Wilson Creek Blog
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Vineyard News, from your Winemaker, Etienne Cowper…

Our mission, at the winery in late spring and early summer is to bottle, bottle, bottle so we can make room for our 2012 harvest. First we bottle the white wines from last year’s harvest.  This year we began bottling as early as February, then a bit more in April, and almost all the rest in May. In June, we began bottling our 2010 reds. So lately we’ve been busy assembling our blends and making any necessary adjustments to fine-tune the wines. We do all this while fending off the ubiquitous barrel salesmen that appear from all directions.

The vineyard is looking very pretty now, flush with this year’s new growth. The vines have just gone through a second round of shoot and bunch thinning, and suckering. We do this to eliminate any unproductive growth that would sap the vines of the strength they need to produce a healthy, robust crop. At the same time we are removing extra shoots and clusters to balance the vines in terms of canopy and fruit production. The vines are at the stage where the green clusters open up and reveal their light yellow flowers. Soon after bloom will come berry set. While all looks good at the moment, a sudden change in the weather could result in a poor berry set which would lead to a smaller crop. We are diligently and continuously keeping an eye on the vines to ensure they are safe from pests and diseases. We’ve treated the vines to repel the glassy winged sharpshooter, and have sprayed the vines to prevent powdery mildew. Nature has the final say as to the quality of this year’s harvest, but from now until the grapes are ready to pick in the fall, we will do our part to ensure the best quality possible.

What do Temecula Valley’s Wine Country and Wilson Creek Winery have in common? They are home to the famous,”Oh My Gosh” Almond Champagne!

If you’ve never had it, you HAVE to try it! If you’ve had it, then you know what I’m talking about. We call it the “Oh My Gosh” champagne because that is the typical impression a person gets when trying it for the first time. This stuff is so good that people from all over the country have it shipped out for special occasions and everyday happenings alike.

Definitely a popular choice for wedding toasts, I know a couple who drove from central California to Temecula just to fill their convertible Mini Cooper to the brim with cases of Almond Champagne for their daughter’s wedding. Now if that isn’t love, I don’t know what is!

Almond champagne is wonderful on its own, but goes great with other things as well. Next time you’re in the area and decide to visit us try the Almond-tini in a chocolate cup. A favorite around here, the Almond-tini is Almond Champagne mixed with a bit of our Decadencia (chocolate port dessert wine), served in an edible Dutch chocolate shot glass – Salut! Then there’s the Almond Slushie, our version of a frozen margarita, so to speak, minus the tequilla, add Almond Champagne and voila! The Almond Slushies are heaven-sent in the warm, Temecula summer months.

We love this champagne so much that we wanted to make it easy for you to get no matter where you are. So now you can find our Almond Champagne, along with our Peach Bellini (Almond Champagne and natural peach flavorings) and Orange Mimosa (Almond Champagne and natural orange flavorings), in 23 states! If you’re a California resident you may see us on the shelves of a Costco, Vons, BevMo, Albertson’s, and Walmart (to name a few) near you.