| 2013 ~ DOUBLE OAK VINEYARDS & WINERY |
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Will be the 28th harvest for Double Oak Vineyards
Will be the 17th vintage for Double Oak Winery |
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Mountain Grown Fine Wine |
EVENTS & NEWS ~ March/April 2013
EVENTS
WILD FOR THE YUBA
Saturday, April 20, 6:30 - 9:30pm.
Grass Valley Vets Hall
Join Double Oak at this fun benefit for SYRCL
 Wild for the Yuba is SYRCL’s (the South Yuba River Citizens League) wine and beer tasting event. Enjoy an evening of fine wine and beer tastings from two dozen wineries and breweries, fine food, live music and mingle with your friends. Come support SYRCL in its fine work protecting our heritage river.
And come by Double Oak's table, say hi & taste our delicious fine wine.
Live music by Saul Rayo, Elena Powell & Jay Ladner.
Catering by Emily’s Catering & Cakes.
Tickets: $35 members/$40 general _ Designated drivers: $20
For tickets & more information: visit <yubariver.org>
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Double Oak ~ Tasting Room Open Every Saturday
Wine Tasting ~ Picnicking ~ Touring the Winery & Vineyard
We welcome your visits for wine tasting and sales, picnicking and tours!
We are open every Saturday, 11-5, February through December.
We are also open by appointment, January through December.
Groups are easily accommodated.
Bring your friends with you for a delightful outing to our artisan winery and family farm.
Click here for more information about visiting Double Oak.
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR
WINE TASTING at Double Oak Vineyards & Winery
Saturdays 11am - 5pm
For more information, see above
WILD for THE YUBA presented by SYRCL
Saturday, April 20 ~ 6:30pm – 9:30pm
For more information, see above
Wine Club at Double Oak
Double Oak Wine Club Trios & Sextets ~
February, May, August & November
Double Oak Wine Club Case Club ~
May & November
Click here for more information about the Double Oak Wine Club.
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DOUBLE OAK NEWS
In the Double Oak Winery...
2013 ~ The 17th vintage for Double Oak Winery
SpringTime in the WINERY ~ Winemaking Continues
The 2012 vintage red wines red wines (Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) from the 2012 harvest are completing their fermentation and are aging gracefully in barrels in the winery. After two years of winemaking and barrel aging, this 2012 vintage will be bottled in autumn of 2014 and be released in 2015. What an ultimate slow food! The 2011 vintage red wines are also continuing their elévage in good style in their second year of barrel aging. They must still be racked every few months. In the months when the barrels of wine are not racked, they are "topped"; the wine that has escaped through evaporation is replaced, so there is not an air space at the top of the barrels.
The 2012 Chardonnay is in barrels (60% oak & 40% stainless), and we are stirring the lees about every two weeks until late winter/early spring when we will give it its first racking.
For a complete list and description of currently available Double Oak wines, special sales, shipping & discount information, and for information about the Double Oak Wine Club, click here.
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Estate Grown & Produced Energy ~
Double Oak is still very pleased with the photovoltaic system we installed several years ago. This 4 kw clean energy system is providing approximately 95% of the electrical needs at Double Oak. While we are already energy efficient, the solar system moves Double Oak into being a producer of electricity. Even when machinery and a well pump are running, as long as that summer sun is shining we are able to supply a surplus of green, clean energy, sending electric power back into the grid. We are glad we put our personal energy into building this very worthwhile system.
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In the Double Oak Vineyards…
2013 ~ The 28th harvest for Double Oak Vineyards!
Early spring in the vineyards ~
While the grapevines are dormant in the winter and early spring, work in the vineyard is not. Most of our work in this late winter early spring season involves pruning our 9 acres of grapes, all 10 miles of vine row. Pruning is started in the later part of winter to prevent eutypa and also to retard bud break. All the pruning is done by hand, cut by cut, thousands of them. When it is finished, we pull the prunings into the middle between the rows, where they will get shredded by flail mowing in early spring and will eventually return to the soil, further improving the tilth of our vineyard.
The vineyard floor is green with the cover crop we maintain. It adds to the tilth of the vineyard and provides a place for the beneficial insects to live until the grapevines are again in leaf.
As we approach the end of the winter dormancy, late spring frosts pose the greatest risk to our grapevines. It is important to delay, if possible, the start of bud-break, when the buds open and leaves start to emerge, since any new growth is susceptible to frost damage. Because it's the soil temperature not air temperature that pushes grapes to awaken in the spring, Double Oak delays mowing in order to keep the ground cooler until after bud-break has occurred. Then after bud-break has begun, we work to keep the field as warm as possible by mowing, which facilitates the "export" of the cold air down hill, and by cultivating under the vine rows to help the soil absorb the ambient daytime warmth. If none of that works and frost damages the new growth, then much of the crop for that year is lost. Nonetheless, we are full of hope that all will fare well this season in Double Oak's nine acres of vineyards.
Budbreak (hopefully) is months away, coming in May, hopefully after the last frost of the season. We are looking forward to the new growth in the spring, the 28th crop for Double Oak Vineyards!
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In the Double Oak Landscape…
2013 ~ Our 41st year on this wonderful land!
The Arrival of Spring ~
The signs of spring are coming faster. Spring sends signs of it's arrival slowly at first. Beginning with the smell of manzanita blossoms in February, followed by the migrating sandhill crane choir warbling overhead, then the brilliant yellow of daffodils, the fragrant blossoming of trees and bushes, and even, on especially balmy nights, the sounds of the cricket chorus. All these signs are gradual at first, but they pick up speed as the days warm until it's bursting all around!
The migrating birds who arrived in the winter are still with us. The Oregon juncoes and robins have been here for a couple of months now. The band tailed pigeons arrived in the last week of March. As usual, we see deer (outside the fence of course) grazing the grasses that are thriving after we cleared excess brush in the Double Oak woods.
We had almost 2" of rain to celebrate the official arrival of spring on March 20! Hurrah! It is so welcome after the unseasonably dry beginning months of 2013. In this first week of spring, we are now at about 44", only 11" below our average for the entire season's rainfall.
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Double Oak Wine Awards
Double Oak has received many awards
for our wines over the years ~
This picture shows Bob and Ginny at the CA State Fair event Taste the Best which celebrates the wines and wineries winning awards in the State Fair Wine Competition.
Award winning Double Oak wines that are currently for sale
at the Double Oak Tasting Room (at the Double Oak Winery):
2009 Zinfandel: Bronze (State Fair, Riverside International & Calaveras County Fair);
2008 Zinfandel: Silver /CA State Fair); Bronze (Calaveras County Fair)
2007 Zinfandel: Bronze (Amador County Fair) & Bronze (Calaveras County Fair)
2004 Zinfandel: Gold (El Dorado County Fair) & Silver (Calaveras County Fair)
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon: Silver (El Dorado & Calaveras); Bronze (State Fair)
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon: Bronze (CA State Fair & El Dorada County Fair)
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon: Best of Class (CA State Fair)
2009 Merlot: Silver (El Dorado); Bronze (Amador & Calaveras)
2007 Merlot: Gold (El Dorado County Fair 2010); Bronze (CA State Fair)
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SOME PAST EVENTS & NEWS
DOUBLE OAK at Double Oak
2012 Harvest at Double Oak ~ The harvest was great! Hurrah!
We got the last grapes in the day before the first rainstorm of the season!
  
These pictures show: Bob on the tractor in the merlot; harvesters at Double Oak filling tubs; and then the tractor moving out of the vineyard toward the winery with a bin filled with grapes dumped from the tubs.
The grapes were all fully ripe, with just the right balance of sugar, acidity and phenolic flavors.
2012 Harvest Open House ~ Celebrating 27 Harvests & 16 Vintages!
Fine Wine ~ Tasty Food ~ Fine Arts & Crafts ~ Live Music
Talented Winemaker ~ Creative Artists & Artisans ~ Entertaining Musician
 
Above are a couple of photos from the 2011 Double Oak Harvest Open House.
The first photo shows a view into the winery with craftpersons and their crafts,
a Double Oak wine tasting station and guests enjoying themselves.
The second photo shows the winery breezeway with artists and their artwork, and guests who are enjoying the fine offerings.
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Double Oak at Uncorked ~ A Nevada City Event in August 2012 
Bob and daughter Lisa pour wine at Uncorked
a Nevada City event in August 2012.
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Double Oak at Double Oak ~ On the Sierra Vintners 14th Annual Wine Trail ~
The 2012 Wine Trail was an enjoyable and gratifying event!
There were many special pleasures and treats.
Visitors enjoyed the beautiful setting of decades old vineyards in springtime.
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Visitors savored delicious wine and food pairings while they toured the winery
   
and vineyards. They quizzed the winegrower/winemaker Bob Hilsman and
 
learned about Double Oak's sustainable, nature-friendly winegrowing and winemaking.
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ABOUT WINEMAKING & WINEGROWING AT DOUBLE OAK
Late summer 2012
Preparations for New Vintage
 
Making room for the new vintage. Out of barrels and into bottles. The Chardonnay and Dry Rosé spend slightly less than a year in the winery fermenting and aging in barrels and a small tank before they are bottled. The red wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel spend slightly less than two years fermenting and aging in barrels before they are bottled. The barrels and tanks are then ready to receive new vintages in the making. In the picture on the left, Bob and assistant Bryan are bottling the 2011 Rosé. The red wines from 2011 received their third racking for the year in July. They will remain in barrel completing their barrel aging, being racked every few months, until they are bottled in the late summer and early fall of 2013. Barrel tastes reveal delicious wine in the making, of course!
Making sure the equipment is ready for the winemaking. The photo on the right shows Bob making sure the press is clean and working well.
In the Winery ~ Preparations for New Vintage
 This photo shows our well organized winery with case goods on the left and barrels in various stages of use. Far back on the left are barrels of 2011 wine aging; that wine will be bottled early fall of 2013. In the center at the back is this year's Chardonnay fermenting in both oak and stainless barrels. On the right in the foreground are barrels filled with water to swell and seal them, getting them ready to receive more red wine for barrel aging; that wine is fermenting in the tanks that are out on the crushpad, just outside the roll-up door in the background. Winemaker Bob and his assistant Bryan keep all these many processes and activities well organized and the equipment and winery clean and in good condition.
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We look forward to your visit.
Wishing you very Happy Times,
Bob & Ginny Hilsman
Double Oak Vineyards & Winery
At Double Oak we produce outstanding fine wine
from our nine acres of deeply rooted mountain vineyards.
We believe it’s all about balance and harmony with nature.
Expressing terroir is elemental for Double Oak.
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