"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog...because every glass and bottle of wine has a story. In Season 1, part 1, we look back at our stories from Napa Valley. Take a deeper look of how the barrel process begins in "From Forest to Barrels to Bottle" by Neil Koch (proprietor and winemaker who trained under Philip Melka) of Canepa Koch. Understand why the verbiage on labels is important in "Label Talk: Let's Make It Meaningful'" by Brian Lamborn of Lamborn Family Vineyards. Get the insiders scoop into Merryvale - one of the most historic wineries in the Napa Valley in "Building on a Rich Napa Valley Legacy" by proprietor Laurence Schlatter. Learn about Voneyard {511} and the wines of the Diamond Mountain (AVA).

From Forest to Barrel to Bottle

There are many factors influencing the outcome of a wine, including barrel selection. In this Canepa Koch story, learn how the barrel process starts (in the oak forest of France), to the French government deeming the trees as "ready" to be cut and sold at an auction to cooperages, to aging the staves (the wood pieces that make up the barrel), to making the barrels, to toasting the barrels per winemakers preference, and finally aging the wine prior to bottling and release. Read more!

The 2013 "The Dude" is on pre-order with a release date of April 1st, 2015!

Label Talk: Let's Make It Meaningful

There are stringent regulations on grapegrowing and winemaking, but the terminology that goes on a bottle is overlooked. With so many wines being produced today, wine terms themselves are becoming homogenized, and as a result, obsolete. In this Lamborn piece, learn why label terminology should be regulated, just like all aspects of making wine. If you’re not familiar with Lamborn, they are a “boutique,” “family winery” with “estate grown,” “cult” Cabernets and “old vine” Zinfandels “handcrafted” with care in “small lots” by “artisan” winemaker Heidi Barrett. Read more!

Building on a Rich Napa Valley Legacy

The landmark, family-owned St. Helena winery is one of the most historic wineries in the Napa Valley, as it's the first winery built in the valley after Prohibition. The Schlatter family, are tradiotionalist with a vision, and alongside their winemaker, the acclaimed and charismatic Simon Faury, they have sharpened their focus on Bordeaux varietals. With a prime location along Highway 29, their goal is to create an intimate, engaging atmosphere for visitors. From the wine and cheese experience in the historic Redwood Tank Room. to movie nights in the Cask Room, the Merryvale tasting experience is not to be missed. Read more!

Vineyard {511} & Diamond Mountain Wines

Located just two miles southwest of Calistoga, CA, Diamond Mountain has a long and rich winemaking history in Napa Valley. Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyards, laid out near the mountaintop at 2,200 feet above sea level, is one of the oldest vineyards in Napa Valley, dating back to the late 1890s. The Diamond Mountain District AVA, created in 2001, is unique with only 500 acres of vines, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, although small amounts of other varietals. Wineries located in the Diamond Mountain District (DMD) AVA are small production wineries, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand cases each year. If you haven't got to know Vineyard {511}, do yourself the favor...read more!

Get your hands on the newly released, limited production 2011 Diamond Mountain Cabernet!

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"Wine Mic Monday" is a VAULT29 series based on an "open mic concept" where wineries take over our blog to write about aspects unique to them and their wines. This week, we are proud to feature Neil Koch, proprietor and winemaker at Canepa Koch Wine Cellars. Neil trained under Philip Melka at Seavey Vineyards, Bryant Family and Vineyard 29, and was assistant winemaker at Lewis Cellars.

"From Forest to Barrel to Bottle" by Neil Koch featuring “the dude”

As the rain starts to fall in late November, all the wine from the previous vintage is in barrel. For our wine, “the dude”, the barrel is not just a vessel for 18 months, but plays an important role in the maturation of our wine.

The barrel process starts in the oak forests of France with the most prevalent species being French sessile oak (Quercus Petraea). The trees in these forests can be anywhere from 200-300 years old. For example, in the French National Forest of Troncais, Napolean first planted these trees to be used for ship masts.

Once the French government deems the trees are “ready”, the logs are cut and sold at auction to cooperages (barrel makers) in France. These cooperages then cut the logs into staves (the wood pieces which make up the barrel) and age them in seasoning yards for 24 - 36 months. After the seasoning process, the staves are formed into barrels using galvanized hoops, then toasted on an open flame to the winemaker’s desired toast level.

After 12 years of making my own wine, I am still amazed by how much influence a barrel has on the outcome of a wine. Mark Canepa and I have been making “the dude” since 2009 and have used 100% French oak in all of our vintages, both red and white.

Typically in red wines French oak adds sweetness, body, length, and structure. Darker notes, such as chocolate, espresso, and spice are brought out in the wine. It transforms brighter red notes into darker richer components. In white wines, the barrel adds texture, spice, caramel, and butterscotch components, while fattening the wine’s mid palate.

The barrel’s toast level also greatly impacts the wine. A lighter toast adds more wood structure to the body of the wine, but fewer toast related aromatics. Higher toast levels elevate the wine’s aromatics and impart a sweeter, toastier component.

For “the dude” Napa Valley Red Wine, we typically use a blend of medium plus toast and heavy toast to add structure and increase complexity in our wines. The fruit from our Rutherford vineyard needs more structure, such as a medium plus toast, while our Atlas Peak and Coombsville fruit can handle a higher toast level.

Come Spring 2015, our wine will make its final transition to bottle, where all of these factors including wood sourcing, seasoning, toast level, and barrel aging have played a part in making “the dude”.

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