What did you do this weekend?

[ceeaton]

I think we're tasting you're Merlot after bottling tomorrow. Really looking forward to it. We can do a comparison of the Forzas in another year or so.

After bottling! Can't we sample while we are bottling? Just kidding, you're the boss and once I start tasting wine my resolve for work goes away. I think I'll bring you another 375ml Forza you can sip at your leisure. I have one hard fast rule, if I'm drinking Forza, no driving, that stuff is deceptively wicked.

 

[Boatboy24]

I think we're tasting your Merlot after bottling tomorrow. Really looking forward to it. We can do a comparison of the Forzas in another year or so.

I'm done bottling and am sampling the leftovers. Very excited about this one. Only 9 months old right now, but I see huge potential.

 

[Steve_M]

Lawn work yep it was hot.
Finally convinced SWMBO that I need to get an a/c unit in our little and I do mean little wine room.
Temps were near 80 in there, room is 5.5'x5.5' right now hovering around 60F

Steve

 

[Rodnboro]

Another Pinterest Project. I'll caulk the cracks later this week and touch up with paint. Pinterest is a naughty word in my vocabulary.

 

[JohnT]

Had a great weekend!

On Saturday we completed bottling by corking the last 270 liters of our 2014. This went from 9 to about noon time when the customary circle of chairs formed to do a little light tasting. Tasted my cabernet that is in my 225 liter barrel. It was so good that I had to sit down!

Then it was off to my older brothers house for a lobster dinner. Since my older brother was helping out with bottling, I simply hitched a ride with him. We stopped off along the way to purchase some lobsters and other essentials. Later, my younger brother arrived with my father. The four of us had a real "guy's night / family day".

I caught a ride home with my younger brother. We dropped Dad off so I could spend a little time with my mother. It was about 10pm by the time I got home. Straight to bed for me!

On Sunday I did some laundry, raided my friends garden, went grocery shopping, spent 5 hours canning jam and pickles.

After canning, I took a break and had a nice, iced down glass of Riesling. I can not tell you how good that was (did I say it was brutally hot on sunday).

After pouring another glass of riesling, I turned my attention to dinner. I ended up making London broil in chimichurri sauce, baked potatoes, salad, and garlic bread for dinner.

I slept very well last night.

 

[GreginND]

What, didn't I do this weekend?

I took friday off of my day job to spend at the winery.

Friday - up at 7:00 am
1. Pressed 900 pounds of rhubarb in my new 250L Lancman press. Worked like a dream. Rehydrated the pulp and pressed them again. That's how I roll with my rhubarb wine.
2. Labelled and capsuled 450 bottles of our plum wine that was released this weekend.
3. Weeded the garden
4. Tasting room open 4-8 - slammed with Friday guests who stayed until 9:00 pm.
5. Prepared and loaded the car up with wine and supplies for the Saturday Farmer's Market.
6. Finally got a needed soaking bath at 11:30 and off to bed about 12:30.

Saturday - up at 7:00
1. Grab a cup of coffee and head on into town to set up my booth.
2. Tastings and sales to about 400 market visitors by myself.
3. 3:00 pm - Back to the winery to get the rhubarb wine inoculated and help the wife manage the tasting room. Lots of new visitors who stayed until 6:00 (we close at 5:00).
4. Rush off to town to run our AWS chapter wine tasting from 7-10.
5. Back out to the winery to prepare for Sunday tasting room.

Sunday - up at 7:00 am (see Garden Growing thread)
1. Pull the onions and lay them out for curing.
2. Harvest soybeans, blanch and freeze the edamame.
3. Tasting room open 12-5 - our biggest weekend ever so far - no-stop.
4. After everyone left - had to dig potatoes
5. Pick green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants for us and friends.
6. Back into town to get ready for my day job on Monday.

Rinse and repeat. Life is full.

 

[wpt-me]

Sat & Sun were work days 5:30 P.M.- 1:20 A.M. Sat and back on Sun at 10:30 A.M. to 12:30 A.M. in Ma.
Drove home to Me. today, Tue and Wed are my normal weekends !!!

Bill

 

[JohnT]

What, didn't I do this weekend?

I took friday off of my day job to spend at the winery.

That first line had me feel like you were going to relax and simply putter around. Boy, was I wrong!

You made my weekend look like nothing!

 

[Jericurl]

Right now we have been spending our weekends deep cleaning, room by room, getting ready for vacation.

We go to Santa Fe in two weeks and I CAN'T WAIT! And it's always so nice to come home to a nice clean house.

Now we just have to decide what we want to do in Santa Fe. Relax all week? Find a place to hunt rocks? Find a winery? Decisions, decisions...

 

[JohnT]

Rocks or a W I N E R Y ????

Do you really need to think about this????





I had the usual busy weekend.

On Saturday, I started on my Crush day checklist by cleaning the tasting room, the wine vault, the main stacks, and began the task of deep cleaning the winery (since bottling is complete, and the winery is half empty, now is the time for a deep clean). After all of that, I went to my brother's house for a burgers-n-dogs birthday party for both my niece and my dad. Had a great time.

On Sunday, I did laundry, grocery shopped, canned jam and pickles, made some meat sauce, and (most important for SWMBO) clean up afterwards. I then collapsed into a recliner with a bottle of Riesling and a big glass of ice. Slept like a stone (or winery??).

 

[ibglowin]

Hi Jeri,

I live about 30 mins from Santa fe. More than happy to help with ideas of things to see and do in the area as well as places to eat, wineries to hit, you name it. Let me know if I can assist in any way.

Now we just have to decide what we want to do in Santa Fe. Relax all week? Find a place to hunt rocks? Find a winery? Decisions, decisions...

 

[Jericurl]

Mike,

Yes, yes, yes!!!

Lay it all on me! We went last year and had a lovely time. We rented a house right at the Railroad District, and are going back again this year.
The only things we have on are absolute must go list is eating out at Zia and Raaga , going to the Farmer's Market, and going to the Market on Saturday morning. Everything else is up in the air.
MIL and I would love to go to a winery, the guys want to go to a brewery, we are all interested in hitting a rock/mineral shop and/or going rockhounding, and pretty much anything else really cool that we may run across.
My only other must do is to check out some of the honey available for sale in NM.

Any suggestions?

 

[ibglowin]

Are you driving in or flying? If flying will you rent a car?

Any suggestions?

 

[Jericurl]

Driving in. We will arrive on the 4th and be there for a week.

 

[ibglowin]

As far as Restaurants in Santa fe Trip advisor is pretty spot on.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g60958-Santa_Fe_New_Mexico.html

We especially like La Boca and Gabriel's which is worth the trip out of town about 10 miles. Great Table Guac, Margaritas, Jalisco Pork, eat outside on the patio if the weather is nice. We like Il Vicino for Pizza and Italian fair. 2nd Street Brewery is great for pub fair and local craft brews. There are several restaurants that have made it to Triple D (Diners. Drive Ins and Dives) Unfortunately the Zia Diner has closed its doors but there are no shortage of places to eat downtown. We like Clafoutis French Bakery & Restaurant for breakfast or lunch as well.

If you have not been, Bandelier National Monument is well worth the trip. If you want jaw dropping rocks to look at you must make the trip to Tent Rock canyon. You will feel like you are on an alien planet. Located between Santa fe and ABQ on the Cochiti mesa.

http://www.blm.gov/publish/content/nm/en/prog/NLCS/KKTR_NM.html

Want some casino action, head north to Buffalo Thunder Casino.

Wineries, the best in ABQ is Casa Rondena. In the North check out Estrella del Norte and Black Mesa Winery.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to holler!

 

[roger80465]

+1 on Gabriel's. We still talk about our meal there after 10+ years

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g60958-Santa_Fe_New_Mexico.html

We especially like La Boca and Gabriel's which is worth the trip out of town about 10 miles. Great Table Guac, Margaritas, Jalisco Pork, eat outside on the patio if the weather is nice. We like Il Vicino for Pizza and Italian fair. 2nd Street Brewery is great for pub fair and local craft brews. There are several restaurants that have made it to Triple D (Diners. Drive Ins and Dives) Unfortunately the Zia Diner has closed its doors but there are no shortage of places to eat downtown. We like Clafoutis French Bakery & Restaurant for breakfast or lunch as well.

If you have not been, Bandelier National Monument is well worth the trip. If you want jaw dropping rocks to look at you must make the trip to Tent Rock canyon. You will feel like you are on an alien planet. Located between Santa fe and ABQ on the Cochiti mesa.

http://www.blm.gov/publish/content/nm/en/prog/NLCS/KKTR_NM.html

Want some casino action, head north to Buffalo Thunder Casino.

Wineries, the best in ABQ is Casa Rondena. In the North check out Estrella del Norte and Black Mesa Winery.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to holler!

 

[Jericurl]

Thanks guys! We filled up a couple more days on our tentative schedule, thanks to your suggestions.

 

[ibglowin]

One more as they say, especially if you make it up towards Nambe. Check out El Santuario de Chimayo where each Good Friday of every year thousands and thousands of people make a pilgrimage on foot as far as 30 miles or more to pray for loved ones who are sick to be healed. Very spiritual. After that, make the short 5 min drive to Rancho de Chimayo for some more world class New Mexican food. One of the best local eats that just always seems to do it right year after year.

Thanks guys! We filled up a couple more days on our tentative schedule, thanks to your suggestions.

 

[ibglowin]

Busy weekend playing tourist here in Big LA for a change instead of Little LA. Went to the California Science Center to see the Shuttle Endeavor. The pics do not do it justice. If you get the chance I highly recommend seeing one of the 3 Shuttles on display across the US. What an incredible machine. Not every day you see a Government "excess property salvage form" officially transferring a $2 billion dollar piece of US Gov property over to the California Science Museum. Oh and Museums in CA are pretty much free. Cost to get in to the Science museum was a whopping $2 a head. Last night it was the Hollywood Bowl for dinner and a show. Boy George and Culture Club backed by the LA Philharmonic. Pretty amazing show.

 

[jgmann67]

Washed and delabeled three cases of 750ml bottles. Racked the SLD Merlot (sitting on 90gr of American oak cubes). And enjoyed a Palmer Alter Ego with my TBone... All in all, a good birthday weekend.