Peter Cole
@peterhcole.bsky.social
Dad. Wine/Cider Maker. Rugby old boy. Feminist. Ally. Irish Whistles/Flute. - Lead Janitor @NorskStrykr & Enologist at Four Feathers.
Winemaking, Winetracking, and the Lab staff all getting along, eating pizza, and exchanging gifts. I get to work with some great people and sometimes they get me a nice Bourbon and new UW hoodie (and that is cool too). Short weeks and everyone is mostly fleeing the winery for a well deserved break.
December 19, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Winemaking, Winetracking, and the Lab staff all getting along, eating pizza, and exchanging gifts. I get to work with some great people and sometimes they get me a nice Bourbon and new UW hoodie (and that is cool too). Short weeks and everyone is mostly fleeing the winery for a well deserved break.
Tasted through a mix of 18 organic and made from organic wines yesterday priced from $6-$30. 1) Overall, with some outliers, the bar on organic remains low 2) Winner was Elizabeth Rose “Chockablock” RD from CA with a nod to Biokult Naken lightly sparkled Pinot Gris/Muscat from Austria.
December 3, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Tasted through a mix of 18 organic and made from organic wines yesterday priced from $6-$30. 1) Overall, with some outliers, the bar on organic remains low 2) Winner was Elizabeth Rose “Chockablock” RD from CA with a nod to Biokult Naken lightly sparkled Pinot Gris/Muscat from Austria.
Several years ago I bought a wine rack system and a library ladder at auction. Next project - build a cellar that will fit in a bedroom closet sized area behind a “secret mirror”. Plan is to run floor to a very tall ceiling. 270 bottles on the racks and 108 sparkling bottles in the boxes. We’ll see!
December 2, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Several years ago I bought a wine rack system and a library ladder at auction. Next project - build a cellar that will fit in a bedroom closet sized area behind a “secret mirror”. Plan is to run floor to a very tall ceiling. 270 bottles on the racks and 108 sparkling bottles in the boxes. We’ll see!
It’s the day before Thanksgiving which means that we are squeezing a full week of winemaking tasks into half a week. Pro tip: Want stuff to actually get done around your winery? Promote women to be cellarmasters and leads. Pretty sure I am just here as a diversity hire and a nod to male tokenism ;)
November 26, 2025 at 4:22 PM
It’s the day before Thanksgiving which means that we are squeezing a full week of winemaking tasks into half a week. Pro tip: Want stuff to actually get done around your winery? Promote women to be cellarmasters and leads. Pretty sure I am just here as a diversity hire and a nod to male tokenism ;)
Disgorging the last of 16 different sparkling packagings today. Sugars have been right on target for all runs which is a huge testament to math, insanely complicated spreadsheets, and the process itself. Target today is 8g/L. Measured different bottles at 7.99, 8.03, 7.92, etc. Will be smug all day!
November 11, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Disgorging the last of 16 different sparkling packagings today. Sugars have been right on target for all runs which is a huge testament to math, insanely complicated spreadsheets, and the process itself. Target today is 8g/L. Measured different bottles at 7.99, 8.03, 7.92, etc. Will be smug all day!
I’ve found AI to be a very useful tool as long as you are cautious, explain clearly, and test. This morning I wanted a calculator I could use to dial in ferment tank set points based on fruit temp, tons, tank size, etc. 15 minutes and only 2 iterations later I had a calculator that does just that.
October 21, 2025 at 2:51 PM
I’ve found AI to be a very useful tool as long as you are cautious, explain clearly, and test. This morning I wanted a calculator I could use to dial in ferment tank set points based on fruit temp, tons, tank size, etc. 15 minutes and only 2 iterations later I had a calculator that does just that.
Disgorging some nice sparkling today for mostly internal consumption (employee case sales and some client sampling). Much math was still mathed and QC was fairly exhaustive for these small <100 case runs. Proved to be a good warm up for a multitude of upcoming external SKU’s.
October 7, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Disgorging some nice sparkling today for mostly internal consumption (employee case sales and some client sampling). Much math was still mathed and QC was fairly exhaustive for these small <100 case runs. Proved to be a good warm up for a multitude of upcoming external SKU’s.
Knocking out a 14,000 case tirage bottling this week. 504 bottles per cage = 330 cages to store. This is still a much simpler task than the 21 different disgorgements and labelings with 10 different dosage liquors currently being prepared for next week. My life consists of Excel sheets #sparkling
September 24, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Knocking out a 14,000 case tirage bottling this week. 504 bottles per cage = 330 cages to store. This is still a much simpler task than the 21 different disgorgements and labelings with 10 different dosage liquors currently being prepared for next week. My life consists of Excel sheets #sparkling
Sometimes while at work in the afternoon your boss tells you “Hey! You need to go upstairs and drink champagne”. Fine… Cuvée 4+5 was the winner but all 3 on the right were unique in their own way.
September 23, 2025 at 5:41 AM
Sometimes while at work in the afternoon your boss tells you “Hey! You need to go upstairs and drink champagne”. Fine… Cuvée 4+5 was the winner but all 3 on the right were unique in their own way.
Nice to see but not surprising. Hamill has always been a standup guy. Like many, I cancelled Disney+ earlier in the week. More loud boycotts of Disney/ABC and other organizations that bend the knee on free speech will unfortunately have to follow. I’ve spent a lot of money at Disney Parks.. no more.
Giving a bully your lunch money is only a temporary downpayment for future bullying.
We ALL need to step up for the first amendment.
By-the-way, for the record, this ex-Disney employee finds Jimmy Kimmel very talented and funny.
mh
We ALL need to step up for the first amendment.
By-the-way, for the record, this ex-Disney employee finds Jimmy Kimmel very talented and funny.
mh
September 20, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Nice to see but not surprising. Hamill has always been a standup guy. Like many, I cancelled Disney+ earlier in the week. More loud boycotts of Disney/ABC and other organizations that bend the knee on free speech will unfortunately have to follow. I’ve spent a lot of money at Disney Parks.. no more.
Right in the middle of packaging 17 different SKU’s over 10 days…Feels like it. White grapes are over half in and most reds are still looking a week or two out. The calm or tasting COA’s in the afternoon is nice!
September 15, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Right in the middle of packaging 17 different SKU’s over 10 days…Feels like it. White grapes are over half in and most reds are still looking a week or two out. The calm or tasting COA’s in the afternoon is nice!
20,000 cases of Cab getting bottled this week and 2,000 cases of sparkling being disgorged. Rinse and repeat for next week. Oh, harvest too. First handpick grapes (Chard) of the season coming in today and being pressed tomorrow for sparkling. …And just like that.. Harvest 2025 is underway!
August 18, 2025 at 3:01 PM
20,000 cases of Cab getting bottled this week and 2,000 cases of sparkling being disgorged. Rinse and repeat for next week. Oh, harvest too. First handpick grapes (Chard) of the season coming in today and being pressed tomorrow for sparkling. …And just like that.. Harvest 2025 is underway!
I am never more like a guy that was just handed the nuclear launch codes and asked to verify them… than I am when making a copper addition to a tank. Perhaps doubly so when it is my own booze and money on the line. Luckily, great success!
July 22, 2025 at 2:37 AM
I am never more like a guy that was just handed the nuclear launch codes and asked to verify them… than I am when making a copper addition to a tank. Perhaps doubly so when it is my own booze and money on the line. Luckily, great success!
1500lbs of honey became 300 gallons of Mead this weekend. 32.4 Brix, pitched with much go ferm and 2 nutrient additions of Fermaid O thus far. Bubbling nicely and will get some O2 tomorrow. All of this is destined for a secondary ferment in the bottle with a 50/50 Cider mix after filtering.
July 15, 2025 at 1:06 AM
1500lbs of honey became 300 gallons of Mead this weekend. 32.4 Brix, pitched with much go ferm and 2 nutrient additions of Fermaid O thus far. Bubbling nicely and will get some O2 tomorrow. All of this is destined for a secondary ferment in the bottle with a 50/50 Cider mix after filtering.
Went out and visited the vineyards in Mattawa this week (pocket cherries were purloined)
July 4, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Went out and visited the vineyards in Mattawa this week (pocket cherries were purloined)
“Some People” couldn’t get the brite tank to target and fought with it all day. I knocked it out in 90 minutes and it’s now at the perfect CO2 with a chef’s kiss amount of head pressure. I shall be smug about this the rest of the evening with only the slight fear that it will all go wrong tomorrow.
June 17, 2025 at 3:56 AM
“Some People” couldn’t get the brite tank to target and fought with it all day. I knocked it out in 90 minutes and it’s now at the perfect CO2 with a chef’s kiss amount of head pressure. I shall be smug about this the rest of the evening with only the slight fear that it will all go wrong tomorrow.
Finally made it over to see the new cherry line in operation. The speed at which the cherries are unbunched, optically sorted and then packed is pretty cool. Feels like a Disney ride with all the boxes floating around. Anyway, these organics should be in your local store in Europe in a day or two?
June 5, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Finally made it over to see the new cherry line in operation. The speed at which the cherries are unbunched, optically sorted and then packed is pretty cool. Feels like a Disney ride with all the boxes floating around. Anyway, these organics should be in your local store in Europe in a day or two?
Lots of graduates on my fridge this year. I figured the parents should maybe get something fun?
June 4, 2025 at 3:46 AM
Lots of graduates on my fridge this year. I figured the parents should maybe get something fun?
Bought random stuff at auction for the cidery today - topping wand, bulldog, racking cane, 5 Tri clamp butterfly valves, sanke valves, various blanks, etc. $280 I’ll take it. Should have bought a few more things but I was too cheap.
June 4, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Bought random stuff at auction for the cidery today - topping wand, bulldog, racking cane, 5 Tri clamp butterfly valves, sanke valves, various blanks, etc. $280 I’ll take it. Should have bought a few more things but I was too cheap.
Lots and lots of packaging lately with more to come. 3 different ‘23 Cabs tomorrow and then switching over to Tirage starting next week for 14 different SKU’s. Getting hot out here, cherry harvest starting Monday on the other side of the facility. Might sneak over for a peek at the fancy new line…
May 29, 2025 at 2:39 AM
Lots and lots of packaging lately with more to come. 3 different ‘23 Cabs tomorrow and then switching over to Tirage starting next week for 14 different SKU’s. Getting hot out here, cherry harvest starting Monday on the other side of the facility. Might sneak over for a peek at the fancy new line…
Sometimes you just have to go play rugby with your best family for a weekend. Always good to recharge the emotional batteries. Throwing in the lineout with a giant ball is harder than you think! Alaska Oosiks Rugby in Montana.
May 20, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Sometimes you just have to go play rugby with your best family for a weekend. Always good to recharge the emotional batteries. Throwing in the lineout with a giant ball is harder than you think! Alaska Oosiks Rugby in Montana.
4,000 cases of cab sauv going into bottles and boxes today. Rinse and repeat for the next few weeks. Despite what you might hear there are still folks drinking wine out there it would seem.
May 7, 2025 at 2:14 PM
4,000 cases of cab sauv going into bottles and boxes today. Rinse and repeat for the next few weeks. Despite what you might hear there are still folks drinking wine out there it would seem.
Disgorging day! First bottles from this run are done, around 40,000 more to go!
April 29, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Disgorging day! First bottles from this run are done, around 40,000 more to go!
I have been down a rabbit hole looking to further lower oxygen pick-up in canning various products. Much math was mathed and experiments are ongoing. Short answers will surprise no one: as few clamps as possible, short connections, fast run speeds, and still wines same temp as cans in most cases.
April 24, 2025 at 3:03 PM
I have been down a rabbit hole looking to further lower oxygen pick-up in canning various products. Much math was mathed and experiments are ongoing. Short answers will surprise no one: as few clamps as possible, short connections, fast run speeds, and still wines same temp as cans in most cases.
The Anton Paar and Cbox set-up was giving screwy numbers on and off this week. While I knew we were not getting 7,800ppm C02 in the can (target 1,400) this needed to be proven… “Hey what happened to those Carbodoseurs I saw around here somewhere…” So I sprayed streams of liquid everywhere - worked.
April 17, 2025 at 3:32 AM
The Anton Paar and Cbox set-up was giving screwy numbers on and off this week. While I knew we were not getting 7,800ppm C02 in the can (target 1,400) this needed to be proven… “Hey what happened to those Carbodoseurs I saw around here somewhere…” So I sprayed streams of liquid everywhere - worked.