Harvest is happening and we are celebrating! The grapes are coming in and looking fantastic! Come see and smell the newest vintages and learn about the winemaking process. This weekend we are also celebrating our 25th Anniversary! Enjoy a tasting of cellar selections along with case specials this weekend. Winemaker Dave has selected the following to share …
Harvest? Moon, Yes; Grapes, No The sunny wiles of September seem to be holding the cool days of autumn at bay, at least for now. You know we’re nearing the autumnal equinox when the harvest moon arrives, as it will this Friday, September 13, rising like a red-orange disco ball in the apricot evening sky. Winemaker …
Getting Ready for Harvest! Pinot Noir Chardonnay With the warmer weather, the vineyards are really starting to move along towards ripeness. It’s been a slow process this year and could end up being on par with last year’s long, extended hangtime. According to Winemaker Dave, “Pinot Noir is just getting through verasion and looks to be …
As we roll right into October like grape clusters into the press, harvest continues. On Friday, September 29, Dave and his twin grandsons, Mattias and Rowan, and their Mom and Dad, Marianne and Bill, harvested some absolutely perfect Cabernet Franc – and surprisingly, the Petit Verdot as well. Dave …
August heat is bringing veraison to all the red varieties in the vineyards at the Schoolhouse. This is the time when Chardonnay begins to turn from bright green to a muted shade of yellow, then gold, as it ripens in the California sunshine, and the reds begin to take on their violet grapeness. …
Happy Halloween! And praise the rain on the pumpkins: we’ll take it as Mother Nature’s very best treat. We’re on the cusp of November, which means we’re into the home stretch of the year. The vineyard began turning beautiful fall colors early in October, and the rains are giving the vines a much-needed drink after …
Many of you are asking about the impact of the #LomaFire on the wineries up here in the Summit area. Thankfully, our Summit wineries have had little or no impact: we at Burrell School are fine. Our neighbors at Loma Prieta Winery have had a scarily close bird’s eye view of the fire since it …
Our unusually moderate August weather has created perfect slow ripening conditions that we haven’t experienced in quite a few harvests now. Usually, we get a heat spike just in time for Labor Day, but this time, it looks like we’ll be in good shape. Last year, Pinot was brought in before the end of August, …
Summer accelerates into full swing as we head into August, the month of full veraison, pushed along by the intense stretch of heat we had the third week of July. Now is the time when the grapes flesh out, when Chardonnay becomes golden and the reds take on their darker hues. Thankfully, temperatures have moderated …
Happy Halloween and Welcome Daylight Savings Time! Like it or not, we’re into the home stretch of the year, when the leaves in the vineyard begin donning their deeply burnished autumn hues and short days lead to early, often fiery sunsets that match beautifully with Burrell School Cabernet Franc, with its lovely reddish glow. We …
Ristorante Casa Nostra presents BURRELL SCHOOL VINEYARDS “Extra Curricular” Wine Dinner Menu October 27, 2015 2013 Estate Chardonnay – “Teacher’s Pet” Paired with: Summer Squash Al Forno – yellow squash stuffed with prosciutto, potato and red bell pepper, topped with Provolone cheese 2011 Estate Pinot Noir – “Principal’s Choice “ Paired with: Penne Contadina- Chicken, …
Shake Up Your Tastebuds With Our Wine Dinner at Casa Nostra Ristorante Tuesday, October 27, 2015 Burrell School Vineyards will be this month’s featured winery at Casa Nostra Italian restaurant in Ben Lomond. Join Anne and Dave for a special dinner on the last Tuesday of the month, October 27, featuring authentic Italian cuisine, Burrell …
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 …
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 …