Sunrise after Pruning: A Vineyard Update

While the official beginning of springtime has not yet arrived, it is safe to say that winter’s grip is loosening around the estate vineyard. With blue skies and vibrant green hills, we can’t help but feel optimistic for the season to come. Scroll through this gallery to join us for a virtual walk through the freshly-pruned vineyard in the early morning light. 

Our younger vines have lasted well through another winter, and they grow stronger each year. 

Our older vines continue to prove their worth, with gnarled branches that hold the story of phenomenal past vintages.

As the sun comes up, every step in the vineyard is illuminated by golden light, marking the start of another day in the early 2025 growing season. 

The dew that gathers on the grassy bands in between each row of vines adds to the brilliant freshness of this time of year. 

Meanwhile, on the vines, the recent pruning has caused the vines to begin pulling nutrients from the ground and pushing sap out of the ends. This fills the branches with vitality and prepares the vine for the first excitement of the growing season--bud break. 

Bud break is an early awakening for the vines, a true omen of spring. However, it will be some time before we see this auspicious milestone in the estate vineyard.

In the meantime, we are seeing the beauty of sunlight on bare vines as each block prepares for another great year. 

Even without a leafy canopy or tender green tendrils, the views around the vineyard are worth savoring. 

It’s always worth taking a moment to stop and look closely. You’ll see sunlight captured in drops of sap, and a promise of spring to come. 

Every vine has a story to tell. Without the careful attention paid to each row, the wines we love would be impossible. 

Pruning encourages healthy growth that produces good fruit. Cutting off the remnants of last year’s vines is an essential part of creating a healthy vineyard. 

A vineyard full of happy vines will make good fruit, which is the first step in making great wines. 

Thank you for joining us for this virtual walk in the vineyard. If you would like to see the vineyard up close, we invite you to visit our tasting room or book a Mello Cielo Vineyard Experience!

Valentine's Day Inspiration: Chocolate Meets Wine

This Valentine’s day, we are celebrating with some sweet indulgence. It’s no secret that chocolate and wine are an ideal couple, with pairing options that will take your tastebuds to cloud nine. On this week’s blog, we have been inspired by our love for chocolate of all kinds, from truffles to fudge. We’re including a recipe for Strawberry brownies, a baked confection with all the richness of a brownie and the romance of a chocolate covered strawberry. Of course, we’re enjoying this decadent dessert alongside our wine of the month, Solera in Perpetuum, a luscious port-style dessert wine. 

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies

by Meghan at Cake n’ Knife

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 7 oz dark chocolate, chopped
• 5-7 strawberries, sliced up
• Garnish: Shaved dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together melted butter and sugar until combined.
3. Stir in eggs, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, and instant espresso powder.
4. Add cocoa powder and flour, stirring until combined and there are no lumps.
5. Fold in chopped chocolate.
6. Add batter to the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. It helps to spray a spatula with nonstick spray so the batter doesn’t stick and spreads easier! Top with chopped strawberries, slightly pressing them into the batter.
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.
8. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing from the pan. Sprinkle with shaved dark chocolate, if desired, before cutting.

Recipe and photo by Meghan at Cake n’ Knife

We recommend serving these amazing brownies with our Solera in Perpetuum. This deluxe dessert wine offers dense aromas of fruit preserves, toasted almond, hazelnut, and jammy flavors of blackberry, dried plum, and cocoa. A rich, sweet mouthfeel gives way to a lingering finish. Solera is on sale now, so get yours today!

Elevated brownies and delectable wine—what could be better? We hope you enjoy this decadent combination with someone you love. Happy Valentine’s Day!