Central Coast Home Vintners Association

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Upcoming Seminars

There are three great seminars coming up for our CCHVA home winemakers. They are excellent opportunities to learn about the art of making wine from the vineyard to bottling.  All seminars will be limited in attendance so sign up as soon as possible to reserve your spot!

CCHVA Vineyard Tour

Visit three home vineyards in one day and learn how the vineyards are managed.  We will visit the vineyards of Paul and Elva Hohe, Mark and Marcie Dilger-Plassard, and John and Linda Thunen.  The tour will end with a BBQ / lunch at the Thunen’s home.

Date:  July 12, 2008

Agenda:

 9:30 AM - Start at the Hohe's vineyard/winery, tour to last ~ 1 hour

10:30 - Travel to Marcie and Mark's home

11:00 - Tour Marcie and Mark's vineyard/winery

12:00 - Travel to the Thunen's home

12:30 - Tour Thunen's vineyard/winery

1:30 PM - BBQ at Thunen's - Jim Ford will be cooking

Note:  Times may slip so please be flexible

 Topics to include during the tour(s):

• Varietals/Number of vines

• Age of the vines

• Pest management

• Farming/Watering

• Netting or not

• Pruning practices

• Any other items of interest

Cost:  $10.00 per person, paid at the BBQ

Sign-up:  Contact Jim Ford. The tour will be limited to 25 individuals.  Everyone should bring a bottle of wine to share at the BBQ. Car pooling is encouraged due to limited parking.

Deadline for Registration:  July 5, 2008

Directions to each vineyard will be provided.

CCHVA Wine Seminar

John Thunen has put together a new course on wine making based on his experience as a home winemaker and as a commercial winemaker for Phantom Rivers.  This course is for both new and experienced home winemakers. 

Agenda: 

• Session I – From Grapes to Wine (Almost)

• Session II – White Wine and Barrel Aging

• Session III – Finishing the Job (Don’t blow it now!)

(Detailed course outline available upon request)

Dates:  Wednesdays, July 16 and 30, and August 20, 2008, for the three sessions  

Format: Begin promptly at 7 PM.  At 8 PM, take a 10-minute break and finish at 9 PM. Refreshments will be served during the break.

Location:  Thunen’s home, 1045 Ridgecrest Place, Nipomo, CA 93444

Cost:  $25.00 for all three sessions

Number of Attendees:  Minimum 10, Maximum 25

Registration:  Send name and check to:  CCHVA, P.O. Box 271, Santa Maria, CA 93456, by July 11, 2008

Directions to Thunen’s will be provided.

CCHVA Blending Seminar

 Ardisan Phillips, of McKeon-Phillips Winery, will conduct a blending seminar for CCHVA members focusing on the home winemaker’s perspective and what we would want and need to know about blending as compared to a commercial winery.  For those of you who don’t know him, Artisan is a renowned local winemaker, artist, and restaurateur (http://www.mckeonphillipswinery.com).  

Date:  August 23, 2008 

Time:  Exact Time To Be Determined 

Format: The approach for this day-long seminar, which will include a gourmet lunch, is to divide up into teams, then learn, blend, taste, and select candidate wines by blending from the McKeon-Phillips ‘06 vintages.  After narrowing the selection to one final blend, the selected blend will be given to the participants, six bottles per person, at the next release. 

Location:  McKeon-Phillips Tasting Room, 2115 South Blosser Road, Unit #114, Santa Maria, CA 93458

Cost:  $150.00 (includes six bottles of the final blended wine at release… ½ case premium wine!!)

Number of attendees:  Minimum 12, on a first-come, first-served basis

Registration:  Contact Vern Veglia to make your reservation now

Deadline for Registration:  July 15, 2008