The last 2.5 years (in pictures)

Life and work catch up with you sometimes. Alas, a break from this blog for the past 2.5 years. In the interest of catching up, below is a photo log of the fascinating wine journeys I've taken in that time. I've continued writing notes on Cellartracker (MattMauldin), and post most of my wine stuff on Instagram (Matt_Mauldin). Cheers!

Bien Nacido Vineyard- August 2013

Syrah at Zaca Mesa finishing veraison- August 2013

Wine & Fire, Santa Rita Hills- August 2013

Wrapped & ready at Clos Pepe Vineyard- Sept 2013

Syrah coming in at Zaca Mesa- Sept 2013

Vineyard tour at Clos Pepe with Wes Hagen- Nov 2013

Transcendent- Dec 2013

Bud break in Santa Maria Valley- February 2014

Grenache Blanc vines in bloom in front of the winery at Zaca Mesa- April 2014

Unforgettable dinner at Ma Cuisine in Beaune- with a 2005 Louis Latour Corton-Grancey- April 2014

Tasting Clos des Lambrays in the cellar at Domaine des Lambrays- April 2014

Vosne Romanee- April 2014

Vosne Romanee- April 2014

DRC- April 2014

Hermitage- April 2014

Hermitage- April 2014

Transcendent tasting at Chapoutier- April 2014

At the top of Cornas while visiting Alain Voge

Saint-Joseph (north toward Condrieu)- April 2014

Chateau Grillet- April 2014

Cote-Rotie- April 2014

Gigondas- May 2014

Chateauneuf-du-Pape- May 2014

Concrete fermenters at Domaine de Monpertuis, CDP- May 2014

Fruit set and coulure and Zaca Mesa- May 2014

Flowers Camp Meeting Ridge, Sonoma Coast- July 2014

Last harvest of Chardonnay from the Zaca Mesa vineyard- August 2014

Sangiovese vines at Stolpman Vineyard, Ballard Canyon- August 2014

Destemming at Zaca Mesa- Sept 2014

Syrah aging in clay amphora at Zaca Mesa - Oct 2014

Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills - November 2014

Grenache Blanc, ready for bud break - early March 2015

In Pursuit of Balance in SF - March 2015

Frog's Leap, Napa Valley- March 2015

Eric Mohseni at Zaca Mesa showing off Grenache vines - June 2015

Black Bear Block Syrah, planted 1978, Zaca Mesa - June 2015

Cristom, Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley- June 2015

K Vineyard, Phil Lane, Walla Walla- June 2015

Fiddlestix Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills, August 2015

Thomas Fogarty Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains, Sept 2015

Morning fog in the Santa Maria Valley, as seen from Foxen Canyon, Sept 2015

First Fall rains at Zaca Mesa, November 2015

Tasting 2015 Zaca Mesa from barrel, clay amphora, concrete and tank- with Dane & Kristin

2012 vintage in photos

2012 was a new beginning. It was a culmination in a chain of life events that ultimately brought me to Santa Barbara County. Wine wasn’t really a part of it, although it definitely added to the excitement of the destination.

Among the myriad ways in which wine romances and symbolizes deeper things, to me the cycle of the vine is chief among them. There are new beginnings, struggles and challenges throughout a vintage. Crazy important decisions are made at crucial junctures. Mistakes are sometimes made and hard lessons are learned. Ultimately the cycle ends, people commemorate, and fruits of the labor move on to a whole new set of trials.

So with these things in mind, I’m commemorating my first year living near all things vineyard and wine. I've compiled photos taken throughout the vintage. Please enjoy!

Stolpman Vineyard, Ballard Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley- January

Rusack Vineyard, Ballard Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley- January

El Jalabi Vineyard at Alma Rosa, Sta. Rita Hills- February

Bud break at Clos Pepe Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills- April

Evening Land Vineyard entrance, Sweeney Canyon Rd, Sta. Rita Hills- May

Spring in the Santa Ynez Valley- May

Flowering Chardonnay at Rita's Crown Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills- May

Checking on Bratcher Chardonnay at Rita's Crown Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills- May

Fruit set (Pinot Noir) at Bent Rock Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills- June

Bent Rock Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills- June

Smith Madrone Vineyard, Napa Valley- early July

Cab Sauv at Kronos Vineyard, Napa Valley- early July

Zinfandel at Ridge Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley- early July

Pinot Noir in veraison, Melville Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills- late July

Pinot Noir in veraison, Santa Maria Valley- late July

Lynn Penner-Ash, pruning "shoulders" off the  Pinot Noir clusters, Willakenzie, Willamette Valley- August

Sunset overlooking the Willamette Valley, Willakenzie- August

Westside Paso Robles, Terry Hoage Vineyard- early September

Ripening Chardonnay, Cambria in Santa Maria Valley- September

Ripening Pinot Noir, Cambria in Santa Maria Valley- September 

Harvesting Pinot Noir at Clos Pepe- September

The crew at Clos Pepe harvesting Pinot Noir for Arcadian Winery