Bottling And Labeling Our Syrah 2022 Vintage

The good news is, our Syrah 2022 harvest was a record yield for us—over 1,400 pounds. Aged in oak barrels for over a year, it was a perfect sunny autumn morning to bottle 30 cases of our wine, with the help of our enthusiastic friends.

The bad news is, we lost our entire grape crop for 2023. We had a cool spring, a tropical mid-summer rain, more summer rain, and not a terribly hot end of summer. The grapes simply didn’t ripen and the powder mildew pressure persisted. Grapes split, bees came, and even coyotes for a nightly nibble. At first, we tried to cull grape clusters amongst the good, but it in the end we let the harvest go. You can’t make good or great wine from poor grapes.

This was an exceptionally trying weather year, but we have had a few here and there. We were not the only ones, many local vintners were also affected. It is humbling, and it is farming. There is always next year, and a fresh start once again.

Full Boxes Finished And Stacked For Storage & Further Aging

More good news. John and I are pouring our Domaine de Manion wines at the upcoming Olivenhain Wine Tasting Event on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, from 6pm to 9pm, along with six other local vintners. Cost is $35.00 per person, and includes hand-crafted appetizers and a complimentary etched wine glass. It is an annual fundraiser to support the maintenance of the historic Olivenhain Town Hall and the surrounding grounds.

For this event, you don’t have to be an Olivenhain member, but what they call a Supporter. So come on out and support this fun and great event. Tickets are now available online along with more details. There is a limited amount of tickets sold, so if you are interested in going, be sure and book your ticket(s) in advance.

I hope to see you at the Olivenhain Wine Tasting. A big thanks to all of you for your continued interest and support!

Santé

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Sunset Over Domaine de Manion

I have taken you through a whole year in our vineyard. Winter, Spring, Summer, Harvest, and now Autumn. The grapes are in, the vines are slowly going dormant and turning beautiful fall colors. Light frequent rains, have already transformed the vineyard floor into a verdant carpet. If you look closely you can see that the grapevines almost mirror the spectacular color of a recent sunset. Yellow, orange, red, tawny, leaves give a spectacular visual display before soon dropping to the ground and starting the process all over again for next year. Like life, each year is different, and full of surprises. It is a time of reflection.

At this moment, I would like to “thank all of you” who read this blog, and so many who have reached out to me, in person and online, about the information shared, great recipes, or tip they gleaned in one of the posts. If you have friends who might enjoy it as well, you can sign them up on my website homepage, bonniejomanion.com or email me and I can sign them up.

I am very thankful and grateful for your kindness and support. Blessings! Merci beaucoup!

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend….Bonnie