Wines I'm Making: 2012 Cabernet--Malolactic Fermentation (Maybe)

I inoculated our 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc with malolactic starter on November 8, so today is day five. The problem with malolactic fermentation is that it's often hard to detect or to know when it's finished. There are sometimes outward signs (usually tiny, slowly rising bubbles, but just as often there isn't much to see). You can test its progress. The paper chromatography test that gives a definitive answer as to whether the bacteria have converted malic acid in the wine to lactic acid is not difficult or expensive, but I don't like the smelly chemicals involved. Recently I've been inclined to do my best to create the right conditions and then take things on faith. The right conditions means even, moderate temperatures. The malolactic bacteria thrive at around 70-75 degrees F, but that's not a condition common in my house at this time of year. As a result, I'm forced to wrap the carboys of wine in blankets with a small electric blanket between them in the hope of keeping the wine somewhat warmer than the ambient temperature in our house, which in November tends to be around 64-68 degrees during the day and as low as the high 50s at night when we turn off the heat. I generally give the wine about a month before testing (if I do test). I always tell people who ask that most of the work of making wine isn't work at all. It's waiting. And, here I am again, waiting.

Wines I'm Making: 2012 Cabernet Pressed

I pressed the Cabernet grapes yesterday, on November 5, after a four-day cold soak and a 14-day fermentation. We ended up with just under eight gallons of new wine. After racking off the lees, I suspect we'll have about seven gallons of finished wine, or 35 bottles. So far, everything looks good. However, I was planning to start the malolactic fermentation yesterday and there are no local supplies of malolactic starter. Apparently supplies were disrupted by the recent hurricane on the East Coast. I hope it becomes available soon, as the wine can't be sulfited until after the malolactic fermentation is complete and the wine remains vulnerable to oxidation until it is sulfited and the containers are topped up, but I'm hoping for the best. The photo above shows the fermented grapes ready for the press. The photo below is new wine before transfer to the glass carboys that it will mature in.

[Update: Apparently the malolactic starter will arrive tomorrow (November 8), so the malolactic fermentation will get under way tomorrow.]

[Update 2: Picked up the malolactic starter this morning (November 8). In a new development, a brand called Wyeast is offering pre-hydrated starter suitable for small batches of wine (five gallons) for only about $8. In the past, I've always had to buy a powdered starter that's intended for much larger batches of wine that cost about $30 a dose. So, that's a big improvement: the Wyeast product is easier (no need to get distilled water to hydrate the powder) and it's cheaper.]

Music I'm Listening to: The San Francisco Symphony with Asher Fisch and David Fray

I attended the October 26 performance of the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall. On the program were Wagner's Prelude to Act 1 of Lohengrin, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 22, and Brahms's Symphony No. 4. Jaap Van Zweden was to have been the guest conductor, but he cancelled for some reason. Asher Fisch conducted in his place. David Fray was the soloist in the Mozart concerto. Both Asher Fisch and David Fray were new names to me. Fisch appears to have conducted a lot of opera. He is Principal Guest Conductor of the Seattle Opera, but he will take over as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the West Australia Symphony in September 2013. Fray studied at the National Superior Conservatory of Music, in Paris. He made his professional debut with the Cleveland Orchestra, in 2009. He records for Virgin Classics.

I didn't know what to expect from conductor Fisch, but I must say I enjoyed the entire concert--even the Wagner, and Wagner is not usually to my taste. I thought the scintillating, overlapping opening section especially well done. The Mozart was enjoyable--perhaps a bit too "correct"--but fun nonetheless. My main complaint about Mr. Fray's playing (besides a hint of muddiness here and there in some of the faster, more intricate passages, mostly in the first movement) was a certain disconnectedness. It seemed as if he were analyzing the music rather than playing it--if that makes sense. He was, in fact, playing, of course, and the second movement was handled very well, I thought.

I find it hard not to comment of Mr. Fray's overall demeanor. He plays rather slouched at the piano and he likes to throw his hands off to the side of the keyboard at the end of a loud passage as if to say "take that!" Although he looked mild-mannered relative to some pianists (Melvyn Tan comes to mind), his exaggerated gestures were a bit much. Most of the time, his brow was furrowed and he appeared to be scowling. He gave me the impression of being angry at the keyboard for some reason--as if the keys had just insulted his mother and he wasn't going to stand for it. It all got a bit annoying. I listened to much of the performance with my eyes closed because to watch him play was distracting.

Having said all that, I think Fray is a good pianist. He has a strong left hand and seems to like to emphasize the rhythms of the harmonies behind the main melodic lines of the music. I immediately thought to myself that he's probably an excellent interpreter of Schubert and I imagined he'd play the Impromptus and the Moments Musicaux well, in particular. I was delighted to see at intermission that he has recently recorded these and that he'd be signing CDs after the performance. At home the following day, I listened to the Schubert recording I purchased for an autograph, and I wasn't disappointed. There are idiosyncratic passages--a few fleeting descents into bombast--but otherwise very enjoyable. Mr. Fray is, indeed, an interesting interpreter of Schubert and one that I hope will grow. I look forward to following this young man's career. Perhaps he will begin recording the Schubert sonatas before too long. I hope he'll be back in San Francisco soon.

I thought Fisch's interpretation of the Brahms symphony excellent and the playing mostly perfect. I had a few nits to pick, lined up in my head as I listened, but at this remove I can't remember what they were--which is to say they were probably trivial. I do remember thinking that the conductor rushed the fourth movement just a little, but otherwise, the piece was very nicely done--lush, emotionally invested, but not overdone. The horn section was a standout and the long pizzicato passages were handled by the strings with conviction. I was a little apprehensive at first about the change in conductors, but I'd be very happy to see Asher Fisch leading in San Francisco again. I hope he returns sooner rather than later.

The highlight of a quick meal after the concert at Absinthe (besides the lovely Kimberly at reception making quite a statement in a bright red shirt set off by a wide back belt) was encountering a new wine grape called Pellaverga Bianco, which had a wonderfully smokey character to it (at least in the wine I enjoyed). This is a grape to explore further. It appears to be confined to the Piedmont region of Italy.

Photo of David Fray courtesy of the San Francisco Symphony

Rain: More Rain, but Sunshine on the Way (November 2, 2012)

We've had more rain in the past few days, but it was dry today (if overcast) and sunshine is in the forecast. We've had 1.05 inches of rain since last reporting, bringing our total so far to 2.45 inches, which is about normal for this time of year.

[Update: Additional sporadic rain has added another 0.10 inches to the total as of November 10. The total is now 2.55 inches.]

Wines I'm Drinking: 2010 Montebaldo Garganega/Pinot Grigio

Tonight I tasted the 2010 Montebaldo Garganega/Pinot Grigio, an inexpensive wine I picked up at my local Grocery Outlet. It turned out to be light but tasty--just the sort of thing to go with pasta and pesto sauce. This wine, from the area around Venice,  is 70% Garganega, 30% Pinot Grigio, the latter emphasized on the label, probably on the assumption that fewer people are familiar with Garganega than Pinot Grigio, but Garganega is the grape that makes really good Soave good, and this wine had many of the characteristics of a well made Soave. Brief tasting notes follow.

Medium straw color. Simple grapey scents, but also with a suggestion of something nutty. Perhaps scents of candied citrus rind as well. Overall, a bit distant. Light on the palate as well, but not at all without interest. Nice balance between a ripe but delicate fruitiness and a lingering crisp acidity. Moderate to good length with the finish marked by nutty flavors and a very slight bitterness. In no way profound, but tasty wine nevertheless. Very attractively priced at $4.99 a bottle at Santa Rosa Grocery Outlet. Recommended for everyday drinking. I went back to buy a case of this. Perfect with pesto (as noted above). I bet it'd be good with other pasta dishes not using a tomato sauce (white clam sauce, perhaps?), with herbed fish, or with a simply flavored pork dish.

(I have no financial connection with any producer or retailer of wine.) 

Books I'm Reading: The Grand Alliance by Winston Churchill (October 28, 2012)

I've now finished the third volume of Winston Churchill's six-volume history of WWII The Second World War, this one entitled The Grand Alliance. The scope of this third volume is fairly breathtaking, following the escalation and expansion of the war as Germany and Italy move east through the Mediterranean, threatening Egypt, as Hitler turns on the Soviet Union, and as Japan attacks the United States in Hawaii and British and Dutch possessions in Asia, bringing Great Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union into a grand alliance of nations united by the goal of defeating the Axis powers.

As in the previous volumes, Churchill tells the story in the first person and mainly from the perspective of British activities. It again relies heavily on "directives, telegrams, and minutes upon the daily conduct of the war and of British affairs"--documents mostly written by Churchill himself during the conflict. These are supplemented by the author's retrospective analysis of events. At the end of the volume, I was left with a much better understanding of the relationship that developed between Churchill and President Roosevelt and of Stalin's character as revealed by communications between Churchill and Stalin. Churchill's calmness and confidence are remarkable throughout. While recognizing that winning the war will be painful and time-consuming, from a very early date he understands in broad outline how events are likely to unfold and he is unshakeable in his conviction that the Allies will win. This is not bluster. His view is based on rational analysis. In particular, Churchill understands the immense importance of now having the wealth of the United States behind Britain, which remains mostly in retreat through the period covered by this volume (1941).

Rain: First Rain of the 2012-2013 Rainy Season (October 22-24, 2012)

A storm blew in on the evening of the 22nd and gave us 1.15 inches of precipitation, the first rain we've had in the current rain year (the rain year begins on July 1 and ends on the following June 30). It rained again on the evening of the 23rd, adding another 0.05 inches, and then we got an additional 0.20 inches on the 24th. for a total of 1.4 inches so far. Normal annual rainfall in Santa Rosa is 36.28 inches.

Wines I'm Drinking: 2008 Congress Springs Lodi Viognier

One of a group of wines I recently picked up at my local Grocery Outlet looking for bargains. This is a Viognier from Lodi made by a winery I've never heard of, but Lodi can be good, so I gave it a try. Brief tasting notes follow.

Rather pale for a Viognier. A pale straw color. Not especially forthcoming on the nose, which immediately seemed suspicious given that Viognier is usually a very expressive grape. Most Vioginer wines are distinctively scented and even a small addition of Viognier to a blend often makes it smell like Viognier. This wine didn't really smell like much of anything at all. Sweet on the palate and with some presence--suggesting substantial alcohol--but not a lot of flavor. Some hints of honey, perhaps, or even honeysuckle (or is it beeswax?), but not a lot more. Fairly long finish, but not very distinctively flavored. Not faulty or in any way unpleasant, but seems rather one-dimensional. Oddly bland while at the same time being rather easy to drink. Hmmm..... I let the wine warm up quite a lot and tasted it again and it seemed to have gained some apple pie flavors, but still not compelling. Not a bad deal at only $5.99 at Grocery Outlet, but I don't think I'd buy this again.

(I have no financial connection with any producer or retailer of wine.) 

Wines I'm Making: 2012 Cabernet Harvest

The 2012 Cabernet grapes are crushed and destemmed and resting in the garage. We picked the grapes on the morning of Thursday, the 18th, a fairly typical date. We harvested 90lbs of grapes, having lost none to raccoons or any other critters this year. Early application of two layers of nets and the electric fence worked. Netting early seems to be the key, and it's worth it to have all the grapes at the end of the season--although the nets make tending the plants a hassle. For example, this year I would liked to have removed some of the leaves covering the grapes in the most luxuriant plants to have given them extra air and sun against the formation of mold, but it was hard to do because of the nets. Thankfully, this year was cool and dry, and mold was a minor problem.

The crushed, de-stemmed grapes yielded 11 gallons of must. I lightly sulfited the must to 53ppm (nine Campden tablets in the 11 gallons of must) and will let it sit for a few days before inoculating with yeast to start fermentation. The must tested at 25.0 Brix and a pH of 3.54. pH squared times Brix was 313. The specific gravity measured 1.108 by hydrometer at about 70 degrees F.

Meanwhile, the rosé from our Sangiovese grapes is ready to be racked off the gross lees. Today is the 15th day of fermentation, and the activity has slowed greatly. I will test with the hydrometer. If it looks completely dry, I will very lightly sulfite the new wine. In about two or three weeks it will be ready for another racking and should by then be mostly clear. Usually the rosé is ready by Thanksgiving.

Wines I'm Drinking: 2009 J&J Cellars Paso Robles Estate Zinfandel

Tonight I tasted the 2009 J&J Cellars Paso Robles Estate Zinfandel, one of a group of about ten wines I picked up this afternoon at my local Grocery Outlet, looking for bargains. Although comparatively inexpensive at only $5.99 a bottle, I don't think this wine is a very good value, and it's not a wine I'll buy again, but every bottle is interesting. Brief tasting notes follow. 

Medium-deep garnet red. Although only three years old, this estate Zinfandel doesn't have the look of a young wine. Scents of tea, plums, and something floral at first, but later mostly suggestive of stewed fruit. Seems a bit hot on the palate right from the start--with the alcohol too prominent--and thus a little out of balance. The heady alcoholic component was accompanied by a rather dark, ripe, fruity sweetness and suggestions of caramel. Light acidity. Very little tannin to speak of. Seems heavy and lacking in finesse, if not entirely uninteresting. Sweet vanilla flavors on the finish. Lingering stewed fruit sweetness on a fairly long finish. Tastes like raisins more than anything, perhaps. The sort of wine that has some immediate appeal but that quickly tires the palate. I suspect this might be popular with wine drinkers that mistake the punch of ripe fruit and alcohol for quality in wine, but unlikely to please anyone with more refined tastes. After tasting the wine, I checked the label and was not surprised to see that it's nearly 15% alcohol (14.8%). Perhaps the grapes would have been better used to make a Port-style wine? In fairness to the winery, I'd be interested to taste a fresh bottle that has definitely been stored properly. There's a chance that the stewed quality of the wine I tried was caused or enhanced by poor storage, and that that's why this particular selection showed up at Grocery Outlet. Grocery Outlet is always an interesting adventure. From a little Internet sleuthing, I see that the 2009 J&J Cellars Paso Robles Estate Zinfandel normally sells for about $16 a bottle at the winery.

Found Art: Paper Cup Stack (October 15, 2012)

I recently noticed the pattern created by the seams on a stack of cone-shaped paper cups sitting beside a water cooler. Looked like art to me. Found art.

For more found art, see my blog Serendipitous Art.

Wines I'm Making: Sangiovese Rosé Fermenting, Cabernet Soon to Be Picked (October 9, 2012)

The Sangiovese rosé is fermenting in the living room (I've brought it in from the garage as it was a bit too cool and the activity seemed to have slowed). Today is day three and everything seems to be going well so far. I took a sample of the Cabernet grapes again today. The numbers look good, but I think they will need a little more time. The sample measured 24.2 degrees Brix at a pH of 3.38. That's already quite acceptable in theory, but a fair number of the seeds in the crushed grapes I sampled still looked immature. The rule is to pick when the grapes are physiologically mature (and at their most flavorful) rather than going strictly by the sugar and acid levels. a pH of 3.38 is still on the low side for a California Cab and 24.2 degrees Brix is not excessively high. I'll probably wait another week and test again. If rain threatens--serious rain, that is--I'll probably pick to avoid it, but, otherwise, I think the wine will benefit from more time on the vines.

[Update: Tested again on October 15. There wasn't a lot of change. The sample tested at 24.4 degrees Brix and a pH of 3.37-3.38. So the sugars were up slightly and the pH was virtually unchanged--which is not a bad thing. I'd say more of the seeds looked mature than last week, but there are still a few green seeds. Same conclusion: It's probably safe to pick any time now, but there's no hurry either. The weather is supposed to be very hot in the next few days, though. Decisions, decisions. The Sangiovese rosé is now in its ninth day of fermentation.]

Cars: The 2012 Alameda All-Italian Car and Motorcycle Show

On Sunday I drove my 1978 Alfa Romeo Spider down to Alameda to participate in the 2012 Alameda All-Italian Car and Motorcycle Show, which takes place every year at Lincoln Middle School, on Fernside Blvd. in Alameda. There were about 70 cars in the show and I'd guess about 500 people showed up to look at them. There's always quite a selection--anything goes, as long as it's Italian--but usually about half the cars are Alfa Romeos. What I like about this show is that it's very low-key. The exhibitors are not at all snooty. People show everything from well-used Fiat wagons to brand new cars.  There were Fiats, Lamborghinis, Lancias, de Tomasos, Maseratis, Ferraris, and more. The car next to mine was an old Fiat X1/9 converted to electric power--a car that got a lot of attention. Fun, as usual.

Wines I'm Making: 2012 Sangiovese Harvest (October 5, 2012)

I decided to harvest our Sangiovese grapes yesterday (October 5), with the sugars looking good (at 22 degrees Brix) and the pH about right, at 3.47. We harvested 50.6lbs of grapes, which is a little more than last season. I'm happy to say that we lost none to animals this year and there was virtually no mold. Mostly good, healthy-looking grapes went in to the hopper for crushing. The Cabernet will require a little more time.

We got about 5.5 gallons of must and 3.5 gallons of pressed juice for fermentation (I always make a rosé from the Sangiovese). The must tested a little differently from the sample that prompted me to pick, but the numbers were still decent--21.5 degrees Brix and a pH of 3.66. The hydrometer read 1.090.  

I very lightly sulfated the must (three Campden tablets) and left it overnight. As it was crushed at about 1:00PM on the 5th and pressed at about 11:00AM today, on the 6th, the juice spent 22 hours on the skins. I usually aim for about 18 hours, but a few extra hours won't make a big difference. I inoculated the juice with Epernay II yeast at around noon. Once the dry yeast on the surface is well hydrated, I'll mix it into the juice and it will be on its way to becoming wine. Fermentation usually takes anywhere from about six days to about 14 days.

Book I'm Reading: Winston Churchill's Their Finest Hour (September 26, 2012)

I've just finished Their Finest Hour, the second volume of Winston Churchill's six-volume history of WWII. Much of what I said about the first volume, The Gathering Storm, applies here. This, the next installment in Churchill's detailed chronicle of the war from the position of an insider, is again delivered in crisp, efficient prose and draws heavily on contemporary documents. In Their Finest Hour, Churchill takes us from his taking over as Prime Minister in May 1940 through January 1941. The main events in the period were the capitulation of France (which left Britain standing virtually alone against Hitler and Mussolini), the Battle of Britain, and the beginning of the Blitz--the mass bombing of London. The war in North Africa was just beginning to heat up as well. Once again, Churchill's epigraph sums up the book nicely: "How the British people held the fort alone till those who hitherto had been half blind were half ready." It's fascinating to read Churchill's many memos to President Roosevelt during this period, repeatedly urging a reluctant president to help. I'm now deep in Volume III, The Grand Alliance.

Wines I'm making: Grapes Coming Along Nicely (September 23, 2012)

Today I took a decent sample of both the Sangiovese and Cabernet grapes in the garden. The Sangiovese is at 19.6 degrees Brix and a pH of 3.22. Some say the best indicator of ripeness for picking is given by taking the square of the pH and multiplying that by degrees Brix. For the Sangiovese grapes I tested today, that yields a number of 203. A value of 200 is supposed to be ideal for white wines, a value of 260 ideal for red wines. As I'll be making a rosé from the Sangiovese, that doesn't really help, but these are just general guides. From experience I know that the Sangiovese grapes aren't really ripe yet. The seeds are brown and fairly crunchy, but not really mature-looking. I'll be aiming for about 22 degrees Brix (or a little more) and a pH of around 3.4 or so. In that case, pH squared times Brix would be 254, a good number for red wine by the rule of thumb--which is to say that my experience has been that it's best to treat the Sangiovese grapes for rosé as grapes for red wine when it comes to deciding when to pick.

The Cabernet grapes tested at 22.0 degrees Brix. PH was 3.04. PH squared times degrees Brix yields 203 (coincidentally, the same as the Sangiovese). Too early to pick. With the Cabernet, I like to pick at about 24 degrees Brix with the pH at about 3.5. That gives a number of 294 using the rule of thumb, which is nominally on the high side, but most of the books I use for reference in winemaking were written for an East Coast audience and a colder climate--a climate where pH rarely gets as high as it routinely does here, so the number doesn't concern me much. Again, it's just a rule of thumb. This year will be our ninth harvest. I've made the wine enough times by now that I have a feel for what's right. The Cabernet seeds, like the Sangiovese seeds, were brown and moderately crunchy, but, again, not entirely mature. I'm guessing we'll be harvesting in the second week of October, which has been fairly typical. So far, zero losses to raccoons or other critters. The fruit looks great.

Birds I'm Watching: Warblers, Vireos, and Turkeys (September 18, 2012)

It's September. Migrants are passing through our area, heading south for the winter. The stream of migrants brings us many small and colorful birds, warblers among them, that delight local bird watchers--and with good reason; these are delicate, pretty birds we rarely get to see, except at this time of year. This week the local birding community has been abuzz in particular because of the discovery at Spring Lake of a Yellow-throated Vireo, a bird never before recorded in Sonoma County (photo above). I saw the bird on Sunday. I went to look for it again today, but missed it in the late afternoon. Others saw it this morning. I'll try again tomorrow. On the way home, I came across a group of Wild Turkeys. What a contrast. Splendid in their own way--but certainly not delicate.

For information about bird watching in Sonoma County, see my Website Sonoma County Bird Watching Spots.

 

Books I'm Reading: The Donkeys by Alan Clark (September 14, 2012)

I've been reading a lot of military history lately, a consequence of my father's death in February and the stacks of his books now sitting in my house as a result. My brother and I have been going through them, keeping those that look interesting, disposing of others, but it's been much easier to do the keeping than the disposing. My father left behind an awful lot of good reading material. There is a substantial military history section (ranging from ancient times to WWII, but heavy on Napoleon, the Crimean War, WWI and WWII). Although I'm still in the middle of reading Churchill's six-volume history of WWII, I found myself flipping through this short book about WWI not long ago and I ended up reading it in one sitting.

I was ignorant of the fact that Clark's The Donkeys is a rather well known and controversial book. Originally published in 1961, by Hutchinson, I read the 1991 Pimlico paperback edition. Clark, son of the well known art critic Sir Kenneth Clark, looks at only one year of the war--1915--surveying the main battles of that year and coming to the conclusion that obstinate pride and a failure to admit and learn from failure among the leading WWI generals  resulted in the needless slaughter of tens of thousands of men--essentially the destruction of Britain's professional army which then had to be replaced by largely untrained recruits. This is a familiar story, but it's probably worth at least a little scrutiny. What got me thinking was not so much the book (which appears to have been influential in supporting the persistence of the idea of lions led by donkeys) but criticism of the book I read subsequently--criticism that accuses Clark of a rather lopsided view of things and some embellishment.

The title, for example, is drawn from a conversation reported in the memoirs of one Erich von Falkenhayn, purportedly between German generals Erich Ludendorf and Max Hoffman. Ludendorf is reported to have said "The English soldiers fight like lions." To which Hoffman is supposed to have replied "True. But don't we know they are lions led by donkeys?" Clark uses these lines also as an epigraph at the start of the book. Falkenhayn was chief of Germany's General Staff during WWI (from September 14, 1914--coincidentally, exactly 98 years ago today) having been Prussian Minister of War from 1913. He later became a writer. Apparently, however, the provenance of the quote and even the existence of the memoirs are in doubt, and it has been suggested that Clark made up the exchange. The lines neatly summarize a core idea of the book, but a little Internet research suggests this meme--lions led by donkeys--was widely applied during WWI in reference to the leaders and men on both sides of the conflict and it may have been current as far back as the Crimean War (Wikipedia even has a page headed "Lions led by donkeys," which gives details).

Whether Clark was exercising poetic license or not, his book clearly supports the notion that the generals were highly blameworthy, that the fighting men accepted assignments that meant almost certain death with remarkable fortitude, and that they endured hellish conditions. Recent scholarship seems to take the view that serious leadership mistakes were, in fact, made but that condemnation of the wartime leaders has probably been lacking in nuance.Whatever the case, the horrifying statistics don't really need the support of Clark's prose. They're horrible enough baldly presented.

Clark relates that he got the idea for the book when unrelated research caused him to stumble upon a diary by one Captain F. Hitchcock of the Leinster Regiment that describes trench conditions near Ypres in 1915 (an extract is among the appendices). That genesis is probably responsible for the book's very narrow focus. It's an interesting slice of history, but I must admit that my overall grasp of the events of WWI is a bit sketchy. This is probably a book to approach after a refresher. Perhaps it's time to read Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August again--although that's probably been superseded as the go-to book for an overview of the causes and campaigns of WWI. Maybe not.

Music I'm Listening to: Semyon Bychkov Conducting the San Francisco Symphony, Pinchas Zuckerman Soloist (September 6, 2012)

I belatedly note that I attended the September 6 performance of the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall. Guest conductor Semyon Bychkov led the Symphony in a performance of Wagner's Overture to Tannhäuser followed by Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, with Pinchas Zuckerman on the violin. After intermission, we heard Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5.  As usual, the Wagner left me cold. I don't have anything to say about it except that it seemed competently played. I'm no judge of Wagner.

I was mostly looking forward to hearing the Bruch. Zuckerman tossed it off with apparent ease despite being in pain. I learned after the performance that he had hurt his back recently and was not feeling in top form. With the exception of a little roughness at the outset, it didn't show much. I liked the sound of Zuckerman's violin (from what I can gather, a 1742 Guarnerius)--throaty in the low register. He had been scheduled to sign autographs but bowed out--a disappointment as I had brought with me my autographed copy of Kyung-wha Chung's debut vinyl disc and had hoped to get him to add his signature to it; Chung and Zuckerman were co-winners of the Leaventritt Competition in 1967, and both studied at Julliard under Ivan Galamian.

The highlight of the evening, however, turned out to be the Tchaikovsky. Bychkov gave it a slightly idiosyncratic reading with some unusual emphases here and there, but it worked. I thought his use of rubato masterly. The whole gave a simultaneous impression of precision and flow. Very persuasive. As usual, the orchestra was in excellent form, with the horns and woodwinds standing out in the Tchaikovsky. Had a quick bite and a glass of wine at Absinthe afterwards. The friendly staff said it was nice to have the concertgoers back with the start of the 2012-2013 season, likening us to migratory birds.

Photo of Semyon Bychkov by Thomas Brill. Photo of Pinchas Zuckerman by Paul Labelle. Photos courtesy of the San Francisco Symphony.

Food I'm Eating: Blackberry Season (September 12, 2012)

Went blackberry picking today at Place to Play Park, in Santa Rosa. I had been there a couple of days ago looking for birds and noticed many unpicked berries along one side of the park. Went back today with a ladder and plenty of containers. Now, what to make of them?

Wines I'm Making: 2012 Grapes Still Unmolested (September 10, 2012)

It's been about 10 days since I last reported on the grapes. I'm pleased to be able to say that there have been no losses so far. The nets have held. The electric fence is pulsing away. I'm hoping that the critters don't even know the grapes are there. It's still early, but I've been sampling a random grape here and there. The Cabernet seems to be already at about 19 brix, the Sangiovese at about 20 brix--both higher than I would have thought. I usually aim to harvest at around 24 brix. The rule of thumb is that one degree of brix takes about a week to develop, which would suggest we'll be harvesting a month from now, at about this time in October, but, we'll see. Ongoing vigilance is in order.

Wines I'm Drinking: 2008 Vinorum Calle Brandsen Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Today I tasted the 2008 Vinorum Calle Brandsen Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, from Mendoza, in Argentina. I know nothing about Vinorum Winery, but it appears to be situated in Mendoza, at the foot of the Andes. The grapes for this wine are from the Lujan de Cuyo region, which is just south of the city of Mendoza. According to the label, the Calle Brandsen line is the premium line (Calle Brandsen is the name of the street the winery is on). This wine sees 10 months in French oak before bottling. It looked like it might be worth a try. It turned out to be quite solid and likely very good for everyday use in the coming year or two. Brief tasting notes follow.

Medium to deep, plummy red. Distant at first on the nose. Floral hints. Lightly toasted oak. Hints of tobacco. Later, a suggestion of cherries. Oak and the cherries were apparent on the palate as well. Still a bit tight. Delicate but obvious tannins. Silky and smooth, if not very forthcoming at first, but has poise and immediately suggests it will improve with a little time in the glass (and in the bottle, no doubt, even if it never becomes profound). Later develops some cola flavors. Easy, everyday wine, but a cut above the ordinary. This wine normally sells for about $17 a bottle. At $5.99 a bottle at my local Grocery Outlet, it was worth buying half a case.

Birds I'm Watching: Spring Lake, Santa Rosa (September 2, 2012)

A couple of days ago I took a quick walk around Spring Lake, in Santa Rosa, hoping to see warblers, as the migration is now under way. I did see Yellow Warblers, Orange-crowned Warblers, and a Black-throated Grey Warbler, but nothing exotic (although the Black-throated Grey is one of my favorites). The highlight was a Pileated Woodpecker that rather obligingly landed on an exposed tree trunk with good light after a frustrating few minutes of trying to photograph the bird hanging upside down in dense foliage (the bird, not me). Sometimes you get lucky.

For information about bird watching in Sonoma County, see my Website Sonoma County Bird Watching Spots.

Found Art: Patterns in the Sand, Ocean Beach, San Francisco (September 3, 2012)

Patterns in the sand at San Francisco's Ocean Beach. A composition created by gravity and time. Found art.

For more found art, see my blog

Serendipitous Art.

Grapes So Far Unmolested (August 30, 2012)

It's almost September. We haven't lost a single grape yet. So far my strategy has worked. In past years I've usually protected the grapes in the back yard in response to the first depredations of the season, when the grapes have taken on color but are still far from ripe. This year, I determined to net the grapes and turn on the electric fence that surrounds them before the grapes started to turn purple, and the idea seems to have worked. My aim was to make the grapes inaccessible before they became attractive to raccoons etc. Still about six weeks to harvest, if we harvest on a typical date (usually around the second week of October). The summer has been so cool, though, that harvest may be later than usual. We'll see.

Tidbits: RIP--Neil Armstrong (August 25, 2012)

I note the death yesterday of Neil Armstrong. I imagine his passing will inspire many to think back to what they were doing on July 20, 1969, when he became the first human being to walk on the moon. I remember watching the event on TV. The feeling of anticipation among the adults watching left a stronger impression on me than the event itself, but I'm glad to have seen it. By all accounts, Armstrong was a brilliant yet modest man. RIP.

Wines I'm Drinking: 2008 Brutocao Mendocino County Bliss Vineyard Merlot (August 22, 2012)

Moderately deep red with a hint of garnet in it. Showing a little age. Plummy on the nose at first. A little wood. Something subtly floral as well, but not identifiable. Nice acidity, giving a bright first impression. Has a fairly formidable tannic bite and the tannins linger, although they aren't harsh. Some musky, earthy undertones. Fruity on the mid-palate but the fruit falls away fairly quickly to leave the tannins exposed, giving the middle to end of the flavor profile a somewhat austere quality, but a little fruity sweetness comes back on a moderately long finish. I think this will improve with age. Still seems a bit rough around the edges, but, on the whole, nicely balanced and interesting, and with a little time in the glass, the flavors evolved. The tannins softened (allowing the fruit to emerge a bit more), the floral component became more pronounced, and the fruit began to seem more like black cherries than plums. Very attractively priced at my local Grocery Outlet for $6.99 a bottle. Regularly sells for around $24 a bottle.

Birds I'm Watching: Lake Ralphine, Santa Rosa (August 21, 2012)

I shouldn't complain about work, but I've had rather a lot in the past week, which has kept me mostly stuck at my computer. Yesterday I managed to take a quick break for a walk around Lake Ralphine, at Howarth Park. It was the middle of the day, and not much was going on--almost no birds at all, until I stopped at a secluded spot on the far side of the lake to look for the bird making what at first I thought was a Spotted Towhee's cranky call. It turned out to be a Bewick's Wren (photo) making similar sounds. Flitting over my head was a mix of small woodland birds--a Titmouse, a Hutton's Vireo, a couple of Chickadees. And then back home and back to work.

For information about bird watching in Sonoma County, see my Website Sonoma County Bird Watching Spots.

Books I'm Reading: Winston Churchill's The Gathering Storm (August 15, 2012)

I've long wanted to read Churchill's six-volume history of WWII. I've finally made a start by reading the first volume, The Gathering Storm. The entire set was among the books left behind in my father's library. I probably won't immediately read the second volume, but I will get to it and the rest of the series sooner rather than later now.

In its early chapters, this first volume lays out in great detail the events that led to the Second World War in Europe, with Churchill giving much emphasis to the idea that the war could have been prevented entirely--at several junctures--if only the victorious nations of the First World War 20 years earlier had contained Germany by steadfastly forcing that country's adherence to military restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles while giving Germany economic support--instead of doing the opposite: insisting on reparations and the enforcement of unreasonable economic punishments while ignoring German rearmament in clear violation of treaty provisions.

Churchill opens his book with the following heading: "How the English-speaking peoples through their unwisdom, carelessness, and good nature allowed the wicked to rearm." While it seems to me that the French, too, were culpable, Churchill's summary is typically succinct and accurate. Throughout the book, he reminds us that he vigorously pointed out the dangers of the developing situation and that his warnings and those of his political allies went largely unheeded. While the I-told-you-so remarks are frequent, Churchill makes a point of mentioning nothing that he had not stated publicly or in writing at the time, and history proved Churchill mostly right.

The second half of the book is devoted to what Churchill calls the "twilight war," often referred to as the "phony war" during which there was virtually no fighting on land--the period between Hitler's invasion of Poland (September 3, 1939) and the invasion of France. Most activity was on the high seas. The Scandinavian situation (and especially the Norwegian campaign) figures prominently. Churchill was closely involved in the latter, as he had returned to the position of First Lord of the Admiralty when Britain declared war on Germany, on the day Hitler invaded Poland (Churchill didn't become prime minister and minister of defense, with general responsibility for the war, including land forces, until the German attack on France in May 1940, which precipitated the resignation of Prime Minister Chamberlain). Churchill rightly saw at an early date that taking Narvik, in Norway, the main source of German iron ore for steel production, was critical, but scruples about violating Norwegian neutrality caused a disastrous delay in action. The volume closes with the failure to thwart Hitler in Norway and the change of the British government in 1940.

This first-person account in finely wrought prose by one of the leaders of the nations that fought WWII is valuable for its breadth and its depth of detail and for the inside view it gives of decision-making in London as the clash approached. The writing is crisp and clear throughout. Substantial appendices flesh out many aspects of the narrative in minute detail. While this book is hardly new (having been published first in 1948), it remains a unique personal account of the looming disaster of WWII. Campaigns in which the British were involved get disproportionate attention, and it's worth remembering that Churchill was a participant not a detached observer--that he was a politician not an historian. The series is perhaps better viewed as an extended memoir than as straight history, but it's fascinating reading nevertheless. Recommended.

Plants I'm Growing: First blooms--Epilobium Canum (August 10, 2012)

My favorite of the Epilobiums (the genus formerly  known as Zauschneria) is this one, Epilobium canum, which is notable for its sturdy, erect posture, the pretty blue-green of its foliage and the screaming red of its blossoms. There are three or four Epilobium varieties in my garden. The others have already started to bloom, but I always enjoy it when this one comes into flower. These are commonly known as California fuchsias. First blooms of 2012 today. This plant bloomed on August 13 in 2011, thus calculating a year of 363 days.