Hi all!

After a slow ramp up into fall, Ryker is now fully immersed in the creative energy of Harvest once again. (Meanwhile, Pooja is fully immersed in the creative energy of pumpkins, which she argues is equally important.) We anticipate these annual rhythms in winemaking, and September marks the return of a fresh start. ídola is all about following Nature’s lead - relinquishing our control over the process to see what the fruit is telling us it needs. That varies vintage to vintage, even week by week during Harvest, and keeps us on our toes. We’ve made changes to some of our fruit sourcing and we’re trying out some new processing protocols. It feels good to have a second go at something that was so rewarding a year ago. Amidst the comfort of a familiar pattern, we still get a healthy dose of surprise and delight.

We had to make some space in the cellar of course, so we are happy to announce the **2023** **vibe du vin** Paso Robles AVA red blend is in bottle. And as Pooja dictates, the vibe is *everything*. It’s so rare now for us to bother tasting wines “objectively” despite Ryker’s very technical background in wine. We imbibe in vignettes, if you will. The tablescape, the emotions, the company all affect the taste and that is what creates the magical moments of drinking wine.

Its sister, **2023** **a la riviera** Paso Robles AVA white blend, also made it into bottle, and the heat of a California August acted as the perfect grounds for beta testing. This particular vintage was inspired by our time in the south of France a few years back. There is a time and place for this wine for sure (we’ll let you dream up the perfect scene). We also recommend leaning on this wine when you’re not necessarily in that time and place, but *want* to be! We love letting wines transport us every now and then. Who said a little escape from reality was such a terrible thing?

The bottles are now getting some much needed rest before they make it out into the world. And they are waiting to be paired with their other siblings - nondenominational so(u)lera orange and single varietal Shiloh Ridge red. These 2 should be seeing their way to bottle at the start of the New Year (wish Pooja’s hands luck, they got wrecked last bottling). And then we will be ready to hit the market! Details on Wine Club will be coming out closer to that time. We are immeasurably grateful for all the support we’ve received - it’s given us the energy we need to get ídola off the ground.

Finally, diving into our new little segment - things that have been inspiring us! Flowers. Fish dip. Friendship. Imagine this: picking dried wildflowers along the trails to build a small bouquet that decorates the table we are sharing with sweet friends, savoring Ryker’s world famous fish dip (a 2025 trend forecast). Surf videos - the comfort of repetition intermingled with the satisfaction of some salience. Edith Piaf - just the perfect music to transport you to a different time and place. Try reading her life story on Spotify, it’s a novella!

Round 2