Barn Owl Release, October 22, 2012

Two barn owls, a male and female, released just after sunset on October 22, 2012, in the Little Woods at Tucalota Vineyard, Temecula, California. Thanks to the efforts of South Bay Wildlife Refuge, the owls were rescued as orphans early this summer. Kept in a 100' x 40' flight cage -- where they learned to fly and to hunt -- they were ready for release. The ample natural habitat -- oak and willows -- plus the proximity to the owl boxes at the vineyard, make Tucolata Vineyard a fine new home for these owls. We transported them in a small pet carrier box -- as they slept during the day -- and released them just after sunset. They were awake and ready to go, as you can see. Thanks to Kevin Metzger, a visitor at the ranch, who was on hand to video the exciting moment of the release.

Family Harvest, October 7, 2012

It's harvest time. A beautiful morning in Tucalota Vineyard. There were about 15 of us in all throughout the day, from near and far. The Cinsault was ready for picking, with brix readings at around 22. Together, we picked an entire row of Cinsault -- equaling nearly a half ton, or 939 lbs., to be exact. We then moved on to the row of Salvador, a smaller, darker grape – adding color to the mix. Grapes are loaded into the white bins – each of which holds around 45 lbs. – and then transported, thanks to the 'Gator, to the winery for crushing.  We picked nearly 1100 lbs in all -- 939 lbs of Cinsault, and 101 of Salvador. It was a great day. Thanks to Selma, and her Tucalota Vineyard, and to Eric, our winemaker extraordinaire.