February, 2009
In the beginning God created woman, then when he found out he couldn't improve on his creation he created vines.
It took the Egyptians until around 3000 BC to figure out how to make wine though, and they dedicated this craft to Osiris their god of wine. Now we have this nifty invention as an ever changing art form in various stages of evolution all around the world.
The industry has been through so many variations of trying to make wine it isn't funny, maybe it is. Biodynamics and burying cow horns, not watering your fruit hoping for extra flavor, stripping all the clusters but one off a chute, going organic and on and on.
Its all fun to watch and like I said, ever changing. All I can say its fun to be a part of it.
Last Saturday we pruned at our vineyard and that sets off a spark of passion in me that is hard to describe. Like the gun that goes off at a marathon -- man that was fast. The xmas tree is still waiting to be picked up in the yard somewhere and hey we pruned. Now we watch the weather and everything seems so exciting in the Napa Valley.
Mexicans are abuzz and crawling all over the mountain and so happy I might add. I say Mexicans because nobody else is as good and dedicated at what they do. Hey God invented Mexicans too and lucky we are.
So depression? What depression. What we are seeing is that first of all we are in the luxury goods business so that is a market that has a luxury wallet. Second if there is trend we've found that maybe people eat out a bit less but they aren't going to give up their wine.
Speaking of luxury goods we are so lucky to be able to get reaquainted with a very long time friend, and legend in the wine business, Dick Wallingford. So maybe after too much wine or maybe just a couple lucky fella's we agreed that Dick Wallingford will become the CEO of Bialla Vineyards.
Dick has a long history with Beringer dating back in the 90's, then later became managing director for central Europe, and his latest venture was his own importing and distribution business headquartered in the UK.
Dick speaks French, German, Russian, Italian, has been married to the same woman for 33 years and is anxious to move back to his home in Napa.
Our volume is climbing now since our newly planted blocks have been bearing fruit ( corny huh ) and our French clone and a little bit of Merlot will make our wine even more complex. This year we will have 325 cases and some is already being pre-sold as I speak.
Our 2006 is getting much attention because of the high scores we got so make a pit stop at www.biallavineyards.com/store and order some before its gone.
We thank you for sharing our passion,
Vito & Linda Bialla