield a very high quality crop this year.

Remember, 12 bottle orders receive 20% off and only $1 shipping in California.

Work in the Vineyard....

Work in the vineyard seems endless this time of year. The Toucan Wines Vineyard is only 3 1/2 acres but it requires extra attention this year given the 32 inches of rain we experienced this season.

Hoeing is always a big job, but given the rains, our weeds have grown stronger and earlier than usual. Green growth in the vineyard this year is as strong and full as I've seen it, and thinning (or suckering) is the removal of unwanted shoots. Usually, two full passes through the vineyard does the job of shoot thinning. Currently I'm tying the longer than usual shoots to the drip line wire (our only wire) and to the posts to prevent damage to the shoots from the tractor when mowing or spraying the vineyard.

This week we'll experience our first heat surge of the season with temps in the 90's this weekend. This time of year the winds are usually blowing strong - this year has been no exception. Strong winds seems to come up just about every afternoon.

Overall, the set as we finish bloom looks beautiful and I anticipate a crop of normal quantity and hope for exceptional quality. This means a mere 350 cases of estate wine from our small vineyard.

2008 Old Vine Carignane - Now Available

Harvested from the low-yielding 120 year old vines, grown in the Evangelho vineyard in Contra Costa County. This wine was slowly fermented after a period of cold soaking and pressed to a combination of French, Hungarian and American oak barrels for 17 months. The resulting wine is a classic varietal bottling from this outstanding old vine vineyard. We proudly hand bottled 217 cases unfined and unfiltered.

This wine is big and beautiful offering an elegant nose and lush plump ripe berry on the palate and a beautiful finish. It's great now, but do consider laying down a case of this wine, as I expect it to improve with another year or more in the bottle.

We've been sharing this wine with customers over the past week and getting great feedback. You can find this wine today in four wine shops on the central coast: Lund's in the village of Arroyo Grande, Tastes of the Valleys, Pismo and Solvang locations, and Monterey Street Wines in San Luis Obispo.

Of course you can also order the wine directly from the winery cellar too. This weekend, I'll be pouring the 2008 Carignane at Lund's during this weekend’s Strawberry Festival. To learn more about this wine and one of the craziest days of my life, read the upcoming June Newsletter.

Toucan Wines Hat Photo Contest...

Where Did You Wear Your Toucan Wines Hat? Official Rules (subject to alteration)

The Photo Contest that encourages fun with a Toucan Wines Hat in one of three categories.

Rules and Legal Jargon: The Grand Champion, as determined by our unscrupulous judges, may exchange his or her valuable right and allow us to exploit the winning photo for a magnum of yummy Toucan Wines.

Photo must depict, in anyway, an official Toucan Wines Hat. You do NOT have to purchase a Toucan Wines Hat to participate..... Submit your photo(s) by posting it on the Toucan Wines group Facebook page by Aug. 31st, 2010 – there is no limit to the number of allowable entries.... Comment on your photo, once posted, telling us which category you're submitting to: People, Provocative or Other..... Please follow Facebook rules of use when posting to the Toucan Wines group..... You may submit previously posted Toucan Wines photos. Examples maybe viewed at: www.toucanwines.com/hat.htm - each category will be judged separately by a team of wine and photography fanatics and others chosen by Toucan Wines at random. Facebook friend’s comments on contestant photos maybe considered by the judges and used to determine a winner.... Winners will be announced for each of the three categories and awarded bragging rights. Only one of the three winning category photos will be awarded the overall contest Grand Champion.

Two New Events and Vineyard Update...

Our event dance card is becoming more and more interesting. This Thursday I'm at Monterey Street Wines with Mojo Cellars sharing our wines with customers - drop in this Thursday and say hello and try a few wines.

On the 13th of June, Toucan Wines has been added to the winery line-up at the Ojai Wine Festival and I look forward to seeing many of our friends there. In the same neighborhood, find our wines at Paradise Pantry and Mary's Secret Garden, both in downtown Ventura.

Today, we're getting a little rain and this could easily be the last rain of the season. I've started hoeing the vineyard and at the same time making my second pass on suckering. The next chore will be tying the longer shoots to the drip wire to save them from tractor damage and the effort somewhat shapes the vines arm position.

The weather has been strange, we've had a cooler than usual year so far and the vines got off to an early start - hopefully this means a longer hang time. We've also had the latest frost (just last week) that I can remember, but fortunately no obvious damage resulted.

Please take a close look at your calendars for any opportunity to visit us at one of the many upcoming events we plan to attend. And remember our special 12 bottle case discount is 20% on any mix of our wines plus only $1 shipping in California.

20% off 12 bottle orders and $1 shipping in CA - read the May Newsletter...

Our May newsletter is now available and I'm excited to offer you a new 20% off offer on 12 bottles of Toucan Wines and 12 months in the Toucan Wines Club which gets you 20% any sized wine orders during your membership - no unwanted shipment - you order the wine when you're ready for it. And no pressure when you're in the Club - you can take advantage of the special discount or not. We also ship every wine order of 12 bottles of Toucan Wines, in California, for $1.

We're also excited about the upcoming pouring events that can always be viewed on our events page.

Spring Weather Rocks... Wine Tasting... Vineyard Work

I had a great time at the Taste of Huntington Beach this past weekend and enjoyed the crowd, met new folks and many returning friends and customers. We previewed samples of the 2008 Carignane which was a big hit with the Huntington folks.

This weekend, being the first weekend of the month, you'll find Toucan Wines on the tasting bar all weekend at Monterey Street Wines in San Luis Obispo. You'll also find me pouring our wines at Lund's in the village of Arroyo Grande on Saturday 1-5pm.

I love this time of year - work in the vineyard has begun with suckering, gopher trapping, hoeing and other spring chores. The weather has been consistent lacking the usual spring heat wave or last year's late frost. The vines seemed to taking off a little earlier this year with the Petite Sirah leading the pack. I've already suckered the Petite vines and will be starting on the Zinfandel before the week is out. I forgot to mention mowing, three passes through the vineyard on the mower so far and another day of mowing is in store for me by next week.

Toucan Vineyard Growing Beautifully,,,

Our April newsletter is available and focuses on the new annual growth in the vineyard. Today we had a little late-season frost with hopefully no real damage to that new growth. Weeding, mowing, spraying, hoeing, and more weeding are on on the schedule for the coming days. Now that bottling is complete, I can focus on wine sales and the vineyard...

Tomorrow evening I'll be in Paso Robles with friend and winemaker Linda Stinson from Sunset Ridge Vineyards, we'll both be sharing our wines at the Pony Club at Hotel Cheval. I'm also excited that soon I'll share with you our new label currently in design, it should be ready for the printer next month.

Finally, I look forward to seeing all our friends in Huntington Beach next Sunday at the Taste of Huntington Beach - join us for a great day of food, wine and music.

Toast the Sunset at Morro Bay Wine Sellers...

This Saturday around 4:00 till closing, I'll be hanging out at Morro Bay Wine Seller - join me and the great staff and taste our new releases while watching the sunset from their amazing bay side view.

I love this place and now it's updated and remodeled... the perfect place to begin your evening in Morro Bay. After the event, we're off to dinner and the options are endless.

Hope to see you Saturday and if you plan to attend, drop Chris at Morro Bay Wine Seller a note and tell him to expect you. info@morrobaywineseller.com

http://www.morrobaywineseller.com/

Special Events for the Next Three Saturdays...

In addition to our daytime tasting at Lund's in Arroyo Grande, I hope each of our friends will join us at one of the next three special Saturday evening events featuring Toucan Wines.

Starting tomorrow (3/27) in San Luis Obispo @ Monterey Street Wines a vertical tasting of TW Estate Zinfandel (5:30 to close). Next Saturday (4/3) in Solvang at Taste of the Valleys from 5pm - 8:30 the staff will be pouring several of our estate wines at this happening venue. Then, on Saturday (4/10) I'll be hanging out at with our friends at Morro Bay Wine Seller's and the wine will be flowing from 4pm - close.

So, join me at one of more event and let's enjoy some great wine together.