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Upcoming Events
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Monthly Wine Walk
Sunday, July 7
Petaluma Gap wine tasting at Downtown Theatre District Restaurants
Petaluma Art & Garden Festival
July 14, 2013 in Downtown Petaluma.
Petaluma Gap wines will be available during the event.
Petaluma Gap Annual Members BBQ
Sunday, August 25th
Save the Date! Details to follow.
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Random Wine Facts
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Ever wonder why wine bottles are different shapes?
Traditionally, wine is sold in a bottle that reflects the origins of the grapes that made the wine. The bottles with high shoulders and long, slender necks are for wines that originated in the Bordeaux region of France, and they include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. Bottles with the longer, sloping shoulders are for wines that originated the Burgundy region of France. They include Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir. The name for the very tall and slender Hock bottle comes from a British term for the region of Germany and France where those bottles originated. They also are known as Alsatian or German bottles, and the wines in them typically are made from Riesling or Gewurztraminer. In most places, there are no laws to regulate which bottles are used for which wines. But the wine business can be very traditional, so many wineries stick to the bottle origins.
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Monthly Wine Walk July 7th
 | Fogline Vineyards poured samples of their Petaluma Gap wines for tasting at Rosso Pizzeria and Mozarella Bar
for the June 2nd Wine Walk |
Our third Wine Walk on Sunday June 2nd was the best yet! Nearly 100 attendees enjoyed tasting Petaluma Gap wines from Clary Ranch, Fogline Vineyards, Morris Ranch Winery, Enriquez Estate Vineyard and Saltonstall Estate. The participating Theatre District restaurants (Tres Hombres Long Bar and Grill, 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 July 7th 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 Keller Estate, Armagh Vineyard, Flocchini Wines, Cline Cellars and Kendric Vineyards. 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!
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Member News
Dutton-Goldfield Winery is  thrilled to announce their new wine and cheese pairing! Come explore similarities and contrasts in this seated tasting of 4 wines and 4 of our favorite local artisan cheeses, along with some lovely accompaniments. You'll learn about the intricacies of each specific varietal (including their single-vineyard pinots) and vineyard location, and discover what makes a delicious pairing. Advance reservations are required. To make your reservation, call Dutton-Goldfield at 707.827.3600 or email jessie @duttongoldfield.com. The cost is $30 per person.
Flocchini Wines will be pouring at Cuvee Wine Cellars on July 6th in San Carlos and for the Petaluma Wine Walk on July 7th.
 Fogline Vineyards is moving production to the newly-built Cruse Wine Company in Petaluma. They will be making their first sparkling wine from estate-grown fruit at this new facility. In addition to looking forward to using the state-of-the-art crush equipment, Evan tells us that he is particularly excited about the 4 mile commute -- biking distance from home! Devils Gulch Ranch will  hold their Summer Family Picnic & Open House, Ranch and Vineyard Tour on Saturday August 10 & Sunday August 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Bring your own picnic, a dish to share, purchase ranch products, use their BBQ, and share in the beauty, bounty, and camaraderie of the community. In order to attend either day, please RSVP to mark@devilsgulchranch.com. |
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Winery Discounts and Specials for PGWA Members
 Following is a list of discounts or other specials currently being offered exclusively to our PGWA Members:
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Education Events
Wild Wing Tour
Monday, July 22nd (full moon)
 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 a separate email.
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Vineyard Happenings -- Fruit Set!
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Poor fruit set with few berries and "hens and chicks" on this Syrah cluster
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 | | Good fruit set is evident on this Petaluma Gap Syrah cluster |
Fruit set follows flowering almost immediately, when the fertilized flower begins to develop a seed and grape berry to protect the seed. This stage is very critical for wine production since it determines the potential crop yield. An individual flower cluster contains hundreds of flowers. However, for a variety of reasons, not all of those flowers will set fruit and develop into berries. First, even under optimal conditions, not every flower on a vine gets fertilized, with the unfertilized flowers eventually falling off the vine. Typically, the percentage of fertilized flowers averages around 30 but can get as high as 60. Climate plays an important role in fruit set, with low humidity, excessive wind, high temperatures and water stress having the potential of severely reducing the amount of flowers that get fertilized. Other factors that can affect fruit set are vine nutrition, vine vigor status, and rain during flowering. Fruit set that is low (less than 30 percent) can lead to clusters with few berries, and/or clusters with significant berry variability. This phenomenon is often called "hens and chicks" where large and small berries exist within a cluster.
Generally, conditions in the Petaluma Gap this spring were favorable for a good fruit set. There were several days with very gusty winds (even by Petaluma Gap standards), but nothing that would cause widespread vine damage. The recent rain in late June occurred well after flowering had ended, so was not a concern for fruit set (that rain did, however, result in conditions favorable for powdery mildew growth, so the Gap growers have been busy with their mildew control programs). With some of the more worrisome challenges safely behind us, the 2013 wine growing season in the Gap is looking to be one of the best in the past decade! |
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