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Harvest 2008
October in Coombsville and harvest is in full swing! The 2008 growing season was one of the driest we have experienced in recent years. The year began with a dry, cold winter, an exceptionally cold spring (which brought about some late season frost), and has culminated in a very small crop with reduced grape yields and reduced juice from those yields. The good news is that winemakers and vineyard managers are very pleased with the resulting fruit. Throughout the summer we experienced many weeks of temperatures in the 70's and 80's and only had a few heat spikes in early September. Now, in mid-October we find ourselves still experiencing temperatures in the mid 80's. We couldn't ask for better harvest weather! All of these factors in '08 enabled the grapes to mature slowly and steadily. Flavors were allowed to develop in the grapes while sugar levels rose at a slower than average pace. Lower sugar levels generally indicate that the resulting wines will have lower alcohol setting the tone for a beatifully balanced wine. Although we at Frazier still have about a week until we finish harvesting our Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, we are already excited for the '08 vintage wines. |
We go into the 2008 harvest with a new outlook on harvest and a greater perspective on the cellar. We are very excited to have have put a new winemaking team in place at Frazier this past summer. The winery is now being guided by winemaker Kirk Venge. Kirk is a second-generation winemaker who grew up in the Napa Valley. He learned the art of winemaking at a young age from his father Nils Venge. Kirk graduated from UC Davis with a viticulture and enology degree in 1998. While at Davis, Kirk earned his stripes by working harvest at Mumm Napa Valley and continued on there for 5 vintages. Upon graduation, Kirk went abroad to work harvest at Rapaura Vintner's in New Zealand where he learned new and experimental winemaking techniques and broadened his wine knowledge. In 1999 Kirk partnered with Nils to start Venge Vineyards. During that time Kirk made a name for himself developing world class wines of his very own. Kirk now brings that experience to the Frazier Estate. We all warmly welcome Kirk and look forward to working with him to further our journey of crafting wines of quality and distinction. Kirk will guide the development of our future releases from our estate vineyards as well as assist in the creation of new estate and non-estate varietals, including Frazier's first estate Chardonnay, which will be produced from vines planted in 2007 and 2008.
To assist Kirk in his winemaking endeavors we have also brought on Eric Cupp as Cellar Master. For those of you coming by the cave for a visit you are sure to meet Eric. A father of twin three and a half year old girls, Eric has a phenomenal palate in his own right. Eric hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but has been on the west coast and in the Napa Valley for several years. Kirk and Eric have partnered together in the past and with Eric's experience in the cellar and working in a custom crush facility we know we have the right team in place to elevate the wines to the next level. |
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Lobster Feed
This past August we hosted the Annual Wine Club Party on the Frazier Patio. The theme for this year's party was a lobster feed and boy did it deliver. We will be the first to tell you that the somewhat spicy lobster boil feed paired perfectly with a range of Frazier and Lupine Hill wines from past and present. YUM!
You can view photos from our past events in the Members Only Section of the Frazier Website under the "Archive" tab on the menu. Or, click here to view the photos now. There are some great pics and they are proof of the fabulous time had by all. A very special thanks to Heidi & the Davidson's for the wonderful photos they sent us from the event! We just can't wait for next year! |
