JUSTIN Food & Wine Blog

Pre-Pruning

It’s February 24^rd and I’m sitting outside the local downtown Paso Robles coffee shop drinking my morning cappuccino in shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals and thinking to myself, “Man, what an amazing place I live in.” It’s winter, 71 degrees, and it’s only 9am. I love California! However, this strange weather has definitely thrown us a curveball this year. If we were in the Southern Hemisphere, this warm and dry February weather would be a much welcome end to the growing season and to the harvest. However, here in the Northern Hemisphere, these conditions are causing a bit of confusion in the vineyard.

The vines think it’s time to snap out of their winter dormancy!!

Because we’ve been experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures, the vines are starting to wake up, the roots are beginning to uptake water, and sap is starting to flow through the vines. The next big step in the vine’s annual lifecycle is bud-break; when small shoots and leaves break through the buds left behind by winter pruning. This process usually takes place in late March or early April, but we are already seeing signs that indicate this could be happening much sooner. When bud-break occurs early, the vine is much more susceptible to frost. Enter the JUSTIN Vineyard Team! By analyzing weather patterns and realizing that early bud-break was  a definite possibility this spring, and the chance of a spring frost being ever present, when conducting our winter pruning, the vineyard team decided to employ a technique called “pre-pruning”  in some of our lower-lying, more frost-prone vineyard blocks.

Pre-pruning is when the vine is cut back to about a 12 inch spur, as opposed to the 2 - 3 bud (usually 2 inch long) spur that is normally left behind. This process is mean to inhibit the development of the buds by effectively delaying bud-break for up to a few weeks, and reducing the risk or late spring frost damage. Once the threat of frost has completely passed, the vines will be cut back to their normal 2-3 buds, and resume growing like they would in any other year.

While sitting here at the coffee shop, finishing my drink (wishing now that I had opted for something iced) I can rest assured that the 2012 growing season is off to a good start. We have an extremely knowledgeable vineyard team and they have taken all steps necessary to ensure our vines get a healthy start to the 2012 growing season.

-Mike Giese, CSW

 

2009 ISOSCELES Pre-Release - On the Road in Newport Beach, CA

We brought nothing short of a small army of JUSTIN employees last Saturday (Feb. 11th) to the 2009 ISOSCELES Pre-release Event at Fleming’s Steakhouse in Newport Beach, at least that’s how it felt to me at 11:30 a.m. as several members of the team were alternating between swigging coffee and looking at me, asking what they could help with next.  Did I over-staff?  Had I really asked all these people to join me in Orange County on their day off for no good reason?  The corks were all popped, various JUSTIN literature fanned across tables, glasses pre-poured with 2010 Reserve Chardonnay, and the Social Media station was already buzzing; yet there we all were, staring at each other.  All knowing that this was to be the very first ISOSCELES Pre-Release event away from the winery, and that if we made it a success there would be more and more of them and people would remember  us as the team that started it all! I tried to sip coffee and not go to the place I usually go when throwing a dinner party at home, imagining that none of my guests will show up and I’ll be stuck eating cold Boeuf Bourguignon for weeks.

I needn’t have worried.  Orange County came through for us yet again and by 11:45 there was a line outside the restaurant so long that it actually wrapped around the building!  Some adventurous souls even came in and posted up on bar stools, a gentle reminder that the event was advertized to start at 12 p.m. sharp.

Vince and Hillary were pouring Cabernet, Glenn and Jim JUSTIFICATION, and Justin Baldwin himself along with Timothy were the stars of the show, pouring the star of the show; the 2009 ISOSCELES.  The event roared to a start and the room was literally full in minutes.  Sinia, Tilly and Justin Sylvester were kept busy at check-in, explaining the event format to all of our  guests, while Amber and Atsuko never had a second to pause while giving out “I liked it first!” t-shirts as more and more people “liked” us on Facebook.

 

Click here to see guests' photos from the event.

The entire JUSTIN team was busy; showcasing our 2009 vintage, seeing to guests’ needs, meeting and greeting faces familiar to us from the Wine Society Lounge. Evidenced by the smiling photos on the JUSTIN Facebook page, my guess is that we had some pretty happy members!

There wasn’t a drop of wine left at 3pm, and we were all happily exhausted.  It was a success and I felt the kind of elation I always feel when good friends leave my house after a winner of a dinner party. 

We left as a group to enjoy what sounded best… a big, frosty beer.

Join me at my next "dinner party" showcasing the 2009 ISOSCELES.

• Saturday, February 18, 2012:  Chicago, IL
• Saturday, February 25, 2012:  Sonoma, CA
• Sunday, March 4th, 2012:  Miami, FL
• Sunday, March 11th, 2012:  Cincinnati, OH

 Get more information about the 2009 ISOSCELES Release near you here!

Cheers!

Maggie Cameron
Wine Society Coordinator 

 

Love is in the air...

February 14th

Valentine’s Day.

Here it comes.

My stomach lurched as I thought about the hours spent in card stores, looking befuddled and searching for someone else’s catch phrase to define my love.

And what is it doing here in February? The remnants of winter, or at least what those of us on California’s Central Coast refer to as winter, still frigidly lingered and yet we are told to think romantically?

It was particularly dreary as I sped home the other day. As I passed another brown and dormant vineyard Love is in the Air came on the radio (The Tom Jones version, not John Paul Young’s. Sorry Purist.) and a wave of irony washed over me. It was clear that drizzle filled the air, and not love.

Or did it…

As I rounded a corner a field of wild mustard caught my eye. There in the middle of the grey and damp, were vibrant yellow flowers full of hope and resilience, and I felt my smile forming. Perhaps Mr. Tom Jones had it right after all and this was a time for romance. But could it be found amongst the muck of winter? (Again for those of you that have real winter, I apologize for the reminder.)

As a newlywed, expressing my love has come naturally. We believe the best way to experience love is by diving in, and finding something new. We are always hunting for the next adventure, whether camping the Pacific North West, to exploring the wonder in everyday activities. I knew I truly loved my wife when I realized there was no one else I would rather do this with. It’s who we are, helplessly curious.

This passion for discovery was what propelled me into the world of food and wine. Every new dining experience became a study of aroma, texture, history, and harmonization. Delving into this enthralling world of flavor became exponentially more fun now that I had my wife by my side.

As the song ended I agreed that Love [was] in the Air, and the feeling of irony was out the window.

It was time for a new adventure.

The path of culinary exploration is well worn, yet, bias be damned, the John Muir of my trail is Will Torres-Executive Chef at The Restaurant and JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery. To embrace this season of love, my wife and I decided to give Will’s inspired menu a chance to combat this winter drear.

As we were seated, the romantic and enchanting dinning room was rife with anticipation. Our server, Kevin, skillfully explained the choices for each of the five courses and suddenly I was a mess…. choices? How can one hope to choose between a perfectly seared Venison Loin with garden greens, cippolini onions, and grits or a local Short Rib cooked slowly overnight and plated with wild mushrooms and Romanesco cauliflower? Luckily, my wife was there to save me from this happy culinary conundrum, and made sure we never doubled up on a dish.

The gustatory adventure unfolded with something nearing culinary alchemy. The Borscht soup mixed local Bautista Farms beets with Canada’s Northern Divine Caviar, showcasing Chef Will’s ability to seamlessly blend the bounty of the central coast with unique flavors from around the world. Vogue cooking methods such as ‘Sous Vide’ were showcased in dishes like the Squab and the poached Ocean Trout. These were balanced by classic techniques as seen in the perfectly seared Mano De Leon Scallops. Each course was perfectly paired with a JUSTIN wine, and while each pairing was breathtaking, the epicurean synergy of the Venison Loin with the 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon made our night.

In the middle of winter we had found a reason to rejoice. Love for each other and discovering something new had bloomed once again. While driving home, with both our hunger and curiosity appeased, a familiar thought reemerged:

February 14^th.

Valentine’s Day.

Here it comes.

I hope this season gives everyone a chance to feel the love, and express it perfectly. Perhaps you’ll try a culinary adventure, by experiencing The Restaurant at JUSTIN six course Valentine’s Day Dinner. Whatever you choose, I hope you see your own field of flowers.

Cheers,

Chris Jahns, CSW

Assistant Tasting Room Manager

To book a reservation for the Valentine’s Day Dinner or any other night please contact our Reservation Desk by phone: 805-591-3224 or e-mail: innkeeper@JUSTINwine.com