Zen Breath 3-2-1

Note: You are receiving this email because you subscribed to my weekly 3-2-1 newsletter or you subscribed to the Koi Zen Cellars newsletter. Every Friday, I share 3 wine terms, 2 quotes from me, and 1 question for you to ponder. Occasionally, I also send out long-form articles on habits and self-improvement.


"To explore - one must venture into the unknown"
~ Zen Winemaker ~

3 terms, 2 quotes, 1 question

June 10, 2022


Happy Friday! Time to wrap up this week and get ready for the next! Take a deep breath and kick off the weekend on a positive note. Let's consider where we have been, improve it, and move forward next week. Packing the most content into the least words and trying to change the world, one glass at a time.

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3 - Wine Terms - Livermore Valley AVA


The reason that I skipped last weeks 3-2-1 email was because Lisa, my daughter Miranda, and I were heading up to East Bay to witness my other daughter, Kiersten's, engagement.

I had known about the date for weeks and holding back the secret from my daughter was hard. My future son-in-law proposed on a rock outcropping overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. The young couple walked to the point as boyfriend-girlfriend and walked back engaged - funny how life changes so quickly.

My daughter lives in the east bay area and right down the road is Livermore Valley wine country - so in honor of Kiersten and Oliver - let's have a chat about Livermore.
  1. Origin : Wine has been cultivated in Livermore since the 19th century, with the Cresta Blanca Winery (founded 1882) being one of the earliest, and well-respected, with its first vintage (1884) winning Grand Prix at the 1889 Paris Exposition, becoming the first California wine to win a competition in France.
  2. Producers : Wente Vineyards has long been the largest producer in the Livermore Valley, making around 700,000 cases of wine annually. It was first established in the valley in 1883 and is now the oldest family owned continuously operated winery in the United States.

    The other large producer, Concannon Vineyard, was also established in 1883 and their wines are available nationally along with a tasting room for direct sales.

    The third-largest by production capacity and storage is Raindrop Wine which also operates under Misson Wines branding.

    The rest are mostly new and considerably smaller.
  3. Terroir - Livermore possesses a predominately gravel based soil and lies on a unique east-west orientation, unlike many other winegrowing valleys. Due to a reliable onshore afternoon/evening breeze off of the San Francisco Bay a wide fluctuation in temperature between sites and a large diurna l temperature swing occur. Livermore Valley is considered a Winkler Region III grape growing zone with temperatures comparable to northern Napa Valley appellations such as St. Helena or Calistoga.
If you find yourself in Alameda county - I suggest spending a few hours/days visiting one of the oldest growing regions in California and over 50 wineries.

And when you go, share your experience with me for my next trip up north.

2 - Quotes from Me:

  1. "Bad wine is a great drain cleaner" ~ Zen Winemaker
  2. "I don't like naked bottles - but going topless is okay!" ~ Zen Winemaker

1 - Question to ponder:

Going Topless Update

Note: If you missed the first post about Going Topless in the May 27th 3-2-1 newsletter, you should read that first - you can read it here.

Before we get into today's topic, here are the results of the survey in that newsletter:
I love to go topless 4 7.70%
Capsules complete the brand 14 26.90%
Bottles without capsules look naked 3 5.80%
I like the tamper proof aspect 8 15.40%
I don't give a hoot about capsules 2 3.80%
Capsules help me find a specific wine in the rack 4 7.70%
Capsules are a waste of resources 2 3.80%
Capsules are a nuisance 0 0.00%
Capsules are classic and should stay 13 25.00%
I'm too busy to have an opinion 2 3.80%

Thank you to the 52 people who voted -
(especially the 2 who are too busy to have an opinion)
what about the other 1,300 people who opened the email?
Just saying....

Karma:

Two weeks ago the 3-2-1 Newsletter was about capsules and here is where karma can play tricks on you. Last Monday I reached out to my glass bottle supplier and asked for my standard Burgundy bottle - style W59 which I have been using for years. The next day I was informed that my supplier and manufacturer did not have any in stock - the replacement bottle is W120 - and guess what?

While the standard neck size of a wine bottle is 28.75mm the replacement bottle (W120) has a neck size of 31.75mm.

Which means out of the roughly 10,000 capsules I have in stock - I don't have the correct size and was considering going topless for a moment. It was a brief moment - influenced by the group who loves to go topless - but senses prevailed and the larger capsules are on the way.

I guess the moral is: When you think you have it figured out - something often goes wonkie.

Question:


Do you often take the "easy" path and change, or "work" it out and stick with tradition?

Zen Giggles:


A math teacher asked one day:

"If you have 3 wine bottles in one hand,
and 2 wine bottles in the other hand,
what do you have?

A little girl responded: "A drinking problem" 
   
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The new alternative wine packaging

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A favor:


We strive to foster a community who are excited to learn about wine and create a better world for all. We are a small business and appreciate your support. Please encourage others to subscribe to this newsletter and build the community of like minded people. And don't forget to give me some feedback on what you want to learn about - I love hearing from you.

NOTICE: The "Follow Your Passion" self paced online course will only remain on sale for $49 until June 15, 2022. Then this inspiring course will increase to $149. You can still register at the low sale price HERE until 6/15/22.

Cheers,

Darius Miller - The Zen Winemaker

P.S. Let me know what you think of the 3-2-1 newsletter - or better yet, share with your friends - it would be much appreciated.

Author of a #1 best seller:
'The Zen Winemaker - Follow Your Dreams & Overcome Your Fears'

P.S. Signed copies are also available at the winery, just stop by. May be the best $20 you will ever spend.

Creator of:
'The Zen Wine Tasting Journal - Life is too short to drink bad wine, or to wear ugly underwear.'

Become Inspired:
ZenWinemaker.com