Wait Cellars

A long cool ferment

2012-01-20T16:15:00.001-08:00

It's been pretty cool at the winery this winter, hovering around 50 most days. The primary ferment of the Chardonnay, begun in October, is still creeping along. I wanted a long cool ferment, and I sure got it -- last week it was moving at about 1g of sugar a week, with 6.4g to go. Ditto the secondary ferment now happening in parallel -- dropped to just under a gram of malic acid, but still a bit to go.

Stylistically, I like this. But, being a small producer, other factors can rear their head: such as the economies of scale of hitting a shared bottling date with some other winemakers in February.

Thus I am attempting to everything a gentle nudge by warming up the tank 5-10 degrees. Space heater, meet fermentation tank; fermentation tank, meet space heater :)

Pause now serving Wait Cellars

2011-12-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

We're pleased to report that our 2009 Green Valley Pinot Noir is now being offered by the glass at Pause! Why not drop in for a glass?

Wine Club shipment going out 12/5

2011-12-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

Wine club members, your shipments will go out early next week: two bottles of our 2009 Russian River Pinot Noir, a satisfying Pinot with a classic Russian River profile. We hope you enjoy them!

Not a wine club member? Join now to receive this shipment for only $50 plus tax and shipping (or, if you're local to San Francisco, leverage our no-cost pickup option).

Happy Holidays!

Welcome Ame; and thank you Soiree attendees!

2011-11-21T15:34:00.000-08:00

First, a thanks to Ame who has picked up our 2009 Green Valley Pinot Noir -- very talented folks making stunningly beautiful meals. And I dare say their simplicity and restraint make a very nice complement to our Green Valley Pinot.

Second, a big thanks to all with whom I met at the Soiree Des Arts et Des Vins at the Ferry Building. This event remains one of the most enjoyable of the year for me, both for the great people and their great thirst. We were once again one of the biggest sellers among the 25 wineries present.

Finally, a nod to my co-pilot on deliveries this month, Mr. Reed Wait, shown here inspecting cases on a pick-up at Vintner's Express in South San Francisco where we currently store our case goods.

11/14 ferment update

2011-11-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to say that both the 2011 Green Valley and Russian River (Flanagan) Pinot Noirs are resting in barrel, with the secondary (malolactic) fermentation just beginning to start naturally in the Flanagan. Both tasting auspicious; the Green Valley in particular showing more layers of minerality and dark cherry; sitting currently at %13.37 alcohol.

The Chardonnay is still in its primary ferment, and will be through mid December I'm guessing. Creeping along at 10-15 degrees C, still sweet w/some effervescence, lots of tropical fruit right now, bananas and pineapple, mostly transient notes which will diminish significantly toward January. A nice mouth-feel and earthiness is growing underneath the tropics. I'll also be taking this tank fermented Chard through malo.

The pommace dance!

2011-10-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

Dean focusing on chocolate croissant as we get ready to press the Devoto.

Dialing in the press program; flavors right on the money; got just under 7 barrels of Devoto this year from 2.6 tons, almost 5 of them free run. Much different than 2010 (where we battled significant September heat); and we pulled this before the rains so there was no rain-aided plumping.

Dean (Chris in background) dancing on pommace. Who doesn't end their day this way?

Am trying a Hungarian Francois Frere barrel this year (one of 9); same species as their French barrel, tighter grain, smells amazing, all the quality is there. Will be monitoring closely in the new year however; while respected for those tight grains, Hungarian is sometimes thought to "give it up" all at once, in which case I'll rack off early.

Devoto sort

2011-10-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot of three of the Devoto bins we picked on October 3rd. It really started pouring right about 9am (Stan and his crew got started picking at 3am; I hustled to get there by 8; Penske doesn't open until 7!) Doesn't this stuff look delicious?

Here's a shot of Bill (who has helped me on every Devoto harvest -- thanks Bill!) and Amy, Adam, and Maureen down at the winery helping me sort. Yours truly was "picking jacks". Very little, percentage wise, wound up on the floor this year; very little rot, fruit was in great shape. Still a little light -- six bins came out to 2.6 tons, not quite the 3 tons I was gunning for.

Chardonnay update

2011-10-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

Very, very excited about making a Chardonnay this year! We decided on a 10/4 (pre-rain!) pick date this year and the numbers look very auspicious for the Chablis style I'm gunning for: 22.6 brix, 8 TA, 3.4 pH. I de-stemmed and mashed the fruit up pretty good, then let it sit on the skins for almost 12 hours before pressing, primarily in the hopes of creating a rounder mouth-feel.

This contact will be all the tanins this wine sees. I pressed into a cold settling tank, then racked it into stainless where I'm doing a slow cool (10-15 degrees) ferment. Last week things were still very sweet, green apples (high malic acids) shifting into bananas (terpenes); maybe about a tenth into the ferment, I didn't do a brix.

FallFest - thank you!

2011-10-23T14:26:00.001-07:00

The weather for Fall Fest this year was gorgeous, nice and sunny down by the waterfront. Thanks to all who stopped by to taste -- now don't forget to sign up for our Wine Club!

And many thanks to Kelly who helped me pour and deal with the masses, as I was at the winery most of that Sunday pressing the Flanagan fruit and inoculating the Devoto and Inspiration!

Soirée des Arts et des Vins

2011-10-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Howdy all, this is fantastic event in a beautiful setting, and Wait Cellars will be proudly serving its 09 Pinots!

Soirée des Arts et des Vins – TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!

You don’t want to miss this spectacular wine tasting event at our new venue,

the Grand Hall of the San Francisco Ferry Building!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

4-8pm

Tickets are $85 and include a commemorative glass and tastings from 25 amazing vintners and importers. The event will also feature gourmet food and live entertainment in both the main hall and the ‘back room bistro’!

Visit www.internationalsf.org/soiree for more information and to buy your tickets today. All proceeds benefit the school and this is an event with broad appeal – we encourage you to invite your friends, family, and co-workers to join us for this community-wide celebration. A good time for a great cause!

Mark your calendar for Fall Fest 2011 on Oct 9th!

2011-09-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to be pouring our 2009s at Fall Fest next Sunday the 9th in beautiful Justin Herman plaza in SF. This is a great event celebrating local food and wine put on by SF Magazine, and proceeds will benefit Meals on Wheels of San Francisco. Wait Cellars will be donating two rare magnums of its Pinot Noir for the benefit auction. Get tickets early. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Devoto field report: pick date Monday 10/3

2011-09-27T22:53:00.000-07:00

Have been up at Devoto four times in the last week or so, watching the 828 block come along. The weather's been holding, the canopy and vines look to be in great shape. On 9/15 the block was between 20 and 21 brix, maybe a point higher the following week, and just today I put it at 23.2. Was tempted to pick this Friday with particularly warm temps coming tomorrow and Thursday. As one passes grape trucks coming and going throughout Sonoma, one gets anxious!

But the acids in the lab came out a little high (9.6 TA, 2.9 pH), and though I couldn't taste or smell any green notes, I've decided to let it go through the weekend and pick on Monday. The weekend should cool down which should hopefully concentrate flavors, and then I'll get it off the vine and safely crushed before the rains come mid next week!

Devoto Gardens, by the way, is looking particularly gorgeous these days. Here are some shots of Stan's bachelor buttons and sunflowers, almost ready for market

Flanagan Pick 9/26

2011-09-27T22:28:00.000-07:00

The Pinot at Flanagan Vineyards touched 23 brix last week and my ton from the Pommard block was picked this last Monday morning (I have less influence over this pick date as I'm only taking a ton). Morning was cool and foggy almost to Santa Rosa; here's a shot going over the bridge in the morning.

Here's Jeff loading one of my half-ton picking bins into the back of my Penske rental

Fruit was certainly ripe; super small berries, too small for our crusher. Very little rot or MOG. Really liked the flavors and seeds; stems not so much this year. Did 100% de-stemmed and then attempted to effect a light crush with a large 'potato masher' in the T-bin. Sorted through this in about an hour or so.

Here's the t-bin, I netted out only 558kg of must from the two bins, which were on the light side at .774 tons as it turned out.

I put a small amount of SO2 (200ml) in this bin and tucked it away into cold storage to sit on the skins through the week. Will pull this out Friday to warm up and likely inoculate Saturday or Sunday.

Field Report 9/8

2011-09-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I visited all three vineyards from which I'm taking fruit this year: Devoto Gardens (Pinot Noir; Green Valley), Flanagan Vineyards (Pinot Noir; Starr Road, Russian River), and Inspiration Vineyards (Chardonnay; Olivet Road, Russian River).

This is a pic of Flanagan, looking south-east over the rows of Pommard clones of which I'll be taking a ton.

This is our first harvest with Flanagan Vineyards, which is only a rifle shot down Starr Road from Amber Ridge. We're looking forward to building a long-term relationship. The fruit is coming along nice and even (no easy trick given the wet spring) and has that delicious black-fruit traction that I associate with Starr Road. I measured the Pinot there at about 20.7 brix; our pick may be as early as late next week. Eric Flanagan will make the call on the exact pick date.

This will be our third harvest with Devoto Gardens, and Stan's grapes look and taste fantastic, as we'd expect from such a fastidious farmer. I measured his fruit at about 19 brix, and I'm thinking I'll pick anywhere between September 20 and 27th.

Here's a shot showing where Stan's organic apple trees end and his block of 828 Pinot Nor begins.

This is also our first harvest with Inspiration Vineyards, where we're getting a ton of clone #4 Chardonnay from Jon Phillips, the owner/farmer of 2+ carefully tended acres along Olivet Lane in Russian River. Very excited about making our first Chardonnay this year!

I put this fruit at about 19 brix with flavors and ripening coming along; Jon is estimating the end of September, possibly the first week in October for this fruit.

Picking bin magic

2011-09-09T11:34:00.001-07:00

How to get a 4'x4'x4' half-ton (when full of grapes!) picking bin onto the roof of your van? Very carefully!

Had to move these two bins from a vineyard near Occidental to Flanagan vineyards on Starr Road. Yes, I did arrive safely! Though it turns out that not every driver was pleased to be behind an old Vanagon going the speed limit...

2010 Devoto Garden Bottled

2011-08-31T14:54:00.000-07:00

I was the glass dumper on the bottling line on Monday. We bottled 115 cases of our Devoto Garden Pinot Noir, plus 10 cases of magnums. These guys are now off sleeping over at Vintner's Express in South San Francisco until the new year (at least!)

Here's a shot of yours truly mixing it up at SF Chefs earlier this month. Thanks to all of those who stopped by. The 09s, which I decanted for 20 minutes or so, were showing very nicely and got a lot of heartfelt compliments for which I'm grateful!

Don't forget to join the wine club! :)

PS Look for us at FallFest next month over at Justin Herman Plaza -- good times for a good cause!

Veraison notes

2011-08-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ripening was in full force earlier in the month when I visited several vineyards, this shot is of the 828 block at Devoto Garden.

Likewise at Inspiration Vineyards on Olivet Lane (Russian River AVA), where I met with owner/winemaker Jon Phillips to talk Chardonnay. (The rumors are true! We are making our first Chardonnay this year, gunning for a Chablis style, un-oaked but with mouth-feel, body. Finding the right small grower is only part of the challenge...).

Here's a shot of Jon's 12 year old Clone 4 Chardonnay (a ubiquitous clone in Sonoma that traces its heritage (via UC Davis) to the Wente clone brought over in the early 20th century).

Come see us SF Chefs 2011

2011-08-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

Wait Cellars will be pouring the first tastes of its limited 2009 Pinot Noir at this year's SF Chefs event in San Francisco's Union Square. SF Chefs is a huge, multi-day food and wine extravaganza featuring chefs and restaurants from across San Francisco's legendary food scene, producing some of the most interesting things you may put in your mouth all year!

We'll be pouring on Saturday August 6th from noon to 4pm in the Grand Tasting Tent, where Sonoma County vintners and classic San Francisco dishes will be highlighted.

Hope to see you there!

2009 Wait Cellars Pinot Noirs released!

2011-08-03T15:27:00.000-07:00

After a brief blackout on sales due to our transitioning our licensing to San Francisco's SOMA, we are proud to announce the release and limited availability of our 2009 Pinot Noirs. We are in love with these Pinots, each with a distinct personality: our Russian River flagship, rich and nuanced; and our new Devoto Garden Pinot, a lean cool-climate expression from Russian River's Green Valley AVA.

Our website shopping cart is in transition and will be available soon, and our wine club shipments will resume in September, when we'll also be announcing a tasting schedule at the winery. Of course, don't hesitate to contact me directly (bob @ waitcellars.com) to arrange a tasting or to join the wine club before our online registration is back in business.

Beautiful day in the vineyard!

2011-06-10T17:36:00.001-07:00

I was up at Devoto Garden on Thursday, a fine day in the low 70's, bright and clear. These pictures are from the 828 block (2.75 acres).

With the crazy wet spring (including hail a few weeks back!), fungal pressure is very high. Stan, like most conscientious growers, is maintaining a focused spray regimen (mostly sulfur, with smaller amounts of zinc, boron, copper, and some Pristine).

Organic compounds are best used proactively, before mildew sets in. Some are ideally used before rains (which propagate spores), some after to avoid being washed away. One really has to be paying attention to the vineyard, and the weather, right now.

Not only was mildew in check, I saw nice even growth, dry speckled canopies -- and bloom, fortunately not early, just around the corner.

Some growers with early-ripening varieties had their blooms hammered by rains a week or so back, leading to spotty pollination and lowered yields.

This year we're leaving more canopy lower. Last year was instructive: We were aggressive with shoot thinning last year (also a wet cool spring, though not like this year), exposing the fruit to air and sun. Which was great until the heat waves in late August and September, where the fruit got a bit dehydrated. This year he's leaving more leaves, and compensating by spraying more often -- but with more dilution, such that the overall amount of sulfur and copper remains the same.

These vines have weathered the wet spring beautifully. Here is to warm days and cool nights through bloom and on to veraison!

2008 Sold Out - thank you!

2011-03-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

It has been a quiet winter on the sales side of things, mainly because after the holidays we were sold out of just about everything we have in bottle, thank you!

On the operations side, things have been busy -- we're happy to announce that we are formally moving our winemaking and wine storage operations back to San Francisco after a one-year hiatus in the Napa Valley. Like all big moves it has taken longer than anticipated, but we plan to enjoy the summer back in the city! We are leasing facility and cellaring space from a new winery that is set to open sometime in 2011 -- Bluxome Street Winery, in SOMA.

On the winemaking side, nothing will change as part of this move. I will continue producing very limited amounts of select Pinot Noir from California's North Coast, including Stan's beautiful fruit at Devoto Gardens.

The 2009 flagship, a dark, brooding mustang in barrel, reminiscent of our 07, tastes very promising. The Devoto is sinewy and lean and likewise enticing. For both we bottled a few cases of magnums (1.5L); here's a shot of Austin, esteemed nephew of a friend of the family, helping out by hand-filling magnums with a heavy gas on top (leveling and corking were done by machine).

Another shot of Austin, with Alissa helping, running the rest of the 750s through the bottler.

Now pouring at Sauce!

2010-12-02T15:11:00.001-08:00

Just a quick shout out to Sauce, a beautiful, intimate restaurant on Gough Street that is now pouring our 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir. A fantastic place to dine before the symphony or opera, which are right around the corner -- or just because you're looking for fine food and atmosphere!

See you at the Soiree Des Arts Et Des Vins!

2010-11-08T11:27:00.000-08:00

See you this Sunday, November 14th, for the Soiree Des Arts et des Vins, a lovely, eclectic Hayes Valley gathering of 20+ vintners presenting their wines along with music and small bites from restaurants across the city. This event had a very fun, local feel last Spring, a nice time to meet neighbors and the folks behind some of our restaurants and wines.

Wait Cellars will be pouring its 2008 Russian River Pinot Noir. If you like any of the wines you taste, you may then buy them at a special discounted price.

Proceeds from the event benefit the International School.

Pouring at Crushbarrel this Saturday Oct 30 at Fort Mason!

2010-10-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you all know that we'll be pouring our 2008 Russian River Pinot Noir at the Crushbarrel Wine Market this Saturday, October 30th, from 12pm to 5pm at Fort Mason. These events ae always pretty fun, and you can buy wines on the spot after you taste -- time to get a jump on holiday shopping?!

Hope to see you there!

2010 Harvest Update!

2010-10-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks has been unbelievably hectic. What was a cool, wet season turned real hot real fast at the end of September, everything ripened at once; bins and trucks and crushspace and cool heads were at a premium!

We picked Devoto on Monday 10/4. I was up there with Dean on 10/1, and we hoped the fruit would hold out over the weekend!

The fruit was actually in great shape, mainly due to some proactive farming by Stan (some mild fungicide earlier in the month after the rains, some irrigation before the end-of-the-month heat). Here's Stan with every farmer's trusty tool. I took two tons this year and hope to get more next year.

Here's one of the ferment bins with a punchdown tool sitting on the cap. This year I sorted out about 25% of my tonnage (probably a little overly aggressive) and effected a light crush through the destemmer. Really like the fruit this year, lots of backbone, earthy-cola flavors. Many thanks to Bill Welch (second harvest as a Wait Cellars fruit rat!), Damon Harris, and Ananda and Micki from AGP for helping drive trucks, move fruit, sort, pick jacks, and keep it together during a chaotic day!

Here's a shot of Dean (with some help) dumping one of the bins into the bladder press, the press fractions were tasting all the way up past 1 bar, some nice nutty flavors from the seeds, tannins getting leathery toward the hardest press but still soft, not too bitter.

Amber crush

2010-10-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

Some shots of the sort at Amber on Thursday -- a beautiful warm day made a bit stressful due to the crush of everything ripening at once (and everyone needing equipment at once).

Though, here's my Westy resting, appearing very unstressed.

The 115 and Pommard clones were certainly interesting this year with the cool summer and late heat; berries smaller, a bit haggard, some shrivel and minor amounts of rot -- but the flavors were auspicious, nice mature brown, nutty notes from the seeds and stems too.

Yours truly forking some fruit (this is the 115) onto the sorting belt.

Crushing outside on a warm day, dry-ice pellets in the must are good practice to keep spoilage organisms at bay.

Amber Ridge crush today (9/30), Devoto Tuesday

2010-09-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

Amber Ridge valley fruit (115 clone) is between 25 and 26 and needs to come off that vine ASAP! Going to do a light crush on a ton and a half up in Napa this afternoon, then put the must into a five-day cold soak. Hoping to do a field mix of 1/3 667 and 2/3 115 but will make that call on the spot.

The Devoto pick I'm putting on Tuesday 10/5, will be in the vineyard Friday taking brix and pH measurements, am expecting an average between 23-24. It's been warm up there though cooling a bit of late on Gold Ridge.

Devoto Field Report 9/17/2010

2010-09-20T16:02:00.000-07:00

Was in the vineyard Friday morning, a cooler, overcast day in Sebastopol. Did most comprehensive brix survey to date this year (via refractometer, at left) and was pleased to see much more even readings than last year, though visually the ripening isn't as even as I might like. The average brix was 21.7, up a couple degrees from two weeks ago. Am hoping for a few more weeks of hang time; Stan and I are tentatively putting harvest at October 5th!

Here's a shot of the bird netting over the vines. Working great. Big worry now is rain, we had some Saturday night and we're now weighing our spraying options (against mildew) vs harvest...

Devoto Field Report 9/3/2010

2010-09-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

in m
Finally posting field data for Devoto Gardens from my trip on 9/3! While San Francisco has been shrouded in fog (here's the Golden Gate on my return trip about noon, it was even worse in the morning!), the hills of Sebastopol have been basking in beautiful 80 degree days in September. In general it had been a cold, slow-ripening summer until a heat spike (multiple mid-90's days) in the last days of August.

Stan has been on the ball with natural fungicides throughout the cool summer as well as more aggressive leaf pruning. He irrigated for the first time for six hours just prior to the heat spike too, managing to avoid serious sunburn/shrivel; the fruit is in much better shape than his neighbors. Brix was at 19, ripening has been a tad uneven (some hens and chicks, though not unexpected for these younger vines) though the flavors were auspicious. Here is an example of the green fruit dropped the week of 9/3.

Here's a shot of the netting Stan bought, which went up last week to keep the birds at bay this year!

Am currently putting my pick date on October 6, a few weeks later than last year. The yields look to be about the same as last year. The 2009 fruit, which is still in barrel, is really shaping up to be something special, and this year is already showing more maturity with some focus that I didn't see until later last year.

This shot here of a row in the 828 block highlights something I appreciate about this vineyard: the natural, somewhat unkempt row cover. This is a farmer's vineyard: no sterile, showcase, heavy-chemical or machined landscaping for visual purposes, nothing over-disc'd (Stan discs every other year) possibly creating a hard-pan distressing to young roots -- just a rich, live vineyard you can almost taste!

Oh, and did I mention the organic apples and tomatoes Stan also grows, a bag of which I am always happy to take!

Good times at SF Chefs 2010!

2010-08-20T11:11:00.001-07:00

Here we are between Dacalier Wine Company and JAQK Cellars. Well, I'm behind the camera, so the space there with our signature candelabra and logo, 07 and 08 in decanters, is where we were. Very nice event in beautiful Union Square, met a lot of very engaging folks!

Wait Cellars pouring at SF Chef's 2010

2010-08-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

Come join us in Union Square in beautiful downtown San Francisco for SF Chef's 2010! There is an entire week of culinary fun and exploration going on; we'll be pouring our 2007 and 2008 at the Grand Tasting from 12pm to 6pm on Sunday August 15th. Why not come check us out?

Ahoy! Check us out on the SS Jeremiah O'Brien!

2010-06-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

Come check us out on Saturday July 17th on the historic SS Jeremiah O'Brien as we cruise around the bay, inspect the new Bay Bridge, listen to 1940's music, and enjoy the best of local urban wines and cheeses!

A wine and food cruise in the bay on a WWII Liberty ship does not happen every day, do not miss the boat on this! Click here for tickets and details. We ship out at 10am, returning mid afternoon.

We'll be pouring our 2008 Russian River Pinot, a delicious pairing with Cowgirl's stinky cheeses and a view of the headlands...

2007 Russian River Pinot Wins Medal at 2010 Golden Glass Competition

2010-06-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

We're happy to announce the Wait Cellars 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir won a bronze medal at the 2010 Golden Glass wine competition! It was judged against 123 other Pinot Noirs with average pricing in the $30 range, many retailing for much much higher.

Both the 07 and 08 Russian River were showing great over the weekend, we met lots of nice folks, and the entire event was a true pleasure -- not the madhouse that Fort Mason tastings can sometimes devolve into. Tasting through the Italian varietals on hand was a particular pleasure.

What's that, you have no more dark silky 07 on hand? Then get ye to the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant in the coming weeks to taste it by the glass or pick up a bottle!

Wait Cellars pouring June 12th at The Golden Glass!

2010-06-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

We'll be pouring our 2007 and 2008 Russian River Pinot Noir this Saturday June 12th at the 2010 Golden Glass wine and food event, sponsored by Slow Food San Francisco.

This is a great event for folks who care deeply about wine and food. There will be over 100 wineries that focus on delivering wines consistent with local, sustainable practices; ditto the food producers under the umbrella of the Slow Food movement.

If you can come, there are a limited number of complementary passes available to Wait Cellars! Click here and use the password "gg2010trade" to see if you can get one:

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/603024663

Wait Cellars pouring at June 9th Ferry Building Fundraiser

2010-06-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hey we'll be pouring our 2008 Russian River Pinot Noir (pre-release!) down at the Ferry Building this Wednesday, June 9th, from 7pm to 10pm, at a fundraiser in support of one of San Francisco's oldest preschools!

The event looks like a lot of good fun: local wines, local beers, local foods, local music, in support of local kids! You can buy tickets online or at the event, please do come join us!

Wait Cellars now available at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

2010-05-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

We're pleased as punch to announce that Wait Cellars' limited-production Pinot Noir is now available by the bottle at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant (FPWM), in San Francisco's historic Ferry Building.

Those who have watched the Ferry Building's transformation over this past decade know that it is now ground zero for locavore's looking for beautiful, locally produced fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, cheese, and yes, wine! If you haven't been, the FPWM is a lovely shop with a huge, eclectic selection of wines, as well as a popular and comfortable wine bar where you can sample ever-changing wines.

The FPWM is currently carrying our 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir. Do stop by and let them know you're happy they're supporting local very limited-production winemaking; and if you buy a bottle, I suggest pairing it with some braising greens and sweet pork sausage from the farmer's market -- delicious!

2007 Russian River Pinot best-seller at Soiree Des Arts et Des Vins

2010-05-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Wait Cellars was pleased to pour this past weekend at the Soiree Des Arts et Des Vins just down the block in Hayes Valley, helping raise funds for a local school raising "global citizens."

Attendees also showed their exquisite taste in wine :). Out of more than 100 wines available, the Wait Cellars 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir was the best-selling wine!

Many thanks to Kelly Zeissner for her stewardship at our table, and to Foggy Bridge for being such a kind table-mate.

Vintner's Market

2010-04-14T14:53:00.001-07:00

Here's a (crappy phone) shot of our half-table at this past weekend's SF Vintner's Market at Fort Mason.

Good times! Ton of people moving through the place on Saturday and Sunday, met a lot of nice folks. People loved the Pinots, at least while I was within earshot....

Here's a shot of my view on Saturday. An intimate airplane hangar....

Here's a shot of Raquel at the table, who helped out Saturday afternoon to much applause!

The 2007 was dark and delicious, though next time I think I'll decant -- it was missing some of its more delicate notes. The 2008 was showing very well for a "pre-release" -- many folks found it more approachable than the 2007 (which I find brooding, more complex). The 08 struck nice lean, bright dark-cherry and toasty cola notes with agreeable weight mid-palate. We sold a number of bottles.

Both 07 and 08 are young; they'll continue to get better in the bottle for the next 3 to 5 years; the 07 likely longer, which I think will be a very special wine if I can just stop drinking it now...

Thanks to Rob Barnett and the SFWA for helping process our orders. And it was a true pleasure to be next to the Aver Family Vineyard and the San Tasti palate-cleanser folks!

Join us at the SF Vintner's Market April 10th & 11th!

2010-04-08T22:02:00.000-07:00

The SF Vintner's Market looks to be quite a blow-out: http://www.sfvintnersmarket.com

We'll be there, pouring our 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir, as well as pre-release tastes of our 2008! Come join us!

Get $10 off the ticket price by using the promo code "10bucksoff" when you register here: http://sfvintnersmarket.eventbrite.com/

2009: Let it be...

2010-04-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

Sat down again last week with Chris and Tom Leaf to taste the 2009 Amber and Devoto in barrel. Was going in thinking about taking the Amber off of wood early (50% is on new Radoux (French Oak)) as it's shaping up with such great flavor. Am also considering a big blend decision with the Devoto fruit: blend in Amber fruit, losing Devoto's Green Valley appellation (in lieu of the larger Russian River designation), but ideally creating a wholly richer and more complex wine.

Ended up deciding to decide nothing. Everything is evolving nicely, two very distinctive and interesting wines, am going to just step back and get out of their way for now. We noticed a little reduction on the Devoto wine (sulfuric compounds, likely a byproduct of fermentation) that some might "clean up" with a drop of copper; but again decided to leave the thing alone, the aromas seemed to blow off quickly and I expect these compounds to combine and resolve themselves in the coming months. Tom Leaf particularly liked the "Oregonian" aromas and taste of the Devoto, a dead-ringer, he claims, for an Oregonian wine whose name I've forgotten. We're all excited to see how it shapes up over the summer.

And the Amber Ridge? Gangbusters: every kind of berry flavor you can imagine bursting out of that wine with spice to boot, it's certainly over the years become much more interesting fruit. Going to leave it in the Radoux for now, which to my taste is giving it some elegance (beyond what Francois Freres, the oak I used in previous vintages, does).

Emerging 2009

2010-03-26T16:07:00.001-07:00

Both the Amber and Devoto 09 Pinots quietly went through malo in December, have been tasting and pondering since, both are still moving targets. I've racked them once to pull them off some murky flavors.

The Amber fruit however is clearly something great, like a tight dark musty dr pepper with mushrooms and nuts. I may pull it off oak early this year (April?) to really showcase the fruit.

The Devoto is young, lean, spare, with just a hint of rustic loam/earth. Have been tasting it on its own and with a 5-10% mix of Amber fruit (which would require it being a Russian River AVA designate, rather than the more specific Green Valley of Russian River), both have their merits; I find my opinion changes slightly depending on lunch...

Back in to taste further next week before Crushpad moves it's operations to Napa.

Recchiuti-Wait Cellars Holiday Gift Pack!

2009-12-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

Looking for a gift for the discriminating wine drinker? Look no farther than our Caramel Almond Gift Pack! For $40, send a bottle of Wait Cellars' 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir and include a bag of gourmet Recchiuti Caramel Almonds. A great value, available this month only!

Recchiuti (www.recchiuti.com) is a fantastic local maker of artisan confections, we're very excited to partner with them on this holiday gift idea.

Click here http://tinyurl.com/ydurhaw, or simply go to "Buy" on waitcellars.com and look for the holiday gift pack.

Wait Cellars at The Wine Club on 11/21 1pm-4pm

2009-11-17T00:17:00.000-08:00

The Wait Cellars 2006 and 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir will be poured this Saturday, November 21st from 1pm to 4pm at The Wine Club at 953 Harrison at 6th (thewineclub.com).

Tastings are free! The Wine Club is a venerable (since 1985) SF wine shop and they'll be highlighting San Francisco Wine Association wineries. If you don't know this shop, you should, it's a low-key gem!

Wait Cellars now pouring at Dosa!

2009-11-17T00:09:00.000-08:00

Our 2006 Russian River Pinot Noir is now available by the glass or bottle at Dosa on Fillmore, 1700 Fillmore Street at Post (dosasf.com). Dosa is one of the most exciting new restaurants to arrive on the San Francisco scene, and we're pleased our wine is now a part of the attraction. If you haven't yet, drop in for a snack at the bar (or tasty meal) and compliment them on their good taste in supporting a fine local wine!

More praise for Dosa; you really must go if you haven't yet:

2009, 2008, 2007 & 2006 Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants - SF Chronicle

2009, 2008 Best Indian, Bay Readers Poll - SF Bay Guardian

2009, 2008 & 2007 Best Indian, The Eat + Drink Awards - 7x7 Magazine

2009, 2007 Best Indian & Worth the Wait, Reader's Poll Winners - SF Mag

2009 Best Indian Readers ' Poll Winner - SF Weekly

2009, 2007 Michelin Guide Recommended

2008 Best Eats in San Francisco, SF Examiner

The Top 10 (New) Restaurants of 2009 -Michael Bauer, SF Chronicle

2008 Best Eats in San Francisco, SF Examiner

The Top 10 (New) Restaurants of 2006 -Michael Bauer, SF Chronicle

Save the date: SFWA Holiday Showcase 12/10!

2009-11-05T23:33:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco Wine Association's Holiday Showcase is coming December 10th, and Wait Cellars will be pouring its 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir and perhaps offering a pre-release glimpse of its 2008.

Tasting will be from 5-8pm at 2573 3rd St. (at 23rd St.) in San Francisco. With fine food and music, this event is always a blast -- purchase tickets in advance here for just $25/head:

SFWA Holiday Showcase

Devoto Ferment

2009-10-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

We brought the Devoto fruit out of the cold room last Monday in preparation for inoculation on 9/30. We added a small amount of tartaric acid (510g in 668kg of fruit) and water (13L) to balance it out to taste during the cold soak, though at 25 brix we're looking at about 13.9% alcohol which is within range of where I want to be (would love to be at 13.5%). On Chris' advice we also added a small amount (25g) of FCE enzyme during coldsoak, a pectinase that increases extraction of polyphenols (flavors, color) from the skins.

So on Wednesday 9/30 I re-hydrated 140g of RC212 (a Burgundian yeast I have a fondness for) in about 1.4L water and 180g of Goferm (yeast nutrients for rehydration). The water was initially at 40C, then we let it cool down a bit to come more in line with the wine temp (about 15C). Here I set the yeast pail into the wine to help it acclimate. A few minutes later I added some juice to the yeast pail to further introduce the two.

The Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen (YAN) in the must was measured at 201, low per Chris' view (lots of folks like a YAN more toward 300 for a nice problem-free fermentation) -- on his advice we added two courses of nutrients at 50ppm (DAP plus Superfood, which is yeast hulls and some vitamins and minerals), once Wednesday night during the "lag" beginning of the ferment, and the second at 18 brix. These guys took off over the weekend per plan (three to four punchdowns daily!), and we're at 2 brix as of today, Monday morning. Will press tomorrow (Tuesday 10/6) at 10:30am!

Chemistry

2009-09-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

* The Amber Ridge 115 clone must was at 28.8 brix, 3.72 pH, and 7.9 TA. Flavors were great; but to bring down the alcohol (multiply brix by .55 to get a rough idea of where final alcohol will be) we added water (58L) and tartaric acid (615g) to balance that. The 115 was inoculated (with RC212 and some GoFerm) on 9/15 and went to dryness on 9/22; we pressed it into a neutral

Francois Freres barrel.

* The 667/777 clone field mix (70% 667) must was at 29.6 brix, 3.93pH, and 5.43 TA. (Note the nicer acid from the 115, which comes from the valley floor). Here we added 63L water and 700g tartaric acid to balance. The ferment was slower but not sluggish: inoculated on 9/17 and it went to dryness this morning (9/26); will be pressing into a 50% new-oak barrel this evening.

* The must from the cooler Devoto Garden site is measuring 25.3 brix, 3.73pH, and 5.9TA. Will be inoculating this coming Wednesday, 9/30.

* Both Amber Ridge bins were hit with 60ppm sulfur, a very modest amount. We put 80ppm in the Devoto Garden must, also not an extraordinary amount but more than the Amber -- the fruit was much more 'live', coming from a generally much richer ecosystem than the hotter, dryer Amber site, and had higher potential for microbial growth from spoilage organisms.

* Am considering a very small amount of enzyme (pectin) in the Devoto soak to loosen the (relatively) tougher skins and extract more phenolics.

Some shots of yours truly on the Amber 667 sort!

Devoto Harvest!

2009-09-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hot weather early in the week confirmed our pick on Thursday the 24th. That morning I started out early in a rented 12' Penske into dense fog all the way from SF to Sebastopol. Could barely make out pedestrians on the Golden Gate bridge while driving over it.

Stan's crew had been picking since 6am when I arrived at about 8:30am. Here's the first bin already filled, fog still hanging over the vineyard.

Here's my meager bin, I filled one of these (selectively of course!) to everyone else's five. The flavors were decent though and I measured the median sugar at about 24 brix.

So it turns out the bins are 48"x44" and the 12' truck bed is actually 136" long -- one needs to orient the bins just right to fit three of them. We got it right the second time. Thanks to Stan's neighbor we had a tractor with the right size picks to deal with the bins.

Made it back to SF to sort and de-stem by 12:30, fruit was in the the cold room for a five-day soak as of 3:00pm. The sort was challenging; the variation in ripeness amongst clusters was significant. That's Bill W. on the left, trusted friend of Wait Cellars, and Chip, a Crushpad employee working the harvest. The must entered cold soak at 23.9 brix and had risen to 25.3 by Sunday morning.

Wait Cellars supports SF Bay Area Emerging Arts Professionals!

2009-09-23T19:25:00.001-07:00

Did we mention that we contributed our 2006 Russian River Pinot Noir to this fine event at the DeYoung:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=145497281135&ref=mf

Devoto pick: 9/24!

2009-09-23T19:20:00.001-07:00

Just a short post in lieu of a 9/19 field report: we're picking this Thursday! Flavors, ripeness coming together, time to get off the pot! Pictures coming.

Devoto Field Report 9/15, Amber Notes

2009-09-20T13:52:00.001-07:00

The rains and cool weather through the past weekend have put the grapes back -- on Tuesday 9/15 my field measurements put the median brix at 23. Back at the lab, I got the following from cluster samples: 22.9 brix, 7.2 TA, and 3.45 pH. (My hand pH meter put it at 3.2). Still some green flavors from most of the vineyard, though the grapes up on the swell are ahead and tasting good.

Am putting the pick date on Tuesday 9/22, supposed to be hot weather through the weekend, would love to pick up another brix degree without too much dimpling. Am afraid to go too much longer with the young canopy! Will be hitting the water for 2 hours tonight (Friday) and Saturday (1/2gal/minute drip).

The Amber Ridge fruit is looking and tasting fantastic, as always. Brought the 115 out of cold soak Monday and inoculated; the 667/777 field blend came out yesterday, inoculated last night. Start the punch downs!

Devoto Garden: 9/12 field report

2009-09-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

I borrowed Josh's truck Thursday to run three picking bins up to the vineyard. Will be taking back about a ton and a half and then (aggressively) sorting/selecting down to a ton...

Median brix at 23! Some 90+ degree days projected through Friday, turned on water for four hours (.5gal/hour drip) Wednesday 9/9, these vines have very young canopies. Colder though this weekend. Tentatively putting pick on Thursday 9/17.

Have I mentioned that Stan is an apple grower?

Amber Crush!

2009-09-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

The Amber Ridge fruit came in Friday 9/11! Am making a barrel of the 115 clone and a field blend barrel of 2/3 667 and 1/3 777, which I'm hoping will make a magical final blend down the road.... Fruit was gorgeous and tasty, as usual, a pleasure to sort and eat! Nice intensity in the smaller-berried 667, brighter candy notes from 777.

Awaiting better photos, here's a crappy one from my phone, hands slick with grape juice.

Haven't been posting my Amber brix readings but it's been climbing steadily since the beginning of the month, very even and warm weather in Windsor. We picked at 26 brix, 3.45 pH, and 8.00 TA. The must has risen a few brix; will do some minor amelioration. Everything was 100% destemmed; the 667 I lightly crushed to release some of the nice tannins I was tasting, maybe give the 09 a little more traction than the 08 in the mid-palate?

Will be cold-soaking for five days, then inoculating next week with RC 212, my usual Burgundian yeast. (One day will go native when I have a more controlled facility!)

Devoto Garden field report: 9/2

2009-09-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

Just a quick catch-up post here: on 9/2 I met with winemaker Chris Nelson at the Devoto Garden vineyard to take more measurements and get his impressions of the progress. I measured median brix at 21, and we both thought that pick was still a couple weeks off, e.g. 9/15-9/20.

Chris agreed that this site has the potential to be great in a few years. Right now though the vines are young and the variation in the vineyard is going to make the winemaking this year challenging -- will definitely require some aggressive sorting.

Finding great flavors right at the swell in the 828 block. Eastern edge is sparse; western edge seems to be the last to ripen but showing better berry canopy development.

Wait Cellars To Produce New Green Valley Pinot Noir

2009-09-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

Have been slow to post this, a formal announcement of our relationship with Devoto Gardens is here!

http://www.sfwineassociation.com/article/22/Wait_Cellars_to_Produce_New_Green_Valley_Pinot_Noir.html

San Francisco, CA (1888PressRelease) August 25, 2009 - Wait Cellars announced today that it will produce a new wine from Pinot Noir grapes purchased from Devoto Garden Vineyards of Sebastopol, California, located in the acclaimed Green Valley appellation.

"We've been looking for premium, cooler Russian River Pinot [Noir] from a small, careful grower, and I think we've found it here at Devoto Gardens," said Wait Cellars' founder Bob Wait. "Stan [Devoto] has been farming this ridge for 30 years. It's beautiful soil, a fine expression of Green Valley. He takes a sustainable, low-impact approach, and I think that's coming through in lean, concentrated berries. I'm very excited about this fruit."

The Green Valley AVA is one of the smallest appellations in Sonoma County. The fog and soil give a distinctive nuance to Green Valley wines. Green Valley Pinot Noirs are especially prized. For more information, visit http://www.greenvalley-russianriver.com.

Devoto Gardens produces primarily heirloom apples and cut flowers, but recently turned over several acres to Pinot Noir. The Wait Cellars Devoto Garden Pinot Noir will be the first commercially produced wine from their planting of the 828 Dijon clone. For more information, visit www.devotogardens.com.

Wait Cellars has been producing small amounts of premium Pinot Noir from the Russian River area since 2004 for the local San Francisco market. For more information, visit www.waitcellars.com.

Devoto Gardens field report: 8/20

2009-08-24T11:41:00.001-07:00

Was a characteristically foggy morning on 8/20, the sun just starting to make advances.

Here's a shot of the charming, unassuming Devoto sign.

Looking north over Sebastopol from the 828 block on Gold Ridge. Weather's been steady, grapes look great; since last week the median brix has risen 1 degree to 18.1. Am anticipating harvesting around 24 brix; flavors, weather, and pH will be other big considerations. (I don't have a great way to measure TA in the field, but may also be taking samples in to the lab in SF).

Next week Stan will be going through the block and dropping green clusters like those pictured here. He will likely be cutting the water to these guys in the next week or so. (This "deficit irrigation" approach is pretty standard for premium fruit).

I'm not the only one enthused by this fruit; note the damage done by uninvited beaks on this cluster (which measured 20 brix -- can the birds sense which clusters are sweeter?).

Consequently, Stan's begun putting reflective tape up to discourage birds, and is considering an investment in netting for next year.

Devoto Gardens field report: 8/13

2009-08-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

Took the first of weekly field measurements through harvest at the Devoto Garden Vineyard on Thursday 8/13. I really need to take a better picture; this place is gorgeous, on the crest of Gold Ridge with sweeping views of Sebastopol and beyond.

Veraison began about the beginning of August. Temperatures have been somewhat consistently in the 80's during the day, 50's at night. 90-95% of the berries have turned color. The median brix reading from berry samples throughout the 828 block was 17.

Flavors are tart, young, tannic, but with darker cola bean notes and appreciable intensity.

Artisan Wineries are Showcased in San Francisco

2009-08-11T17:33:00.001-07:00

Artisan Wineries are Showcased in San Francisco

Shared via AddThis

Fwd: FW: Bartz-Allen Winery, Kindred Wines and Wait Cellars join the San Francisco Wine Association

2009-08-11T17:07:00.001-07:00

From: Info [mailto:info@sfwineassociation.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 9:36 AM
To: 'Info'
Subject: Bartz-Allen Winery, Kindred Wines and Wait Cellars join the San Francisco Wine Association

For Immediate Release

Contact:
San Francisco Wine Association
John D. Tarabini, President
415-695-0221
john@sfwineassociation.com

Bartz-Allen Winery, Kindred Wines and Wait Cellars

join the San Francisco Wine Association

Noted boutique wineries join growing alliance of elite urban wineries

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (June 24, 2009) – The San Francisco Wine Association announced today that Bartz-Allen Winery, Kindred Wines and Wait Cellars, three leading California boutique wineries, have joined as members of the growing organization. The SFWA, which promotes and sells first-rate, hand-crafted wines that are produced in San Francisco, now boasts 20 of the nation's premier vintners as members.

"These outstanding wineries, which produce incredible, hand-crafted vintages in San Francisco, are a natural fit for the SFWA," said John Tarabini, president. "They represent the new face of modern winemaking and will certainly help expand the market for boutique wines," he added.

Rather than spend lavish sums on large chateaus, sparkling waterfalls and fancy tasting rooms, SFWA member wineries invest in the finest grapes, cutting-edge equipment, outstanding winemakers and the time needed to develop small lots of exceptional wine. In what many consider a natural extension of the sustainability movement, these wines are produced locally by passionate vintners focused not on quantity, but quality.

SFWA member wineries secure superb fruit from some of the best-known vineyards in California, Oregon, and Washington. They employ outstanding winemakers. But their goal is not to turn out massive amounts of product. Instead, SFWA members crush, barrel, blend, and bottle small quantities of premium wines in San Francisco, not far from the bridges and cable cars that made the city famous.

Newest members

Proprietors Tim Allen and Rachel Bartz Allen created Bartz-Allen Winery to share their love of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast appellation. Tim has a twenty-year career in luxury wine, and Rachel brings her lifetime of culinary experience to the wines.

Kindred Wines is a new kind of winery; one without walls, vineyards, or dogs to greet you. It strives to source the best possible grapes, combines down-and-dirty hard work with 2.0 technology, and shares the results with passionate consumers.

Wait Cellars was founded in 2004 by Robert Wait, a San Francisco resident and owner of The Page. He focuses on producing small amounts of refined, elegant Pinot Noir from the finest local (Sonoma, Mendocino, Santa Cruz) fruit.

About the San Francisco Wine Association

The San Francisco Wine Association is a consortium of 20 boutique, family-owned wineries that produce small lots of fine wine in San Francisco. SFWA member wines are available at http://www.sfwineassociation.com/, and the association often pours at events in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bookings are now being accepted for events throughout California and in other states. Contact John Tarabini by email or at 415-695-0221 for more details.

SFWA member wineries include Aver Family Vineyards, Bartz-Allen Winery, Canine Wines, Connor Brennan Cellars, Damian Rae Winery, Due Cani Cellars, Flying Wine Cellars, Guy Riedel Wines, Jazz Cellars, Joelle Wine Company, Kindred Wines, Mark Moretti Winery, Milliarium Cellars, PerryMoore Wine, Pug Wine, Ricardus Corculum, Seawind Wines, Think Tank Wine Company, Townley Wines and Wait Cellars. For more information, visit http://www.sfwineassociation.com/.

# # #

Friends of Wait Cellars

2009-08-11T16:04:00.001-07:00

Wait Cellars

Friends of Wait Cellars!

You're receiving this because you signed up at a Wait Cellars tasting table, or have otherwise enjoyed a delicious Wait Cellars Pinot Noir! In addition to a beautiful 2007 Russian River Pinot that has been pre-released as of May, and a 2008 which is integrating nicely in barrels, there is some other important news:

Wait Cellars is now available for purchase online at waitcellars.com. As a friend of Wait Cellars, please enter the promo code FRIENDOWAIT during checkout to receive your 20% discount off the retail price!
Wait Cellars will be pouring its 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir at the San Francisco Wine Association's Spring Fling tasting on Thursday, May 7th, from 5:30 to 8pm. It would be a pleasure to see you there! See their Spring Fling flyer for more details and advanced tickets.

Wait Cellars will be forming a Google group through which future news and promotions will be announced. You'll be receiving an email inviting you to join. If you'd prefer to receive no more email, simply don't join this group. Know that if you do join, your email address will never be shared or used for purposes other than occasional Wait Cellars news without your active consent.

Hope to see you at the Spring Fling!

Yours in thoughtful wine,

Bob

Wait Cellars
San Francisco