Posted on: Carlos Rodriguez's wall

Hi buddies
Last week all my wine tanks finished Malolactic Fermentation, what is the last microbiological fact on winemaking. During fermentations process (on reds alcoholic fermentation to produce alcohol from the sugars, carried on by yeasts, and later malolactic fermentation to produce lactic acid from malic acid carried on by acid lactic bacteria) the winemaker needs to live close to each tank to control everything managing temperatures and all OK parameters evolution. When it's finished we start to work for cleaning the wine with clarifications and filtering, also blending for young wines and wines that we'll age in oak barrels, and of course, bottling! This work is easier to organice than microbiological ones.
Today the wines are in perfect conditions and I'm sure they'll give us a lot of pleasures soon.
On the fields, is time for prunnig. This winter is being really dry in my area so we are able to work outside most of the days and prunning is almost finish.
So, what to do? Is time to get one free-week for the winemaker! Tomorrow I'll fly to the Canarian Islands for one week of good weather and sunny trekking days. I need to "resert" my brain...
My dear friends, I'll answer your posts after 29th that I'll be back working!
Keep enjoying my wines, I also enjoy when I know it from your comments, and I'll be back soon.
Kind regards, Carlos

Carlos 12:22 20/01/2012 Comment

Posted on: Carlos Rodriguez's wall

Hello my friends!
2011 is almost finished... I just want to say you that thanks to you it was a great year for me. I started to be part of this team at the end of 2010 so 2011 was my first year here. Now I'm 35 years old and I really feel this is being my best professional oportunity I ever had. I had a dream... and it came true.
I'm having lots of satisfactions from your comments, I really feel very happy that you enjoy my wines and I hope you'll go on enjoying in the new 2012. I promise that I'll keep making the best of myself for you. I've new wine projects that they'll be with you soon!
All my best wishes for all of you in 2012, specially good health that is the most important. My first drink in 2012 will be to your health!
Carlos
P.D. My best wishes for you doesn't include the next football Europe Cup in June 2012, I'm sorry, I hope we'll win it!

Carlos 10:09 30/12/2011 Reply

Posted on: Carlos Rodriguez's wall

Hello my friends
I wish you Merry Christmas and a year 2012 brimming with health, happiness and where all your good desires are fulfilled.
I'll drink a glass of wine to your health and all the NW staff, your are helping my dream became true having the oportunity to make my own wines.
All my best for you.

Carlos 10:29 23/12/2011 Reply

Posted on: Carlos Rodriguez's wall

Hi Buddies
Cold is here! Our first snow in the closer mountains around 10 miles from my home.
The wines are going on well and most of them finished malolactic fermentation.
On the fields, the grapes plants have lost most of their leaves and the view is changing from the mix of autum colours to the winter ones, prunning time is arriving but we'll wait for better weather days.
And just now, I'm leaving with my girlfriend and some friends to get some "tapas" and wines, is the best way to fight against the cold weather, isn' it?
All the best, have a nice weekend!
Carlos

Carlos 18:42 02/12/2011 Reply

Posted on: Carlos Rodriguez's wall

Hellooooooooooo
I wanted to inform you about how the wines are going on...
- For Albariño, it was a fantastic year, good yield and optimum quality thanks to the dry and warm summer we had that made perfect grapes on the maturity point of view and also healthy, without any pest and diseases. On the winery, it was really easy to work with this grapes and I'm very happy with the wine.
- For Rose, in Navarra we had less yield than ussually, this made prices go up (what it's really good for producers because they had a lot of time without profit in the fields) and the wines are quite similar to last year, fresh and fruity, also thanks to the good health of the grapes for the dry weather.
- For TRIGALES, was a hard year. It's harder than last year to find the best quality price relation because the yield is around 20% less, I have some selected tanks for this wine but I'm still looking for more and better, I trust I'll get it and I promise that next trigales will be as good as this one.
- For Rioja, MORUM and also BARGONDIA BLACKLABEL, it was a year with less yield. MORUM CRIANZA and RESERVA are not involved on this because are older vintages now aging in oak barrels. For YOUNG MORUM 2011 it was more difficult because the weather on 2011 summer made anticipate the maturity what is bad for early fields, I had to get the grapes from higher plots and fresher places. This year was perfect for BARGONDÍA BLACKLABEL, it's made for 100% grapes of one producer and his fields are high and fresh, the fruit taste of the tanks is something I never finded since 2005 that I started to work in that winery, really incredible fresh aroma of currants and white fruits as apricot. With the evolution this aroma will be changed into red fresh fruit probably cherry and strawberry.

So, I keep on working to get the best of each tank and I have to say that all the feedbacks I have from you showing your support and your satisfaction are the best encourage for me. I notice that most of you are really satisfied in particulary with my wines and in general with all NW wines, I'd like to ask you to spread the voice because sincerily I think that today NW is probably the best way to get an optimum quality/price relation wine in UK, so please, don't keep it as a secret!
For me and all the winemakers we work being financed by NW your help makes our dream come true, THANK YOU!

Kind Regards
Carlos

Carlos 10:19 26/11/2011 Comment