It’s the time of the year when winemakers assess the type of barrels to procure for the upcoming vintages. As winemaking styles differ from winery to winery, barrel selections also vary. Like all other variables in the winemaking process, barrels are intricate and require winemakers to consider the specifications of the various barrel factors- design, […]
Procuring Wine Barrels Read More »
Napa Valley Cabernet Spring 2022 Vines are awakening and welcoming the new vintage in Napa Valley. Activities in the vineyard and cellar are starting to pick up with new energy again. In the Vineyards…. The 2022 winegrowing season is upon us. At the beginning of the month, we saw our cover crops grow very well
Welcoming Spring 2022 Read More »
Mark Neal has been building vineyards in much of the North Coast since he was a kid. There is an astounding amount of planning and decision-making for each area of land that results in the high quality wines that consumers drink today. How Vineyards are designed Mark Neal’s winemaking philosophy is that great wines are
Architect of the Land Read More »
Farming techniques for vineyards When it comes to vineyards, and most farming, previous seasons can affect the next. It is important for farmers to interpret the uncontrollable, Mother Nature, to then know when and how to react for a successful season. The key to farming is that it is all about patience & timing. As
Winter Vine Pruning & Trellising Read More »
What’s Happening in the Wine Cellar “Currently, our wines have all fully completed fermentation and malolactic fermentation. The wines have been racked and sulfited as well. The finished wines will then be clear, clean and ready to properly assess in a technical tasting. The 2021 vintage was relatively early, quite condensed and had no particularly
2021 Winemaker Perspective & What’s happening in the cellar Read More »
Harvest Napa Valley 202 Drought years bring sporadic weather. Starting 2021 with the second year of the drought left us with an extremely long frost season, tempered heat, light rain during the season during pollination and many days of fog during the summer. Each day felt like a new challenge in 2021, however it is
Our Wine Farming Perspective of 2021 Read More »
On Saturday, May 8, 2021, Neal Family Vineyards hosted its 7th Annual Neal Family Scholarship dinner and live auction. Titled “Deplete Mark Neal’s Cellar,” 64 guests from around the country were treated to incredible wines from Mark’s cellar, including a 5L 1999 Dunn Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Funds raised go toward college scholarships for
7th Annual Neal Family Scholarship Dinner and Live Auction Read More »
“Karidopita” Walnut Honey Cake* Serves 24 Cake: 6 eggs, whites and yolks separated 1 cup sugar 1 cup sifted flour 2 heaping tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. ground cloves 2 ½ cups walnuts, finely chopped Syrup: 2 cups honey 2 cups sugar 5 ½ cups water Cake Directions: Preheat
Yia Yia Neal’s Favorite Recipes Read More »
A Non-Harvestable Year 2020 for Neal Family Vineyards Smoke taint is a catch-all term for damaged fruit due to smoke exposure. Smoke taint disproportionately impacts most red varieties, as the grapes experience fermentation on the skins. During the past ten days, Napa Valley has experienced a tremendous amount of smoke from fires inside and outside
The Non-Harvest Season Read More »
