December 2018 - Long Meadow Ranch

Gingerbread Ranch Cookies

Great with our Stumptown Farmstead Blend Organic Coffee

INGREDIENTS

18 oz all-purpose flour
6 oz brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup molasses
1 oz whole milk

ICING

1 lb powdered sugar
4 tbsp whole milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl: all-purpose flour, brown sugar cinnamon, ground ginger, baking soda, ground cloves, and salt. Set aside.
Melt butter. Pour into mixing bowl with paddle attachment.
Add molasses and whole milk and mix together.
Slowly add the dry ingredients, scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure it is well mixed.
Pat dough into a square and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to firm up.
Roll out dough using a small amount of flour to keep from sticking. Cut out shapes. Re-roll scraps and continue to cut out shapes.
Refrigerate dough at least 30 minutes before baking.
Space out cookies on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake at 350F for approximately 8-12 minutes, depending on your preference for soft or crispy cookies.
Allow to cool completely before decorating.

ICING

Mix powdered sugar and milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until spreadable (mixture will thicken slightly as it sets).

HARVEST 2018 WRAP UP

Around mid-summer we saw the first sign that harvest season was near: veraison! Veraison is when the red grape varietals start to change color from green to purple. We started seeing veraison in our vineyards towards the end of July.

Night harvest of Sauvignon Blanc in early September – Rutherford Estate

Harvest began at our Rutherford Estate with a late night pick of Sauvignon Blanc on August 26th. We pick Sauvignon Blanc at night because the cooler temperatures keep the grapes firmer and more stable, which is optimal for processing and fermentation. Our Sauvignon Blanc vineyards were picked over period of about one month.

Our team was on the move with a lot of ground to cover as our Anderson Valley Estate harvest of Chardonnay started on September 6th.

Anderson Valley Estate Winemaker, Stéphane Vivier, checks the quality of the Chardonnay grapes in the harvest bin after they have been picked.

Stéphane does a daily tank walk to quality check each tank of Rosé of Pinot Noir as it ferments.

NEXT UP: OUR NAPA VALLEY REDS!

Large containers of grapes during harvest

Early morning Merlot harvest – Rutherford Estate

In early October, it was time to harvest our Merlot and Sangiovese. We have Merlot planted at both our estates, and the Sangiovese is all in Peter’s Vineyard, located on our Mayacamas Estate, at 1000ft.

Prior to harvesting the grapes, our crew goes through the vineyard and removes all leaves in the fruit zone. They do this so that no leaves mix with the fruit in the large bins, allowing for a cleaner pick of the fruit.

Cabernet Sauvignon is always last to be harvested, as this grape varietal takes the longest to ripen. We harvested our Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards up until the 1st of November, with the Cabernet Sauvignon at our Rutherford Estate being the final pick.

Harvesting grapes at Bear Canyon Long Meadow Ranch

Arturo, crew lead, keeping bins clear of leaves during a morning pick of Cabernet Sauvignon – Mayacamas Estate

Moving grapes from tractor to production facility

Cellar Master, Isaac loading grapes into the crusher/destemmer

Man standing on a ladder in order to move grapes to ferment

Crushpad – Mayacamas Estate Winery

Winemaker, Justin Carr, and intern, Ben Buckingham, on the crushpad, crushing Sangiovese, harvested from the Mayacamas Estate vineyard. Grape clusters are loaded into the crusher destemmer, to separate the grapes from their stems.