Neyers Vineyards Bruce's Journal
An Interview with Mr. California Wine Part II
By Bruce Neyers
Tuesday 11th July, 2023
My recent conversation with Chuck Cramer on his ‘Mr. California Wine Podcast’ lasted longer than expected, so he graciously turned it into a two-part event. Here is the connection information for Part II:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/on-the-road-with-mr-ca-wine/id1518309437?i=1000609764361
As I mentioned previously, Chuck is a California native, now an executive in London for an international wine distribution company. I met him through my TFE colleague John Plahs. I was impressed with Chuck’s wine knowledge, and even more so by his relaxed and comfortable manner. At the conclusion of the interview, Chuck talks briefly about our 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Neyers Ranch’, which he selected as his ‘Wine of the Week’. His comments follow.
“My Wine of the Week is 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Neyers Ranch. I had a chance to enjoy a glass of this gorgeous Cab last month at the Trinchero Family Wines booth at Prowein.
This red wine boasts wonderful aromas of black cherry and cassis, with hints of black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, tobacco, and cocoa powder.
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Neyers Ranch comes from Bruce and Barbara’s home ranch, the Conn Valley Ranch Vineyard in Saint Helena. You can purchase this beautiful Cab at NeyersVineyards.com or make an appointment and visit Neyers Vineyards on Sage Canyon Road in Saint Helena.”
My thanks go out to Chuck for his kind words and to John Plahs for going to the trouble to put us together. I hope you enjoy the conversation, but even more, I hope you enjoy the 2018 Neyers Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s one of Tadeo Borchardt’s finest wines to date.
Above is a Chicago Peace Rose. It’s from one of the many rosebushes that dot our Conn Valley property. Roses have historically been planted around vineyards, as they are susceptible to fungal diseases that also attack grape vines, and since the roses bloom earlier, we have some advance warning that the vineyard might require attention. Additionally, rosebushes attract mites and aphids, and evidence of their presence on the earlier blooming roses signals a potential problem in the vineyard.
The first sign of vine growth is budbreak, which this year occurred in mid-April, slightly later than normal. These are Cabernet Sauvignon vines with the new shoots just emerging.
Here are the same Cabernet Sauvignon vines a month later, with shoot growth now several inches. At this point, we begin to apply a fine coat of elemental sulphur dust to the vine leaves, using a tractor-mounted ‘dusting fan’. This eliminates powdery mildew, and other fungal diseases, and is completely organic.
