Winemaker David Vergari

A springtime update from David Vergari, Thornton Winery’s beloved Winemaker.

Winemaker Musings

Well, it had to happen.  First we turn the clocks ahead an hour, then the vines wake up.   Yep, Chardonnay buds started popping the day before yesterday.  The vintage is on.

We’re wrapping up pruning; only the East Block Syrah remains and this will be finished today (March 14).  The cover crop—the green strip going down the vine rows–looks gorgeous and healthy.  The days are getting warmer but not disagreeably.

We’re racking the 2012 reds off their barrel lees, blending the new oak and the older cooperage together and then going right back into barrels.  This is part of the process of removing grape solids and clarifying the wines (if we don’t rack there’s the risk of the lees becoming reduced and contributing off-aromas, like rotten eggs for example).

The 2012 whites are farther along—shoot, they’d better be coming around because we’re bottling them in the spring, which has already arrived for all intents and purposes.

I’m getting amped for the Wine Club weekend on April 13-14.  This promises to be big fun so make your plans and RSVP right away.

Smooth Jazz 2013

The Jazz season is also rapidly approaching.   There will be a couple of surprises in 2013—I’m talking major-league, all-World, musical Bell Cows, baby—but Tonya has sworn me to secrecy so I can’t give ‘em up.  The days are longer, so make plans to stop by for some of Chef Pickell’s outstanding grub accompanied by some Thornton wines.

David Vergari
Winemaker
Thornton Winery