Soiree´du Vin
Sunday | 11 October 2009
Okay, this was wild! After harvesting all day on Saturday, I jumped in the car on Sunday to drive to Silicon Valley for a school fundraiser. It’s a pretty swanky event, lots of very nice wines being poured all for a great cause. As usual, I suffered the intimidations of the event (read previous events to refresh yourself with my cases of nerves) this time due to the caliber of wines on the neighboring tables, being poured with dinner, and being offered for auction. Thankfully it was fleeting, the event was great fun and Cowhorn’s contribution was appreciated by all.
But this wasn’t just another trip out with the Cowhorn wines. While driving home, I experienced an important realization: the next twelve months at Cowhorn will be like no other. That evening I had been pouring the 2008 Spiral 36. During conversation, I was explained that it is our third vintage for the whites, and that the red I was pouring, the 2006 Syrah, was from our first vintage. I guess I have almost gotten used to the comings and goings of the white wines. They come and they go with no overlap - one has only a memory of the changes from year to year. Then it hit me: it will be so different with the reds! During these next twelve months, Cowhorn will go from pouring our 2006 Syrah to pouring the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Syrahs. In a blink of time, we will be able to experience in the bottle the birth and development of our vineyard!
Probably any experienced vintner who reads this will laugh and say that I really have been bitten with the wine-bug, but it did hit me as something new and important. This will only happen once and it is starting now! I’m sure future vintages will hold surprises and things I can’t even yet imagine. But like many of the “firsts” in our lives, they are often the most special. For those who drink Cowhorn with us during the coming months, I look forward to sharing this “first” with you.
– Barbara Steele
But this wasn’t just another trip out with the Cowhorn wines. While driving home, I experienced an important realization: the next twelve months at Cowhorn will be like no other. That evening I had been pouring the 2008 Spiral 36. During conversation, I was explained that it is our third vintage for the whites, and that the red I was pouring, the 2006 Syrah, was from our first vintage. I guess I have almost gotten used to the comings and goings of the white wines. They come and they go with no overlap - one has only a memory of the changes from year to year. Then it hit me: it will be so different with the reds! During these next twelve months, Cowhorn will go from pouring our 2006 Syrah to pouring the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Syrahs. In a blink of time, we will be able to experience in the bottle the birth and development of our vineyard!
Probably any experienced vintner who reads this will laugh and say that I really have been bitten with the wine-bug, but it did hit me as something new and important. This will only happen once and it is starting now! I’m sure future vintages will hold surprises and things I can’t even yet imagine. But like many of the “firsts” in our lives, they are often the most special. For those who drink Cowhorn with us during the coming months, I look forward to sharing this “first” with you.
– Barbara Steele
