Harvest began on September 13, beginning with Chardonnay and then Muscat Blanc, Merlot and Syrah. The next two weeks we harvested Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. After a week hiatus (due to the light crop), harvest of Riesling began on October 12 and finished October 16.

Weather during harvest was exceptional, with sunny warm days and cool nights. The grapes ripened very quickly with the early varieties ready at about the same time as the later varieties.

The size of the crop was about a third of normal due to extreme cold during December 2009 (-17 degrees F)) as well as a thinning frost on May 7 (25 degrees F). Tender or early varieties located in colder spots produced no fruit while the more hardy variety Riesling produced well in warmer locations.

The results are in. We regularly enter our wines in various wine judging competitions and all of them have won medals. All of our wines currently available at our tasting room or in distribution have won medals in wine competitions.

• Cabernet Franc, 2007 -- Silver, Toast of Taos Wine Competition and Best of the Fest Wine Competition
• Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 -- Gold, Indy International Wine Competition 2010
• Chardonnay, No Oak 2008 -- Gold, 2009 Taster’s Guild International Wine Competition
• Chardonnay, Barrel Select 2008 -- Bronze, 2010 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
• Ethereal 2006 -- Silver, Florida International Wine Competition 2008
• Gewurztraminer 2009 -- Bronze, 2010 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
• Merlot 2006 -- Silver, Indy International Wine Competition 2009
• Muscat Canelli 2009 -- Gold, 2010 Taster’s Guild Int’l Wine Competition
• Port, Crags Crest NV -- Silver, Taste Of Taos 2007
• Riesling 2008 -- Gold, Finger Lakes International 2009
• Riesling Icewine 2008 -- Gold, 2009 Taster’s Guild International
• Sweetheart Red 2009 -- Double Gold, 2010 Indy International
• Shiraz, 2007 -- Bronze, 2009 Taster’s Guild Consumer’s Wine Competition
• Viognier 2009 -- Gold, 2010 Indy International
• White Merlot 2008 -- Bronze, 2009 Taster’s Guild Int’l Wine Competition
• Zero Below 2008 -- Gold, Best of the Fest Wine Comp.

Julie and Tom recommend our 2009 Gewürztraminer with this fun and easy fish dish!

Orange-Ginger Glazed Fish
4 pieces halibut steak (or.. Tom suggests tilapia fillets!)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 T sweet orange marmalade
1 T grated, peeled fresh ginger
1 t rice vinegar
1/2 t fresh grated fresh orange peel
1/4 t salt
1/8 t coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 475. Stir together everything but the nuts, and spoon the mixture over the fish in a shallow glass baking dish. Bake 10-12 minutes until fish is opaque throughout and topping is lightly browned. Sprinkle with Macadamia nuts to serve.

Very cold temperatures from December 8/9 through 10/11 (2009) have caused significant bud damage on cold-tender grape varieties in various locations throughout Western Colorado (and possibly along the Front Range). Data from the CAVE vineyard weather station network show temperatures dropped to about -4 F in the area to the East of Palisade and on the eastern edge of East Orchard Mesa; about -10 to -13 F along G Rd west of Palisade and on Orchard Mesa; -18 F in the Redlands; and below -20 F west of Mesa Mall towards Fruita.

We have been sampling and testing the budwood from the vines in our vineyard and it is showing extreme damage. We expect that we will need to retrain almost all of our vineyards and there will be no crop on most varieties. Only Riesling at one of our locations appears to have survived largely unscathed. Chardonnay, showing 50% bud damage at this point, may also have some crop if the trunks survived.

The results are in. We regularly enter our wines in various wine judging competitions and all of them have won medals. All of our wines currently available at our tasting room or in distribution have won medals in wine competitions.

• Cabernet Franc, 2006 -- Silver, Taster's Guild International 2008
• Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 -- Bronze, Finger Lakes International 2009
• Chardonnay, No Oak 2007 -- Silver, Finger Lakes International 2008
• Chardonnay, Barrel Select 2006 -- Silver, Taster's Guild International 2008
• Ethereal 2006 -- Silver, Florida International Wine Competition 2008
• Merlot 2006 -- Silver, Indy International Wine Competition 2009
• Muscat Blanc 2008 -- Bronze, Finger Lakes International 2009
• Port, Crags Crest NV -- Silver, Taste Of Taos 2007
• Riesling 2008 -- Gold, Finger Lakes International 2009
• Sweetheart Red 2007 -- Silver, Finger Lakes International 2008
• Shiraz, 2006 -- Gold, Colorado Winefest, Best Of The Fest 2007
• White Merlot 2007 -- Silver, Tasters Guild International 2008
• Zero Below 2008 -- Bronze, Finger Lakes International 2009