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Ana Keller
 
October 13, 2022 | Ana Keller

2022 Harvest


Today we finished picking the 2022 fruit. That being said, we haven’t picked fruit for over two weeks. What does this mean? We picked all of our chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot gris during August and September and only waited patiently for the syrah to finish ripening.

GAMBIT OF AGRICULTURAL WORK

This year we are grateful that we had access to water for our vines as needed. After a mild summer, it surprised us when a heat wave around labor day weekend was predicted, forcing us to make decisions. Julien, our winemaker, tasted the grapes, made lab analysis, and decided to pick some blocks before and others after the heat wave. 

WHAT HAPPENS TO GRAPEVINES DURING EXCESSIVE HEAT?

Grapevines shut down in excessive heat, halting maturation, and then restart once temperatures come down. There are always questions regarding the dehydration of the grapes and chemical imbalances. So there is as always gambling in farming. 

We are pleased to report that the decisions have given us a wide array of flavors; things are slowly but surely fermenting in tanks and gently put in barrels for aging. 

 

TURNING TOWARDS OUR OTHER CROP PLANT

With the grapes harvest over, we now focus on our olive harvest: We are excited to see a bountiful crop. Our goal this year is to produce two different oils: A Spanish Olive Oil and a Tuscan Olive Oil. We’ll release them towards the end of the year and you'll be the first ones to know!

TYPICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE OLIVE OILS

Spanish Olive Oil:

  • Nutty
  • Fruity
  • Sweeter in comparison

Tuscan Olive Oil:

  • More herbal
  • "grassy" taste
  • Mild bitterness

 I always say that there is plenty of bland olive oil out there, so we choose to make ours flavorful, which means paying attention to picking them when half the olives are green, and half have turned brown. Green olives have more flavor but less oil and brown ones have more oil. We aim for flavor and good extra virgin olive oil perfect for salads and dishes where you want to enjoy the oil’s taste and health benefits. 

We’ll be back soon with a complete offering of seasonal wines for your festivities; until then, sip smartly. 

Time Posted: Oct 13, 2022 at 9:49 AM Permalink to 2022 Harvest Permalink
Ana Keller
 
June 17, 2022 | Ana Keller

A Tale of Two Barrels

When visiting Keller Estate and near the end of the winery tour, we walk our guests from the wine production facility, through the cave, and back to the tasting room. Lined up, we see a few hundred French oak barrels along the cave walls, many stacked two high. Here and there, one notices a few dozen stainless steel barrels, and the question has been asked: when and for what wines does Keller Estate use those barrels?

STAINLESS STEEL VS. AGED OAK BARRELS 

Stainless steel barrels have only been used for aging since the 1950s. Their use swept through Chablis and Europe, and across the US wine-making regions adding a new facet to the wine-making toolkit. The oak barrels in use for centuries adds oxygen, tannins, and layers of flavor to the wine during barrel aging. While that is desired for most red wines and many Chardonnays, those same flavors can overwhelm the taste of many white wine grapes. Stainless steel does not let any oxygen into the barrel, resulting in freshness and a crisp character to the wine. As the wine develops, it builds a more fruit-forward profile, both in aroma and taste.

At Keller Estate, we use French oak for our Pinot Noirs, Syrah, and most Chardonnays. For our Rose of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Oro de Plata Chardonnay, we choose to ferment in stainless steel tanks and age the wine mainly in stainless steel barrels, as it allows us to capture the essence of each varietal and the expressions of the estate.

Additionally, there are many advantages to using stainless steel barrels:

  • no oxidation of wine
  • better temperature control
  • environmentally friendly
  • Reusable for years
  • easy to clean
  • no flavor transfer from the previous barrel use. 

These advantages, along with our cool Petaluma Gap climate, contribute to light, fresh, crisp, and food-friendly wines.

Time Posted: Jun 17, 2022 at 9:00 AM Permalink to A Tale of Two Barrels Permalink
Ana Keller
 
December 21, 2021 | Ana Keller

Magnolias in December

Winter is when we have a chance to forget about the vineyard for a few months. Plants go dormant, and pruning starts early in 2022. As it was to be, we had an atmospheric river come through Sonoma County in October, irrigating our vineyards and putting water in our ponds. We were, of course, very relieved.

However, a warm fall meant that the water reinvigorated the plants and didn't go straight to dormancy. It's December and to our surprise we have some beautiful magnolias in full bloom. Traditionally bloom happens between late January and March. We also are seeing some swelling of the vines; thankfully, it is now very cold, and hopefully, the vines will go dormant. I encourage you to look around, and you will notice these changes. We need to take notice and have a constant reminder to take action and combat global warming.

At Keller Estate, we will continue to review all our practices and establishing new goals to reduce our footprint. Our vineyard practices, infrastructure, bottling, we will do everything we can and invite you to take action too.

As we look forward to new beginnings, we invite you to check out our fun-filled calendar of in-person and online activities for 2022. Some classic favorites (our Harvest celebration and car rally are back). New are some fun activities that will make your day just a little more exciting with a glass of Keller Estate by your side.

I would like to take a moment and acknowledge the work of all our team. Javier Rascon started as Vineyard Manager in January 2021, and he had a brutal drought season. After nurturing and carefully tending to our vines, I know 2022 will feel like a breeze. Julien Teichmann continues to craft stellar wines and find new ways to improve our quality. The third critical member is Jose Cruz, our Hospitality Manager, whose passion for serving wine to our guests and creating a friendly hospitality team has made our Tasting Room a wonderful place to visit.

Together with their teams and the Keller family, we wish you happy holidays and a healthy, happy 2022.

Time Posted: Dec 21, 2021 at 9:59 AM Permalink to Magnolias in December Permalink
Mark Kaufmann
 
May 4, 2019 | Mark Kaufmann

Summer in a Bottle

    Keller Estate is thrilled to release its 2018 Rosé of Pinot Noir at the May Release Party on Saturday, May 11, 2019.  This is the first signature wine made by Julien Teichmann, our winemaker since May 2018, and it is stunning! The salmon colored Rose is a reflection of his and Keller Estate’s winemaking philosophy: letting the wine reflect a sense of place in the cool Petaluma Gap. It is as if Julien’s years of study and work, from cool European climates to multiple stops at lauded wineries across Northern California, all conspired to present the perfect La Cruz Pinot fruit at harvest.

    Keller Estate allocates specific Pinot blocks to the Estate Rose, a more French approach to Rose that you would find in the Rhône’s Tavel appellation, or in Burgundy, if Burgundians decided to make rosés. Instead of ‘bleeding’ some of the Pinot juice from the tank as a by-product of standard red wine fermentation, known as the saignée method, Julien employed a whole cluster press, just as he does for the Estate Pinot Noir. Once the grapes were crushed, Julien allowed only 3 hours of skin contact before racking the juice by separating the skins.

    The 2018 Rosé of Pinot Noir, as most Keller Estate wines, is of a lighter, more terroir driven style. The wine is clean, approachable, low in alcohol, and acidity driven, but the resulting fruit speaks of warm summer days and gentle breezes. Notes of tangerine, orange zest and a dash of apricot produces a crisp freshness, soft tannins, and a burst of Pinot Noir fruit. Unfortunately, production was limited to less than 100 cases. Get it while you can!

    Winemaker notes: 2018 Rosé of Pinot Noir

Time Posted: May 4, 2019 at 5:20 PM Permalink to Summer in a Bottle Permalink
 
May 11, 2018 |

Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut with Pineapple Salsa

Print Recipe Here

INGREDIENTS (2 servings):
 
For the Halibut:
2 – 7-10oz filets of fresh halibut
1 quart of coconut milk
½ cup of honey
½ of a nutmeg (grated with micro-plane)
 
For the Crust:
1 cup of Macadamia Nuts – chopped
1 cup of breadcrumbs
½ cup of shaved coconut
Salt
Pepper

 
For the Pineapple Salsa:
½ of a fresh pineapple - diced
½ of a red onion – chopped finely
1 Jalapeno – fresh – chopped finely
1 garlic clove – chopped finely
Pepper
 
DIRECTIONS
Begin by whisking together the coconut milk, honey, and nutmeg. Clean and dry your halibut filets and lay them in a dish flat to marinate. Pour the coconut milk over the fish and let marinate for at least an hour.
 
Turn your oven to 425 degrees and begin prepping other ingredients. The salsa can always be made ahead of time and this measurement will leave some left over, which is always delicious.
 
Put the macadamia nuts into a food processor and pulsate till the nuts are finely chopped. Combine the nuts, breadcrumbs and coconut shavings into a bowl and stir together.

Take out a baking sheet, line with foil and spray with a nonstick oil.
 
After an hour or longer of marinating the fish, take the halibut filets out and toss them in the nut/breadcrumb mix. Place them on the baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between filets for proper cooking.
 
Cook the halibut for 12 minutes, at which point, briefly take the fish out. Brush with melted butter and honey gently. Set your oven to Low Broil. Place the fish back in and keep an eye on it. Leave in just long enough to brown the tops of the fish. Once browned to your liking, remove from the oven, serve immediately. Plate the fish and top with the salsa. ENJOY!!
Time Posted: May 11, 2018 at 2:00 PM Permalink to Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut with Pineapple Salsa Permalink
 
April 1, 2018 |

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Risotto

Print Recipe Here

8 Servings
Ingredients:
2 lbs of mushrooms – Mix of Porcini, Champignon, and Oyster
1 lb of pancetta – cubed
1 – 6oz log of goat cheese
4 oz of freshly grated parmesan
2 cups of Arborio Rice
1 large red onion - diced
6 cloves of garlic - pressed
6-8 cups of chicken stock – warmed
1 cup of dry white wine – Sauv Blanc, Pinot Grigio, etc.
1 bunch of Italian parsley
2 tbsp of Olive oil
Pinch of Pepper (No Salt – enough comes from the chicken stock and the pancetta)
Bonus: 8 eggs – poached
 
Instructions:
1. Begin by cubing the pancetta into small bite-size pieces.  In a large pan (which will be used the duration of this dish), brown the pancetta till crisp on all sides.  Once cooked, take the pancetta out of the pan and set aside, leaving the browned bits and juices behind. 
 
2. Add a tbsp of olive oil.  Once the olive oil is hot, toss in the diced onion and pressed garlic.  Stirring frequently, sweat the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. 
 
3. Add in the Arborio rice.  Stir constantly letting the rice become slightly browned.  This takes about 3-5 minutes. 
 
4. The first liquid to add is the 1 cup of wine (room temperature).  Once the liquid is being added, stirring needs to be constant. This whole process will take you roughly 25-30 minutes of stirring.  Just put on some good music and pour yourself a glass of wine.  It goes by quick.  Once the wine is absorbed, it’s time to start adding the chicken stock one cup at a time.  Wait for each to be absorbed before adding the next.  You don’t want mushy risotto, the final product should remain al dente before adding the cheese. 
 
5. Add in the raw mushrooms around the 4th cup of stock.  This recipe takes roughly 6 cups.  Stir in the mushrooms and they will begin to meld into the dish.  Once your risotto is at an al dente point, add in the small package of goat cheese and stir in.  At this point, add the cooked pancetta as well. 
 
6. Stir until everything is perfectly blended and your risotto is at a perfect al dente consistency. 
 
7. Chop up some fresh Italian parsley and garnish lightly.  Also, top with a little fresh grated parmesan if you wish.
 
8. For extra protein points, poach an egg and place it on top of the risotto as the crowning achievement.  The beautiful yoke will transform the dish to a whole other level.  Enjoy!!!
 
Pair with the El Coro Pinot Noir
Time Posted: Apr 1, 2018 at 9:25 AM Permalink to Mushroom and Goat Cheese Risotto Permalink
Ana Keller
 
February 27, 2018 | Ana Keller

Notes from the 2018 vintage

How have the recent weeks of unseasonably warm weather affected the vineyard?

"Well uh yeah the lack of rain and the early heat tried to wake up the vines but these cold temps and the blow 30 nights have put them back to sleep, they tried to wake up and they have gone back to sleep if we get the rain in the forecast that will help.  Vines wakeup due to soil temp, so rain or frost will keep the vines from waking up showing “Bud Break”. 

We are currently at 7 inches of rain which is 40% of our normal rainfall, we want to be somewhere between 20 and 25 inches of rainfall by the end of the season, so we are keeping our fingers crossed for the rain.  Right now our irrigation ponds give us an ability to have a 2-year supply, and the little rain events that we have had have not increased the reserves, the soil moistures are decent.  So we will be good throughout the season.  Our landscaping crew will have to use reclaimed water this year to keep the grounds looking good."

What is your prediction of How this will affect the rest of the growing season?

"Right now we have dodged a bullet by avoiding early bud break.  If it stays cool through March, we can expect that we will be normal to our growing season.  However, depending on how hot it is through April and June will determine when we have to start watering.  Generally, our first watering is after 4th of July. Since we are not in a frost zone here at Keller Estate so there is no worry about freezing.

We are going to be doing a water event to add nutrients to the soil in April if all goes well.  We might have to go to a more Flair nutrient application depending on if we need to conserve our drip line water.  We will need to be a little more dynamic with our farming this year and be able to react to how warm then next few months are. "

Do you have a Bottling Update?

"The 2017 Chardonnay blends will be started in March and will be bottled by the End of May.  We are doing a custom blend for the Sonoma County Vintners Barrel Auction that will be happening in April if anyone is interested.  It is a unique blend that I make every year for this event, and I am very excited for how this turned out.

We only rack only once and are tasting the barrels and evaluating which barrels are performing well and getting the blends together in my head."

What the biggest challenge right now?

"Our biggest challenge right now is our transition to organic farming, it is a real challenge.  We have to break down the estate into three parts, soil nutrition, and herbicides, pesticide/fungicide.  So the soil nutrition is probably the easiest to handle and that is going to be a pretty easy transition, however, the fungicide is also relatively easy to transitions over, the biggest challenge is the herbicide.  There are very few organic herbicides that are effective, generally, it comes down to manual manipulation i.e. weed whackers or tractor attachments.  Either way, there is an additional strain on the labor force to be able to take that on.  We are working on the best scenario, to allow for this transition to be made.  The growth under vine can increase mold risk and cause competition in the vine.  It really comes down to a big monetary investment to transition to organic.

This is the right time of the year to do this, and we are working out our game plan for the complete transition.  We are going to a 100 percent organic fungicide program for this year and hopefully implement our plan for organic herbicide as our next steps.  I am focusing right now less on the wines, as they are doing very well, and more on sustainability, this year’s action plans, and our transition to organic farming."

Time Posted: Feb 27, 2018 at 12:37 PM Permalink to Notes from the 2018 vintage Permalink
 
February 27, 2018 |

SAVORY POLENTA WAFFLES WITH BAKED CHICKEN

For THE CHICKEN

8 Boneless chicken thighs (small to medium in size)
1 container of whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tsp Dried basil
1 tsp Dried tarragon
1 tsp Dried thyme
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Onion powder
 Pinch of Pepper
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour

For THE WAFFLE

1 1/2 Cups BOB's polenta
1/2 Tbsp of baking powder
1/4 Cup of cornstarch
3 Cups of milk
2 Tbsp of butter
1 1/2 Cups of sharp cheddar

For THE SYRUP

½ cup of maple syrup
2 tbsp of Huy Fong (Sriracha producer) Chili Garlic Sauce

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and get your waffle maker out and preparing to heat.  Get out 3 mixing bowls for prepping the chicken and you will need one bowl for the waffle batter. 

2. Wash and dry the chicken thighs.  In one bowl mix together all dried herbs, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese.  In another bowl, put the whole wheat flour.  In the last bowl, beat the 2 eggs.

3. First, dust the thighs with flour.  Second, dredge the thighs in the egg.  Third, cover the thighs thoroughly with the herb parmesan breadcrumb mix.

4. Place them on a grate that will fit nicely on your baking sheet.  Put the chicken in the oven for about 30 minutes uncovered, until nicely browned and cooked thoroughly.

5. Combine all waffle ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mix slowly with the hand-held mixer.  Do not over mix.  Feather in the grated cheese AFTER the other ingredients is mixed well. Distribute the waffle batter to your waffle maker and if you have a toaster oven, set to bake at the lowest temp and keep your waffles warm and crisp in there until everything is ready to be served.

6. For a super delicious spicy sweet maple syrup, combine the syrup with the chili garlic sauce and mix together.  It’s unbelievable.  If you don’t like spice, omit the chili sauce.

7. Once the chicken is baked, plate the waffle with two thighs and drizzle with the garlic chili maple syrup.

8. Enjoy this healthier version of chicken waffles with the Rotie!

Time Posted: Feb 27, 2018 at 12:00 PM Permalink to SAVORY POLENTA WAFFLES WITH BAKED CHICKEN Permalink
 
February 17, 2018 |

Strawberry Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting

Dry ingredients

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cocoa Powder

Wet ingredients

1 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Not strongly herbaceous
1 cup Buttermilk @ Room Temp
2 Large Eggs @ Room Temp
2 tablespoons Red Food Coloring
3 tablespoons Strawberry Infused Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup of macerated smashed chopped strawberries
1 tablespoon of red food coloring (optional)

Mascarpone frosting

1 – 8oz container of mascarpone cheese
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
½ cup of sugar
2 tsp of vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Rub a 9” springform pan with olive oil (be sure to be thorough) and then dust with flour.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together all dry ingredients listed above. In another large bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients listed above.
3. Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Do not overmix! Just enough to combine all ingredients.
4. Pour the cake batter into the springform pan. Place the pan in the oven. Bake for a total of 30 minutes. You will know the cake is done as it will brown around the top edges and start to pull away from the pan. Always do the toothpick test too in the middle of the cake.
5. Remove the cake from the oven and let it stand for 15-20 minutes to cool. You can then release the springform from around the cake. Let cool completely.
6. Macerate Strawberries – Chop two cups worth of strawberries and dust with ½ cup of sugar. Let them “marinate” in the sugar for a few hours if possible.
7. In a bowl let the mascarpone cheese get up to room temperature. In another bowl add the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. Using a handheld mixer, beat slowly to whip it and gradually add the sugar. Once the sugar is incorporated, fold the whipped cream mixture into the mascarpone cheese. Spread immediately over the top and sides of the cake. Top with the macerated strawberries and serve it up!!

Time Posted: Feb 17, 2018 at 10:43 AM Permalink to Strawberry Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting Permalink
Ana Keller
 
December 15, 2017 | Ana Keller

Petaluma Gap AVA Approved

I am thrilled to announce that the Petaluma Gap American Viticultural Area will be official on January 6th, 2018. You may wonder: what does this mean? The official recognition of this area as a significant and distinctive grape growing region marks that beginning of a road to a broader acknowledgement of the quality of the wines produced in this area.

As time goes by, you will start to see wine labels and restaurant lists stating in black and white the origin of a bottle of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir as Petaluma Gap. Gradually as wine lovers become familiar with “the Gap” they might decide that they enjoy the beautiful bright acidity of a Chardonnay (like our “Oro de Plata”), and when you just can’t find a bottle of our wine, you might reach out for another Petaluma Gap Chardonnay, with the confidence that the qualities you love in our Chardonnay will most likely be in the new bottle you are reaching out to.

The work that grape-growers, winemakers and wine marketers have done to accomplish the Petaluma Gap is truly a tribute to the close tight knit wine business community: we know that “a rising tide lifts all boats”. I’ve been honored to have been part of this remarkable effort and I trust my children will continue to further the development of this region when they become stewards of our Estate.

 

Time Posted: Dec 15, 2017 at 3:03 PM Permalink to Petaluma Gap AVA Approved Permalink