Harvest is done! Best Cabernet Sauvignon ever.

Well, harvest went with the usual quirks, glitches and I can't believe its! This was the longest I ever let the grapes hang, but the buyer wanted them sweet [to sweeten up his other sour grapes everyone else reaps] and they went through a frost and -wow- what a treat. I think there are gold metal prizes in the future for Woody Creek Cellars; remember - 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. It should be special.
The cabs were gorgeous. Slightly wained bringing out the sweetness and complexities. After cold nights and hot days; after an early frost. They were very special this year. I had almost no Merlot this year and very little Cabernet Franc. There was no Chardonnay, Gamay and the Zin went too far and were pretty shot. Letting the grapes hang past 24 brix is harder than it sounds. It is up to the buyer what their needs are, but hanging past their apex is great for sugar but plays havoc with the ph and acid levels. But DiJulio vineyard never has had sugar problems, so I can see the need to sweeten the sour grapes coming in behind us. No offense other local growers, but I am seeing many incredible breaches of growing; watering late, spraying late, struggling with low sugars, pushing young vines with nitrogen, pushing for early crops instead of root growth. My vines have the maturity of over 35 years and I have been tending them for over 25 years now. I think experience speaks and so do the varieties I luckily have.
Well we will see what Woody Creek Cellars develops from my grapes; it is too bad they can no longer make wine from just my grapes, but I can understand upping the quality of the local harvests and the need to blend mine in with the others. My harvests have been too small lately, dealing with frost damage and die backs. Next year should be great if nature allows. My Merlot will be in and I will be dong a new pruning technique since my beautiful vines died to the ground a few years ago from a hard frost. But new growth is always positive and it gives a chance to reflect and try new ideas. Here's to resting this Winter and starting fresh in the Spring with new ideas to sow. Happy hibernation everyone.

Wine Grape Harvest | Woody Creek Cellars | Stylehive | Page ONE in Google

Harvest is almost here for my vineyard, DiJulio Vineyard in Palisade, CO. I am glad Woody Creek Cellars is buying my grapes this year as I feel Kevin Doyle is making some of the finest wines in Colorado, if not the country. His winery is in picturesque Cedaredge, CO. in an old packing huge shed; big enough for all the wine barrels, equipment, stock, tasting room and best of all, a great bocce ball court - inside! I had Kevin's cabernet sauvignon and merlot last Christmas and the wine was fabulous; clearly fruity, rich yet refreshing with a good dry self-pleasing end adding to the innate ability to let you easily finish the whole bottle. My wine-loving daughter and I were very impressed with how Kevin's wine-making abilities keep developing and producing great results. Call (970) 835-3714.

I joined Stylehive! Stylehive is a sweetly self-loving site for connecting fashion aficionados. Anyone can join and start a 'hive' and start collecting looks, designers, companies and other hivers. It is a great way to keep current with the fashion trends and the absolute beauty of haute couture clothes, photography, modeling, shoes, accessories, clothes, night wear and underwear, purses, and shoes again,and more purses and more shoes... and tons of fun stuff about discovering interesting vibrant people and businesses. My hope is to collect classic, retro, and fashion-forward looks to cross reference to my jewelry lines and how my individual pieces fit in. As I learn what's hot I will be continually redesigning and developing my jewelry designs. I am thrilled about all the excitement at Stylehive and invite all fashion lovers to join into the fray.

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Winter is coming and I am looking forward to spending the R & D time developing new out-of-the-box ideas in designing and learning more and more html so I can keep jazzing up my sites www.vitalwonders.com for therapeutic magnetic jewelry and www.iluvjewelry.com for my dichroic and sterling silver jewelry lines.

I am running a contest with my myself to get it right in the SEO department for my sites. I am shooting for page one in Google by the end of the year, on the organic left side of listings - for both sites; but will celebrate either one's success - big time. I believe it will be Beef Wellington for two, for myself if I am alone, when that day comes.

I am starting a review section in my blog reviewing Grand Junction area businesses.
Keep tuned. It won't be pretty.