Into the bottle, Malbec.

Before we get too far into this new harvest, let us think back to Spring Season OhTen and the bottling story that never was told. After opening The Blending Room, we quickly began selling out of our whites and reds. As June came to an close, the 2008 reds were ready to be carefully blended. The first to be put down was the Kamari Malbec. The blending process started off so smoothly, but as this game often goes, the tables turned and wine spilled. Actually, in this case, wine sprayed. Fine red wine sprayed on me, on the virgin ceiling, on the whitewashed walls, and on the new stacked cases of fresh glass bottles. It wasn’t the first time or the last time, but let’s not assign blame. Who can say whose fault it was?!

After the wine blending, it’s onto the bottle washing. For this, we recruit assistance. Two of the most loyal came out to lend a hand and get drenched (with water not wine) for the greater good. A lot of cleaning and scrubbing goes into any particular stage of winemaking. This is no exception. The bottles must be cleaned, sterilized, and dried before filling.

The actual filling was made easier this round by the welcome addition of a five bottle filling machine. We still rely on the all powerful force of gravity, but now can take advantage five bottles at a time. Unfortunately, we’re bottle necked (yep!) by our one-at-a-time hand corker. While smooth and deliberate, it is slow in the assembly line situation.

This round ended in success. Most of the wine ended up safely sealed in glass. We were hopeful for the prospects and this year’s Malbec has not disappointed. It tastes great.

J.H.