Bottle Juice

…we still couldn't reach all the way down to the bottom, so we just laid it down horizontally. Mission accomplished! And with the added bonus that the quantity on the amphora was just right to fill the basket press, so we could press the lot in only one session.

Phase 5. The last phase is always cleaning the equipment used and tidying up. A great bore to be sure, but really necessary!

Some thoughts and some tasting notes

We were all surprised at the quality of both the liquid wine at …

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…grapes ( Criolla) were of uncertain origin, but recent DNA testing has linked the Mission grape to the Listan Prieta grape of Castile Spain, which is now largely extinct as a result of phylloxera outbreaks of the 19th century.

The Bell Wall was erected after the Great Stone Church collapsed during the earthquake of 1812

The Padres made both red and white wine. Keep in mind that red wine is red because the skins are left to ferment which produces both the red color and …

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…floor and provides the growing conditions that in 1776 attracted Franciscan padres to plant the first Mission grape vines in Temecula. Today, Temecula boasts more than 30 wineries and 1300 acres of vines. A recent visit to Temecula provided the opportunity to taste the wines of several wineries. The wines of Thornton Winery impressed me the most.

Given its location, Temecula is a prime site for wine tourism, which the Temecula Wine Growers Association helps promote. …

• Topics: Thornton, Temecula, Chardonnay, 2010, Nebbiolo
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Mission Codename : Who's the fairest of them all

Operative : Agent White

Objective : Re-infiltrate Miro Cellars and acquire the newest vintage of their always-delicious Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah

Mission Status : Accomplished!

Current Winery : Miro Cellars

Wine Subject : 2010 Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah - Piccetti Vineyard

Winemaker : Miro Tcholakov

Backgrounder : We first met Miro Tcholakov (who we affectionately call "Agent …

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…Torrontés , with appetizers. A crossing of Criolla Chica (a local cousin of the Mission grape) and Muscat of Alexandria, Torrontés is Argentina's signature white variety. The grape, which thrives in cold and dry conditions, produces the best wines in the Salta Province in the north west of the country, a region of high altitude and low humidity, with dramatic diurnal temperature variation.

The Alamos Torrontés is sourced from vineyards located near …

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Mission Codename : Purple Keys

Operative : Agent Red

Objective : Return to Jaxon Keys, secure an exclusive allocation of their Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel our Zin-loving Operatives

Mission Status : Accomplished!

Current Winery : Jaxon Keys Winery

Wine Subject : 2009 Zinfandel - Dry Creek Valley

Winemaker : Fred Nickel

Backgrounder : Zinfandel is related to the Italian Primitivo grape, tracing its origin to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kastelanski…

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Last week I had a new grape to help get me out of my white wine rut, and I'm continuing with another new white grape this week. Torrontés is grown in Argentina, and has been planted for a very long time. It may have been Spanish colonists who brought the grape to the area, and the grape itself has been shown through DNA testing to be a cross of Muscat Alexandria and the ubiquitous Mission grape. It produces wines that are similar in some respects to Viognier and Gewurztraminer.

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Mission Codename : The Halo Effect

Operative : Agent Red

Objective : Return to Wine Spies favorite, St. Supery , secure the latest vintage of their exceptional Cabernet Franc for our deserving operatives

Mission Status : Accomplished

Current Winery : St. Supery Vineyards and Winery

Wine Subject : 2007 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley

Winemaker : Michael Beaulac

Winery Backgrounder : We love St. Supery Winery, and while we would love to show their …

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It has been called " Gold Country" since the mid-1800s when people from all over the world came to the Sierra Foothills to seek their fortunes during the great California Gold Rush. Some planted grapevines that they brought from Europe.

While the Mission grape variety dominated the early plantings, another variety - quite different - was imported from somewhere in the Adriatic region, and the wine made from this grape became known as Zinfandel.

Ask entity_13 …

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Mission Codename : St. George, Cubed

Operative : Agent Red

Objective : Respond to Operative requests for a Zinfandel from D-Cubed Cellars in Calistoga, at the northern end of the Napa Valley. Evaluate Duane's single-vineyard Korte Ranch Zinfandel. Secure an ample allocation for our Zin-loving Operatives.

Mission Status : Accomplished!

Current Winery : Epiphany Cellars

Wine Subject : 2007 Korte Ranch Zinfandel - St. Helena, Napa Valley

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