Birth Announcement
Dad and his newest baby, Syrah
On September 29, 2010, we picked our estate Syrah for the first time. The weather was mild in the early morning, the brix and pH were blissfully right, and we had good friends to help us. Fueled with strong coffee and muffins, we worked through the three rows, carefully selecting the fruit (no leaves, please!) and celebrated afterwards with champagne and lunch. After months of tending the grapes tirelessly in the summer heat, culling the not-perfect clusters and worrying over the weather, Joseph could celebrate our first varietal in the bins. Salute! Â Below, you’ll see our birth announcement for Baby Syrah and her brothers.
Birth!
Wow!!
What a kick!!!
Two and one half years in the arrival. Â Baby Syrah, born 9/29/2010, 800 lbs, ruby red coloring, sweet disposition (26.5 brix), but with just enough edge (3.67 pH) to be the perfect child. Â Mother and father are doing well. Â Baby is resting in a warm environment. Needs to be “changed” 2-3 times a day (the juices need to be punched down– bottom to top, top to bottom. Be careful not to crush any seeds!). Three days after being taken out of her incubator, Baby received her shots (innoculated with yeast) and bubbled with joy.
Loving, gentle, and hardworking godparents Leahandah Bohner, Jessica Cozzetto, Steve Gould, and Jim Bailey assisted in Syrah’s birth.  The proud parents couldn’t have done it without them. Baby will take up residence in a lovely french oak chalet (60 gallon barrel) in just a few more days and will spend most of her infancy resting and maturing in the dark.  Occasionally we will visit and see how Baby is developing.
Anita punches newly harvested grapes
Within two years we will introduce little Syrah to her siblings. Big brother Zinfandel, a really big boy of two tons, was brought into this world by professional midwives a few days after Syrah and smaller brother, Cab (full name Cabernet Sauvignon), was born three weeks late on the 9th of October. The godparents and other friends will be invited to the debut of all three siblings in about two years. Between now and then, we’ll all watch the babies’ development with avid curiosity.
