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Harvest Update and Other Stories from Delicato Family Vineyards - 21/10/2009

It's all happening in California...and at Delicato Family Vineyards in particular. The team over there recently sent through a short harvest update:

"The 2009 California wine harvest is off to a slow start. A cool summer pushed the harvest back about two weeks from the average start time. This extra hang time in the vineyards is producing grapes with exceptional color. Once these grapes are crushed and fermented, the resulting wines will be rich and flavorful. We have begun harvesting fruit in both our Lodi area vineyards and at San Bernabe Vineyard in Monterey County.

In order to evaluate optimal ripeness, our Vineyard Managers and Winemakers taste grapes across all of the regions we are farming including those located in Napa Valley, Russian River, Dry Creek Valley, Lodi and Monterey County. For instance, in late August, several of our Winemakers and Vineyard Manager, Bud Bradley, visited Chardonnay sites in Lodi."

In addition to this comes the news that in the most recent Nielsen reports, Delicato Family Vineyards continues to show strong, double digit growth and is the fastest growing winery among the top 20 in the US. Overall company growth is up 30% vs 2% for the total wine category.

In line with these achievements, the Loredona brand continues to turn heads. Refreshing, approachable and beautifully packaged, they have really been doing the job for UK wine lovers too. They have gathered awards and accolades worldwide, including:

Pinot Grigio 2007 - Silver Medal, New World International Wine Competition

Pinot Noir 2006 - Silver Medal, Best in Class, International Wine & Spirits Competition

Syrah Rose 2006 - "Best Value Rose - Full-bodied rose with rich aromas of cranberry and raspberry. Smooth, bone-dry and low tannin. Lovely and refreshing. Food matches: soft cheeses, summer salads, grilled vegetables, cold chicken sandwiches." Nat Decants, July 2009