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Wine Reviews

We Have a Winner

The votes are in, the numbers have been tallied, and we have a winner. The next wine label name will be … drumroll … Rosie Red.

It had the most votes by far. Almost twice as many as any other nomination.

What I love about this name is how it honors my Mom and all the other women who entered the workforce during World War II. My father was in the South Pacific during that war, and he often delivered materials built by the Rosie’s at home. Mom was one of those Rosie the Riveters.

Click here if you …

Wine Reviews,

Voting Process

My last post listed the finalists for the “name that barrel” contest. Several people have asked me how the voting works. So I came up with a system to clarify:

– If you follow me on Twitter or Google+, your vote counts as one point.
– If we are connected on Facebook, your vote counts as two points.
– If I’m related to you, it’s five points.
– If you subscribe to my blog, it’s five points.
– If your name is Jedd Goble or Rachel Goble, it’s twenty points.
– If your name is D’Aun …

Wine Reviews,

Name That Barrel II Update

Okay, so it’s been a week and I’ve gathered over 75 “name that barrel” nominations! An amazing response; thanks for all who made a suggestion. You are a creative bunch!

Of course, many of those 75 suggestions were really rubbish. But sometimes the bad ideas trigger the good ones. Or at least made the mediocre ones look good.

So after groaning at bad puns, chuckling at the occasional off color humor, and rolling my eyes at the really lousy ideas, here are the finalists in no particular order:

– Ragtop. Aimee at Goble Properties came up with this fun …

Wine Reviews,

Name That Barrel – Part II

Faithful followers of this blog will remember the “name that barrel” contest of two years ago. I bought a barrel of wine and asked for your most creative, amusing, insightful and just plain curious names to put on the bottle label. The result was Ranch Hands, which has been a wonderful wine for all who have been lucky enough to taste it.

But the Ranch Hands inventory is dwindling, so it is time for more. And that means a chance for another “name that barrel” contest!

As a reminder, the finalists in the last contest were:

“Drink. Enjoy. Repeat.”

“Shortcut.”…

Random Thoughts, Wine Reviews,

Harvest Photos

This is our first harvest here in our new vineyard home. Seems appropriate to share these photos, plus one short video at the end (which is hard to see…sorry!). The work started in the late afternoon and continued throughout the evening.

Finally, here’s a 12-second video. It’s not much…taken with just an iPhone, from a distance, at night. But it gives you some idea of the noise and energy happening in the vineyard. If you subscribe to this blog via email and can’t see it, just click here to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo5uGNFDfgE&feature=youtu.be…

Belize, PathLight, Wine Reviews,

Uncork and Support!

If you know me, then you know something about my appreciation of wine. I love visiting new wineries, meeting the farmers and winemakers, and popping open a cork to discover what has been created. D’Aun and I even moved to a wine region because we enjoy the ambiance so much.

If you know me, then you know something about PathLight International. In 2007 my friends Mark and Adrienne Parcher joined D’Aun and me to help at-risk students get through school. That’s led to a whole host of programs that focus on spiritual, academic and social development of youth.…

Family, Random Thoughts, Wine Reviews,

Vineyard Harvest

It’s almost harvest time! Our vineyard manager says “late next week” should be perfect. This is our first harvest since moving to our new home, and we look forward to seeing the process begin. The Chardonnay is looking good this year, and the brix level is 22-23 depending on where and when you test it. So not only are the grapes tasting wonderful, there appears to be an above average yield.

Below are a few pictures you might enjoy.…

Wine Reviews,

Livermore Wine Tasting, Part III

We recently had friends visit for the weekend, so we went wine tasting. Three different stops, each with a unique style. To provide full disclosure, we visited the first two below because we had free tasting coupons. But I would’ve gone to them anyway because my past experience has been good with their wines. Besides, if you know me, you know I’m not going to be swayed by a $10 off coupon!

The first was Steven Kent Winery, which is operated by Steven Kent Mirassou. The barrel room was a cool place for tasting, if a bit loud, and …