Vineyard Diary

Last night's tasting at the Monterey Plaza was lots of fun. I poured our newly released Merlot and Zin and received lots of compliments. A number of people at the event hadn't heard of us, so it was fun to tell our story and talk about our label. The event was held outdoors in the courtyard overlooking the bay. The weather was cool (a nice reprieve from the heat of the valley).

While I was there I had the opportunity to chat with some great people and sample some of the wonderful wines from Joullian. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to taste and visit; I'm looking forward to seeing you again soon.

Elsbeth
Escafeld Vineyards

I'll be pouring our new release Zinfandel and Merlot at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa on Wednesday. This is one of my favorite Monterey hotels, so I'm really looking forward to the event, hosted for the Travel Industry Association of America.

Don't forget to mark your calendars for the 14th Annual Winemakers' Celebration, held August 12 at Monterey's historic Custom House Plaza. You'll have the opportunity to taste new releases and special wines from over 45 Monterey County wineries. The event will also feature educational seminars, barrel building, live music and a silent auction, where you can bid on our newly released 2003 Merlot!

Coming up in September is Oldtown Soledad Beautification Association's Wind and Wine Festival. This is a unique and fun event, and one that the whole family can enjoy. Last year, festival goers saw stunning kite displays and took helicopter rides above the town. Check back soon as I'll be posting more information about this event in a week or so.

Elsbeth
Escafeld Vineyards

Today's the day! We now have our limited edition 2003 vintage Zinfandel and Merlot available!

Our Gold medal '02 Zin sold out quickly last year, so I'm excited to see what will happen this time around.

Tasting Notes:

Escafeld 2003 Zinfandel: $24.95

What a wine! Our '03 Zin displays a deep, dark red color and a rich chocolate blackberry/raspberry nose. A complexity of flavors with a concentration of mixed berry jam, blackberries and chocolate predominating. Hints of violets and vanilla give way to a lengthy bright chocolate peppery berry-cream finish that just goes on and on and on...wow!

Escafeld 2003 Merlot: $19.95

Deep red to purplish in the glass, this is a very food friendly wine with a lovely fresh bouquet of red berries, cherries, chocolate and vanilla. Wonderfully balanced with lush silken blackberry flavors layered with lively fresh cherry and berry pie. Hints of black cherries, chocolate and a sumptuous vanilla oakiness in the finish make this wine a great choice to pair with lots of your favorite dishes.

These wines are available for the first time today through our website.

Feel free to e-mail me with questions, and I'll be posting more info soon about the upcoming events where you'll have an opportunity to sample our latest releases!

Subscribe to the Vineyard Diary here to stay updated with all our events, activities and releases.

Enjoy,

Elsbeth
Escafeld Vineyards

When we were choosing a label design for our wines, we immediately thought of the beautiful photograph taken in the 1920's of my late Grandmother, Mary-Ann.

I don't know a great deal about the history of the portrait, except that it has had a number of unusual practical uses over the years. My grandfather, a stained glass craftsman, used to use it as a stencil for his glass artwork. The photograph was in a sorry state, badly tattered and lined, so we had it restored for use on the label.

My Grandparents lived in Liverpool in the UK, and, for a number of years ran a tavern in the Whitechapel district, just around the corner from the Cavern Club.

It's reported that the little tavern was a favorite haunt of the Beatles when they were just starting out. The pub doesn't exist any more, and neither does the original Cavern Club for that matter, but the original photograph is still safe and sound, back home on the banks of the Mersey in Liverpool.

Elsbeth
Escafeld Vineyards

We've just returned from an amazing camping trip. Five days on the outskirts of the San Antonio Valley, tucked into the Santa Lucia Mountains on the bank of the Nacimiento River.

After setting up camp under a shade tree we spent days swimming and hiking through some of the most dramatic canyons I've ever seen. Massive boulders pushed downstream by winter rains had created deep swimming lagoons, lots of swirling wading pools and beautiful fishing holes filled with spotted bass.

Our evenings were spent sitting around a roaring campfire, BBQing, stargazing and enjoying great conversation and wine. I brought along a bottle of our '02 Merlot to share. We decided to store our wines in the river to keep them cool and away from direct sunlight. Our Merlot lay nestled among shady rushes, cooled by the river for 2 days, then we pulled it out to enjoy with dinner, and wow, delicious! Perfect serving temperature!

This wine is really starting to come into its own now with plenty of black cherry and ripe strawberry flavors and a lovely creamy, almost mint-chocolate finish. It was a great match with our tri-tip, grilled medium rare over an open oakwood pit.

Funnily enough, there's been some info in the news lately about underwater cellarage being the latest thing. Take a look at Alder's blog over at Vinography. He mentions some of the wineries and restaurants employing this method, as well as current research being done in France. Our riverbank experiment, though not at all scientific, was certainly a success.

(Photograph courtesy of Stephany La Mascus.)

Elsbeth
Escafeld Vineyards