It is an incredibly busy time of year! After I hit send on this, I am heading to the Delta to check on Lost Slough. We think that we might pick the Gewurztraminer on Friday, and Vista Luna in Lodi perhaps the next day! To put this in perspective: we are a month ahead of 2009, a relatively warm year. The difference is not Summer heat: it is Spring drought. It's a new cycle. The odd thing is that there is no evidence that this is bad for the wine, the grapes, the vines. Over the last three years, we have seen good yields in spite of the drought, and great acidity with excellent ripeness at lower brix. Our wines are better, with more potential for brilliance.

We are also preparing for bottling on September 12. The blends are final, and I am going to host 3 BARREL TASTINGS to show them off to you. As always, there will be tastings in Napa and New York, but this year, for the first time, and in part because of our new project there, we will offer a tasting in Los Angeles. Here is the schedule:

The LA tasting will be hosted by our dear friends at the Urban Radish, in DTLA, steps from where we hope to found the new winery. We will start promptly at 7 pm. There is space for 30 of you.

If you want to come to the LA tasting, please RSVP right away to me here. I will let you know within a couple of days whether we can accomodate you.

I will also be holding a joint tasting with two colleagues who are way ahead of me in Southern California winemaking: Maxwell Leer and Chris Broomell. The tasting will be at Domaine LA on August 6th, at 7 pm. Email Jill, the owner of Domaine LA, for more information. I am so excited to be showing wines with these friends and colleagues, and to reach more of you in the Southland.

But this is not all: I want to remind you of two other events in California. The last two stops on the Metaphysical Lecture Tour draw nigh. I knew that they might both be in the midst of harvest, so I kept them nearby. The penultimate lecture will be at Local's Corner in San Francisco on August 24; and the grand finale will be at Back Room Wines on August 28. Each of these will involve somewhat more comparative tasting and somewhat less lecturing—though I remain much more interested in the ability of wine to express pain than I am in compiling "descriptors." Come to a lecture; see what I mean.

Now I am breathless, and it is time to hit the road. I will send out separate invitations with the opportunity to reserve places to the NY and Napa tastings in a few days, but I wanted to get this out right away.

Please reach out to me if you have any questions.