I've just locked in another 350 pounds of Syrah from Bennett Valley. So, lined up we've got Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah both from Bennett Valley and Zinfandel from Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley.

I'm still hoping to make a Malbec and maybe even a white to be determined but that depends if I can find a good source and can figure out the logistics. Now that I'm going to mix in new barrels to the process this year, plus increasing productions... (my wife is already rolling her eyes)... it's a container management issue.

In the next couple weeks, I'll be working on articles with growers, coopers and more winemakers. Lots of site updates in the works for June too -- hence the quiet nature these days.

I am SUPER excited this morning. I received an email explaining that one of their regular buyers had to back out from purchasing some Cabernet Sauvignon and would I be interested in buying it.

So this year, I'll be making 350 pounds of Cab Sauv as well as 350 pounds of Zinfandel. Both from Sonoma County, both I'll be hand picking myself.

I would like to also make a Malbec and have inquired with Tzabaco Rancho Vineyards but haven't solidified anything yet.

I'm also tempted to grab some Syrah from Bennett Ridge as well but that's starting to become a lot of wine. I'm planning to acquire barrels this year too so with the madness of over tripling production size, I'll be figuring out life with barrels. This will be an exciting year for wine making no doubt.

I've recently acquired a source for Zinfandel crop this year that caters to the home winemaker. You can "cherry pick" the best fruit by picking it yourself for .75 cents per pound. Since it's Zinfandel, the grower worries about uneven or unripe fruit so he'll let you pick what you want, when you want.

For the home winemaker looking for a new experience dealing with harvest, this is a great opportunity. I'm committing to about 350 pounds which I'm intending to track the growing conditions throughout the year.

If you're interested to know more, just drop me a line: ryan@vinesugar.com

I was talking with a fellow winemaking friend, now recently turned grape grower. He informed me that a single vine will produce about 1 gallon of must/juice.

The reason I found this interesting is that while I'm not buying or making a vineyard any time soon, I will likely plant vines in my backyard eventually and it's good to know how much wine I can make off them.

I always thought it would be fun to try a "field blend" that way and make something totally unique.

I was just at my favorite wine supply shop, MoreWine! and noticed they had a 40L Speidel bladder press on sale 50% off! These normally go for around $1,200, so half off is a crazy good deal. This was their rental they supplied folks last year and it was in great condition. All the parts were there and in working order. I immediately called my father (who I make wine with) and we decided to split the cost.

Score! WOOHOO!

We had been debating whether to make our own to save money or settle and buy a basket press but even they weren't cheap. Even though we still dropped a little more money and could have bought two small basket presses, the bladder method is much more ideal for making wine. It's a more gentle press which yields more fruit juice than tannic juice.

I can't wait for this year's harvest... though with the way the Bay Area's weather has all the plants screwed up, I'm not sure how well the vineyards will handle this unusually warm winter... more on that later.

I just enjoyed my first bottle of wine sealed with a Zork and I was so impressed, I'm looking into using this technology for my own wines which I'll bottle towards the end of summer.

Now sure what the hell a Zork is? Check it out here. Or watch this:

The winemaking facility in San Francisco, Crushpad, has a dedicated website that focuses on customers making wine with them - enter Crushnet.

The "winemaker minutes" video collection is AWESOME and so addictive. I can't enough... Here's a great example and a very informative bit on building a Cabernet Sauvignon wine.



Great Job Crushnet! Keep it coming!