Lisa Lee | The Winemaker
Winemaker Lisa Lee first discovered Livermore wine country through classes at Las Positas College’s Viticulture and Winery Technology program. She later earned her Winemaking Certificate from the University of California, Davis, in 2012. She sees good food and wine as the cornerstone to friendship, laughter and important decision making.
After living here for 8 years, Lisa has “totally fallen in love” with Livermore. “There are some really great winemakers and beautiful wines coming out of Livermore Valley right now,” said Lisa. “I am excited for the opportunity to contribute and be part of this community. My goal is to make wine that will convey a sense of place, balance and commitment to craft.”
Adventures in Winemaking
2017 Bobcat Red – Meet the cunning and complex beast!
Why the Bobcat name for this great blend, you may ask? Well, if you’ve been by to visit us at the winery, you may have been lucky enough to meet (from a very safe distance), one of our resident bobcats. If you are an extremely lucky one, you may have even seen our mama bobcat out with her cubs, playing under the oak trees. Like the Bobcat, this blend may appear as unassuming at first...
Yo Quiero Taco Bell y Rosé!
When we say this wine goes with everything, we mean exactly that! We’ve scoured our recipe vaults, reached out to local restaurants and compiled beautifully sophisticated pairings. The next thought was, “Well, what about fast and easy food?” We settled on Taco Bell for our first fast-food experiment and we were not disappointed! Who would have thought that just about every item we selected...
The wines that make us tick!
Join us each month and get to know the wines that make us tick. Every month, Charles R will feature one of our favorite wines, as we explore the technical aspects of the wine, discuss sensory characteristics, recommend food pairings and share behind-the-scenes stories.You’ll learn fun facts about the history of the varietal, pairings with local takeout, and where the grapes come from; it will be...
Rack and roll!
We racked our 2020 reds this month, now that malolactic fermentation has finally completed. January is typically the time we get these baby wines off the lees and settled in for long term cellar aging. With such a small 2020 harvest, we were able to take the time to gravity feed the wine from barrel, to tote and back to barrel again. It’s hard to believe with the recent change in weather that...
The weather outside is frightful…
Well, not really here in beautiful California, but it has been a bit chillier than we’re used to lately. The year is quickly winding down and common practice has us taking stock of all aspects of our lives. Personal relationships, home improvement projects, our own health and wellness, work goals, life goals, etc... In the cellar, it is a similar story. This is the time of year, we...
Winding down and winding up.
October is over and suddenly we are making plans for Thanksgiving! How exactly did that happen??? The Charles R harvest was a small one this year, and even through the worries of fire, smoke taint, and amidst the constant undercurrent of Covid, we remain excited for the results of the 2020 vintage. We can confidently say it is one we will not soon forget! Our 2020 Rose´of Sangiovese...
Rosè of Sangiovese Arrives Early – Expecting Sipping Perfection by Spring!
Harvest began early for us at Charles R this year. Our Sangiovese (Rosè) was picked nearly 3 weeks earlier the last year, with beautiful bright flavors that will be perfect for sipping come early springtime. The harvest in general will be smaller than years past, but that means lots of extra love and attention will go into this year’s vintage! Next in the lineup will be our Casa de Vinas...
Say it out loud, Veraison… say what?!
When you say it out loud, Veraison (Veh-Ray-zon) sounds like something that may happen at the end of the harvest season - perhaps a reference to all the shriveled grapes left behind? Quite the contrary! Veraison marks the time of year when the young green clusters in the vineyard stop focusing on growing larger, and start the process of getting riper. Berries begin to soften, as sugars...
Avoid “Cellar Palate.” Go ahead, drink lots of wines from lots of regions!
Have you ever heard of "Cellar Palate?" If you were to ask Jancis Robinson about it, she would tell you this is the common phrase for what happens when a wine producer becomes too acclimated to their own wines or those of their neighbors. In the best of cases, this can lead to a recognizable consistent style in the cellar. But in the worst of cases, this may lead to overlooking...
“Most of life will unfold in accordance with forces far outside your control”
“The truth is that most of life will unfold in accordance with forces far outside your control, regardless of what your mind says about it.“~Michael Singer, The Untethered SoulWinemakers and growers spend a great deal of the Spring and early Summer trying to predict the outcome of the upcoming harvest. “What do you think about this year? Was there frost this Winter? Will we get enough rain?...