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Letter from Winemaker Milla Handley
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Milla with club members
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We learned a lot of lessons during the 2010 growing season, and this year we used them all. The summer of 2011 was another cool one, with a lot of foggy mornings. We love the coastal fog, but it does delay harvest, by shortening the number of hours of sunshine we get each day, and keeping temperatures cooler. The rains lasted well into June, but fortunately did not damage the flowers on the vines, so we had a great set of fruit. Those rains also caused lots of vegetative growth. In our Estate Vineyard, we dropped fruit and cut back some of the vegetation to promote better air circulation. We have encouraged our growers to do the same, to make sure the vines are putting their energy into the fruit we want to harvest. Managing the crop and canopy helped us harvest clean, mature fruit in 2010, and I think, with the same diligence and cooperation we’ll have a great crop this year.
There is a new Handley wine in your shipment. 2010 is the very first vintage for our Mendocino County Chardonnay, and I think you’ll enjoy it. It was produced from certified organic grapes, grown just east of Ukiah on the Russian River. With the passing of my father in 2009 and the sale of the Dry Creek Vineyard, we began looking for other sources of warmer climate fruit. Handley Cellars’ main focus has always been on Mendocino County. So, when we thought about what to make instead of our Dry Creek wines, we looked to the Ukiah valley and other inland areas, and found some great vineyards to work with. We like the idea of concentrating all our winemaking efforts on fruit from the region where we live and work. I think this new Chardonnay helps balance the other whites in the Fall package. With two floral, fruity wines, a dry Chardonnay, and three newly-released reds, this shipment should be perfect for your holidays.
The holiday gift in your package is a Handley Cellars calendar for 2012. Next year will be the winery’s 30th anniversary, and we produced the calendar to commemorate this important milestone in our history. We’re planning some special festivities for next year, including a very special Cellar Club Summer Barbeque. I really enjoy seeing our Club members at the barbeque each year, it feels like a reunion. If you’re a Club member, and haven’t been able to participate in this annual event, I hope you will try to come next year. I’m looking forward to seeing lots of Handley’s “ambassadors”, as my father called our Club members, at our 30th Anniversary Celebration Barbeque. Please plan to come next July 21st, and help us celebrate 30 years of winemaking in Anderson Valley.
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