Rancho Azul y Oro ~ Surviving the Dream

The adventures that continue to occur at the rancho boggle one's mind.  Keep in mind the romantic image that is continually in this hopeless romantic ranch manager's head of one day establishing a vineyard, strolling down the rows of the perfect, beautifully purple grapes, while holding a glass full of our favorite wine, all the while, incredible food from this very rancho is awaiting on the patio, perhaps a dish of home-grown, marinated olives, perhaps some grilled garlic bread drizzled with our own olive oil, perhaps some melted goat cheese drizzled with jams made from figs and peppers grown at this very farm.  We are inching ever closer, but there is always that frequent hair-raising incident that nearly causes one to get in the car, drive away, and never come back. Last week, in preparing for the 2011 harvest of the newbie Petite Sirah (which we should never do, yes, yes, it has been noted, but it was too tempting), we decided to take that stroll through the vineyard at s...

Oddly, this winter seems as if it may last forever.  It started raining last September, and as the ranch prepares for the seventh annual Stuart & Jason Birthday Festival (and a mighty big one for Stuart, at that), the reports have just come in, chance of rain all days.  It isn't as if we aren't appreciative of the gift from Mother Nature, but with over 26" in the ground for the season, we're ready for a little sun and warmth. All things growing are also ready for springtime, as well.  Bud burst has actually occurred on the table grapes (no frosts, please), we anticipate bud burst on the Zin and Petite Sirah around the time of the birthday festival, the Cabernet usually is a bit later, the olive trees have sprung forth and are preparing the 2011 crop, and the fig, apple, and the cherry trees have buds.  Of course, the truest sign that spring has arrived is when Pete's cattle returns to the ranch, and that has not yet happened. It hardly seems like it's...