Gustavo Gonzalez, Mira Winemaker: Think Thin

I invite you to take a look at our Cabernet Franc vineyard.  You will notice all of the grape clusters that are on the ground.  Sometimes a vine carries more fruit than it is able to ripen, meaning it is over-cropped.  Too much fruit on a vine can make the grape flavors flat so we go in and remove the extra clusters and drop them to the ground to ensure that those we leave on the vine fully ripen.  This process is called “thinning.”  It is common for vines to become over-cropped and is most noticeable due to a lack of leaves.  If we did not thin clusters out then the fruit would never hold any intensity resulting in a thin wine.  We want to always develop and deliver wine held to the highest standard, and are thinning our Cabernet Franc grapes to ensure that the grapes will have much more concentration resulting in an exceptional wine this year.  Crop thinning is a constant search for balance on the vines, keeping the right amount of grapes and allowing them to develop fully and uniformly while ever increasing in quality.  Looking forward to raising a glass to our 2012 Cabernet Franc!  Would love to have you to our vineyards when you are in the Napa area and have you help us thin out a new crop. Cheers, Gustavo Gonzalez, Mira Winemaker