Another Week

Another week has come and gone...with lots to show for it!

First the wine:

As I mentioned before, its going to be a very small vintage - we got hit by mildew pretty hard. We've pressed everything now, with the cuvee in barrels, the rose in a petite tank and the regular red in a large stainless steel tank - about 52 hectoliters (enough for about 600 cases ). The cuvee and the rose are going to be really small this year (100 cases each). bath

Now the house:

We made great strides this last week or so in getting the remodeling work behind us. In this last week, we've finished both the bathroom and the kitchen.

As some of you know, the bathroom was in dire need of help. The small little room with the sink and shower was small, closed-in, poorly lit......not much going for it. Add to that the fact that the room just next door - which was the laundry room - had all the things the bathroom was missing - including the WC (toilet). So, to make it more hospitable, we've turned the laundry room into the full-on bathroom,with its seperate toilet room, and decommissioned the old bathroom and turned it into a storage area.



As for the kitchen. It was last touched probably 25+ years ago - and showed it. With dark wood cabinets and dark gold tile, it was a wee bit on the dark and gloomy side. So, we;ve ripped out all the old cabinets and tilework (incuding the counter) and replaced it all with new. Mostly in white, with the 'inox' (stainless steel ) apppliances, and a dark counter top, the room has really brightened up...and just feels better.

NOW....its time to start learning how to cook. As many of you know, over the past few years my cooking ahs been virtually nil - so - as one of my resolutions on moving over here is to get myself starting really cooking. And with the nice new gas cooktop and new oven with convection heating - there really isn't anything stopping me.....except me.

On another note - perhaps more serious - it has been interesting to 'watch from afar' the trials and tribulations of the US economy. I must admit I am a bit isolated and insulated from all that, what with all my financials tied-up in the vineyard here. The same is true for most of my neighbors. They are much more concerned with the current harvest than international mortgage financia; issues, although some share with me the concern they have as to whether or not, when the next release of Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine is made, will there be a market for it at a reasonable price. But they always come back to first things first - - -make the wine - - make it well - - then it will sell itself. Great philosophy, and one that has continued to work for them for years...AND..one I plan to follow as well.

Back to work - the barrels need topping and the rose needs a little something added. More later.

Be good out there.