Jeff’s Letter From September 2026
“Fasten your seatbelts.” These are the words I directed at the winemaking team ten days ago. On August 8th we started the 2026 harvest with four and a half tons of Tempranillo from the Miravet Vineyard in the Clements Hills District in Lodi. This is the earliest we have crushed grapes by not just a day or two but by a full fortnight. Yep, two weeks earlier than our previous record of August 22. I always say that Mother Nature has the last laugh and she is rolling in the aisles like the audience did at the Steve Martin’s roast of Paul Simon at the 2002 Kennedy Center Honors.
We were polishing our surfboard (bottling and receiving new cooperage) when the tsunami of 2026 grapes appeared on the horizon. We were still racking the last of the 2025 wines from barrels as the wave broke and the first of the 2026 grapes crossed our threshold.
Here in Amador, we have a very light crop. Some vineyards are so light they will not be harvested. Others are off between 30% and 50%. We had cool wet weather during bloom and the pollination of the grape flowers that generates the formation of a grape was cool and, in some cases, rainy. Precipitation this winter was plentiful with almost six inches of rain in April, so the vines have had plenty of soil moisture to fuel the development of a healthy canopy that now has just half of a normal crop to ripen. Combining all this with a mild summer, we have seen just three days of triple digit temperatures, and the result is an exceptionally early start to the 2026 vintage.
Not to worry we can walk and chew gum at the same time and while we may feel like jugglers being fed flaming torches much too quickly no one has been burned yet.
Whoever said winemaking was romantic needs to see a shrink.
Ahh but grab a couple of lamb shanks and put Margie’s recipe to the test because September is Zinfandel month. My favorite dish with Zinfandel usually involves lamb. The tender sweetness of lamb pairs so well with the black raspberry flavors of an “R” Zinfandel.
Peroni Ranch Estate Zinfandel
We have three different Zinfandels for you, the Esola, Nostro Vino, and the Estate. The Esola Vineyard Zinfandel was voted best Amador Zinfandel at the Amador County Fair Wine Competition this spring. Produced from the grapes grown in one of the last completely dry farmed Zinfandel vineyards here in the Shenandoah Valley this wine has an added dimension of intensity and flavor. Tom’s Nostro Vino Zinfandel from the Steiner Road vineyard is always the last Zinfandel we harvest, and it is worth waiting for. It ripens late when the nights are a bit cooler and the color is darker and the flavors bright and succulent as a result. The Estate Zinfandel (pictured) comes from the Peroni Ranch Vineyard which is just north of the tasting room and was originally planted in 1890. Not all the vines are still there, and we have replanted some of the missing vines with selected cuttings from the original vineyard. The resulting wine is a classic example of ‘Old Vine Zinfandel.’
The Teroldego is from Italy’s Alto Adige region in the Northeast corner of the country just south of the border with Austria. Teroldego has a remarkably deep color but remains soft and smooth with dark fruit flavors.
There is also a Tempranillo from Ann Kraemer’s Shake Ridge Ranch a half dozen miles east of Sutter Creek. The elevation and Ann’s meticulous attention to detail generates a rich full-bodied Tempranillo that is finished with a small percentage of Graciano.
The general release in September has generated plenty of excitement. Nero d’Avola is the red grape of Sicily. In Fiddletown, Isy Borjon has a couple of acres planted to this variety and has been gracious enough to provide us with a couple of tons. We like it and think you will too. It has been ‘leaking’ out of the warehouse so be sure to get a bottle before it’s gone and give us your feedback.
Gotta go it’s time to mix the fermenting bins of Zinfandel and Sangiovese and revel in the perfume of fermenting red wine. Maybe winemaking is romantic after all.
