#Harvest2015 Update Highlighting @DRNKwines

Harvest 2015 is underway!  To fully appreciate the art of winemaking, VAULT29 is taking you behind the scenes during the busiest - and most exciting - time of year in wine country. This week, we take an insider's look at what winemaker, Ryan Kunde, and DRNK's crush crew is up to.

Pinot grapes picked at Hallberg Ranch (Sonoma County; Russian River Valley) are ready for the sorting table

The Setup:  On the right is the hopper which has an auger to push out the grapes, and they fall on to the sorting table. Then the grapes go into the destemmer, which separate the berries from the stem cluster.

The crush crew at DRNK. (Left to right) Ryan, Sonoe, and Michael.

Winemaker, Ryan Kunde,  pumping wine into a barrel. This batch of pinot noir was processed and fermented on the skins. First, we put the free run (aka the juice that was extracted on its own) into barrel. Then, the grapes will be pressed and its juice put into a separate barrel.

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We encourage you, if you haven't already, to get acquainted with this gem. Join their mailing list and check out experiences which have happened at the winery by searching "DRNK" in the VAULT29 app - it's FREE - Cheers!

Winemaking

"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. Last week, we revisited four wine brands and what they've learned and how they've grown in "Building of a Wine Brand" Season 2, part 2. This week in Season 2, part 3, we look back at wineries and their approach to winemaking. Get to know Cuvaison & Brandlin -- two Napa Green estates. DRNK uses state-ofthe-art technology (UAV's) to image vineyard sites. and Frey Vineyards focuses on producing high quality organic and biodynamic wines without adding synthetic chemicals or preservatives. 

For many years, Cuvaison, located in the Carneros AVA,  has been regarded as an iconic winery and brand in Napa Valley, consistently producing beautifully balanced Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  In 1998, Cuvaison purchased a historic Mount Veeder property owned by Chester Brandlin. Located on a 1,200 foot ridgeline – this is one of Napa Valley’s most difficult but acclaimed mountain regions for grape growing. Both estate vineyards, Carneros and Brandlin, are certified Napa Green, meaning the company has been recognized for their work in reducing the impact on the environment. Read more here.

Get to know DRNK and their aerial imagery approch to winemaking! Grapegrowers and winemakers have been experimenting with grapegrowing and winemaking practices for millennia, this is not something that’s going to change; the technology DRNK uses for experimentation does, and constantly. Ryan Kunde has been experimenting and using UAVs to image vineyards and orchards for 5 years now. He was initially inspired to do so by listening to other inventors and their experiences with the technology and to my professors at Davis and their experiences in research and learning about the most important factors that affect wine quality over time. Read more here.

Frey Vineyards is America’s Pioneering Organic Winery. Founded in 1980, we have always been family owned and operated and it is our mission to produce highest quality organic and Biodynamicwines without the addition of synthetic chemicals or preservatives while fostering environmental stewardship and social equity. Our vineyards are located at the headwaters of the Russian River in beautiful Mendocino County in Northern California.  As three generations of organic farmers and winemakers, we find that our care and respect for the earth is reflected in the expression of purity and true terroir in our wines. Read more here.

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You can find Cuvaison, Brandlin, DRNK & Frey wine experience in our app! Smply search by winery name! We'd love to see experiences from your perspective too!. #GetV29app

One Extraordinary Ordinary Day

A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of experiencing three very unique tastings in the Sebastopol/Russian River Valley area with friends. The day was nothing fancy; these weren’t wineries with art galleries, mouth-dropping views or petite bites prepared by an estate chef to pair with the wines. That said, it was one of the most memorable.   

It got me thinking: What made this day stand out from the others?

In one single day, to be able to hang out with three different winemakers – in their dining room; with their families; and in their backyards – was pretty special. The conversations were all different, but the take away was always the same – everyone has their individual wine journey. It starts with one of life’s fateful experiences: a chance meeting or an unforgettable bottle of wine. From there, wine affords a lifetime of opportunities to taste parts of the world and meet others with a shared passion and appreciation. And for some, even chase dreams.

Create your own experiences by tasting at:

Trombetta Family Wines with Erica and Rickey and enjoy their family home, gorgeous gardens and hen house!

DRNK Wines with Ryan, Katie and Henry in their awesome caves!

Teac Mor with Steve and Stefanie deep in the vineyards!

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See more of our day by downloading the VAULT29 app and searching for the wineries mentioned above or search by hashtags: #DRNK, #Trombetta or #TeacMor!

DRNK Wines

Aerial Imagery by Ryan Kunde of DRNK Wines

Aerial view of Pinot Hill Vineyards

Grapegrowers and winemakers have been experimenting with grapegrowing and winemaking practices for millennia, this is not something that’s going to change; the technology we use for experimentation does, and constantly. I’ve been experimenting and using UAVs to image vineyards and orchards for 5 years now. I was initially inspired to do so by listening to other inventors and their experiences with the technology and to my professors at Davis and their experiences in research and learning about the most important factors that affect wine quality over time. The practice of using remote sensing data for the purposes of collecting information to improve farming practices is decades old; it’s generally known as precision agriculture for farmers and precision viticulture for grapegrowers and winemakers. What’s new are the community efforts by grassroots organizations cheaply bringing us breakthroughs in technology that level the playing field for remote sensing data and access to the skies. 

Testing at the park

Pre-flight at the park

Ryan & Henry at Pinot Hill Vineyards

Ryan & Henry with UAV

Ryan with AeroM

With the help of aircraft, satellites, and more recently, unmanned aerial vehicles, aerial imagery is widely available to all types of end users and applications. From law enforcement and forestry to city planning and government, to growers and vintners. Interpretation of the data that lies within an image is up to the end user. As a winemaker, my uses for aerial imagery are different than that of the grower who farms the vineyard. Although I can consult with vineyards about variation, ground truthing, and growing practices, I’m particularly interested in using imagery to help catalog vineyard sites we source fruit from, tie the site to the wine, and better understand the complexity of factors of variation and fruit selection. Everywhere in nature there’s variation, graphically described as a normal distribution or bell curve. I want to understand as much as I can about the nuances of a vineyard from the ground up, and the implications it has on maturity, concentration, and flavor.

\What’s interesting is that it’s not a binary problem. Reducing variation in every vineyard isn’t going to make better wine all the time. I believe it’s varietally dependent. Some varietals may or may not benefit by narrowing the bell curve. For instance, last year I made a Sauvignon Blanc from an old vine, dry-farmed vineyard site. After imaging I was able to clearly isolate and sample low and high vigor regions from within the block. Both had significantly different aroma, flavor, and chemistry profiles that I wanted for my blend. I selected rows with more variation, and it added great complexity to the wine. Other wines may benefit from as little variation as possible where optimum ripeness is key, and underripe or overripe characteristics are undesirable. The target moves by variety, style, and site.

Wine is an agricultural product, grown in an imperfect medium, outside of our sphere control. As it should be. We enjoy wine because it stimulates our senses and brings us joy. Really good wine can surprise, challenge, or confirm what we hold to be true about wine. Having an ah-ha moment with wine is, something many of you may already know about, it’s something you’ll remember the rest of your life and can make a person a lifelong devotee to wine. Aerial imagery isn’t about demystifying wine or taking away the ah-ha moment, it is a tool to help us get there and appreciate the complexities of our favorite wines.

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As seen in the VAULT29 app!

View experiences which have taken place at DRNK in the VAULT29 app! Simply, download the free app in iTunes and search "DRNK" on the main Wine Wall!

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