Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Summer with Donum Estate

I don't know how it happened. I looked down at the  calendar today and realized we're already in the thick of summer. Berry set started in our Donum vineyard in early June, and cluster set and size look great. The season is developing a little more slowly in our new Anderson Valley vineyard (more on that later), but we're excited by the progress there as well. Slow and steady wins the race, as they say.

The video below gives you a quick close up of June in the Donum vineyard. Three weeks have passed since it was shot, but Anne and winemaker Dan Fishman give you a nice overview of the developing summer season for the 2012 vintage. The ultimate takeaway is that everything - cluster set, berry size and canopy covers look healthy. As the summer progresses, Anne and the Donum vineyard team's goal will be to maintain that health and see fruit ripen evenly across all three of our vineyard properties. Each year offers its own unique challenges. I think it's important to note, however, that in pursuit of that goal, every vine in every one of our vineyards will receive the touch of a human hand at least eight to 12 times.



If you're interested in viewing additional videos, please visit our You Tube page for a complete archive. Anne offers refreshingly candid snapshots of growing seasons past and present.
For more information about our current portfolio of wines, please visit our website or email me at bgadke@thedonumestate.com. I always enjoy hearing from our Donum friends and family.


Sunday, June 10, 2012

Clam Pot & Pinot: 2008 Donum Carneros Estate and a Father's Day Menu from Wild Goat Bistro


A few weeks ago Nancy DeLorenzo and a few friends came by the Donum Ranch for a private tasting of our new vintages.  The proprietor of the Wild Goat Bistro, Nancy creates innovative salads, artisan pizzas and sharable small plates – piled high with local ingredients – at her charming European-style bistro in the historic Great Petaluma Mill. And she pairs them alongside selections from her “carefully curated” wine list comprised of small production producers like Donum Estate. If you ever get the chance to pull up a seat at the reclaimed copper bar the looks out into the open kitchen, you won’t regret it.
As so often happens, Nancy’s brief stopover turned into a wonderful late morning visit, complete with Pinot Noir and some nutty, not too “sheepy” sheep’s milk cheeses. By the end of the morning, Nancy had picked up a few bottles, including our 2008 Donum Carneros Estate Pinot Noir.
A few weeks passed and then this incredible Father’s Day menu showed up in our inbox, complete with pairing notes.