Schweiger Vineyards News

 Check out what Fred Schweiger had to say about the recession of the early 80’s and how he was able to open a new door for his future.

By David J. Lynch, USA TODAY

New doors open

Amid the hard times of the early 1980s, some people carved opportunity from adversity.

In California, a general contractor named Fred Schweiger saw his business idled by punishingly high interest rates. To keep his crew together, he used his savings to pay them to clear 35 acres of wooded hillside in Napa County. His third try for a loan to start a vineyard there was approved, and almost 30 years later, Schweiger Vineyards in St. Helena, Calif., ships 5,000 cases of wine each year.

The early 1980s, Schweiger, 67, says today, “became a situation where something bad turned good.”

Likewise, the recession pushed civil engineer Dave Holman to take a chance on working overseas after the Escondido, Calif., firm he worked for cut his salary by one-third.

To read the entire article go to the link below:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2010-01-06-recession-scars-will-take-long-time-to-heal_N.htm

This is a solid quartet of wines, with the 2007’s revealing slightly more upside potential than their older siblings. The rustic 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits chocolate, black cherry, black currant, and loamy, earthy notes along with some tough tannins in the finish. Purchasers should be careful how long they age this cuvee as it may have a tendency to dry out. A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Malbec, the better balanced 2006 Dedication is an elegant wine revealing plenty of black currant, forest floor, underbrush, chocolate, and truffle notes. It possesses medium body as well as polished tannins in the finish. This excellent blend should drink nicely in 10-12 years.
Both the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2007 Dedication are deeper, richer, more opaque ruby/purple-colored efforts with sweeter tannins, more fruit volume, and additional layers as well as depth. Both wines will need 2-3 years of cellaring and should evolve for 10-15 years.
SCORES
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (88-91)
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon 87
2007 Dedication Proprietary Red (90-92)
2006 Dedication Proprietary Red 89