Katarina's Blog

So how do we choose a wine for Mom tomorrow? I was thinking of this yesterday and deciding that I first had to figure out my Mom, what wine does she resemble? Is she crisp and cool like a Sauvignon Blanc? Composed in every situation with a fresh eye on what is going on? Will know what you are doing even if she has her back towards you? Maybe she is colorful and fun, has a sense of humor but with a spicy edge to it? A Zinfandel of course.

Wine and Music are my two passions. Now there is a lot of discovery around how music affects your wine appreciation. We are looking at different genres of music and also look at what other people have found out. Let me know what YOU think!

Pretty colors light up our vineyards right now. The winter cover crops are sprouting after the rains in December. Yellow mustard, green barley, orange calendula cover the space between the rows of vines. The plants are not only beautiful but they also play a big role in creating the best grapes possible for our wines. There are so many ways in which they contribute.

The aromas from Glögg (pronounced “glewgg”) simmering in a pot is the essence of Christmas for me. This brew has all the spices that I equate with the Holiday Season. If you visit Sweden in December you cannot avoid it - it is the welcome drink wherever you go that month. This mulled wine is served hot during the four weeks leading up to Christmas, the Advent time, together with ginger snaps and saffron bread.

Almost all of our grapes are harvested now and we are at the end of a long period when I spend a lot of time monitoring the grapes' sugar level. Depending on the wine you make you aim for different sugar levels. I like to pick the grapes at the lower end of typical sugar levels which keeps a little more acidity in the grape and makes for well-balanced wines. However, the most important aspect in deciding when to pick the grapes is still taste. At the end of the day the subjective taste of the winemaker is the most important measurement.