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Be mindful of your alcohol use!

Sasha Captain  The past few years have been stressful, and we’ve all found different ways of coping. You may have picked up new habits — some that are healthy and some that aren’t as healthy. Maybe you’re taking daily walks. Binging more TV. Prioritizing time with family. Or having a few glasses of wine a night. Many people have an occasional glass of wine or alcoholic drink when spending time with friends or relaxing. But if you’re drinking more alcohol than you used to, you’re not alone. "The pandemic’s effect on alcohol use has been devastating," says Reham Attia, MD, an addiction medicine specialist at Kaiser Permanente. By the end of 2020, 39% of people were drinking more than recommended.1 Women...

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Finally The 2022 Wine is In the Barrels

Our 2022 vintage has gone through primary fermentation in Bins,  All organic bi-product of the press is hauled into the Vineyard. Once the wine is liquid in tanks,  the secondary fermentation begins, it takes about two to three weeks long.  We racked the wine 3 times so far. The wine is ready to be gravity fed into barrels. We have acquired New French Oak of 5 x 500L & 3 x 225L barrels for the 2022 vintage. We prepare the barrels to receive the wine, Sasha Captain, age 4.5 Years, is helping, she spend many hours with Sal, making sure all the barrels are ready to receive the wine. Sasha is very proud of her excellent workman ship! The final...

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The story of our 2022 Harvest

Our 2022 vintage started early this year, due to the week of  extreme heat that broke records in the area, due to our dry farming  practice, our vines reacted extremally!! sugar level was up & a bit of shriveling.  We had family, Finnish delegation, neighbors, friends, 4-H & club members, excited to learn & experience the joy of harvest.  WE were done by 10:30 a.m., with both Pinot Noir & Cab Sav. 1200 Lbs. of Pinot Noir & 1300 Lbs. Pinot Noir 2022 Ava & Sofie Captain after harvest!! Second & Last harvest of 2022 On the 20th of September we harvested the rest of our crop.  First time ever in 17 years we harvest Petite Sirah in September!!  3100...

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My Visit to Captain Vineyards

Hello! My name is Camille and I am one of Susan and Sal Captain's 8 grandchildren. I am writing this post on August 17, 2022. I just came inside from harvesting prunes off the tree right outside the front door. French Prunes! Me in the blue dress! MY STORY    I, Camille Captain, am 9 years old and live in Greenwich, CT. Visiting the vineyard is always one of my favorite trips. I get to help out with the crops, and I love walking the dog, Cleo, every day. But most of all, I love our annual family reunion that my grandparents host every year.   During my stay, I have been learning to find the average brix (the sugar...

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The Message in the bottle is Sustainability

Captain Vineyards is a winery in Moraga, California that is dedicated to sustainability. Many rave about the winery’s bold reds and beautiful views, but their green operations are also causing a commotion amongst viticulturalists, environmentalists, and wine-lovers alike. Their consistent efforts to decrease waste have been acknowledged for eight years by the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District. And everything that is uprooted from the land is returned. This means 100% of organic materials – pruning clippings, grape skins, seeds, and stems – are recycled. In fact, Captain Vineyards is proud that they no longer require a green waste container because of this initiative. Captain Vineyards began dry farming its 3,500 vines in 2007. All water used in the cleaning and...

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