winemaking

Bottling the 2013 Wines at Gantz Family Vineyards

This morning Celeste and I bottled our 2013 wines. I’ve been making wine for a long time for my family and friends, but the whole texture of it has changed since we planted our vineyard and moved to the Russian River Valley.

Exploring differences in Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Are there distinguishing factors between wines produced in one Russian River Valley neighborhood versus another? On Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, a panel featuring winemaking luminaries welcomed participants to help answer those questions.

What's Happening in the Winery at Gantz Family Vineyards

Currently, we have three wines percolating at Gantz Family Vineyards: a Thorn Ridge Pinot Noir, a Charles Smith Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay. While we do not sell our wines, winemaking is what led me to become a vineyard grower, and I enjoy continuing to practice and perfect this art in our recently renovated winery.

Winemaker Lessons: 3 Ways to a Better Pinot Noir

So, This year, I’m back to a winemaking style that I am familiar with from my studies at UC Davis and that I have employed with great success in the past. I am going to emphasize “clean” winemaking over “natural” winemaking, in the hopes that I can better capture that beautiful fruit in the bottle.

New Vineyard Expansion = More Quality Fruit

When we originally planted the back block on the vineyard (Block 5), Celeste was adamant about the balance between grape rows and open space. But after a few not-so-subtle hints from me, a few carefully-chosen words from our social media manager and the promise of a larger supply of quality Pinot Noir fruit (which appealed to her bookkeeping nature), Celeste relented. We've just finished planting a small addition to our Block 5 vineyard.

How We Make Wine: The Bottling

Last fall, we had the incredible opportunity to pick Pommard Pinot Noir fruit from Ted Klopp's Thorn Ridge Ranch, the same Russian River Valley vineyard where Inman Family Wines, Freeman Winery and buyers of our fruit, Kosta Browne Winery, get their grapes. We've tracked the winemaking of this fruit through the crushing, fermentation, pressing and malolactic fermentation process. Finally, last weekend, Clay was ready to do the bottling.