A Donkey and Goat Winery Blog

Nice Review on Tasting Table

2011-07-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Monday started out badly. Internet connection at the winery was down, printer didn't want to run UPS labels for kegs and I was running late. Then, I read the review on Tasting Table - turned my Monday around. For its newest wine, the Northern California winery harvested a cool-weather grape in a warm-growing region in which the vines were fed by their own disease-prone roots. Still,

Menu for upcoming wine dinner.

2011-02-08T06:08:00.000-08:00

DONKEY & GOAT WINERYWINE INSPIRED TASTINGFEBRUARY 24, 2011BUTTER POACHED OYSTERHorseradish-Lemongrass Granite, Meyer Lemon, Crispy Shallots“Brosseau Vineyard” Chardonnay 2009 ChaloneLIQUORICE SEARED DUCK BREASTBeluga Lentils, Charred Green Garlic, Currant-Porcini Jus“The Prospector” Mourvedre 2009 El DoradoSMOKED SHORT RIBWild Mushroom Stuffed Potato,Cider Spiked Brussels Sprouts,

Happy Holidays!

2010-11-26T10:16:00.001-08:00

Our Holiday Card!

Some photos for various events.

2010-11-13T11:54:00.000-08:00

Our good friend Lars Skjerping, @LarsSkjerping and a killer campaign manager if you ever need one, recently sent us some great photos from various events.From the open house, crushing 2010 Stone Crusher Roussanne and pressing 2010 Perli Syrah.

Some more recent press

2010-11-13T06:51:00.000-08:00

In case you have missed our recent tweets, we have been mentioned in several more recent articles. Saveur Magazine - The New California Wine http://www.saveur.com/ andhttp://www.saveur.com/gallery/ San Francisco Chronicle - N.Y. takes a new look at California www.sfgate.com Sunset Magazine - This Years Top Wine Trends http://www.sunset.com/food-wine It is nice to get press during harvest -

Notes as harvest starts to slow

2010-10-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

We are down to harvesting our last few vineyards. Tomorrow morning, we will head to Anderson Valley and harvest our new Chardonnay vineyard in the deep end of the valley - lots of fog and, as a result, lots of acid. We will also be harvesting Hog Pen Syrah on Thursday. Friday, we will harvest the last of our grapes from the foothills. Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Grenache. After this,

Roussanne Fermenting

2010-09-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

Our 2010 StoneCrusher is slowly fermenting. It is currently at about 11 Brix (sugar) with the yeast converting sugar at about a 2 brix a day. Everytime we take the cover off, the smell rocks - it is just incredible.We are trying to determine when to press - not sure when. Maybe Friday or Saturday.

Parable of the Cave

2010-09-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

Image via WikipediaI recently tasted with a wine buyer who started out the meeting, after tasting our Untended Chardonnay, by saying that he like wines that were interesting in their shadows. (I am sure I am not getting what he said quite right, so Jonathan, if you are reading this, I apologize. ) Of course, I though back to reading Plato in college and the prisoners in the cave. I love wine

StoneCrusher in Keg

2010-09-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

We are likely going to sell out of Stone Crusher in a few days - I love the combination of tanning, richness, apricot, honeysuckle, with good acid. If you get a chance, you can try it at Zero Zero on tap and another places coming soon.

Tasting menu with our fall release

2010-08-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

As we approach of fall release, we are hosting a preview of our wines for our Trade partners. (Our open house is coming up September 11th.) Ryan from Naked Lunch just called to share their wine tasting menu for Monday and this going to be fun! Each item will be paired with several wines to allow a compare/contrast of the flavors while we explore the versatility of the wines.

More Recent Press

2010-08-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

We our summer being so busy, our blog has gotten behind. Each time I think we will catch up, something new comes up. Perhaps September will be better. In the mean time, Tracey was quoted yesterday in a San Jose Mercury New article about Serious Syrah."We think that style of syrah," she says, "kicks both pinot noir and cabernet up and down."It is nice to see Syrah getting some attention these

Outstanding in the Field Event

2010-07-10T08:10:00.001-07:00

We had the pleasure of hosting an Outstanding in the Parking Lot Field this past Monday.When Tracey first mentioned this group, I had never heard of them. With a tiny bit of research, one starts to read hundreds of reviews of what sounds like incredible meals in the middle of fields. I got excited but had doubts about our parking lot.As you can see, my doubts were misplaced. With a large

A nice mention for Isabel's Cuvee

2010-06-01T15:55:00.001-07:00

The San Francisco Chronicle rated dry roses over the past weekend. They liked Isabel's Cuvee2009 Donkey and Goat Isabel's Cuvee Mendocino Grenache Rosé ($18): The slightly cloudy look of Jared and Tracey Brandt's excellent rosé hints at their natural winemaking. In this case, half the Grenache fruit (from 90-year-old vines) was left on skins for 36 hours, the other half quickly pressed. The

Celebrating a 40th Birthday

2010-05-29T09:00:00.001-07:00

Last night to celebrate Tracey's 40th, we opened a few special bottles. The listed included:1998 Chateau La Nerthe - Chateauneuf -du-Pape2000 Domaine Jean-Michel Stephan2007 Donkey and Goat The Recluse Broken Leg2009 Pievalta Barone PizzineAnd two Magnums1962 Chateau Talbot1998 Pride Mountian MerlotAll the wines showed really well.Great evening with friends!

Wine Making Isn't Always Glamorous

2010-05-23T15:46:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was spent filling bags for a client.

White Label Kegs

2010-05-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months we have been researching putting wines in kegs for a few local places and maybe even one of our favorite places in New York. We are happy to announce that we are launching our first keg wine - The White Label. This first wine is mainly Syrah and delicious.As soon as it is available on a tap, we will announce where you try it.

Recent Mentions

2010-05-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, over breakfast, I was interviewed via Twitter about FourSquare - a service I think is great. The interview was the first of several recent mentions:Business Insider posted a short note and our interview. The Wine Kitchen, a favorite spot of Tracey's in the DC area, wrote a great post about thinking about wine and our Roussanne. I totally agree with the lemon and honeysuckle. And

Blog Posts - Starting Again

2010-05-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

For the last few months, we have know that our blog service was changing. As a result, I have been trying to decide what to do. I finally made a decision but it will likely be a multi-step process. Today, the first part was done - moving the location to http://donkeyandgoat.blogspot.com/. As a result, we can now post from our phones and update the blog. (Blogger turned off our FTP service on

Photos from our open house

2010-04-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

Our good friend and former intern Thomas took some great photos at our open house. I wish I had had more time to enjoy the wonderful food. Maybe this fall...

Winning Haiku

2010-03-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

Blake Gray, the great wine writer behind the Gray Market Report, was unable to attend our recent open house so he gave away his tickets via a haiku contest. Nanette Asimov won the contest:Don Quijote, goTell Sancho Panza that IEnjoy MourvedreEnjoy some Mourvedre and reread it.

Growing a Winery

2010-03-07T14:33:00.000-08:00

The wine world has gone through a very hard year. Probably the most telling article was a few weeks back in the New York Times on February 16th in the Dining Section: But in 2009, sales of wines priced at $25 and above dropped 30 percent nationwide, according to Nielsen. While global wine sales increased, California wine shipments fell for the first time in 16 years. Searching for a way out of

Isabel's Cuvee Grenache Rose Serving Suggestions

2010-02-22T21:57:00.000-08:00

Each year, as we race to try and get our rose to finish, we consider filtering it. Should the wine look perfect or taste like summer? We picked taste this year and, as a result, the wine went into bottle without any filtering (except our bug catcher - to keep out, well bugs). This has been our decision nearly every year.Each time I pour the rose, this decision is evident. Sediment has

Bottling, SO2 and sans Soufre

2010-01-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

Over the last seven vintages, we have been using less and less SO2. In fact, we have even started to make wines without adding SO2. (Isabel's Crazy Sh.. was made without any SO2.)We went to nearly zero SO2 until after malolactic fermentation last year. This year we went to zero until malos are done. That said, at bottling, we are often amazed at how the SO2 shows. Our forthcoming 2008 El

As everyone posts their end of the year

2009-12-31T08:05:00.001-08:00

blog, I am going to try and catch up with some photos and video from my trip to Denmark. My new phone, a Droid, doesn't do so well with photos. There is a software bug that they need to fix. The dinner took place in Haderslev. (My father's family emigrated to America from this area when it was under the rule of Bismark/Germany.) The food was delicious and the service delightful. I hope to

Hej Copenhagen

2009-12-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

After Stockholm, I had a great visit to Copenhagen. Our wines have been imported into Denmark for two years now and it was a pleasure to meet our importer, Ole Jensen, in person.On Wednesday, he suggested we go to Sweden for lunch after I arrived at the airport. I was, of course, confused. (Fly from Sweden to Denmark to go back to Sweden?) After picking me up, we drove across the

Success in Sweden

2009-11-30T00:04:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday, I had the pleasure of pouring at the Haut Les Vins Tasting at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden.It is the first time we have poured our wines at an event in Europe and I was a bit nervous. The event focused on terroir driven, European wine makers, many making incredible wine. I was unsure how our wines would be received, how the label would be received and how easy it would

Now that you have a taste box, lets taste!

2009-11-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

If you have a taste box, now you can taste with us. Just get four glasses and label them with each wine using a dry erase marker. After that, sit down and watch the video.

2009-11-15T07:24:00.000-08:00

Peter Liem's recent column about un-grafted vines in Wine and Spirits is worth a read. (Found via Eric Asimov's blog. )We often make this same comparison between native yeasts and commercial yeasts. The native yeast is not a single species - various yeasts compete. Each vineyard clearly has its own flora. Thinking about the article made me wonder if it was actually even closer to talk about

Holiday Sampler and Distinctive Wine (Great Review)

2009-11-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

We are starting to take pre-orders for our Holiday Sampler pack - a combination of wine samples, killer chocolate and full bottles. You can learn more about it at adonkeyandgoat.com/holiday_samplerYesterday, we got another great review. As always, I like the note more than the score. But I can't complain about the 93...Stephen Tanzer's International Wine CellarDonkey & GoatBy Josh RaynoldsNov/

We are really going to Sweden...

2009-11-06T05:16:00.000-08:00

Tasting our 09 Rhone Whites

2009-11-05T06:33:00.000-08:00

With harvest winding down, we have started to spend much more time tasting the wine. As mentioned early, we made four barrels of Roussanne on their skins. Each wine was made in a different style and now the barrels are each tasting wonderful on their own way. It is popular to classify these wines as "orange" but I don't actually like the name. The reason, orange suggests a color and ours are

Our Manifesto

2009-11-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

The other day Tracey copied me on an email dialog about our wines and thoughts on natural, organic and biodynamic. It's a pretty good manifesto so I thought I'd share on our blog. Tracey writes... "We make our wines for the table not the cocktail glass. We make Rhône varietals in both colors plus an unusual Chardonnay. We (my husband and winemaking partner Jared and I) strive to make wine as

You know it is a hard harvest

2009-11-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

when we don't post for over a month. Isabel has been helping at the winery this year. She knows how to wrap fermentors for sulfur candles, lower the press tray using the down control on the forklift when we need to place it back on the trolley (it takes two, one to lower, one to move the trolley) and punchdown. Here she is last night wearing pink, working hard.

A Matter of Taste

2009-10-03T02:50:00.000-07:00

"Zeez young American girl...I am surprised. She eez young and thin, but she can drink like a taxi driver!" This is what the French uncle of Eric and Laurence had to say about me last night over magre de canard. I almost choked on the Burgundy pinot noir that Eric had just poured for me. But then he continued, "non, non, it eez a compliment...I am impressed! And it eez important if she wants to be

2009-09-23T03:10:00.000-07:00

It's true, the grape doesn't fall far from the vine. Following in Jared and Tracey's footsteps, I am now here in the Rhone Valley of France working with their former mentor, Eric Texier. This being my first time in France, I have finally gained exposure to the magic of Old World wine. The intricate world of wine here in France can feel overwhelming at times, but working at A Donkey and Goat last

A video about making Ver Jus

2009-09-21T21:51:00.000-07:00

Tom Bentley made this great video about our making verjus. I hope you enjoy it.

Can Unicorn's determine when to pick grapes

2009-09-08T21:26:00.001-07:00

Isabel and I checked her vineyard on Labor Day. I sampled by the cluster, Isabel sampled by the grape. We jointly determined that a bit more sugar would be good - either for juice or wine. I expect us to harvest this vineyard in late September or earl October.

More vineyard updates

2009-09-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

A short video from the Lightner Vineyard. One of the great things about this vineyard is the view (okay - just kidding, it is great but...). The vineyard is close enough to the American River that it is always windy. This wine help keep mildew and other bugs at bay naturally. We will first pick this vineyard, the Syrah, either in late September or early October. It should be a great year

Update from the foothills

2009-09-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, I drove up to the foothills to check several vineyards. Most pressing was Ellen Ridge. The grapes are ripe - lots of brown seeds, good sugars and nice acid. (24 Brix, PH of 3.37 and TA of 7.5 G/L)Ellen Ridge is on the edge of the American River canyon at about 1,800 feet above sea level. The blue label is right where our vines are.View Ellen Ridge Vineyard in a larger

2009-09-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

Chardonnay is slowly fermenting towards greatness. You can watch my update and learn how to measure brix.

Some nice new reviews from Parker

2009-09-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Robert Parker recently reviewed several of our wines. The conventional wisdom is that Parker loves low acid wines. Being fans of high acid wines, one might think he would dismiss ours. Not the case - he liked both our Prospector and Four Thirteen. 2007 A Donkey and Goat Four Thirteen RATING: 89 pointsFROM: El Dorado, Sierra Foothills, California, USAVARIETY: Proprietary

Chardonnay Fermentation and Golds

2009-09-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

Early this morning, I went and checked on our Chardonnay barrels. Each year, we try and fill the barrels to just the right height - an impossible task. I find that the native yeast, from Brosseau, are very foamy in there first few days of fermentation. On a different note, the Journal of Wine Economics just released its newest issue. The lead article analyzes the reliability of Gold

Night Harvest Video

2009-08-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

We picked Chardonnay a week ago today. It has started to ferment thanks to the native yeast. I made a few videos with my flip camera - here is one of the better ones.

Happy Harvest!

2009-08-28T09:45:00.001-07:00

Harvest season has officially started. Monday our team picked, sorted, stomped and pressed the bright and juicy Chardonnay grapes. Ever since Jared, Justin, and I tasted the fresh grape juice last week, I've been waiting anxiously for harvest to officially begin. Seriously, I would've gulped down a whole glass of the sugary but full-flavored stuff if there was not the threat of a terrible stomach

If you are wonder why the Chicago Bears

2009-08-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

had such a good game last Saturday, we suspect it was because of the wine served before the game...Thanks Scott and Helen for the photo and your support!

Syrah In The Wildneress

2009-08-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

Two of our Syrah Vineyards are off the grid in Mendocino. We spent time at both of them this past weekend.Perli Vineyards is south of Anderson Valley beyond the end of the pavement on Fish Rock Road. It has been in the Alden Family for several generations. The vineyard has a complete collections of wildlife - rattlesnakes, bears, scorpions, goats, deer, and raccoons just to name a few. In

Broken Leg Vineyard Update

2009-08-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Verasion is just starting for some of our Syrah in the Anderson Valley and Mendocino Ridge area. We spent the weekend in the vineyards checking on status, camping and eating a great dinner thanks to Steve Alden at Perli Vineyards. More videos are coming.

Quick Video From 2009 Open House

2009-08-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

Thinking about our party coming up - take a look at the spring party.

Rousseau and South Carolina

2009-08-13T21:15:00.001-07:00

Over a wonderful bottle of 2000 Rousseau, I recently spent an evening talking about the embattled Governor of South Carolina. Evidently, he is considered a hero by many in France for following his heart or at least being torn about what to do. This honestly and tension is unusual for an American. (Until I had heard this perspective, I tended to focus solely on his hypocrisy.)Winemakers

Fall release is out

2009-08-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

Our fall release has been posted and the wines are all tasting great. Included in the release is our schedule of events. One that I wish I was attending is another wine dinner in Greenwich CT. Chis, the chef/owner, is a great guy and this looks tasty. Tracey will be there and on the East Coast for a full week. Isabel and I (along with Justin and Lisa) will hold down the fort/winery.A

Getting ready for harvest

2009-08-07T09:28:00.001-07:00

If you are reading this blog on our website, you are seeing the new look and feel. We lauched the site on Wednesday evening - it is still not complete but we are getting there. Hopefully, we will get it done over the weekend.The new look is too match our new label. After 4 (or 5 if you count the rose or 6 if you count the unreleased 2003 wines) harvests with our first

Hot Young Turk....

2009-07-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

It is fun to get noticed. It took some time but our small winery and wines seem to be a little bit of a press roll. Good time to be on a press roll - just read about a famous winery which is 40% off in revenue this year. (We aren't off 40% because of our wonderful customers.)Anyway, The Tasting Panel magazine recently named me as a winemaker to watch or more precisely as a "Hot Young Turk".

Best Urban Winery - Magazine and TV

2009-07-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

We were recently honored by being selected as the best Urban Winery in the East Bay.No big Cabs. No buttery Chardonnays. No grapes from the wine mecca to our north. Really, the beauty of A Donkey and Goat Winery is the individuality of its owners. In 2001, Tracey and Jared Brandt left high-tech jobs to learn winemaking in France. They make what they like: Rhône wines with a nuanced balance of

Summer Time in Berkeley

2009-07-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

Last year, if you remember, a leading "conservative" commentator was promoting that all Americans should not do business with Berkeley since the city supported a group trying to stop Marine recruiting. Melanie Morgan since lost her job and the boycott seems to have disappeared.We lost an order over it and I started to doubt Mrs. Morgan conservative credentials. A small business should suffer

Some Interesting Wines and a Fun Time

2009-06-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed dinner at Franklin Square Wine Bar this evening. We are big fans and now they have kid night. $10 buys entertainment and dinner for your child. They also have many great wines available by the taste, glass or bottle. The table next to us was enjoying Four Thirteen - great choice of course. We decided to taste some things we hadn't had before.... 2007 Esporão

NYT Supports The Way We Make Rose...

2009-06-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

There was a huge debate on changes to EU rules regarding the making of Rosé. The EU was proposing that Rosé could be made blending red and white wine. The idea was to make wines more competitive. Today, the proposed rule change was rejected. In an interesting twist, the New York Times printed an editorial supporting tradition.First, a little explanation. Rosés are not, as some people

A blog with some great photos..

2009-06-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

I just had a great trip to New York and Connecticut this past week. I met a ton of our customers - consumers, servers, sommeliers and retail sales people. It is always great to talk to the people who sell and drink our wine. It is even better when they love the wine which they did!Our friends at Ancona's Wine & Liquor mentioned they had blogged about Isabel's Cuvee on their The Last Great

Temperature and wine

2009-06-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Tracey's birthday for a second time this weekend. We arrived at the beach early, as in 8:00 AM, to ensure we got the best possible spot at Heart's Desire Beach. (If you haven't been, go this summer. I think it is closing with the California budget cuts after Labor Day - marinmommies.com) When we got there, it was empty. The fog was in and it was cold. Having a beach to

Upcoming Wine Dinner in Greenwich, CT

2009-05-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

Come join me next Wednesday for a great dinner in Greenwich, CT. Details below:MORELLO BISTRO AND HORSENECK WINES PRESENT FOR THE FIRST TIMEJARED AND TRACEY'S WINERY - otherwise known as theDONKEY AND THE GOATThese two fine people have a winery that is up and coming from California and you really have to taste their handcrafted wines.The wines are going to be a surprise. The food will be matched

Interesting Fining Trial

2009-05-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, our grapes from Mendocino came in with smoke 'taint' this year. The vines and grapes were exposed to smoke on and off for about a month. With extra careful handling, we have mitigated the smoke flavor and smell to the point where many tasters now like it. All of that said, we have also been reading and talking with others about how to handle this and kept some wine

A great wine note

2009-05-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

Writing wine notes is hard. We always get a group of friends with great palates and even better descriptors for a round table tasting when we are trying to write out notes for our release letters. Tracey, having just returned from VA and DC, brought a note back from the Wine Kitchen - www.thewinekitchen.com - that I enjoyed and thought I would share it.Who: The Recluse, A Donkey and GoatWhat

Isabel's Pink shown on the WSJ

2009-05-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Isabel's Cuvée is shown on a recent video on the WSJ. Too bad they aren't drinking it- it is tasting great. We have also been getting lots of consumer feedback which we love. From a recent CellerTracker note by MrFroopy Really really juicy, yet dry and delicious. More body than I usually like in a rose but this pulls it off with nice all around balance..a tiny bit too much of that grenache

2009-05-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

We recently got a very nice review from Gary Vaynerchuk and Katie Lee Joel (Billy Joel's wife). Get all the details on Gary V's website - Wine Library TV Isabel (our daughter) was thrilled with their comments but didn't think they should be spitting her wine...

A Wonderful Dinner At Coco500

2009-05-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

We had a great dinner this past Wednesday at Coco500 - a big thanks to Clay, Betsy and all of the staff that make Coco500 such a great place.Grilled heart sounded like it might be tough. Turned out, it was great. The meat was perfect and the pollen added a really interesting touch.The braised shoulder melted in the mouth. And the the buckwheat cavatelli was to die for.The third course was

Some Northern California places to try our sold out wines

2009-04-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

At the winery, we are now sold out of the 07 El Dorado Roussanne, 08 Isabel's Cuvée Rosé, 07 The Prospector Mourvèdre and 07 Brosseau Chardonnay. (We even sold our stash, except for a few bottles with bad labels and other defects which are perfect for us.)That doesn't mean you can't try the wine. Here is an incomplete list of places with them in Northern California. Some may have already

Nice mention in the WSJ

2009-04-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Our weekend was kicked off with a nice mention by the Wall Street Journal'sDorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher in Tastings "Grenache Enters the Spotlight". There is also Grenache Gris, which still isn't recognized as a U.S. varietal wine on its own, but which is sometimes made into a rosé in the U.S. (Other Grenache rosés are made from regular Grenache.) A winery called A Donkey and Goat makes a

Off The Vine Loves A Donkey and Goat.

2009-03-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Off The Vine recently posted reviews for both our Roussanne and Rose.2007 Donkey & Goat Winery - Roussanne, El Dorado - 89Fresh, and supple this wine offers notes of honeysuckle, citrus and pear. on the palate a creamy texture and nuanced mix of pear, more citrus zest and bread yeast. A long finish with a sort of lime-aid zip. We loved this wine. and wished there was a bit more to go around!2008

Winemaker Dinner: A Night of Firsts

2009-03-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

Last night's Winemaker Dinner at Franklin Square Wine Bar in Oakland was a night of many firsts. It was the first time I'd ever been to the wine bar, but I dare say it will not be the last. What a cool little spot with some of the most energetic staff you'll ever see! Also, it was the first time I'd ever tasted goat. I must admit, after discussing the potentially cannibalisitic element of

Who knew a donkey could beat a vulture...

2009-03-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

Agent I is now batting for the other team. Check out THE DINNER to see a donkey beating a vulture. (Humane Society Approved.)Watch the video at www.secretagentsofsyrah.com.

Top 13 Facts and Fictions About Four Thirteen

2009-03-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

Every wonder what our Thirteen series is all about? Here is a short video to help you understand.

Duck-walking at high speed with a full barrel of Syrah. NOT easy.

2009-03-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

THE CRITIC is now live. The second video of our Secret Agents in action. Here we have a family affair (can you tell which actors are related). Plus I just LOVE Agent I duck-walking double time with a 500lb barrel of Syrah. Don't try that at home folks, he's a professional agent!If you've not already check out Secret Agents of Syrah or join the Fan Page on Facebook or follow our agents on

Secret Agents of Syrah

2009-03-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today we are launching SecretAgentsofSyrah.com. After hearing endless people in the industry to complain that it is hard to sell Syrah, we decided to do something about it. Join the agency today! As an agent you will evangelize the value & quality of Syrah while helping the uninformed discover its beauty. As a bonus, you will help us save the world (or at least the wine drinking population) from

Spring Release is Here

2009-03-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

This spring our wines are red, white and pink AND our most diverse to date. We have five new wines plus limited quantities left on two vineyard designate Syrahs. All are available for purchase at our online store (adonkeyandgoatwine.com/shopping) beginning MARCH 1st.• 2008 Grenache Rosé, Isabel’s Cuvée, our much anticipated pink wine made from 90+ year old Grenache Gris vines in the Mendocino sub

A funny take from our Top 13

2009-03-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

Reasons you should love our Four Thirteen.We have started making the full video and will post it when it is done.

Wine Tasting with Friends

2009-02-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

Last night we had the pleasure of hosting one of our wine tasting groups. The wines and the company were great.If you want to start a group, I have a few suggestions.Let one person pick the wines - either what to bring or they can just purchase them. We find the latter works best.Groups work best if the cost of the wine is split by the group - at least for the first few years.Do the tasting

Vitamins - Super Food for Saccharomyces or Brettanomyces

2009-02-19T15:09:00.000-08:00

We don't add nutrients during primary or secondary fermentation for several reasons. For purely philosophical reasons, we believe that one of the best ways to have the wine speak of the vineyard is not to add anything (our exception is SO2 but that might change). For practical reasons, we never learned how one handles nutrient additions since we trained under Eric Texier who shares our

Snow in the Vineyards

2009-02-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

Steve Lightner sent us this beautiful photo of his vineyards. A friend of ours in Burgundy claims snow is good for vines - helps keep the bug populations in balance. If he is right, they should be in check this year. (To see the image full screen, just click on it.)

Isabel's Cuvee

2009-02-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Isabel's Cuvee, named for our daughter, is about to be released. We bottled it last Saturday and, as Danielle blogged, it went well. Our wines often remind me of our daughter. She is very independent, spirited, and can easily bring a big smile to my face and others. We will let her friends parents try the wine at her birthday party in a few days. This year there will be two versions -

Holiday Tasting Photos

2009-02-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

Every year we host a holiday tasting for close friends and family. This year we were lucky to have Shay Sampson attend with her camera.We don't heat the winery, so you can see we are all dressed for the 40 something degrees that it was inside.Our open house is coming up. We expect 400 or so people. It should be warmer and lots of fun!

Bottled, Boxed and Moving On

2009-02-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

As our small team bottled around 200 cases of Rousanne and Rose this morning, I couldn't help but be reminded of a question posed by my Geography professor last semester: "Why haven't humans been replaced by machines?" Mostly, I was trying to figure out why we voluntarily squeezed into Caleb's truck of bottling gadgets for five hours, knees stiffening and shoulders tensing, on such a beautiful

Everything stays the same

2009-01-26T11:54:00.000-08:00

Levi, of Vin Collections, was over a few weeks back to the winery looking through some of older wines books. He pulled out The Treasury of American Wine from 1971 and read us the following quote:Some day I'd like to see a winery picketed - not by Cesar Chavez but by a consumer saying, "You've taken all the character out of your cabernet."The Treasury of American Wine, Norman Chroman, Crown

Success - what it means for us

2009-01-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

Over a conversation filled with lots of wine, I mentioned that we got our 08 Isabel's Cuvee Grenache Gris Rose right. Our companion asked what that meant which caused me to pause and think about it. It means a few things:We picked at the right moment for our desired outcome - ripe but not to ripe.We managed the light smoke taint - taking the wine of the gross lees before barreling down.We

Some Random Wines and notes

2009-01-24T11:28:00.000-08:00

Last night, thanks to a lovely friend, we tasted numerous Italian wines. Three stuck out in my mind for different reasons:Zuani vigne 2007, DOC Collio Bianco Zuani Societa Agricola. A lovely white that had an incredible nose that really appealed to me. The wine is a blend of TocaiFriuliano, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. Rosso del Saprano 2005, IGT Sicilia, Palari. A blend of

Some random wines drunk with friends.

2009-01-18T19:31:00.000-08:00

We had dinner with Sacha Verhange of Eno Wines on Saturday night along with his lovely wife and daughter. Over dinner, we enjoyed several interesting wines that are worth noting.2006 Saint-Joseph, Rene-Jean Dard et Francois Ribo. Probably the most fascinating wine we had all night. It reminded me of a good Cote-Rotie as well as the wines of Raymond Trollat. I would guess that it was

Expanding One's Post Drinking Volcabulary

2009-01-09T10:08:00.001-08:00

In a recent post on Proof, Iain Gately describes his hang over cure (which I won't ever try) and the struggle to explain in Spanish that he was not a sloppy drunk the night before...When I fell into bed with my partner I was happy: inebriated yes, wasted, no. Squiffy rather than sloshed, trashed or flayed.Besotted - Etymologically, That IsAccording to the post, Benjamin Franklin published common

South African winery explains natural wine

2009-01-07T12:31:00.001-08:00

Natural wine making is a hard concept to explain and many of our fellow wine makers get offended by the mere mention of.Vinopis, a french winemaker's blog, recently posted two very interesting South Africa ads for Avondale winery. The ads try to explain, in an eye catching manner, why they make wine au naturel.We plan our own ad campaign with naked yeast photos.

Top 10 Lists and Wine

2008-12-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

As the end of the year approaches, everyone in the wine world seems inclined to post their top ten, most surprising 20 or 100 best lists. I am not sure why the end of the year causes this behavior. As I reflect on this year, my top ten list would focus on people I have connected or re-connected with over a bottle of wine. Friends from elementary and high school ( in Salt Lake, Raleigh and here

Stirring the Lees

2008-12-17T13:31:00.000-08:00

With snow up in Tilden Park, it's no wonder the winery has been a bit chillier the past few days. Jared and I bundled up for lab work Monday night, as pouring rain intermittently echoed throughout the cellar. Jared let me choose the wine we would taste and asses for the night, and I decided on the Brosseau Chardonnay. We worked our way through eight barrels, and each one was surprisingly

Review Season

2008-12-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year, when we get reviews. Reviews are funny things - sometimes they make sense to us. Sometimes, they seem like they are about different wines. (And sometimes they reflect that the reviewers don't read our notes like a recent review about our 3/13 that says it doesn't taste like a typical Syrah..)So, some recent favorites. First from a customer (always the best

Zentact - my other life

2008-12-10T15:05:00.000-08:00

I wanted to do a short post about my other job. As the winery grows, I have continued to work in the tech industry to allow us to focus on making our wine. A while back, a friend, Eric Marcoullier, asked me to work on a new project of his called Zentact. I agreed and started this past September. The team is great (all have worked here on weekends when we need them) and the product is

Wine Speak Excess

2008-12-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

We always struggle with how to describe our wines. We often have a group of friends over to drink wine and tell us what they think and then Tracey takes up the difficult task of writing the notes (Writing Wine Notes). Anyway, the results are sometimes a bit over the top. Serious Eats held a contest for the most over the top description. The comments are pretty funny though I don't agree

Thanksgiving open studio was a great success!

2008-12-01T11:12:00.001-08:00

Happy Belated ThanksgivingWe had a great Thanksgiving in wine country with our good friends and their family. We came back Friday and held a casual open studio open house on Saturday and Sunday.It was a great success! Instead of our normal party, this was just a simple wine tasting with art from our friend Jane Fisher and barrel candle holders from me. Mine are very simple and we have a few left

Smoke Update

2008-11-24T10:50:00.000-08:00

In early October, we mentioned that we had smoke taint with our rose. It is gone and we have learned a fair amount on how to deal with since then including:Smoke taint or flavor is in the eyes (or perhaps mouth) of the beholder. As the The Wine Spectator reported, some people consider it a mark of the vintage/terroir, others as an issue.Rain, despite the research from Australia, seems to

Great critic passes

2008-11-19T20:55:00.000-08:00

Clive Barnes passed away yesterday. He was a great critic of both dance and drama - I can remember reading a review of his where he was up front saying he didn't understand something and felt, as a result, he could not judge it. Or as the New York Times described him today:Prolific and influential, he nonetheless maintained a consistently skeptical attitude toward criticism in general and his

SF wine week tasting event

2008-11-13T16:41:00.000-08:00

Last night was a somewhat atypical one for a Berkeley winemaker and his Cal student intern. Jared and I poured three wines at the Paradise Lounge in San Francisco as part of the third night of San Francisco Wine Week's festivities. The lights were dimmed, the music was bumping, and we quickly learned to appreciate our quiet serving nook in the corner of the club. And luckily, our relatively

In a few minutes, I will start the last punchdown of 08

2008-11-12T16:13:00.000-08:00

It has been quite a year and, as always, I am both relieved and a bit sad. Relieved that I don't have to think about punch down Sunday morning nor Sunday evening for another year. Sad that the harvest rituals are over.Of course, the end of harvest means that ski season is here. Alta and Snowbird in Utah are both open - Alta only for the weekend. Our good friend, Greg Neville, skied

Tomorrow Night - SF Wine Week

2008-11-11T12:32:00.000-08:00

We will be pouring tomorrow night as the first ever SF Wine Week event. The event is from 6 - 10 at the Paradise Lounge in Soma. I haven't been to the Paradise in at least 4 and half years - before Isabel was created.It will be interesting to see how the event turns out. I like the goal - attract a different crowd to a wine event. SF Wine WeekWednesday, November 12thThe Sommelier Party,

Early morning pleasures

2008-10-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

With harvest, comes three times a day punch downs of our reds. We handle this with our great intern team and ourselves. The 550 L puncheons are not hard to punch down, just a work out. Our 4200 L (4 plus tons of fruit) wood fermentor is a different story. The first two to three days when fermentation starts, it is nearly impossible to punch down using the punch down tools.Yesterday,

Week Two of Fenaughty Syrah Fermentation

2008-10-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

I've discovered the reason red wine remains relatively undisturbed during the fermentation process. The sugary, sweet initial grape juice is delicious, and obviously the finished wine is the grand endpoint, but in between those stages this Syrah should be tasted more to satisfy curiosity than to be enjoyed for pure taste alone. The nose has grown deeper and almost damper, emitting a sharp odor

Stomping the old vine Syrah

2008-10-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

A lively, fast-working crowd of volunteers sorted, stomped, and crushed the Syrah from McDowell Valley on Sunday, in celebration of Jared and Tracey’s fifth anniversary. It takes some devoted winemakers to celebrate their marriage working on a mighty 4 tons of grapes! First planted way back in 1894, the vines providing these big juicy grapes are from some of the oldest