Quest for the perfect sentence

I am on a quest to write the perfect sentence.  With the Internet and self-publishing, everyone seems to be writing.  Alas, we seem to live in a society that fears editing. Instead of focusing on the essence of a topic, and distilling it down to its most basic, fundamental being, we instead add.  If one adjective is good, then two must be better, and therefore, a paragraph is best.  Even areas of society that were designed to promote brevity of words have been hijacked. Tiny URLs now lead off to major opuses on the lunch dinning habits of today’s office worker.  I fear not the editor’s pen. Through constraint comes creativity.  Therefore, I work to write the perfect sentence; a world of thought in one simple line.  This fear of editing and constraint has permeated into the world of wine.

As I explore the wine aisle at my local wine shop, it amazes me the proliferation of grapes being blended together.  If three red varietals together make a harmonious blend, then imagine how great seven will be together? Winemakers seem to think that they are the first to come up with the idea of blending a Rhone grape with a Bordeaux.  Our forefathers, who over the centuries created a wonderful cornucopia of varietals, each of which highlights a certain area’s climate, most likely tried a Sangiovese in their Cabernet.  And realized it stunk.  The proliferation of wine blending is not limited to red or white blends.  It would seem that many a vintner tries to cram as many different grapes into the 25% allowed to still call a wine by it’s dominate 75% varietal.  I read the back of a merlot that was blended with eight other grapes.  Leonardo Da Vinci stated, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” 

I am proud to release our latest Cabernet Franc.  Its plain technical sheet, that of being a 100% pure Cabernet Franc from only our estate vineyard, belies the breadth of its character and complexity.  To write that it is just a Franc both simplifies and expands the wonder that it is.

Last Chance for Scared to Pieces!

Halloween is just around the corner.  Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be your last chance to get a bottle of this year’s Scared to Pieces!  This wine is a special blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon aged half in new French Oak and half in used French Oak.  A bottle (or case) is the perfect wine for your Halloween parties this weekend.  In addition, it pairs well with whatever chocolate goodies you can “borrow” from your kids trick or treat loot.

Live Music this Friday, October 28^th from 6 to 9 pm.

Eric Neuhausser, a local musician, will be rocking the house with his guitar and his saxophone!

Harvest Update

Nope not yet

Tasting Room Update

With harvest not starting until October 31, the winemaker will be hanging around the Spokane Tasting Room this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Make a note to come and visit him this weekend, he is feeling a little down since he does not have any grapes to play with yet this year.

Harvesting Yet?

Sound can really invoke memory.  I write to you now as the rain falls and the metallic chime of the rain gutter next to my bedroom plays a soft soundtrack.  This sound and the season bring back so many memories.  Every year, harvest is a game of cat and mouse with the rain.  The hourly checking of the weather forecast.  And then, in the middle of harvest, I’ll be awakened by the tinkling sound of rain in the gutter.  This sound brings with it no picking that day, and a little bit more sleep during a time of the year when every hour is precious. 

Harvest is now just around the corner.  The weather was not the most cooperative at the start of the year. A late rally of warm weather brings promise for the quality of the fruit we will be picking.

Upcoming Events

Friday, October 14^th from 6 to 9 pm

Live music by John Watson & Bill, creation and exploration of the nylon string, classical-guitar neck is where these two have found the most rewarding styles of music.

Friday, October 21^st from 6 to 9 pm

Live music by Union Street, fun and easy listening folk rock.

Friday, October 28^th from 6 to 9 pm

Live music by Eric Neuhausser, a local musician that can rock the house with his guitar and his saxophone!

Scared to Pieces, the perfect blend for the Fall season is on sale now!

2007 Merlot & Lake Roosevelt Moonshine Bay are both almost sold out! Make sure to stock your cellar before it is too late.

Remember, our Spokane Tasting Room (111 S. Cedar Street) is open year round on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from noon to 6 pm.  Bring your friends and family down for a flight of our award winning wines.

For more information or to order wine, please call 509-838-2427, email info@whitestonewinery.com or stop by our Spokane Tasting Room.

459

Michael Haig

How do you decide when to harvest?

Greetings dear reader!

This time of the year, I get asked a lot of questions.  Some of those questions are easy to answer in a few short words, like String Theory in particle physics.  Other questions are a lot harder and sometimes require a little hands on tour.  So today, I would like to answer one of those more tricky questions by taking you on a little trip to the vineyard to answer, “How do you know when to harvest?”

Quick dissolve and then, lights up

You and I, dear reader, find ourselves in the middle of Whitestone’s estate vineyard.

“Cold” ask I?

“Yes*” responds the reader.

“You should read the footnote at the end of this email. Moving on.”

We are standing in between two long rows of vines.  Green leaves reach up towards the sky.  A streak of purple dots the middle of the green.  Tight clusters of berries hang from the vine with the promise of a harvest to come.  Reaching out, we both grab a few grapes from a cluster.  Here in the vineyard is where great wine gets made.  Cold nights and warm days bring a balance of acid and sugar to the fruit.  The artistry of winemaking comes from identifying the best time to pick the fruit when all aspects of the grape are in balance.

The taste buds of the winemaker are put to the test during this time of the year.  Tasting the grape, a winemaker must peel back and analyze the flavors and the potential of possibility the grape reveals.  Pick too soon, and the acid will strip the character from the fruit.  Pick too late, and a flat and flabby wine will be created. Taking the picked grapes, I pop them into my mouth. 

“What does it taste like?” Asks you, the dear reader.

I break the grape apart in my mouth.  Running it over my tongue and slowly grinding the skin beneath my teeth to extract the tannin.  Focus fills my face.

Your eyes widen and you, the reader, leans a little closer to me in anticipation to the description forthcoming. 

My eyes squint a little.  Lips purse.  A small smile slowly expands upon my face.  In a tone of the utmost seriousness I proclaim...”It tastes like a grape.”

459

Michael Haig

*You should have anticipated me transporting you to an outdoor location when you sat down to read this email. Because I never know where an email will take me, I always wear layers.