Harvest 2015: Short, Sweet and Over Already Autumn is here, harvest is over and the vines are showing off splendid fall color. “Short and sweet” was our mantra for harvest 2015, which began on August 19th, the earliest ever, and ended on September 26th. From the over-abundant 54.5 tons of harvest 2014, we saw only …
It’s “Back to School” month here at the big red schoolhouse and the vinous students are already showing up for class. First to arrive, and quite early, were Pinot Noir 667 and Pinot Noir 05, on August 19, the earliest matriculation ever. A small cropload, due to the drought and the very protacted bloom that …
August is here and the summer heat is well and truly on, hastening the ripening of our estate grapes. Veraison is in full swing, turning the green grapes to red as the pace of summer quickens and our thoughts turn to impending harvest. Pinot Noir sports netting — we don’t like to share with the …
Burrell School Celebrates 125 Years This Weekend! The iconic red schoolhouse marks another milestone in its illustrious history on July 4th as it celebrates birthday number 125. The schoolhouse was dedicated on July 4th, 1890, with a flag raising ceremony accompanied by trumpet playing and merrymaking. This Saturday, July 4, you are invited to …
The merry month of May leads the way for the glory of June, with its plethora of occasions to celebrate— graduations, Fathers Day, weddings, anniversaries — along with some fantastic and festive wine events. All are grand reasons to celebrate with Burrell School’s fine wines. Come visit us this weekend and stock up on wines …
The Merry Month of May: Wine & Roses at The Schoolhouse May is the month for “Days of Wine and Roses” at Burrell School Vineyards: it’s one of our favorite months, because the roses are brimming over with color and perfume, turning this place into a floral paradise. You’re invited to stroll in our gorgeous …
April is a busy month in the vineyard and in the cellar. The vines are exploding with growth and we have started our organic spray program to guard against powdery mildew, always a concern in our normally cool-climate mountains. The Petit Verdot looks mighty healthy and the Chardonnay looks abundant. There’s talk of showers coming …
March signals a shift in seasons as we move from winter into spring, even though we haven’t had much of a winter at all. We continue to pray for rain, hopefully before flowering occurs. Last year’s Pinot Noir bud break occurred during the first week of March and this year is on the same track …
Though February is the shortest month of the year, it is jam-packed with holidays and special occasions, all well-suited to sipping some fine Burrell School wines. February 3rd is the full moon known as the Snow Moon or Hunger Moon, followed by Winemaker Dave’s birthday, and then Valentine’s Day on the 14th,with Presidents’ Day right …
Welcome to 2015, a brand new year! Hope you all had great holidays, and that Burrell School wines helped make them even more special! This 2005 Estate Reserve Principal’s Choice Pinot Noir is drinking beautifullly – uncork some if you’ve got any in your stash. At ten years old, it’s brilliant! We wish you all …
After giving thanks for a bountiful harvest and for our multitude of family blessings, we are doubly thankful that our long-parched mountains are receiving some much-needed and most-welcome rain as an early holiday gift. Keep those rain dances going and those rain gauges filling up! We welcome a wet December! It’s the Time of Year …
Out in the vineyard, we see the bright hues of autumn and in the cellar we see the many barrels now filled with Vintage 2014 wines. The harvest was pretty awesome by all accounts. Dave tallied a total of 58.4 tons for this year’s haul and gave the vintage an A+++ rating! We’re very excited …
Wow – what a quick harvest this has been! In fact, it’s almost history, as the estate Cab Franc is coming in this week. Even the Petit Verdot beat it to the punchdown! That pretty much leaves a wee bit of Grenache and Mourvèdre over at Pichon still hanging. Don’t forget this evening, October 1, …
The month long festivities in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Burrell School Vineyards & Wineries kicks off with a very delicious evening at Lago di Como Ristorante in Santa Cruz. The fun begins at 6:30pm with appetizers and wine! Be there and help Anne & Dave celebrate with some amazing pairings. Salud! Lago di …
As kids get back to school all over the region, we’re about to welcome The Class of 2014 to the old Schoolhouse. Harvest is upon us—we’re expecting to pick the Estate Pinot Noir very, very soon, right after Labor Day. Then it’s all hands on deck as the tons (and tons) of primo grapes start …
Countdown to Harvest! August is here—and that means our annual “Count Down to Harvest” has begun in earnest. As is the usual at the Schoolhouse, August is the month we’ve been busy bottling: this year, a whopping 2300 cases of wine! Wow. Meanwhile, in the vineyards, the Chardonnay couldn’t look more plump or inviting, and …