Archive for November, 2008

Posted on November 10, 2008 - by napavalleybath

A LONG DAY……BUT ALL GOOD!

Some days you snooze….some days you cruise…..but most days you….hmmm can’t find a rhyme that means you pack a ridiculous amount into your day……well, today was that day! We harvested both Hornberger and Stagecoach today…..trucked around 3500 pounds of olives to Healdsburg to press….not much went as it was intended….never does in agriculture….but all went as it should…..lots of stories that I will tell and really good video of the pick and press….you just have to give me a bit to figure out imovie and some quiet time to get inspired to tell the stories…so many great moments today…but now I am beat…and am crashing to awake early to pick up our bounty….stay tuned!

Posted on November 10, 2008 - by napavalleybath

HORNBERGER AND STAGECOACH IN TODAY

After the second snooze hit, I realized that I had to get up or I’d never hit the aggressive deadlines of the day. I rolled out of bed…threw on some old jeans….shirt….sweatshirt….jacket……and boots……brushed my teeth…..pulled my hair back and headed for the door. Today was unlike other days…..there was no time for tea….or to think about what shirt went best….no time even to pack kids lunches….today was the day…..the day we wait for all year long….today was game day.

Posted on November 9, 2008 - by napavalleybath

HARVESTING HORNBERGER ESTATE TOMORROW!

The good news is we are bringing in the Hornberger olives tomorrow, Monday, November 10, 2008…..the not so good news is it is a very light harvest this year…..I’m expecting less than 10 gallons of oil…..this is always such a beautifully balanced oil….we have a 3pm press time……so we should have the oil by 9pm tomorrow night….I will give you the taste report on Tuesday…..and more details on the estate as well….gotta say goodnight as it is an early morning tomorrow with the coordination of the Stagecoach and Hornberger harvests…watch for our video of the day!

Posted on November 9, 2008 - by napavalleybath

TUTTLE ESTATE HARVEST REPORT

THE TUTTLE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL HAS ARRIVED!!!! The Tuttle Estate is located on the Valley floor north of St. Helena. Our take this year was 15 gallons….our largest yet from this Estate….I will taste the oil for the first time tomorrow and give you all the scoop…….

Posted on November 9, 2008 - by napavalleybath

PEDREGAL ESTATE HARVEST REPORT

The Pedregal Estate is located in the Eastern HIlls of Oakville, Napa Valley. The Mendelson’s trees are a mix of older Spanish varietals that were originally brought over by the missionaries … and Italian varietals that were planted to border the Pedregal vineyards. Because the olives are harvested early, the estate always produces a BIG green fruity oil…the mixture of varietals and ages of the trees combine to produce an unique extra virgin olive oil. Our take is always quite small and it usually sells out with the first email announcing it’s release.

I spoke to Ralph and they are set to pick next week…..the harvest is light this year so we will probably end up with no more than 10 gallons. We will let the oil settle into Dec. and choose it’s release date based on how it settles….most likely mid December.

Posted on November 5, 2008 - by napavalleybath

OLIVAI “It should only be this good”

Just talked to Judy…..the olives are turning fast and she has set her harvest date for November 14, 2008. We will hold the oil for about a month so it’s release date will be mid December. Her harvest is down about 30%….better than expected….so, we should get at least 50 gallons this year…a bountiful harvest for the Napa Valley!

The Epstein’s oil is always a beautiful balance of fruitiness, bitterness and pungency. It will be interesting to taste this year’s harvest as it is two weeks later than last….technically it shouldn’t be as pungent straight out of the gate…we will have to wait and see….

Posted on November 3, 2008 - by napavalleybath

THE CALL IS MADE AT STAGECOACH!

I know…bad picture…it was pouring rain and my camera was malfunctioning….it was the best I could do.The good news….the flesh is turning purple…positive sign for the pick!

It has been pouring rain! I know I shouldn’t complain because we need the rain and we have had a beautiful Fall…but…it was quite an abrupt change in climate. We went from doors open in Rutherford with fans on to everything closed up….heaters running…and flooding in our entrance and offices….a bit hard on the psyche and the till. But….enough of that reality…..

As I drove the familiar path to the olive trees of Stagecoach Vineyards, I noticed a significant difference in the ripeness of the olives. The majority of the trees were purple…upon further investigation…I found that only about half of the purple trees, at best, had the purplish flesh that you see above. So…again…not quite ready…but VERY close.

The impulsive side of me wanted to call the pick immediately….how great to produce a HUGE oil that we don’t filter and sell for immediate consumption…Olio Nuovo…as the Italians call it. But, the practical side speaks louder….if we wait another week….we get a bit more yield…without missing out on BIG character…more yield means better pricing for you…quicker sales for me…..and happier folks right on down the line…I suppose we could pick later this week…but Kaelin is in the homecoming parade…and Thursday night she plays powder puff football and I have to bring dessert…..if only it were an exact science……and then I stopped…..I saw….and I listened…..it wasn’t today….but it was time….the trees were ready to give their gift….and I had to trust their message and make the call……

MONDAY NOVEMBER 10 2008 WILL BE OUR FIRST HARVEST OF STAGECOACH VINEYARDS OLIVES….

let the preparation begin….