As we all lurch into the New Year after a bountiful holiday season of gourmet foods and top notch wines, I thought it would be fun to give a re-cap of some new things that ONX has in store for us this year.
The first is that we have hired on Associate Winemaker, Jeff Strekas. When asked to give everyone a little bit about himself here is what Jeff replied:
"Who is Jeff Strekas? My fun answer would be to describe my personality as one-third Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, one-third Bulfinch's Mythology, and one-third Dr Bruce Banner. "
Above is a shot of Jeff, center, as he walks the rows with Ben and Brian.
Sound interesting? Yes with his innate quirkiness and refined winemaking skills, he will be a great addition to the team as we kick off the new year. Jeff brings to the team a scientific background with some bio-chemical engineering thrown into the mix. After college while exploring what he wanted to do with his new found love of wine, he enjoyed a lengthy trip to Africa to travel around Egypt and Tanzania and to climb Mt Kilimanjaro. He has worked at such refined wineries as Merryvale Vineyards in St Helena, Franciscan Estate in Rutherford, Mollydooker in McLaren Vale, Australia, and most recently at Round Pond Estate in Rutherford. We welcome Jeff with open arms and can't wait to see how his mixed background lends itself to our wines.
Second we have added 61 acres to our Briarwood estate. This prime plot of land was not easily won, but is in yet another exemplary location as it abuts our current estate in the Westside of Templeton. We saw another example of our fabulous location last year, as our fruit was not as affected by the frost as some other vineyards due to our Templeton Gap local.
Lastly though we have not yet released them to the public, with the new year comes our newest 2009 blends. First to be release will be Brainchild and Uprising. Brainchild is a complex blend of five varietals (Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah). Thanks to the tannin-rich character of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, Brainchild is incredibly structured despite its medium bodied frame. Uprising is our Syrah-driven cuvee. It has power and complexity, which is driven by its diverse blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. These new wines are currently only available to our ONX Collective Wine Club members, however will be released to the public in early 2012.
We hope everyone has a safe and prosperous New Year. Cheers to a great 2012!!
