RDavis's blog

Now that the 3rd annual Rancho Ricardo Festival has passed, let me reflect…
Some say, that the end of a day is more enjoyable with a glass of wine…

In short, not quite yet. I checked the web-cam at the Ranch
and found a 'blurry lense' and lots of snow on the ground. I have
no idea if Ground Hogs are a controlling factor in the climate
forcasting in Colorado, but I did not find a single 'critter' out of
it's cozy den to check the weather. If ole 'Ponzie Phil'(and his western
cousins)are any measure of things to come, the Colorado Ranch has at least
a few more weeks of Winter. Dang-it, I suppose that means, a few more
cases of our Crushpad's best will not make it to springtime.........

Hello to all: Family, members and friends:

We have just returned from an extended vacation 'DOWN UNDER'.

Having sampled as many an Aussy wine as a body can take, we
proclaim that, without exception, the California Wine offerings
are far superior to anything that we encountered in Aussyland.

The people of Australia are wonderful and very gracious..........

Granted that we did not indulge in the 'high end' wines, but
rather, the preferred peoples wine, as the common 'yard stick'
of comparison.

We know that you don't need to travel such a long distance to

The Web-Cam is active at The Rancho Ricardo:

www.ranchoricardo.net the user name and password is: ranch & ranch

Several new features are on their way to completion.

There will be much more progress to see in the summer of 2009

Come join in the fun....

We have plans, big plans for you, cool Colorado is waiting. A wonderful group of the Rancho Ricardo Wine members, family, friends and neighbors plus more progress in the Garden, but most of all, a renuion of the spirits. (a Morris Ranch 2005 Pinot Noir)

Actually, the summer of 2oo8 begins well before ....

The annual cycle for us begins in May and continues through  our great summer with family and friends in Colorado.  October  brings the snow and our eventual escape back to our warm weather hideaway for the winter...... 

Twas the night before harvest, and all through the fields
Not a creature was stirring, who cares about yields

The ranch hands were sleeping, all sung in their beds
With visions of hard work, and more work ahead

When down on the road, there came such a clatter
Ricardo awoke to find, what was the matter….

What appeared in the light, of the moon all aglow
Was a tractor, a trailer, in the fields far below

As Ricardo got dressed, and ran out the door
He knew that the chase, could be a big chore

The moment that I learned of the Crushpad fine wine making program for wanna be wine makers, I knew that they had me in mind. I am the poster boy for the 'Good Start but weakens in the streach' project manager ever......                     I once talked a co-worker into a joint venture in building a hangglider. After months and months of finding, making and assembling the parts, it was time to decide who would fly this bird off the mountain. After much discussion my partner in the project insisted that I would take the 'Hindenburg' as we called it, on it's maden flight.

We moved silently through the twilight, armed with the mightiest of Northern California wepons, stealthly we moved past the rows of perfectly manicured vines, taking only what we needed to complete our mission in the city. We will travel to a place known only to a few fortunate souls, for this is our last gathering before the ultimate attack on.......               

Let's pause to give you some backgroung at this point.....  We were inticed to this siene by the relentless verbal and visual assults on our senses, We are a very diverse group, who's mission was to follow the unbelieveable intense barage of tantilizing visions of creation and fulfillment. Having been ravaged by the lack of any meaningful connection with the earth, we have come together on this late evening in September, armed to the cork with wild eyed courage and determination......