WINE RELEASE BREAKING NEWS

Artesa Vineyards & Winery - Our 2010 Artisan Albarino, Carneros and 2010 Artisan Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley are now and available via our Website and our Tasting Room! Please check them out on our website and read the tech sheets for each wine! They are very special and come to you just in time for summer!!

Our Vineyards are now in bloom!

Just a quick Artesa Blog update following up from our "Bloom Update" on May 23ed – We are now at 75% bloom in our Estate Vineyards in Carneros! The attached photo was taken this afternoon, June 10th, in one of our Pinot Noir Vineyards.

Join us at our winery in Napa for a special midsummer vertical tasting!

Library Vertical Tasting - Saturday June 25th, 2011 6:00-8:00pm
Where: Artesa Vineyards & Winery
1345 Henry Road
Napa, CA 94559

Members & Friends of Artesa Only

We've dug deep into our library and found wines that were believed to have been gone long ago...and this could be your last chance to try them! Join our winemaking team as they take you through a special vertical tasting of six different Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon vintages paired with hors d' oeuvres. Space is limited to 50 guests...so be sure to RSVP today!

$55 for Friends of Artesa

$50 for Club Artesa Members

To RSVP please contact us at 877.224.8309 or email club@artesawinery.com

Upcoming Local Events at Artesa Vineyards & Winery

Sunday, June 26, 2011 | 1:30pm - 3:30pm Attire: Business Casual
Single Vineyard Release Party at Artesa Vineyards & Winery!
Open Event - Very limited so please book now!

$20 per person - each guest will receive a Limited Edition Artesa Single Vineyard Wine Glass. Please join Artesa Winery for a very special tasting of Artesa's Exclusive Single Vineyard Wines.

2009 Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir
2008 Block 91D Pinot Noir
2006 Hyde Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Tambor Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Foss Valley Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

Each of Artesa's Single Vineyard wines will be paired with an artisan cheese selected by Artesa's cheese specialists.

Space is very limited so please RSVP to:
michaelm@artesawinery.com
(707) 254-2148

Artesa Vineyards & Winery’s Grapevine Bloom Update!

Following up on our last Artesa Vineyards & Winery’s blog report with Mark Beringer, we have heard rumors that grapevines are slowly starting to bloom across the Napa Valley. Due to the fact that Artesa Vineyards & Winery is in the cooler Carneros appellation, we have not experienced any vines blooming quite yet, though they are very close indeed! It has been an absolute blessing to us that we’re in the cooler region, due to all the rain Napa Valley has been experiencing over the past two weeks. This weather pattern could have been devastating to the delicate vines, had they already bloomed. With the forecast predicting much warmer weather and sunny skies over the next few days and weeks, we’re expecting things to change fast and furious, any day now. Keep checking back for latest updates and photographs as we post them!

A Trip to the Vineyards with Mark Beringer

Early on a warm May morning, our Head Winemaker, Mark Beringer and I took a trip through Artesa Vineyards & Winery’s 150 acres Carneros Estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Vineyards. I must say this was a beautiful way to spend a Monday morning out of the office, high up in the rolling hills of the Carneros appellation, overlooking San Pablo Bay with the panoramic views of the Napa Valley and the San Francisco skyline way in the distance. Mark closely studies our vineyards almost daily, keeping an eye on the growth pattern of our grapevines. Though it’s only been about a month since budding began, with the warmer weather starting to arrive, the vines have fully awoken and are starting to kick into high gear. Not only are there large green leaves growing, but there are clusters of grape buds showing up all over the vineyard. Mark mentioned that the vines are right on track for this time of year and they are looking very healthy, strong and full of vibrant life. Over the next two weeks we expect to witness the vines blooming, which can last for a matter of days or a couple of weeks, depending on how kind the weather is during this sensitive period. The vine blooms are actually hard to see unless you are standing pretty close to the vine itself and, unless you’re paying attention, these blooms can come and go very quickly as the vines move rapidly forward though their yearly growing cycle.

Mother's Day is just over a week away!

We cordially invite all of you to visit our winery this Mother's Day, May 8th. Our tasting room staff will be offering all moms a complimentary glass of Artesa's Grand Reserve Sparkling Wine along with fresh strawberries. What a lovely way to spend a few relaxing hours on this special day - Come for the enjoyment, come see the views and come taste the wines!

Carneros Run Brings Out Young & Old Despite Threatening Weather

Artesa sponsored and hosted another successful Carneros Vineyard 5K/10K Run on March 26th. The race, benefiting the Carneros Volunteer Fire Department, featured kids and adults including 90-year-old Lois Gammon (pictured here and featured in a Napa Valley Register article).

All braved spring rainy conditions to walk, run and cheer on participants from the winery down the hill, around Carneros and back again. Then they were treated to massages, wine and breakfast (and birthday cake with Lois, who had became a nonagenarian -- the term for someone entering their nineties -- the day before the race) in Artesa's subterranean barrel room.

"It was fun to bring everyone together and see the adventuresome spirit and everyone's high energy level," said Artesa Vice President & General Manager Rich Richardson, who took these posted pictures and had early on encouraged the staff to lace up running shoes for the occasion.

Thanks to everyone who turned out, walked, ran, volunteered and cheered. Hope to see you next year!

Single Vineyard Tasting Lounge -- Grand Opening, February 19th

Imagine the coziness of your living room with a wine bar stocked with our award-winning Single Vineyard wines, staffed by a friendly Artesa representative ready to pour and answer questions about each varietal. We have created a new private lounge that evokes the comfort of one's own home with a touch of our Old World heritage. And we invite you to come check out this space for yourself starting this President's Day weekend.

Make your reservation today by calling 707-254-2126 or book your reservation here.

In celebration of the Grand Opening of our Single Vineyard Tasting Lounge,
all Single Vineyard Cabernet Saugvignons are 20% off.
To access these savings, visit www.artesawinery.com, click shop and enter coupon code: SVWINES.

Single Vineyard Members receive complimentary access for up to four people per visit

Club Artesa Members: $18.75 per person (includes 25% discount off retail price)

General Admission: $25 per person

Not a Club Artesa member? Join today!

If you are already a Club Artesa member and would like to upgrade your membership to receive the Single Vineyard option, please call Club Services at 877-224-8309.

Our Single Vineyard Lounge is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30am to 4:30pm.

Although not required, reservations are recommended to ensure that we are able to accommodate your party at your desired time.

Winemaking Update, Winter 2011

After the flurry of harvest last autumn, this is the time of year when our winemaking team gets to catch their breath.

Most of the wines have finished malolactic fermentation. The Chardonnays take a little bit longer to go through the process so they are being kept in a temperature-controlled room that is a little warmer than our subterranean cellar otherwise would be, while they finish fermenting.

The aging wines are being stirred on their lees twice a week, as they develop the characteristics that you will see in the finished product.

The winemaking team is also starting to blend the 2009 red wines. This means that they are experimenting with different compositions and deciding on their favorites.

We can't wait for you to try these delicious wines!

Cellar Tags -- new for Club Artesa members!

Attention Club Artesa members: here's a treat to help you organize your wine collection better.

Cellar tags will now be included for all of the wines in your club selections, allowing you to keep all pertinent information about the wines (such as cellar dates, pricing, and reorder details) right at your fingertips! We have heard that many of our members would like this information to help manage their wine cellars, big and small. So we hope you enjoy this new benefit of being a Club Artesa member!

The Sheep Are Back! The Sheep Are Back!

Upon arriving at our Carneros estate, many notice right away our "green roof," the dirt and native grasses that cover our subterranean winery.

We at Artesa pride ourselves on sustainable farming and responsible land stewardship that minimize the carbon footprint we leave on the 850 acres that comprise our estates in Carneros, Atlas Peak and Alexander Valley (350 of which are planted vineyard).

As a way of maintaining our green practices, hoof marks annually grace us with their presence and do the natural things they do to trim our foliage and fertilize the soil. Starting February 9th, the sheep are back in Carneros, roaming in our largest estate!

The Rocky Mountain Wooly Weeders, an open-range herding company based out of Loveland, Colorado, provides environmentally sensitive mowing service for vineyards and open lands.

Serving areas from the Pacific to the Rockies, the Wooly Weeders are more talented than any other mower we know of, mowing and fertilizing at the same time!

They are capable of turning almost any grassland into the likes of a well-manicured ballpark in just a matter of days.

We are so glad the Wooly Wedders are here to help us stay green, by digesting some green and leaving some brown (sorry for the Crayola-hued imagery).

You can catch the Wooly Weeders live and in person at Artesa Winery for a short period of time. Come by and bring a camera, before they move on to their next assignment. Baaaaaaaa!

Artesa scores 91+ ratings in Wine Enthusiast

With a new year comes new accolades for Artesa's stellar lineup of wines.

We are proud to receive a 91/Editors' Choice rating from Wine Enthusiast's February 2011 issue for the 2009 Limited Release Albarino, Carneros Estate:

"The combination of stainless-steel and oak-barrel fermentation has been good for this wine. It’s bright and steely in acidity, and lifts the variety’s mineral and citrus flavors to new heights, adding a rich level of smoky cream. Just beautiful and versatile at the table, a sommelier’s dream wine. Production was a mere 850 cases."

Also very humbling is the 92-point rating that Wine Enthusiast gave us for the 2009 Pinot Blanc, Carneros Estate (pictured above):

"One of the best Pinot Blancs of this or any vintage. It was mostly fermented in stainless steel, with about one-fifth in new French oak. Just beautiful, with the creamy lushness of a fine Chardonnay. The fruit flavor is all about ripe, zesty citrus, spicy pears, tangerines and tangy green apples."

In their "Best of Year 2010" special issue released on December 31st, Wine Enthusiast conferred 92 points to the 2008 Pinot Noir Block 91D, Carneros:

"Made from a small block in Artesa's estate vineyard, this low production (250 cases) Pinot is rich and concentrated in bright raspberry, cherry, licorice and bacon flavors. It's powerful enough to support lots of new French oak, yet is balanced and refined in the mouth. Should develop over the next 4-5 years."

The February 2011 issue of Wine Enthusiast also awarded Artesa's 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley (Winemaker Mark Beringer's inaugural release) with 91 points; it is considered by many to be our best ever vintage of that varietal.

Last but certainly not least, the same issue of Wine Enthusiast recognized a perennial favorite, the 2009 Chardonnay, Carneros, with a 91-point rating (pictured right). Artesa's Chardonnay consistently wows fans looking for a more crisp and fruity Napa Chardonnay, made in the Old World tradition of balanced acidity with a touch of oak and butter derived from stainless steel as well as French oak barrel fermentation.

Try these wines for yourself to see how they measure up on your ratings scale!