14 days and counting...

Well it looks like about 14 days to go before the grapes arrive in Houston. I'm gettin' excited and nervous - this is a damn big and expensive undertaking! The paperwork alone is more than I thought. I've got my event shirt designs into the printer and will have them for the Crush party - white on black - looks good. I'm going to make company shirts a little further down the road - long-sleeve, pink for the ladies, and Kristin wants a hoodie!

Cheers, M

The Grapes - they are a commin'

So I have been told the grapes are 2-3 weeks from harvest! Brix (sugar measure) is running between 22.5 and 24 right now. Once harvested they will be overnighted by truck at 40^F to Vintners Own in Houston. Then crush time. I'm also working on having some shirts made for the crush party - I'll have some left over - let me know if you want one.


Salud, M

Out and About - wine notes

Well I thought I would start blogging about the wines I that drink with friends, on the road, and at home. So here we go... Last night at Reef, one the best seafood joints in town, we started the night off with Willakenzie Pinot Gris 2007. This was a very nice semi-dry wine with a great bite (Zing) at the finish. This wine was smooth in the mouth and juicy, great fruit flavors. We paired this with a tempura shrimp roll and a steamed sushi dish that I didn't eat - I hear it was wonderful. Our second bottle was a 2004 Penfolds "St.Henri" Shiraz. This bottle could have been decanted but with a little time opened up nicely. It was full bodied and spicy - great cotton-mouth feel with the first sip then was immediately flooded with luscious blackberry, plum, and pepper. Fish was the order of the night, we had grilled Grouper, skin on Snapper, grilled Amberjack, and Hot Pot Seafood soup (highly recommended). I usually have a Pinot with fish, but the group felt we needed something a little more racy! The Penfolds hit the spot and paired very well, not overpowering the fish.

Just FYI I'm not a big-time foodie or wine critic - I just like to share experiences. I would love to hear suggestions on wines, restaurants, and your comments on the wines I have blogged about.

Salud,M

Funny

To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine...

And those who don't.

As Ben Franklin said:


In wine there is wisdom,

In beer there is freedom,

In water there is bacteria.

In a number of carefully controlled trials,
Scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli,
(E. Coli) - bacteria found in feces.

In other words, we are consuming
1 kilo of poop.

However, we do NOT run that risk when
Drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whisky or other liquor), because alcohol has to go through a purification
Process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember:
Water = Poop, Wine = Health .

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid,
Than to drink water and be full of shit.

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information:
I'm doing it as a public service.

The Grapes

Thought I would fill ya'll in on where the grapes are coming from. My first barrel will be Cabernet Sauvignon from the heart of Napa Valley. The grapes are coming from the Kelham vineyards 3 miles south of St. Helena. They will be harvested in the coming weeks, probably around the 10th of October. They ship overnight at 40 degrees, arriving at the winery the next day. Then the fun begins!!

Salud, M

What's in a name?

So why 13th Floor Vineyards? To be completely honest the name doesn't have deep personal meaning, but the pieces fit together well and they make folks wonder and ask why?

For anyone familiar with the movie "23" you'll get this... 13 is reoccurring in my life. Born on the 13th, moved to Houston when I was 13, my full name has 26 letters (13x2), M is the 13th letter in the alphabet, getting married on the 13th, launched my business on the 13th (not planned btw), and my old license plate numbers totaled 13... that's about it. 13th floor, as most know, is rooted in superstition as being a non-existent floor or a floor with dubious or evil happenings. Hollywood does well portraying the evil piece. I chose it for the "eye-catching" part of my marketing plan - there is no evil in the bottle!

And lastly, one day in the not so distant future I will have actual vineyards from which I harvest my own grapes. Until then, my name represents all that is my brand, my juice, and my future endeavors.

Cheers, M

ps. 5/13/1980 when multiplied is equally divided by 13 - go figure :)

Under construction

ok - so this blog will be under constant contruction for the next few months as I figure this stuff out. leave me comments on what you want to see, change/add, link etc. I can use all the feedback.

cheers, matt