09/03/2010

Here we go...due in 9/10...
Valley Beauty Merlot - 23/24 Brix
Lugano Merlot & Zin
Lucerne Sangiovese, Syrah, and Mixed Black
Lodi Gold Thompson Seedless - 24/25 Avg Brix siome cluster variation
Clements Hills Vista del Sol Albarino - 23 Brix

Arriving 9/17...
Suisun Valley Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Gris

08/31/2010

Here is the latest harvest information for wine grapes that will be available through M&M Wine Grape this coming season. Below this post you will find a link to a pdf document illustrating the areas, varietals, and formats available.

This season, as mentioned previously is running upwards of 2 weeks behind schedule in California and upwards of 7-10 days late in Washington State. It is a cooler season, as inidicated by the delays, and if we can reach maturation prior to the late fall rains we stand to see an excellent year. For those concerned about what grapes to buy, you will notice that our 2010 line-up does not offer anything from Lake County and minimum offerings from Mendocino. We are just not sure about what we will be able to get off the vine safely. For those interested in Washington State grapes, the risk of precipitation is generally low with normal precipitation occuring in mid-November and usually in the form of snow.

During the past week, a shift in temperature to consecutive days that were well over 100 degrees resulted in the loss of some of the Zinfandel crop were we anticipating for the 2010 harvest.

Some customers have been inquiring about the developments related to the European Grapevine Moth. During 2010, a small but confirmed number of these moths were found throughout many growing areas from Central Valley right into the heart of Napa Valley. While the presence of the moth doesn't particularly mean anything in relation to grape quality, the agricultural community has acted in a way to ensure the moth's presence is contained. To that end, it is possible that vineyards in proximity to finds at harvest will not be allowed to pack their grapes for export across country or even out of the vineyard. As part of what we do, we have been watching this closely and feel, at the moment, that we should be at low risk with most of the vineyards we are sourcing from. In the event a vineyard is quarantined, we have setup contingency options so that our customers can have a reliable supply.

The content that follows describes in more detail, some of the highlighted products we will have and the areas we will be sourcing it from:

Albarino:

Vista del Sol: Clements Hills

Barbera:

Shenandoah Valley Mine Ranch - Amador
Renton Vineyards - Clements Hills

Cabernet Franc:

Two Mountain - Washington State (Yakima)
Sierra Ridge - Amador

Cabernet Sauvingon:

Beckstoffer - Napa Valley (Georges III Rutherford) (October)
Loney Mackenzie (Atlas Peak Sub AVA)- Napa (October)
Lanza Valley & Koch - Suisun Valley
Quail Ridge - Mendocino
Two Mountain - Washington State (Yakima)
Tenbrink Cab - suisun Valley
Paso Robles Gold - Paso Robles

Grenache Noir:

Vista del Sol: Clements Hills

Gewurztraminer:

Two Mountain (as juice) - Washington State (Waluke Slope)

Merlot:

Beckstoffer - Napa Valley (Oak Knoll) (October)
Loney Mackenzie (Atlas Peak Sub AVA)- Napa (Late Sept/Early Oct.)
Iron Oak - Mendocino/Russian River (Clone 181) (October)
Lanza Vineyards - Suisun Valley
Two Mountain - Washington State (Yakima)
Paso Robles Gold - Paso Robles

Mourvedre:

Sierra Ridge - Amador

Petite Verdot:

King Andrews Vineyards - Suisun Valley
Paso Robles Gold - Paso Robles

Pinot Noir:

Beckstoffer - Napa Valley (Carneros) (October)
Iron Oak - Mendocino/Russian River (Pomard Clone/ 1014 Rootstock) (October)
Lanza - Francis Mahoney Ranch (October)
Vista del Sol - Clements Hills

Riesling:

Lanza Vineyards - Suisun Valley (juice or grape)
Two Mountain Winery (as juice) - Washington State (Yakima)

Sangiovese:

Shenandoah Mine Vineyard - Amador
Avio Vineyards - Amador
Sierra Ridge - Amador
Vino con Brio - Lodi

Tempranillo:

Mangels - Suisun Valley Tempranillo

Verdehlo:

King Andrews Vineyards - Suisun Valley

Zinfandel:

Loney Mackenzie (Atlas Peak Sub AVA) - Napa
Distasio - Amador
Shenandoah Mine Vineyard - Amador
Renton Vineyards "Red Dirt" - Clements Hills
Caterina Old Vine - Woodbridge

Italian Grapes... more info. to come...

There are lots of options for your winemaking needs including fresh grape options from Central Valley and Lodi, Fresh Juice, and Frozen Must. You will be able to find more information on these on ths site or you are welcome to contact us.

2010 Grape Offerings

08/16/2010

Well, here we are again, the Fall Harvest is right around the corner and calls are coming in inquiring on things like how the growing season went, how harvest looks, what new items we will have, where costing will be, etc..

These are all very good questions and we have some answers now and continue to work on answering others. So let's get started...

Growing Season:

This year's growing season was actually cooler than year's previous, as a result we expect that grapes will have a longer hang-time on the vine, better potential for maturation, and also better acid readings.

Harvest Outlook:

Because of the cooler growing season, harvest is expected to start at least two weeks later than normal. Italian grapes are harvesting on time or perhaps a bit early and so we might see a smaller window during which many different grapes arrive from different locations. We really will not know until later in August if this pattern will hold true, but we do recognize that might present a scheduling issue for some winemakers. If that is the case, we are prepared to offer grapes as frozen must and will help facilitate that for you.

Italian grapes - As you may know, we get fresh grapes and/or frozen must from a number of locations in Italy. These grapes ranges from fresh options out of Puglia and Sicily to frozen must from Alba and Friuli. We will continue to have these grapes with the exception of the Sicilian options for 2010, due to a weather event that damaged much of the crop.

New Items:

Many of the same options that have been available previously will once again be available this year. We anticipate some new options for high-end Pinot Noir and Merlot out of Napa Valley and expect more development in this area as the month of August draws to a close.

Costing:

It is hard to say where pricing will fall this season. While there would appear to be ample grape inventory, there is concern that regulatory changes may force packing prices upward, at least for this season. We are also watching freight costs that have been sitting higher than we would like. Our recommendation is to try a wait until the end of the month when we should have a better sense of where things will be. If you are a commercial entity, please contact us directly to discuss your needs.

Thank you.