The Petaluma Gap Wine Growers Alliance
Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance Newsletter
Issue: #9June 2013
In This Issue
Upcoming Events
Featured Article
Random Wine Facts
Monthly Wine Walk
Member News
Discounts and Specials
Education Events
Vineyard Happenings

 

 

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Clary Ranch 
Upcoming Events

 

Monthly Wine Walk
Sunday, June 2
Petaluma Gap wine tasting at Downtown Theatre District Restaurants
 
The Farmer, the Winemaker, and the Chef
June 9, 2013 5 to 8 pm at Dry Creek Kitchen
 
Petaluma Art & Garden Festival
July 14, 2013 in Downtown Petaluma.
Petaluma Gap wines will be available during the event.

P-Gap In the News!

 

  

Random Wine Facts
The Irish believe that fairies are extremely fond of good wine. The proof of the assertion is that in the olden days royalty would leave a keg of wine out for them at night. Sure enough, it was always gone in the morning. - Irish Folklore 

  

Monthly Wine Walk June 2nd
  
May - Cline Cellars
Cline Cellars poured samples of their Petaluma Gap wines
for tasting at La Dolce Vita for the May 5th Wine Walk

Our second Wine Walk on Sunday May 5th was another great success! More than 60 attendees enjoyed tasting Petaluma Gap wines from Clary Ranch, Cline Cellars, Armagh Vineyard, and Keller Estate. The participating Theatre District restaurants (Rosso Pizzeria and Mozzarella Bar, La Dolce Vita Wine Bar, Sugo Trattoria and Graffiti's) offered discounts on the featured wines by the glass and bottle.

 

This month, the Wine Walk is on Sunday June 2nd from 3 to 6 pm with five restaurants participating: Tres Hombres Long Bar and Grill, Sugo Trattoria, Rosso Pizzeria and Mozzarella Bar, La Dolce Vita Wine Bar, and Graffiti! Tastes of Petaluma Gap wines will be poured by Enriquez Estate, Fogline Vineyards, Saltonstall Estate, Morris Ranch Winery and Clary Ranch. Guests can purchase Wine Walk wrist bands for $10 at participating the Theatre District restaurants the day of the event. You must be 21 to participate! 

Member News
  

Enriquez Logo

Enriquez Estate Wines just released their 2012 Tempranillo Ros�. With only 47 cases produced, this perfect summer wine will go fast! Retail price is $24, but PGWA members receive the wine club discount if they purchase 3 (5% discount), 6 (10%), or 12 (15%) bottles. Contact [email protected] for details.
Winery Discounts and Specials for PGWA Members
  

Following is a list of discounts or other specials currently being offered exclusively to our PGWA Members

  • Clary Ranch Wines -- 10% discount on wine purchases. Contact [email protected] for details.
  • Enriquez Estate -- Private Tasting for 4 with the Owner, and Wine Club Discount applied to purchases (by appointment only). Contact [email protected] for details.
  • Kendric Vineyards -- 10% discount on wine purchases in addition to applicable volume discounts. Enter promo code PGWA in the space provided when finalizing an order on the shopping cart page of the Kendric Vineyards website.
Education Events
  
McEvoy Ranch Tour 
Wednesday, June 26th 
Our Education Committee is busy lining up a variety of educational events for our Members, with a goal of having several such events over the summer and fall. The first event scheduled is a tour at McEvoy Ranch on Wednesday, June 26th from 10 a.m. to noon, with wine tasting at the end of the tour.
Space is limited to 30 people. There is no charge for PGWA Members. Members may bring one non-member guest for a charge of $10. This tour will fill up fast, so please RSVP to Teela Ridgeway via email at [email protected] or by telephone at 707-529-6248.

Wild Wing Tour 
Monday, July 22nd (full moon) 
Barn Owls
From rodents to ground and flying insect control, Wild Wing Company offers a wide variety of cavity-nesting boxes for Barn Owls, Screech Owls, American Kestrels, Bluebirds, Violet-green Swallows and Tree Swallows. Also available are exotic bird traps for controlling pest birds that destroy crops, transfer diseases to livestock, and kill or drive away native cavity nesting birds from their nest sites. Tour details are still being worked out, but mark your calendar for a full moon tour on Monday, July 22nd. More info will follow in the July newsletter.
Vineyard Happenings

Syrah Flowering
Tiny white flowers can be seen popping out on this
soon-to-be Petaluma Gap Syrah cluster!
With the chance of frost now a distant memory, the warm days of late spring are having their magic effect on the Gap vines. Shoots are reaching skyward toward the sun and young grape clusters are starting to bloom. Yes, grape clusters really do bloom! But don't expect a prolific show of color along our scenic roadways. In fact, you pretty much have to be up close and personal to even see the tiny white petals. Flowering or blooming is the stage where pollination and fertilization of the grapevine takes place. Grapevines are self-pollinating, so no bees are involved. Self-pollination occurs when pollen grains from the anthers of the flower travel to the stigmas of the same flower or to other flowers on the same plant. This results in self-fertilization and leads to the eventual formation of the fruit. While the grapevine is flowering, the ideal weather conditions are mild, wind-free days with no rain. Rain, too hot or too cold days, and lots of wind can prevent proper pollination and could result in bunches that are too compact or too loose with only a small number of berries per bunch. Significant rain is unusual in the Gap this time of year, but strong afternoon winds are a frequent occurrence. Only time will tell if the wind has had an adverse effect on pollination, which is next month's article -- Fruit Set!