What I've learned with the Sable Rouge is that I don't ever want to be that winemaker that runs out of a good wine really quickly. I really don't like saying "sorry, we're sold out." to anyone. And that's not the sales side of me, that's the 'I'm really proud of this and I want you to have some' side of me.

So last Saturday, we sold the remaining cases of the 2004 Sable Rouge. Granted, there were only 44 cases bottled, but in three weeks, it was all gone. For those of you who asked for it early, I do have some cases with names on them.

Check the Order page for a few places where you may be able to pick some up.

Were you looking for a report from ZAP? It seemed like you were. Click here.

For those of you who don't know, on Wednesday, October 12, the wine warehouse run by Wines Central in Vallejo was caught on fire. I should also point out that this is three days before Lori and I were supposed to leave for Mendocino to get married, and right at the tail end of the '05 harvest. I kept thinking of Phil Hartman on Saturday Night Live playing Frankenstein yelling "Fire baaaaad!!"

So I'm sure you've heard that stressed out grapes often provide the best flavor. Now we get to see what kind of wine a stressed out winemaker produces.

Okay, enough sarcasm. Just so you know, we finally found out after nearly a month, that most of the wine was okay (we still haven't sampled everything we plan to). The stuff that seems fine is not even slightly off, and the few retailers that had started to carry us all tasted the before and after all agree that the wine wasn't affected. Read more...

Lori and I and our wine drinking expert neighbor Nhi tasted the '04 wine On Wednesday and Thursday. To find out more about the '04 release, go here.

When I first decided to give commercial winemaking a go, I knew I wanted charitable giving built into the business model early on.

Ultimately, the next three years will see the start of three different brands. Welsh Stewart will be the Napa and Sonoma appellation Zinfandel and Syrah, and the donations will go to domestic animal sanctuaries and shelters. There will also be a brand of Rhone-style reds from the San Francsico Bay appellation (coming in spring '06!). Proceeds from these wines will go to help organizations that provide rehabilitation to ocean mammals and waterfowl. The final brand will focus on Spanish style red wines from various appellations. Money from the sale of these wines will benefit wildlife rehabilitators.

My goal is to create a business which pays for itself, allows some money for slow growth, and which provides annual support for animal charities around the country.

Because I only make a small number of cases each year, I am able to focus on the fruit, the wine, and ultimately the entire process. When I use the term "hand-crafted" it literally refers to my hands being involved at every stage of the winemaking process, from picking the grapes in most cases, through sorting and quality control, to hand punch downs of the must during fermentation.

As a consumer, my wine philosophy has always been fairly simple: Drink what you like, and you will never be disappointed. My winemaking philosophy is also pretty simple: seek out grape growers that share the belief that the best wines come from small, concentrated grapes that are harvested at the peak of ripeness.