Love ampelos wines.
 |
| Dear Victor,
Oh what a year it’s going to be…
…just you wait and see! 2010 is upon us and we are so excited about what is in store for the coming months! Good things come to those that wait (at least when we’re talking wine) and the upcoming release of ’07 Lambda pinot noir & ’07 Gamma syrah bring with them great opportunities…
|
|
where in the world is YOUR ampelos?
 Inspired by YOU, our friends and fellow wine lover’s, we are going to challenge you to see just where in the world our wines can show up this year!
We are grateful to have had so many of you send pictures, notes, & e-mails telling us of events where ampelos made a moment more special that…well…
we made a “movie” about it !
and we would like to make more… starring YOU! (watch for it …coming your way soon)
So, bring your camera, take those pictures (or video) and send them to us! (info@ampelsocellars.com) or facebook
Each time you send pictures of ampelos at your events, vacations, date night, mountain hike, trip to Australia, next marathon…we will put your name in the hat for a few “prizes” .
We will also be posting pictures from Peter and Rebecca’s travels this winter and spring, as we meet and greet all the amazing folks who help sell and distribute our wines, plus future friends we have yet to meet on the journey.
We can’t do it without YOU, so send ’em in and let’s see if we can travel the globe this year!
Picture above from Patrick in CT! Thanks for celebrating with us!
|
GREEN viticulture…
 We are thrilled to announce that we are one of the 1st vineyards in the US to receive all 3 ‘green’ certifications! ampelos vineyard is now sustainable, organic, and biodynamic certified. In addition to the great impact this has on helping to conserve natural resources and decrease carbon foot printing – we believe this IS where great wines start…the vineyard! (…and it is our job as winemakers not to mess it up)Shhh… they’re sleeping! This is the time of year when the vines take a well deserved break. As for us, we are working with them to get them prepared for the next vintage. For each section of the vineyard we are reviewing the information from last year and based on that we plan the approach for 2010: pruning, shoot thinning, leaf pulling, cluster thinning, irrigation and biodynamic fertilization. Along with our vineyard consultants, we are constantly making observations and carefully tracking changes to keep improving from year to year. It’s grape farming… and winemaking!
Rain, Rain…
Keep on coming! We farmer’s love it. So far 141/2 inches this year (July-June). We are already a little ahead of average for the year – a good thing. The soils have been soaking up the gentle flow of rain and the frequent breaks result in minimum erosion. The sweet peas, fava beans, oats, and vetch we seeded between the rows after harvest are growing well and will soon provide a jungle of nutrients for the soil. Nature is a wonderful balance and the energy is obvious to us as we take our morning walks around the vineyard.
Pruning starts next week and we encourage you to come by and watch some of the action – give us a call!
 |
 GREAT wine…
They’re back…well almost! We have been out of the Viognier and Rose for quite awhile – the ’08’s only lasted about 2 1/2 months after they were released last April, but the good news is that we got more fruit in 2009. Viognier is this time from four different vineyards (2 of them Sta. Rita Hills). We are working on the final blending right now and will be bottling it in February. Similarly, the Rose of Syrah ,which has a great bright red color, will contain about 10% Riesling from the Kick-On ranch in Los Alamos. As usual, the wine will first be released to our filos wine club friends and then to general distribution as inventory allows.< /div>
This week we are also tasting and blending our ’07 pinot noir ‘rho’. This is our barrel select and after 27 months in the barrel the aging has paid off and it is time to bottle. We also chose to take the same approach with our ’07 syrah ‘gamma’. These wines like the slow, gentle aging in barrels and since we are using barrels with less aggressive flavor profiles the balance between tannins, oak, acid, and flavors is remarkable. We believe ’07 is a benchmark vintage. However, lets taste together when we release them in 6-12 months after bottling.
|
|
Lompoc wine trail…
Did you know that Lompoc was the perfect place to spend a entire day tasting wine? Well now you do… working with the Lompoc Chamber of Commerce, the Lompoc Wine Trail map is going to press and will soon be available to everyone. This area has some of the best wines and winemakers in California and we, as a wine community, have decided it is time to let this “secret gem” of central California get some well earned attention. We hope that you will plan a trip to see us soon and let us share our passion for winemaking and the Sta. Rita Hills with you!
|
| (really) GOOD story…
hear the latest buzz!
 On the road again…
While the winery is a little quite, we are traveling to visit as many accounts in as many states as we can. During our travels we are also hosting winemaker dinners, tasting groups, and hoping to meet up with new and old friends, alike. Have the perfect place we need to be? Let us know!
Never fear – someone is usually at the winery – so come see us there, too!
|
|
We savor the winter months and can’t wait for the spring! With fantastic friends, who continually refer new people our way, Saturdays at the winery have become one of our most favorite times! Thank you for coming out to see us…please come back and continue to send your friends (so they can become ours)!
Also, we are putting a little LOVE in your heart (and MONEY in your pocket) this Valentine’s day! Watch your e-mail or Facebook for the special !
Cheers!
Peter and Rebecca Work ampelos cellars
1633 W. Central Avenue
Lompoc, CA 93436 805-736-9957
www.ampeloscellars.com |   |
| NOW OPEN: Saturdays from 11am-4pm
We are open for tasting Sunday – Friday by appointment only. Please call (805) 736-9957 to schedule a tasting.
Due to state laws that limit direct shipments to consumers, we can currently only ship wine to AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, KS, IA, IL, LA, MI, MN, MO, NC, NH, NM, NV, NY, OH, TX, VA, WA and WI. |
