(Posted April 24, 2008)

NEW LAMBS ARE BORN 4/15-17/08

One Ram-Lamb (R) and One Ewe-Lamb (L)

The Clos Pepe Philosophy:

"We strive to produce wines that represent a time and a place. In a landscape where critics heap praise on 'heavy metal' wines more akin to cough syrup than a beverage for table, we believe that wine should integrate into a meal--we hope our customers discuss the flavors of wine and food and how they combine to make an experience. Great craft impresses not with an insistence that it be the sole focus of a room, but instead by its ability to integrate. I like to make wines that tell a story: a story of wind, fog, sunshine and the hard work of our crew. This vineyard has as much potential for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as we are willing to imagine and draw from it with passion and labor. In this sense I want the wines to be 'jazz' over 'heavy metal'--a reflection of craft embedded in an ever-changing environment instead of a homogenized attempt to kowtrow to the gods of concentration." --Wes Hagen, February 2008

Environmental sustainability: No herbicides, no insecticides, no restricted materials. Integration of livestock and animals for diversity and organic pest control: sheep for weeding/fertilization, all green materials composted and reapplied in the vineyard, owl boxes/raptor perches for rodent control, retired greyhounds for rabbit and coyote control.

Social sustainability: We believe sustainable viticulture is meaningless without a similar concern for the people that work on the farm. We think it's a shame that some farmers are more concerned with their compost than their people. Less chemicals means a safer environment to work in, it's true, but we also offer our permanent field workers medical benefits for them and their families. It's an expensive farming practice, one that's almost unheard of in agriculture, but we think its worth it. When we pour Clos Pepe wine, we can feel comfortable knowing that everyone who touched the vines, the fruit and the wine were respected.

Visiting Clos Pepe and the Santa Rita Hills:

Spring Special Feature: La Purisima Golf Course is a local treasure for those in love with the game. It's a wonderful place to absorb the climate of the Santa Rita Hills and test your swing, patience and ability to handle tough lies and screaming wind. To help a tiny bit, here is a PDF copy of the old yardage book from La Purisima. You have to print, scissor and put it all together, but once out on the course, this is an invaluable resource! Watch www.staritahills.com for news on the first Pinot@Purisima Tournament on Friday, June 20th. You can sign up now for the Open House weekend and the Golf Tourney!

Tours: With Spring here, we're getting busy, but still have some time for tours and hospitality. Email wes@clospepe.com with your request for a tour (2 weeks in advance is recommended): include dates you will be available and how many folks in your party. Tours start at 10:30 am sharp (no exceptions), and finish around 12:30 pm. If you'd like to see how we do hospitality in the Santa Rita Hills, please plan a visit!

Virtual Video Tour: Check out a shortened version of our Clos Pepe tour/tasting HERE. Thanks to John Lordi for the video production! It will take a while to load, but if you can't make it to the vineyard, this will give you the overview of who we are and what we do up here. Not to be missed!

Shipping Update: We're shipping orders every Monday and Tuesday as long as weather here, the destination, and in between look cool enough to guarantee safe arrival.

Clos Pepe Wins a Green Award! Santa Barbara has awarded Clos Pepe Vineyards with one of only 4 Green Awards for 2007. Read more HERE.

Not Getting Your Allocation Discount? If you log in and don't get your Allocation Discount (for previous customers and those who've signed up previously), send me an email! Discount are also available for those customers in the wine trade.

Awards start to roll in!: L.A. County Fair's 'Los Angeles International Wine Competition' (the largest and oldest Fair wine competition in the U.S.) released its results this weekend, and we did very well: GOLD MEDAL was awarded to our 2005 Estate Pinot Noir and BEST OF CLASS: Domestic Medium was awarded to our 2006 Clos Pepe Estate Olive Oil. The Olive Oil has been sold out for months, but the 2005 Pinot Noir is still available at the store, by phone or by order form. The 2005 Pinot Noir just received 92 point rating from redwinebuzz.com as well.

Rather Order by Fax? If faxing an order form seems easier than ordering online, just send Wes Hagen an email with a request for a faxable order form. Send your request to: wes@clospepe.com .