The singular most important part of being the winemaker at Lancaster Estate is working through the seasons in our estate vineyard nurturing our vines to produce the unmistakable character and quality of a Lancaster Estate wine. During July and August our vines progress through the most dramatic phase in winegrowing, veraison. Veraison is a rapid physiological change in the grape and it signifies the onset of ripening. The beginning of this phase varies with grape varietal, vine and even block location. Once started, this transformational process takes just 2-3 weeks to complete.

Once veraison is complete, the vine stops putting its energy into cellular expansion and begins to focus photosynthetic energy toward production of sugars, flavors and aromatic compounds. Acid levels in the grape will decrease as malic acid is metabolized leaving tartaric as the prominent acid. The most obvious sign of veraison is visual – the vine's fruit will turn from green to rich deep purple for red grapes while white varietals become a beautiful golden yellow. Grape skins soften, stems begin to lignify and turn brown while seeds become dark and crunchy.

development and ripening with a pure expression of the vintage and the unique terroir of our estate. To accomplish this continuity through our vineyard, we manage each block, vine by vine. While this tedious and labor intensive effort makes for long days in the vineyard, by using this level of care and focus we ensure each vine delivers the highest quality expression of our estate. We meticulously hand-manage each vine, removing unneeded leaves to focus the energy of the vine and open up the foliage canopy, tucking shoots to ensure efficient sun exposure and thinning the crop to better guarantee each remaining grape cluster reaches its full potential.

At the conclusion of this phase, grapes need about 6-8 more weeks to reach perfect maturity. It is with the completion of veraison that our vineyard consultant Phil Freese, enologist Chris Malone and I begin to walk each vineyard row, tasting the grapes, looking for the flavor, balance and complexity that are the hallmarks of a great Lancaster Estate vintage. Long days and nights lie ahead for the winemaking team at Lancaster Estate with all signs pointing to an amazing 2012 vintage.

After several dusty weeks, what was once our employee vegetable garden is now home to our new picnic and outdoor entertaining space. Both sunny and shaded dining areas are comfortably situated amid our redwood grove and aromatic lavender field.  We now have a much more generous area for members and guests to relax and enjoy a leisurely lunch.

To complement your next visit to the estate, we are now offering a complete wine country experience. An estate tour, tasting and boxed lunch package is now available for just $60 per person.  Members and guests can upgrade this package by adding an artisan cheese pairing for an additional $15 per person. We can arrange to have your boxed lunches available for outdoor dining either before or after your scheduled appointment. To make a reservation, please contact our Guest Experience Team directly at 707.433.8178 ext 209. And, for a limited

time, Wine Guild Members will receive $20 off per person (up to 6 people) when booking a lunch package - just mention this newsletter! If you're not yet a member, click 'Join Now' on the right to enroll today.

An important part of our recent outdoor improvement and renovation allowed us to plant a beautiful new lavender garden. This one acre lavender field is where our proprietor, Nicole, plans to source essential oils for her newest venture, Wine Country Botanicals. Nicole has spent the past year passionately creating a luxury body care product line inspired by our estate. She selects the finest local ingredients and blends them artfully with the Lancaster Estate signature scent created from exotic essential oils. Nicole hand makes each item in the line with the desired goal to restore mind, body and spirit. Look for these amazing products during your next visit (and soon available via our website) or call us to learn more.