Stay safe East Coast!!! Sending...

Stay safe East Coast!!! Sending positive thoughts and prayers to everyone in hurricane Sandy's path.

Winemaking Math

After a gazillion pump-overs this past week, we drained and pressed six Cab tanks today, creating eight new Cab lots. Doesn't add up you say? Let me clarify: 2 obsessive winemakers + 96,000 lbs of fermenting Cab must = 7 exhausted cellar workers + 1 frenzied lab tech + 1 harried production asst + 4 "Free Run" Cab tanks + 2 "Low Press" Cab tanks + 2 "High Press" Cab tanks. Translation for the non-mathematically gifted: 8,500 gallons of incredible HANNA 2012 Cab!
  

Machine Harvesting Hanna Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Late Thursday night, into Friday morning we harvested 45 tons of Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a Pellenc mechanical harvester. This new harvester collects amazingly clean grapes, made even better with a optical sorter which removes any flawed berries and MOG ("Materials Other than Grapes, primarily leaves and stems).

Photo 1: Just after the crescent moon set on the night of Thurs 10/18, we began setting up to harvest AV Cab blocks 3 and 4 from our Red Ranch. Here, the Pellenc harvester is getting ready to begin the night's work. Photo 2: Mechanical harvesters work by vibrating the berries off the rachis. This is a vine just stripped of its berries. Photo 3: Many harvesters require that the tractors drive in tandem to collect the grapes. The Pellenc has on-board tanks that will hold the grapes until they're ready to go into the bins. Looking like a real-life Transformer, the Pellenc lifts the tanks up and out to dump the grapes. Photo 4: After the grapes come in from the vineyard, they are dumped into the Gimbre. Yes, that is our Alexander Valley tasting room in the background. Photo 5: Holding about 1.5 tons, it takes about 30 min to completely empty the Gimbre onto the sorting table, dropping just a few grapes at a time. Photo 6: The lighted bar is the where the berries are sorted. If the sensitive camera detects a pink berry, piece of a leaf, etc., a blast of air will divert it from the main stream and it will be culled to the side in the "bad grape" bin. Photo 7: Winemaker Jeff Hinchliffe and Christine Hanna check the quality of the first sorted bin-beautiful.




  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Friends enjoying HANNA wine at The Farm House at Persimmon Creek

Here are some friends enjoying the HANNA Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvingon at The Farm House at Persimmon Creek in Clayton, Georgia.
For more information go to: http://www.thefarmhouseatpersimmoncreek.com/index.html
or contact: vincent@thefarmhouseatpersimmoncreek.com

Hanna Chardonnay Harvest 2012

With 26 tons of Home Ranch Chardonnay, our 2012 Chardonnay havest has begun! At a fabulous 24.4 Brix, the grapes were delicious, and the wine will be too!! Photo 1: Until yesterday our Home Ranch Chardonnay was cosseted in veils of green netting. 2: Yesterday afternoon, after they were done removing nets, the vineyard crew brought in the lights and bin-towing tractors. 3: This morning at 3:00 am, the vineyard crew began harvesting our Home Ranch Chardonnay. They move amazingly fast--running from vine to vine. 4: By 5:00 am, they were 2/3 done picking, and Tom had the bins weighed and lined up for the first press load. 5: By 6:30 am, the first load for our Diemme press was loaded, and the free run was pouring out. The vineyard crew took 3 hours to the Chard, and the cellar crew took 14 hours to press it (clean-up included).
  
  
  
  
  

<3 Hanna Cabernet Sauvignon

We love Cabernet Sauvignon. Apparently, the feeling is mutual ;)
  

Pressing 2012 Bismark Zin :D

Draining and pressing Bismark Zinfandel is a festive event. Isaac even dressed for the occasion! (L to R: Juan, Isaac, Chilo)
  

Good Morning

This morning's shining Venus above the waning crescent Moon was a lovely sight. What a beautiful way to start the day!
  

Thanks Jeff!

To celebrate the end of our 2012 Sauvignon Blanc harvest, Winemaker Jeff Hinchliffe treated the cellar crew to a delicious lunch. We rarely eat lunch all together during harvest- especially when we are pressing. Who's watching the press, you may ask- Jeff, of course, using a forklift as his golf cart to run between the table and the press. Photo 1 (in the shade): (L to R) Fernando Mendoza, Consolacion Chavez, Tom Bertoli and Gery Swallow. Photo 2 (in the sun) Standing: (L to R) Juan Delira and Jeff. Sitting: Chilo Nunez Diaz, Javier Mendoza, Isaac Hinchliffe and Francisco Mendoza. Holding the Camera: Marti Quan (not pictured;)
  

Christine Hanna has a Grape Camp in Alexander Valley

Christine Hanna put on a Grape Camp with a group of people associated with Bevill Vineyard management. The group picked a whole bin of Alexander Valley Cabernet grapes in less than thirty minutes.

Christine HANNA will at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Presented by Chase

Meet Christine Hanna at Epcot Oct 23rd, 24th and 25th.
"A food and wine lover's paradise awaits you at Epcot with the 17th Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Presented by Chase!"
"From tasty tapas and refreshing beverages to celebrity chef demonstrations and rock star performances, there's something to satisfy every taste and interest."
For more information: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/special-events/epcot-intern...

How sweet it is!!!

Three tons of Cabernet Sauvignon from our Bismark Mountain Vineyard were harvested yesterday. The grapes were so tasty that we couldn't stop eating them. At a beautiful 29 Brix, is it any wonder?!
  
  
  
  
  

Chillin' with HANNA Sauvignon Blanc

To keep today's 2012 Sauvignon Blanc juice cool, we made liberal additions of dry ice to the press pan. To cool down after work, I'll go for a glass of the 2011 ;)