Thanksgiving: The Post Play Wrap-Up

Years ago, when I was a journalist, I had the opportunity to interview Julia Child. We talked French cooking for a bit and then I made the mistake of asking her, “What would you suggest to people who want to cook your recipes but want to reduce the calories, the butter, cream and fat.” Julia answered in her inimitable voice (and yes, she really does talk like that):...

More and More Mourvedre

Don’t look now, but here at Two Terrier Vineyards, we may be leading a trend. (If so, it’s going to be the first time we’ve been ahead of the curve.) Seems the San Francisco Chronicle is declaring this The Year Mourvedre Breaks Through. (Okay, the San Francisco Chronicle stopped producing anything close to real news decades ago, but they’re always one of the...

The Amazing Wine Making Topping Up Syste...

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a technical winemaking post. So here goes. Andy has perfected the ultimate homemade topping up system for wine for less than $200 for the whole system, which in the winemaking world is a huge bargain. A bit of background: when your wine is in barrels and resting, you want to make sure as little air as possible can get to it to oxidize it....

A Fire and a Misfire

 Ran up to Sonoma to do a quick check on our Cabernet which we transferred to secondary fermentation carboys on Saturday. Since we had so little, we’ve decided to do some experimentation. Half the Cabernet we put through primary fermentation using the specially formulated UC Davis yeast that most winemakers use. The second, smaller batch we decided to process using only the...

Better Winemaking Through Chemistry

I’d have paid more attention in High School Chemistry if I’d known I’d be forced to use so much of it in winemaking and other agricultural endeavors here at Two Terrier Vineyards. Not that I’m doing that many of the various science experiments that seem to be required of winemakers. Andy handles that, as well as staring in bemusement at various pieces of...

See Bottle Shock. Then Enjoy a Good Cali...

There is a fabulous little movie out now that should be seen by anyone who’s ever been to Northern California Wine Country, ever drunk Northern California wine, has any interest in wine or just wants to see a sweet little film with engaging quirky characters. It’s called Bottle Shock, named after the short-lived flatness that happens to a bottle of wine after it’s...