Punching down the cap into the juice several times a day during fermentation is a practice that we adhere to.
This is how we press out our grapes… My FAVORITE 
part of my job… wendy
Such an abundance of fruit that is hanging on the vines this year. With our warm summer and almost textbook growing season, we can hardly contain our joy at the amount and quality of the grapes being harvested this week. At 24 brix and a bright Ph, we are thrilled by these signature numbers with which to produce our delectable cabs so many of you enjoy! 
OK.. today’s wine growing lesson is about sugar content and ripening.
We walked through the 2, three acre vineyards yesterday gathering 1 grape about every 5 feet and put them in clearly marked ziplocks as to which part of the vineyard they came from.
The content of sugar in grapes (well in all fruit) is called BRIX (pronounced bricks). Loosely translated that is 24% sugar present in the grape. For wine you want to harvest at at least 24 brix (some winemakers want it higher).
When you have sugar and you add yeast, the yeast eats the sugar, creates heat, then carbon dioxide and within about one week, you have ZERO sugar (dry) and approx. 13% alcohol. You have wine…..young zippy wine, but wine nevertheless.
Right now these grapes are at 21 brix. We have about 2 weeks until harvest… Hope to get some good hang time without the threat of rain.
As you can see by the photo, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are very small. About the size of my pinkie. Last year was such a low harvest… only about 1 ton per acre. This year is abundant… will harvest close to 3 1/2 ton per acre. It takes 1/2 ton to fill one 60 gallon barrel. A barrel will produce 24 cases (12 to a case)…. We will bottle about 700 cases…. We are just tiny little Bonded Winery #6000.
Also, you can see the seeds. When unripe they are bright green. As the grape ripens, they turn a crunchy brown. They look like, well, the cereal Grape Nuts…..
OK, students…. that’s all for now….
wendy
Sun peeking through the fog this early AM
We're all a-buzz!! This swarm of honey bees decided to make their nest on these vines. So cool. Our friend, a bee keeper will be out in the morning to take them to their new home.... making organic honey!
I love this picture taken by Dillon Morrow. He has been waxing and labeling the last of our 2009 Estate Cabs that will go into the library. He has really captured, I believe, an old world essence in his photo.
We are pretty excited by the award our ’08 Estate did at the Long Beach Grand Cru judging.
I’ve excerpted the letter of recognition below:
Chair
man’s Best Of Class!!! whoo hoo!
___________________________________________________________________
Dear Tara Bella Winery,
Congratulations! We are pleased to report to you the results of the 2012 Long Beach Grand Cru wine competition that you entered. Reported below are your winery’s awards in the competition. Medal winners are designated by the following notation (in increasing order of significance):
[B] = Bronze medal
[S] = Silver medal
[G] = Gold medal
[CBC] = Chairman’s Best of Class
[SW] = Sweepstakes winner
Regards,
Ludmila Montoya , Founder and Executive Producer, Long Beach Grand Cru
List of awards:
2008 Tara Bella Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate, Russian River Valley [CBC]
Our table grapes “Ruby Globe Seedless” are starting “Veraision”. This is when the grapes change color from green to red. The table grapes begin about 10 days before the wine grapes. We use them as an indicator… but also, they are sweet, juicy and make great snacks.
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- The Tara Bella Family goes hot air ballooning
This AM we had the opportunity to ascend with “Up and Away” ballooning company in Windsor, CA. We see them hovering over the winery almost everyday, but today the wind carried us north, away from the winery.
We would have loved to have gotten some aerial shots but it was not to be today….. hopefully next time.
If you are visiting the area… a morning balloon ride and brunch with “Up and Away” should definitely make it onto your vacation itinerary!