Blog

Happy Valentine's Day!

Kristina Hall — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:01:00 +0000

Love is in the air world wide today! How fabulous is that? Love should be felt every day, but there is something delightful in knowing that so many people open up their hearts and let the romance well up.

There are several legends about Saint Valentine's--however, these legends do not refer to Valentine's Day in a romantic fashion. It appears that Valentine's Day affiliation with romance occured in 1382.

Geoffrey Chaucer, an English author of that time wrote a poem for the recently betrothed King Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia. "For this was on sent Volantnys day when fury bred comyth there to these his make." This translates into: "For this was Saint Valentines Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."

During the English Renaissance and Medieval periods' 15th through 18th century, romantic love flourished. Many authors wrote poems expressing romantic love. Mnay of the traditional Valentin's Day rhymes were written during that period.

In 1590 Edmund Spenser wrote an epic poem called The Faerie Queen in which the verse, "She bath'd with roses red and violets blew, and all the sweetest flowers, that in the forrest grew." In 1784, from a collection of English nursery rhymes titled, Gammer Gurton's Garland came this poem that we all know and love:

The rose is red, the violet's blue
The honey's sweet, and so are you
Thou are my love and I am thine
I drew thee to my Valentine
The lot was cast and then I drew
And Fortune said is should be you.

From this came the ritual of choosing Valentine's Day cards or candies from random at schools.

In the early 19th century paper Valentine's cards become so popular that they were assembled in factories. Fancy cards were made with lace and ribbons. In 1847 an artist by the name of Esther Howard, created the first mass-produced Valentine's Day cards in the United States.

Sharing simple cards expressing love, turned into adding small tokens or gifts, candies or flowers. And from that has boomed a mega-industry of card sending. It is calculated that Valentine's Day is the second largest day to send out cards-Christmas being tops.

In any case, it is still a beautiful and wonderful day to celebrate with a loved one, or to celebrate love of yourself! Enjoy the day!

Acacia Wood Barrels for White Wine

Kristina Hall — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:00:38 +0000

Wines aged in wood are always aged in oak barrels. Or maybe not! The Martin Ranch Winery is experimenting with acacia wood barrels this year for part of their 2011 Savignon Blanc and Reisling varietals.

Acacia wood barrels come from a native acacia tree from the Eastern United states that was imported to France and Europe in the 1700's. The acacia (genus Robinia pseudo acacia) tree is not what California's typically think of as an acacia tree with bright yellow flowers that most people are allergic to--those are tropical imports. The acacia wood used in wine barrels is part of the black locust tree. The wood is dense, tight-grained and tough and makes excellent barrels.

Interesting enough, making wine in acacia wood barrels is not new. Bulgarian, French and Spanish wine makers have been using acacia wood for white wines for well over 200 years. A quote from La monographie du coteau de l'Ermitage et des vignobles qui l'avoisinent par M. Rey published in 1861, in Dijon, in which "You never age Ermitage into old containers (...) White wines seem to benefit more from white mulberry and acacia than from oak."

So, what does wine fermented in acacia wood taste like? According to wineries that are using acacia wood, notes of citrus, honey and floral stand out with out the "oakiness" that pervades many white wines or the extreme "metalness" of stainless steel. In addition to floral notes that enhance the lovely and often delicate flavors of white wines, acacia wood adds a wonderful mouth feel. Chardonnay fermented in heavy toasted oak can have that wonderful mouth feel, but with way too much oak flavor and heaviness.

It seems that acacia wood barrels are just the right combination for adding lovely floral notes, mouth feel and eliminating that way-too-heavy oakiness that has turned many consumers off to Chardonnay's, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.

I am beyond excited that Dan Martin has decided to use a traditional style acacia wood barrel to make future award-winning whites!

Come out to the Martin Ranch Winery on the 3rd weekend of the Month, when the Winery is open to the public and wine club members. We always look forward to seeing you!

What is a Sommelier?

Kristina Hall — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:00:33 +0000

You have planned an elegant dining evening out with your spouse and you are hoping to make a great impression in pick out out the wine for the evening. As the wine list arrivers, you look stunned at all of the wines listed that are from various countries, and regions, varietals that you may have never heard of. What to do? Ask help from the restaurants trained sommelier!

A sommelier is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional. Much more than a wine waiter, a trained sommelier works with the restaurant in helping procure wines, establish the wine list, manage wine storage and cellar rotation and be able to provide expert advice and recommendations to customers.

In addition, the sommelier helps train the wait staff on wine recommendations, pairings and also helps establish wine and food pairings that are then reflected on the menu.

What does it take to be a trained and certified sommelier? Classes, examinations and course registration fees. In the United Kingdom, one can partake of The Court of Master Sommeliers. There are four levels of courses that can be take, from introductory to Master Sommelier. There are fairly stringent rules and requirements to partake of this level of becoming a sommelier. Please read more here for information on taking courses with the The Court of Master Sommeliers.

In the United States, you can take a course held in New York City with the The Sommelier Society of America. There course is 21 weeks long and covers varietals, viticulture specifics, techniques of tasting, food and wine pairing, cooperage, legal aspects as well as learning about Spirits. There is more information about The Sommelier Society of America here.

I think it would be fascinating to take these courses and learn in depth about wine presentation, techniques, varietals and viticulture regions. Plus, you get to taste amazing wines from around the world and come away with a certificate that can land you a job in a high-end restaurant!

Come out to the Martin Ranch Winery on the 3rd weekend of the Month, when the Winery is open to the public and wine club members. We always look forward to seeing you!

Wine barrel making - all about the Oak

Kristina Hall — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:00:49 +0000

Barrel construction is a major part of wine making and how the barrels are made contribute largely to the outcome of the final wine. Here is a great read about the basics of wine barrel making.

The first thing is, that oak barrels leach some flavors from the wood into the wine. The second is that they don’t exclude air completely, but allow the wine to be exposed to a constant but very low level of oxygen. Both of these can be a good thing; they can be bad. It depends. It is for this reason that the nature and quality of oak matters a good deal in barrel construction.

The two main types of oak used for wine are French and American. French oak is finer grained and more expensive; American oak is cheaper and gives the wine more flavor, but this flavor tends to work better with richer, more robust wines. The flavor compounds from oak include those that give a vanilla/coconut character, of which there are more in American oak, and also those which give toasty, spicy, woody notes. Sometimes wood can give slightly bitter green notes, and these aren't desirable. I also get a bit of tar-like character from some oaked wines.

For use in barrel construction, oak is cut into small pieces called staves, which are then used to make the barrel. These are seasoned for a period: three years outdoors is the ideal, in a climate where there is some rain. If the seasoning is suboptimal, undesirable flavors can remain in the oak ready to be transmitted to the wine.

During barrel construction these staves are joined together with metal hoops, and then heated over a fire to soften the wood and make it pliable. This heating process can char the inside of the barrel, and the degree of charring or toasting is important in how the barrel will interact with the wine. It’s another variable.

New barrels impart more flavor to wine than old. Barrels are re-used for several years, and the amount of new or old oak used in a wine is important. The use of too much new oak, which makes the wine taste oaky, is widely considered to be a wine fault. And some wines are better able to cope with oak than others.

Come out to the Martin Ranch Winery on the 3rd weekend of the Month, when the Winery is open to the public and wine club members. We always look forward to seeing you!

Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Growers Association Passport Day

Kristina Hall — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:00:06 +0000

Four times per year, the wineries of the Santa Cruz Mountains Appellation hold a Passport Day. Well over 50 wineries participate in this wonderful and fun event, including the Martin Ranch Winery.

The Santa Cruz Mountains have been producing wine since the 1860's and some of California's best wine came from the east-facing slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains and was at that time called Chaine d'Or or Chain of Gold. Prohibition during the early 1900's nearly wiped out much of the Santa Cruz Mountains wineries and it wasn't until the 1940's that wine once again began to flow from this rich and diverse appellation.

The majority of acreage held in wine grapes throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains is Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. However, there are also many other varietals growing throughout the oak, chaparral and redwood forests that make up the Santa Cruz Mountains. Included are old parietals such as Carignane, Sangiovese and Merlot. Today's modern winemakers are enjoying making single varietal wines and using the unique characteristics of the Santa Cruz Mountains to make award winning Bordeaux and Burgundian style wines.

Traditionally, the Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Growers Association Passport is held on the third weekend of January, April, July and November. This is a time when all of the wineries within this appellation will be open for that Saturday. Many of these wineries are only open on that day and this is a great opportunity to visit the wineries and sample some very special wines.

How it works: a Passport holder purchases a Passport booklet for $40.00 and this allows the holder to enter into any of the over 50 wineries that participate. You are then able to fast several wines at each winery, and enjoy special winery treats such as barrel sampling, tastings of special wines enjoying the beautiful vistas from each of the wineries.

In addition, several local restaurants offer either discount prices on meals or waive corkage fees of wines brought in from the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation. The Passport book is goof for one year, so you are not pressured into trying to visit all of the wineries at once! Most wineries, including the Martin Ranch Winery sell Passport books at the winery.

Enjoy this wonderful Passport day and being part of such a great history of winemaking in one of the most beautiful and diverse appellations in the world.

Come out to the Martin Ranch Winery on the 3rd weekend of the Month, when the Winery is open to the public and wine club members. We always look forward to seeing you!

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition & Bottle Your Own

Kristina Hall — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:01:19 +0000

Rolling in the GOLD!!

Wow! We are beyond excited to share the many awards that we have recently won from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition for 2012.

2007 Therese Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon DOUBLE GOLD!

2009 Therese Vineyards Malbec Dos Ninas Vineyard DOUBLE GOLD

2009 Therese Vineyards Carignane Santa Clara Valley GOLD

2008 J.D. Hurley Merlot Santa Clara Valley GOLD

2010 J.D. Hurley Sauvignon Blanc Santa Clara Valley SILVER

2009 J.D. Hurley Zinfandel Santa Clara Valley SILVER

2007 J.D. Hurley Cabernet Sauvignon Estate SILVER

2008 Therese Vineyards Syrah Santa Clara Valley BEST OF CLASS

This is one on the most prestigious wine competitions in the world and as Bob Fraser, Director of the competition states, "every year wine consumers look toward the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition award winning wines as a barometer when purchasing their wines. We are thrilled that wineries all over the United States understand and respect the outstanding caliber of our 65 judges from throughout the wine industry and the country."

The 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition has set a new record with 5,500 entries. For nine consecutive years, this prestigious competition holds strong as the "Largest Competition of American Wines in the World!"

The Martin Ranch Winery is very proud and honored to receive such great awards for their wines and proud to be able to share them with you.

Please see the video showcasing the award winning wines here.

Bottle Your Own Wine Event

Are you looking for a fun and romantic Valentine's event to share with the folks that you love? Do you like great wine at a great price? If you say yes to this--come on over to the Martin Ranch Winery February 11th and 12th for our fun and awesome event--"Bottle Your Own."

This is a great event that we hold 2-3 times per year. This winter's Bottle Your Own wine blend will be a Cabernet Sauvignon blend, Bunkhouse Red, carefully selected by the winemakers Dan & Therese Martin and the assistant winemaker, David Dockendorf.

After pre-registering for this event, all one has to do is show up. The winery provides the delicious wine, bottles, corks, capsules and labels. If you decide that you would like to have custom labels for your wine--you can always go to myownlabels.com. Custom labels are great for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, BBQ's and just for fun.

This is a rain or shine event and we expect to have live music (weather permitting) for this really fun event. Plan on bringing a picnic and enjoy a bottle of wine amongst the vineyards after your fun work bottling your own Martin Ranch Wine.

For more details and to reserve your cases of wine and time slot-please follow this link!!

Please note: due to limited quantities of this stellar wine--the Bottle Your Own Wine Event is only open to Wine Club Members and their guests. Please call 408.842.9197 to reserve your cases of wine and time slots.

For more information and how the BYO process works - please read more here!

Come out to the Martin Ranch Winery on the 3rd weekend of the Month, when the Winery is open to the public and wine club members. We always look forward to seeing you!

Topping Off the Wine Barrels

Kristina Hall — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:00:26 +0000

Welcome to the New Year 2012! Wow--we are here.

Now that the holidays are over, it is time for us to get back into the barrel room and start on chores. One of the many year-round chores that must be done is topping off the wine. This is an ongoing project with the hundreds of wine barrels we have in the winery.

During the course of days, weeks, months and years that the wine is processing in the barrel evaporation occurs. As the wine evaporates, it creates head space, ullage is the French term for this process, at the top of the barrel. The wine barrels need to be full in order to keep oxidization from occurring in the wine. So, the Martin Ranch Winery cellar team, go into the barrel room and barrel by barrel add the same varietal wine to the barrel to top it off.

The best way to know if the barrel is priorly topped off is by sound. It can be difficult to get a good enough light to see into the barrel--but with keen ears and practice listening, the team knows when the barrel is full and properly topped off. Once the task is finished, it pretty much means starting over again as wine evaporates consistently.

Next time you are visiting the winery, ask Dan for a tour of the barrel room. It is a beautiful room with all of the barrels making wine and it smells divine in there as well!

Happy New Years!

Kristina Hall — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:00:13 +0000

It is hard to believe that 2011 is nearly over with! 2011 came with lots of wonders and hardships as well. The late frosts, rains in June, cool summer and then early rains in October created one of the most challenging and difficult harvest on record.

Fortunately, the grapes that did come into the winery were good fruit, albeit a bit lower yield than normal. The team at the Martin Ranch Winery are amazing! Everyone worked diligently throughout the year and especially during the very busy and hectic harvest season. A big thank you to all of the team!

We have a fantastic wine club with members who have supported us through the year and enjoyed and participated in our events: The Bottle Your Own Wine events, the Fishing Derby, the Wine Club BBQ and all of our fun and festive open weekends.

You are the core of the Martin Ranch Winery and Dan & Therese Martin want to send a very big thank you and Happy New Year to each and everyone of you! To a fruitful, prosperous, peaceful and healthy New Year! Let us welcome in 2012!

Come on out to the Martin Ranch Winery on the 3rd weekend of the Month, when the Winery is open to the public and wine club members. We always look forward to seeing you!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Kristina Hall — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:00:27 +0000

Therese and Dan MartinAs Christmas approaches, we would like to take the time to wish all of our friends, family and wine club members a very Merry Christmas! We hope that everyone shares this Christmas spirit with loved ones far and near. We are so blessed in our enriched lives and we appreciate the support of our wine club members throughout the year.

We thank all of you for purchasing wine over our last open weekend as 10% of our revenue went to help a family that was in dire need of so many basics. We were able to supply this family with tires for their car, jackets for the kids and presents so that they too could enjoy Christmas.

A big thank you to Community Solutions for their ongoing support of people who are in need.

This is such a fun time of year for everyone at the Martin Ranch Winery. Harvest is behind, the leaves are mostly fallen from the vines, and the 2011 wines are settling in their barrels. What a wonderful Christmas present!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Wine Preservation Systems to Prevent Oxidation

Kristina Hall — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:30:23 +0000

Have you ever opened a bottle of wine, only to see a brownish tint (in white wines) and a sherry-like off odor in reds? This is caused by too much oxygen getting into the bottle and creating oxidation.Wine oxidation is caused by wine that is exposed to too much air and winemakers go to great lengths to keep this from happening.

When wine tannins are oxidized, hydrogen peroxide is produced which subsequently oxidizes ethanol into acetaldehyde - the principal compound producing the oxidized odor and masking the wine's fragrance. On opening a bottle, acetaldehyde generation can be detected within as little as two to eight hours, depending on varietal, age, amount of wine contact with air, temperature, etc. White wines and older reds are particularly susceptible to oxidation damage.

The biggest factor in oxidation is the amount of wine surface contact with air following opening and pouring. Therefore, wine preservation products that are most effective at reducing air contact with the wine surface will best reduce oxidation.

Wine preservation systems can be as simple as a rubber stopper, which can cost as little as $10.00 to a high-tech system that automatically vacuum seals an open bottle. On an elaborate and expensive system such as this, the wine is temperature controlled and once opened can be preserved for up to 10 days. With a push of a button, your perfectly preserved glass of wine is poured.

In general, it is best to drink your open bottle of wine with 3-4 days of opening it for best drinking results. Or have friends over and share the bottle, that is the most enjoyable way to drink wine!

Come out to the Martin Ranch Winery on the 3rd weekend of the Month, when the Winery is open to the public and wine club members. We always look forward to seeing you!