The vineyard is coming out of dormancy, and is thriving. A cold snap in February counteracted a very warm January, and we saw a normal bud break in early April. We've received quite a bit of rain, and the fields are still very green from their cover crop. There's a good chance we'll be able to dry-farm most of the vineyard this year.

We have a series of frost protection fans protecting one north-facing section of the vineyard in which Viognier is planted. The fans have horizontal blades parallel to the ground and propel cold air several hundred feet in the air. The cold air is then replaced by the warmer air just above the surface. The system appears to be a success. We've had one moderate frost this spring, and the fans kept the protected area above freezing. Based on this year's success, we're going to install more fans to protect the rest of the vineyard next winter.

Bottling
We bottled the 2002 whites and the Rosé the week of April 14. Tasting the wines in bottle, it's clear we've got a tremendous vintage. We made 3 white wines for general release: the Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc, a Côtes de Tablas Blanc, and a varietal Roussanne. All three are tasting beautifully, and all are different: the Cotes de Tablas clean and crisp, with a mineral mouthfeel and moderate acidity; the Roussanne richer in style with a bit more oak; and the Esprit powerful, elegant, and balanced between the honeyed richness of the Roussanne, the clean apple, spice, and long finish of the Grenache Blanc, and just a touch of peach from the Viognier. The 2002 Rosé is a powerhouse, with wonderful fruit and acid, and a dark rose color. We'll debut it for the Paso Robles Wine Festival.

Tasting Room News
Summer hours are here at the tasting room! We are now open daily from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, with tours offered at 10:30 and 2:00. Stop by and check out our beautiful new tasting bar, designed by local artist Randy Augsburger. We've also begun selling Provencal merchandise such as linens and pottery, as well as an expanded line of nursery products, including grafted grapevines, herbs, and olive trees out of the tasting room. For more information, see below

Panoplie 2000 General Release
We're thrilled to be making a small amount of Panoplie 2000 available for general release. This wine, made in the model of Beaucastel's Hommage à Jacques Perrin, is a predominantly Mourvèdre blend of the best lots of 2000. A total of 70 cases was produced. Orders are first-come, first-served, and limited to 6 bottles per person. You can order online, or by calling 805-237-1231.

Local Coming Events
Two more great seminars are coming up at the vineyard. On May 10, we're holding an organic farming seminar and on June 7, our Pruning and Grafting seminar will be continued with a Planting Seminar. May is also a busy month for wine festivals! The 21st annual Paso Robles Wine Festival will be held May 16-18, and we're hosting a winemaker dinner at Paris Bistro. We're also participating in the Hospice du Rhône, the premier event celebrating Rhône varietal wines, in Paso Robles from May 29-31.

Recent Events
On February 25 and 26, we co-hosted an organic viticulture seminar with Turley Vineyards and Fetzer Vineyards, featuring organic guru Amigo Bob Cantisano. In March, we held a varietal tasting and blending seminar, at which participants sampled all 8 of the individual varietals from the 2002 vintage and then produced their own red blends.

We've also been traveling to wine festivals throughout the country. We poured at the Masters of Food and Wine, in Carmel in mid-February, and the Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc was a featured wine at their chef's lunch. The first week of April found us in Texas, at the Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Festival in Austin, and hosting a wine dinner at the Four Season in Dallas.

Vines for Sale!
The newest additions to our tasting room are the potted vines lining the walk. If you're interested in planting some vines at your home, what could be better than our selected Rhône varietals? We have Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Counoise for reds, and Roussanne and Grenache Blanc for whites. They're all cuttings of the vines we brought over from Beaucastel, were certified virus-free, and are grafted onto multi-purpose rootstocks. We're also happy to answer any questions about how and when to plant.

Mediterranean Flora
In keeping with our Rhône heritage, we are also selling Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, lavender, and tarragon) and olive trees. As the spring weather lures you out to work in your yard, let us know if we can help!

Vineyard Orders
We're of course still producing grafted-to-order vines for vineyards, so let us know if you're interested in quantities over 500 vines. We produce both green-growing and dormant vines from a wide range of clones and rootstocks. Now is a great time to place your grafted vine and budwood orders for next year, while we have full availability of all our Truwood varietals.

For more information, contact our Nursery Manager, Laura Wulff, at 805.237.1231 or laura@tablascreek.com.