by Serena on January 18, 2011
Back in November we had the pleasure of meeting the writer David Mahoney who was in Sonoma county to interview winemakers with ties to Minnesota. During his visit, David interviewed Dave Ready from Murphy-Goode, Scott Adams from Bella Winery, Dan Gustafson of Gustafson Family Vineyards, and our winemaker Alan Baker.
We had a great time tasting David on our 2009 Floodgate Vineyard Pinot Noir which had recently been bottled, the 2009 Floodgate Vineyard Gewurztraminer, and the 2006 Wentzel Vineyard Pinot Noir which was the first commercial wine Alan made. We chatted about the 2009 and 2010 harvests, Alan’s winemaking philosophy, and the story behind Alan’s move in 2005 from Minnesota to Healdsburg to pursue winemaking. 
As the fog lifted we went out to Floodgate Vineyard. It’s always fun to taste the wine and then actually see the vines from which the grapes come. It was one of those beautiful wine country days where the colors of the leaves in the vineyard were vivid, and the fog was rolling back to reveal a brilliant blue sky with a hint of someone’s wood fire in the air.
David’s article, titled “Living in Zin” came out in January’s issue of Artful Living. Follow this link to read the full article: Living in Zin
We are looking forward to being in the Twin Cities the last week of January and meeting the Artful Living team.
– Serena
by Alan on August 12, 2010
How do you say thank you to the people who helped you launch a new winery? You pour them copious amounts of wine, that’s how.
We had a great time pouring at the Chowgirls Gallery (www.chowgirls.net) in Minneapolis last week. Many friends who had seen me leave Minnesota in 2005 to commence my winemaking journey came to say hello and taste the inaugural vintage of Cartograph wines. Serena and I also had the pleasure of meeting numerous Twin Cities restaurant folks, industry insiders, and friends of friends. (And the people from the neighborhood who happened to wander in and ask interesting questions.)
It was a great night and I can’t say thank you enough to those who came and all of you who helped make Cartograph possible with your tremendous support.
Chowgirls (Heidi Andermack and Amy Brown) prepared fantastic treats to pair with our wines.
Here’s the menu:
2009 Floodgate Vineyard Dry Gewürztraminer with:
- Crab cakes done in a Japanese style with wasabi aioli and pickled ginger
- Vegetarian samosas served with chutney and raita
2008 Split Rock Vineyard Pinot Noir with:
- Rumaki – bacon wrapped water chestnuts and dates coated in a tangy barbeque chili sauce
- Wild mushroom and leek eggrolls served with a sambal-leek aioli
2008 Two Pisces Vineyard Pinot Noir with:
- Bison meatballs with cilantro yogurt chutney
- Flat bread pizza topped with brie, leeks, and savory cherry marmalade
And we had crudités with delicious green goddess dip and a fantastic antipasto platter just to make sure people were satiated. And to top off the evening, delicious little chocolate truffles.
Between the wonderful people, delicious food, and tasty wines, it was an evening filled with laughter, warmth, old friends and new friendships. We’re looking forward to getting back to the Twin Cities this winter for some winemaker’s dinners and in-store tastings.
Stay tuned for Twin Cities locations where you can find Cartograph.
Here are some shots from that night.
Alan
by Serena on June 11, 2010
June 11, 2010
professional bottle shots done
tech sheets done
web content done
wine is labeled and tastes awesome (am biased)
…. only about 50 more things to do in the next nine days! Can’t wait to share these wines with everyone!!
Serena
by Alan on December 6, 2009
December 06, 2009
It’s Official, We’re a Winery!
It’s almost unbelievable but after months of questionnaires, finger printing, background checks, trademark battles, and registering with about a dozen government agencies, we’re legit, and can start selling wine under our new label. We’ll be laying out the cool concept behind Cartograph and publishing our new website soon so please stay in touch.
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We’re excited by this new venture and hope you’ll come along for the ride.
Alan Baker and Serena Lourie
