Fruit Of The Vine
- Thread starter usedto
- Start date
usedto
Lunatic Member
Thank you. I have always loved this photo, and knew it would do the bottle justice.
My biggest fear was that the wine might not be worthy of the project. So far, it seems my fears were unwarranted.
And thank you. It's all about the family.
usedto
Lunatic Member
Thank you all for the compliments. Everyone who has seen the bottles love the label, as will as the history on the back. Better yet - they all seem to think highly of the wine. As I said in the beginning, the grapes weren't raised completely properly for making red wine, so it's quite a relief that it came out at least respectable.
usedto
Lunatic Member
Wine has been distributed to most of the family and a few close friends that I wanted to include in the premier of my idea. So far, everyone is extremely pleased with the wine, as well as the label. A few who have a better trained palate than I have made the same comment - although good, is is suffering from "bottle shock". That's an affliction (according to those who know these things) that occurs during bottling that causes the flavors to become 'disjointed', and the wine needs to sit for some time to reach it's best flavor. It has been highly recommended that I let it sit for at least 6 months to get the full benefit. I think that's what I'll do.It's currently in a wine warehouse near the winery. It costs $8 per month to have the pallet kept there. I have no place to keep that quantity around here.
Which brings me to this little item. Back in 2000, I bought 8 refrigerators at one of the nearby military bases. They were all new, still in their original cardboard sleeves. They got rid of them because upon inspection, they found all of the power cords had cracked rubber insulation, so instead of replacing the cord, they put them out to pasture. The government paid about $1200.00 each for them in 1987. I bought all of the ones that didn't have forklift marks for $170 each and sold most of them immediately.
They're blood/hemoglobin refrigerators. All stainless steel, dual control, 27" X 27" X 42" tall. Somehow one of them got buried in the warehouse for awhile, and has actually been sitting outside on a pallet for the last few years. I've walked past it a thousand times and didn't pay any attention to it - until Sunday. It dawned on me that it might make a great wine storage unit.
Wine is supposed to be kept between 48 and 65 degrees, with the optimum being 55. The less temperature fluctuation, the better. These refrigerators were made to house blood, so they don't get real cold - 40 degrees is the median temp. You don't want blood - or wine - to freeze. I took it out of the carton, killed all the black widows, replaced the power cord, and plugged it in. BINGO - I have a wine fridge! I set it at the highest temp setting and let it set for a few hours for the temp to stabilize - about 55 degrees according to the built-in thermometer. Perfect
I had three cases and a few stray bottles in the house, so I cleared out a spot in the warehouse under some shelving, slid it in place, plugged it in, and filled it up. Holds 3 cases with room for a few stray bottles.
I tossed in a few surplus thermometers just to check, but they all read different. I'll go with the one built in the fridge.
Should be really good wine come the holidays.
Which brings me to this little item. Back in 2000, I bought 8 refrigerators at one of the nearby military bases. They were all new, still in their original cardboard sleeves. They got rid of them because upon inspection, they found all of the power cords had cracked rubber insulation, so instead of replacing the cord, they put them out to pasture. The government paid about $1200.00 each for them in 1987. I bought all of the ones that didn't have forklift marks for $170 each and sold most of them immediately.
They're blood/hemoglobin refrigerators. All stainless steel, dual control, 27" X 27" X 42" tall. Somehow one of them got buried in the warehouse for awhile, and has actually been sitting outside on a pallet for the last few years. I've walked past it a thousand times and didn't pay any attention to it - until Sunday. It dawned on me that it might make a great wine storage unit.
Wine is supposed to be kept between 48 and 65 degrees, with the optimum being 55. The less temperature fluctuation, the better. These refrigerators were made to house blood, so they don't get real cold - 40 degrees is the median temp. You don't want blood - or wine - to freeze. I took it out of the carton, killed all the black widows, replaced the power cord, and plugged it in. BINGO - I have a wine fridge! I set it at the highest temp setting and let it set for a few hours for the temp to stabilize - about 55 degrees according to the built-in thermometer. Perfect
I had three cases and a few stray bottles in the house, so I cleared out a spot in the warehouse under some shelving, slid it in place, plugged it in, and filled it up. Holds 3 cases with room for a few stray bottles.
I tossed in a few surplus thermometers just to check, but they all read different. I'll go with the one built in the fridge.
Should be really good wine come the holidays.
Great label, and even better story behind it! Wish I could find a wine fridge like that just sitting around. 
usedto
Lunatic Member
Thought I'd give an update , just so you'll know everything involved. I said earlier that I had trademarked the name "Sisters Joens". I need to clarify that - I APPLIED for a trademark. I did it a day or two after we bottled the wine in April. I did the application online and paid the $225 application fee. You have to show the name, as well as a sample of it in use (I sent a label). They tell you in advance it can take some time to get a reply.
Yesterday I got an email from the TEAS (Trademark Electronic Application System) that my application had been denied. The reason - "Joens" is no more than a surname, and that can't be used as a Principal Trademark (I didn't know there were any others) . Adding "Sisters" doesn't change the fact. I was irritated, and a little confused, since there are so many trademarked business that are merely a surname. After getting over my ire, I decided to read the WHOLE email.
Seems you CAN use as surname as a principal.trademark, but only after it has a track record. (5 years). They allow you to amend the original application and change it to a "Supplemental" trademark. That gives you most but not all advantages of the Principal. Once the 5 years is up, you can them apply for the Principal Trademark by showing that it's been in use. Click on a link, check the "Amend To Supplemental" box, sign, and return. Done for now.
Another tidbit - trademark applications are public record and all of the info (including email address) are shown to anyone who wants to look it up. That means when you apply, you start getting email from God knows how many trademark attorneys offering to submit the application for you. They stop after a few weeks. That is, until you get a rejection notice like I did. That's also public info, so they all send email again offering to help you out - for a fee, of course.
Hopefully they'll stop pretty soon.
Yesterday I got an email from the TEAS (Trademark Electronic Application System) that my application had been denied. The reason - "Joens" is no more than a surname, and that can't be used as a Principal Trademark (I didn't know there were any others) . Adding "Sisters" doesn't change the fact. I was irritated, and a little confused, since there are so many trademarked business that are merely a surname. After getting over my ire, I decided to read the WHOLE email.
Seems you CAN use as surname as a principal.trademark, but only after it has a track record. (5 years). They allow you to amend the original application and change it to a "Supplemental" trademark. That gives you most but not all advantages of the Principal. Once the 5 years is up, you can them apply for the Principal Trademark by showing that it's been in use. Click on a link, check the "Amend To Supplemental" box, sign, and return. Done for now.
Another tidbit - trademark applications are public record and all of the info (including email address) are shown to anyone who wants to look it up. That means when you apply, you start getting email from God knows how many trademark attorneys offering to submit the application for you. They stop after a few weeks. That is, until you get a rejection notice like I did. That's also public info, so they all send email again offering to help you out - for a fee, of course.
Hopefully they'll stop pretty soon.
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usedto
Lunatic Member
Just had to drop this post-script. Wifey had this made for me for Christmas. It's made by a company called "Bambeco", and their products are made out of recycled things. This serving tray is made out of a wine barrel end and recycled steel, with whatever you want laser cut in it. Appropriately, I took the photo with it sitting in the chair that Grandma (one of the Sisters Joens) gave me back in the 50s.
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usedto
Lunatic Member
Mystic
We're all born mad
Salut!
usedto
Lunatic Member
And the final chapter.
Last October the people who own all of the property around our Lodi vineyard contacted me about selling the property to them. We (my siblings and I) declined at the time, but he was persistent. He and his wife wanted to build a house there, taking advantage of the beautiful view from that one parcel. In the meantime, there was a shakeup in the wine industry, leading to a glut of grape juice, and some 30,000 acres of grapes being removed in CA. The family that had been farming it for us were at the end of their contract with the winery, and the future looked bleak. After some negotiating, my siblings and I agreed to sell the property. We asked top dollar, but them owning the surrounding fields and the spectacular view of the Mokelume River made the deal feasible. We signed a contract. I got a call from the title company this morning that it recorded and escrow had closed.
It was the last of the original property my great-grandfather had purchased in 1902 that was still held by the family, but all good things must come to an end. The new owners will be removing the grape vines and planting almonds, and they have children who will carry on the family farming.
Good-bye, Joens property. I still have a little over 400 bottles of the 2014 Sisters Joens wine made from your vines. We will toast you often.
Last October the people who own all of the property around our Lodi vineyard contacted me about selling the property to them. We (my siblings and I) declined at the time, but he was persistent. He and his wife wanted to build a house there, taking advantage of the beautiful view from that one parcel. In the meantime, there was a shakeup in the wine industry, leading to a glut of grape juice, and some 30,000 acres of grapes being removed in CA. The family that had been farming it for us were at the end of their contract with the winery, and the future looked bleak. After some negotiating, my siblings and I agreed to sell the property. We asked top dollar, but them owning the surrounding fields and the spectacular view of the Mokelume River made the deal feasible. We signed a contract. I got a call from the title company this morning that it recorded and escrow had closed.
It was the last of the original property my great-grandfather had purchased in 1902 that was still held by the family, but all good things must come to an end. The new owners will be removing the grape vines and planting almonds, and they have children who will carry on the family farming.
Good-bye, Joens property. I still have a little over 400 bottles of the 2014 Sisters Joens wine made from your vines. We will toast you often.
Music2Myear
Addicted Member
Great story and history thanks for sharing. I am familiar with the whole process as I planted a small 300 vine backyard vineyard and did the whole process you went through on a smaller scale and by hand only. It is a very labour intensive form of farming and all can be dashed in that last few critical days till harvest. I still have about 16 vines of Baco Noir that I have just pruned and hope to get a 23 litre batch to ferment out. That will give me approx 30 bottles. Yours is a great story . Cheers, and enjoy your wine.
