Tzabaco Rancho Vineyards

It's that time of the season...after the crop crop is mowed...the remaining green growth is disked into the soil...to add organic matter to the soil profile in a natural, sustainable way!

Pruning is finished! Our small but mighty crew spent over three months pruning the canes on all 8 of our white and red varietals.

Chopping pruned canes and mowing our cover crop last week to help prepare the block for disking in our dry farmed old vine Zinfandel!

Mustard is in full bloom all over Dry Creek Valley...a true sign of Spring!

After a long hunkered down Winter...Spring is here in the vibrant Nectarine blooms in our family orchard! Hoping for good weather so these blooms successfully grow a bounty of oh so tasty fruit!

Tenth Sugar Sampling Results for Home Winemaking Harvest 2020: Cabernet 23.6 Brix Malbec 22.0 Brix Merlot 24.7 Brix ... Petite Sirah 20.5 Brix Petit Verdot 23.0 Brix See more

Ninth Sugar Sampling Results for Home Winemaking Harvest 2020: Cabernet 22.8 Brix Malbec 22.3 Brix Petite Sirah 20.2 Brix... Petit Verdot 21.7 Brix Sugars dropping a bit due to cooler weather after the heat spell artificially increased the numbers!

Eighth Sugar Sampling Results for Home Winemaking Harvest 2020: Merlot 24.5 Brix Petite Sirah 19.6 Brix Zinfandel 24.9 Brix

Tenth Sugar Sampling Results for Home Winemaking Harvest 2020: Cabernet 23.6 Brix Malbec 22.0 Brix Merlot 24.7 Brix ... Petite Sirah 20.5 Brix Petit Verdot 23.0 Brix See more

Ninth Sugar Sampling Results for Home Winemaking Harvest 2020: Cabernet 22.8 Brix Malbec 22.3 Brix Petite Sirah 20.2 Brix... Petit Verdot 21.7 Brix Sugars dropping a bit due to cooler weather after the heat spell artificially increased the numbers!

Eighth Sugar Sampling Results for Home Winemaking Harvest 2020: Merlot 24.5 Brix Petite Sirah 19.6 Brix Zinfandel 24.9 Brix

Seventh Sugar Sampling Results for Home Winemaking Harvest 2020: Cabernet 23.2 Brix Malbec 22.8 Brix Merlot 24.9 Brix (rechecking after cool down on Thursday)... Petit Verdot 23.3 Brix Zinfandel 24.4 Brix See more

Sixth Sugar Sampling Results for Home Winemaking Harvest 2020: Cabernet 20.0 Brix

Fifth Sugar Sampling Results for Home Winemaking Harvest 2020 - mid and some late season varietals: Viognier 23.1 Brix Malbec 20.0 Brix Merlot 21.8 Brix... Petit Verdot 20.2 Brix Zinfandel old vines 23.9 Brix Zinfandel young vines 19.9 Brix Some up and some down...we have had pretty cool nights!

Fourth Sugar Sampling Results for Home Winemaking Harvest 2020 - midseason varietals: Viognier 22.2 Brix Merlot 23.2 Brix Zinfandel 22.2 Brix... These drifted down a bit due to cooler weather!

Third Sugar Sampling Results for Home Winemaking Harvest 2020 - midseason varietals: Viognier 22.6 Brix Merlot 23.4 Brix Zinfandel 22.2 Brix

A huge shoutout to the great support we got yesterday from an amazing group of people that allowed us to get our harvest permit...in the nick of time yesterday afternoon...to allow us to harvest the rest of our Sauvignon Blanc really early this morning. With the help of Karissa Kruse at Sonoma County Winegrowers, Tawny Tesconi at Sonoma County Farm Bureau and Alex and Pete at the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner's Office who worked on our behalf with the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office to facilitate our permit to allow our crew to enter an Evacuation Warning zone to get the last of our perfectly ripe Sauvignon Blanc to the winery destinations that we had worked so hard to schedule during this heat spell to get done...many many thanks!!

With a truly remarkable heat spell that has pushed the grapes to their perfect ripeness, harvest continues! Our first harvested varietal of 2020, Sauvignon Blanc, is on the way to happy wineries this week. We couldn't do this without an amazing crew! We are so grateful for their work. #sauvignonblanc #drycreekvalley #tzabacorancho

First day of harvest...started at 4am and watched the weather completely avoid us...Sauvignon Blanc for Integrity Wines!!

Second Sugar Sampling Results for Home Winemaking Harvest 2020: Chardonnay 22.8 Brix Sauvignon Blanc 22.2 Brix Viognier 20.4 Brix... Merlot 21.4 Brix Zinfandel 18.0 Brix

Of all the varieties that we grow...the white varieties get the most attention from birds looking for a sweet treat! Viognier is just so delicious that it gets more bird attention that either Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc...so we net every vine to protect the fruit! #drycreekvalley #viognier #tzabacoranchovineyards