Rangeland News September 2022

Contents: Harvest!, Wine Club, October Winemaker Dinner, November Pick Up Party

So Hot Harvest 

Hot weather is no stranger to Paso Robles, but this year's Labor Day heat wave (August 31 to September 9) was one for the books. It threw an already early harvest into overdrive. There were ten consecutive days of 105 degrees Fahrenheit, with a few peaks above 110.   

Wine tasters retreated indoors. Grape sugars soared. Vines turned their leaves to the sky and silently declared "Pick me! I am done for the season." Our contract labor crews picked every night for a week, staggering through the work. Our Vineyard Manager Eusebio was like a relentlesly effective smiling zombie, driving tractor and directing the mayhem, night after night. The whole county seemed to be in motion: picking, trucking and processing fruit. One winemaker had a dream that a volcano had erupted and was burying him in relentless flows of hot, ripe grape lava. Ahhh! Now that we are mostly through picking and temps have dropped back below seasonal average, our winemaker Alex and many of his peers will have their hands full trying to make the best of this lightning vintage. 

Wine Club Cometh, Doppel-Style

Our fall wine club selection, featuring some exciting new releases, is detailed below:  

• 2019 Limestone Reserve Cabernet*, 95 points (boom!), Wine Enthusiast, new release
• 2019 Cabernet*, 93 points, Wine Enthusiast, new 
• 2019 Shepherd*, Rhone blend, 93 points Wine Enthusiast, new 
• 2019 Mistletoe, 91 points, Wine Enthusiast
• 2018 Watershed, Bordeaux blend*
• 2021 Sauvignon Blanc (2018 Ultramafic Merlot for reds only members) 

*denotes 4-bottle intro club selection

If you are a six bottle or more club member, you can double your order for an additional 10% off with $1 shipping. For example, a 6-bottle, 20% off Estate Club member would get a full case at 30% off, or about $100 in extra savings. If you would like to take advantage of this fantastisch offer to stockpile a little wine for the holidays, please email us.

We will start billling the wine club October 17 and ship in early November, but if you want wine earlier you can pick up starting October 1.  Please let us know by email if you'd like to customize your fall shipment. All the available wines are listed here. Please update your credit card and shipping information, if necessary, at www.RangelandWines.com. You can use your email address to retrieve your password and login.

Winemaker Dinner, October 15

There are a few tickets left to our October 15, 6-9pm, winemaker dinner. Join Winemaker Alex Kemp and the Rangeland crew on the tasting room lawn. The meal will feature estate raised, ranch oak seared, grass-fed beef tenderloin steaks accompanied by seasonal greens and root veggies. We'll also serve our usual abundant selection of appetizers, including grilled local sausage. Save room for a dessert of carmelized pear cake. Rangeland wines will paired throughout. $100 per guest before club discounts. Purchase tickets here. 

Pick Up Party, Saturday November 12, Noon to 2pm

We'll be serving a buffet of treats in the winery: our grass-fed beef chili, some delicious charcuterie, grilled lamb and, of course, Lisa's famous cookies. We'll be pouring the Fall Wine Club lineup, so you can taste, fall in love, and add to your order when you pick up your shipment.  For wine, beef and lamb club members only. Reserve your complimentary ticket. Space is limited.