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Verjus and Kokomo

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These are two words you most likely do not have in your wine vocabulary. So what exactly are Verjus and Kokomo? Verjus is a French term that translates into “green juice.” It is a product of wine grapes that are not fully ripe. The grapes are also not fermented. Verjus is acidic and, therefore, a wonderful ingredient in gourmet cooking. Kokomo is the name of a winery in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County. Kokomo makes wonderful wines and is one of the few wineries that produce a Verjus. The only other California winery that I know of that produces a Verjus is the Navarro Winery in the Anderson Valley of Mendocino. I have been using a bottle of the Kokomo Verjus and testing it in various recipes.

Verjus made by Kokomo

Verjus made by Kokomo Winery

Verjus and Kokomo Winery

Salad Dressing

Right off the top, Verjus is the ideal substitute for vinegar in making a salad dressing. Vinegar in a salad dressing clashes with any wine that you might be serving. Add Verjus instead of vinegar and you will certainly have much more enjoyment from your wine selection. I made the Kokomo salad dressing recipe found on their Website and it is delightful.  The dressing is for Wild Arugula Pear Salad. I use this salad dressing for many other types of salads.  I also tried a favorite Caesar salad dressing of mine and instead of using lemon juice I substituted Verjus. Much better!

More recipes using Verjus

Apparently, in Medieval times, Verjus was quite the chef’s ingredient. Then along came the popularity of lemons and Verjus nearly vanished from the cooking shelf. Today Verjus is back!  It offers the dish a softer and more subtle tartness then does lemon juice.  So first off, experiment and substitute Verjus in any recipe that calls for lemon juice. On the Web, there are many recipes specifically using Verjus. Kokomo has several recipes and Navarro Vineyards has a Verjus cookbook that can be downloaded for free. These are recipes from great restaurant chefs in the Mendocino area.

About Kokomo Winery and Navarro Vineyards

Kokomo Winery is located on Dry Creek Road near the town of Healdsburg. Their tasting room and several other tasting rooms are located at Timber Crest Farms, about 4.5 miles from the Dry Creek Exit on Highway 101. The tasting room is open daily from 11 am to 4:30 pm. More info.  I really enjoy the variety of wines that Kokomo offers and the very laid-back atmosphere and unusual tasting room decor.

Navarro Vineyards is one of my favorite wineries. We’ve been visiting Navarro Vineyards since the late 1970s. They make delicious Alsatian-style wines and wonderful Pinot Noir. I think Navarro Vineyards has one of the prettiest picnic areas in wine country.  The Navarro tasting room is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm in the winter and 9 am to 6 pm in the summer. And, get this, no tasting room fee!

Navarro verjus

Navarro tasting room in the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County

Rombauer – the innovator

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optical grape sorter

Rombauer Vineyards – optical grape sorter

We were invited to a press event at Rombauer Vineyards in St. Helena last week. We had been to the Rombauer tasting room on several occasions, but this event was a special look inside the Rombauer Vineyards cellars with winemaker Richie Allen and KR Rombauer III. Did we ever learn a lot about Rombauer wines!  Everyone knows about the ever-popular, and sometimes scorned, Rombauer Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay. It’s the flagship wine at Rombauer and, with a 100,000-case production, it is sold widely in wine shops, supermarkets and many restaurants. But there is so much more to Rombauer than this Chardonnay.  There are small lots of Chardonnay made from single vineyards and selected blocks of vineyards. Then there is a lineup of Cabernet Sauvignon that is very impressive.  Two innovations in winemaking at Rombauer give an insight into how much effort is spent on a quest for, as KR Rombauer stated,  “making a better wine each and every vintage.”

 

The Optical Sorter

Yes, the Rombauer Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay is the flagship wine, but the optical sorter is used only for the red wines. All the Chardonnay wines are whole-cluster fermented. Red wine production is quite different, and an important step in red wine making is the sorting table. A cluster of red grapes needs to be de-stemmed, and everything is removed except the good berries. This is tedious work and it requires a lot of workers. But the optical sorter can do this job in minutes. As explained by head winemaker Richie Allen, the optical sorter software is programmed to scan for a certain size of berry. In nanoseconds, the scanner discards the unwanted berries and other vegetation. The optical sorter passes along the right-sized berries to be crushed and fermented. It’s astonishing how this works. Rombauer was one of the first to implement the optical sorter in the Napa Valley, and undoubtedly one of the few wineries to have two optical sorters.

60-gallon oak barrel fermentation for Cabernet Sauvignon

60-gallon oak barrel fermentation is a rarity in the Napa Valley. Only Beaulieu Vineyards is doing the same, but just with their George de Latour red blend. 60-gallon barrel fermentation began in 2010 as an experiment at Rombauer. The heads of the barrels are popped off and filled with the crushed fruit. The barrels are turned on their sides and placed on a rack with wheel sets. These barrels are turned a quarter of a turn back and forth three to four times a day until fermentation is complete. In 2010 the experiment began with just two barrels, and today that successful experiment has translated into 600 barrels. It is only the Cabernet Sauvignon that is fermented in this manner.

Rombauer Cabernet Sauvignon

60 gallon oak barrels for fermenting Rombauer Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Rombauer wines

Following the tour of the cellars, we tasted the Rombauer lineup of Chardonnay and Cabernet wines. We also tasted the first-ever vintage of a Sauvignon Blanc. The Rombauer Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and refreshing, with a fantastic mouth feel. Our tasting of  the Chardonnay wines began with Carneros Chardonnay followed by small lots of four Chardonnays.  Our favorite was the Home Ranch Chardonnay ($70). It was interesting to observe that after tasting the small-vineyard Chardonnays, the Carneros Chardonnay tasted rather flat in comparison. On the Cabernet Sauvignon side of Rombauer, we tried five elegant wines.  Rombauer may be noted for its Chardonnay, but these Cabs were quite delicious. Perhaps the optical sorting and the small-barrel fermenting is the reason for producing these intense but balanced Cabs. Our favorite of the tasting was the 2012 Atlas Peak Vineyard ($90).

The Rombauer Vineyard tasting room is located on Silverado Trail at the northern end of the Valley.  The tasting room is open daily, but check the Rombauer Website for complete visiting details. The tasting room will be undergoing renovations, so be sure to check http://www.rombauer.com/visit/tastings/.

Resources for Silverado Wineries

 

Zinfandel lovers – mark your calendars

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Zinfandel lovers – mark your calendars for February 25 to 27

Zinfandel festival

Zinfandel galore at the ZinEX

I know that we have many Zinfandel lovers who come to the Wine Country Getaway’s Website to plan a trip to wineries producing wonderful Zinfandel wines. Here’s an easy way to get to a huge number of Zinfandel producers and taste their fantastic Zinfandel wines. It is ZinEx in San Francisco taking place Thursday, February 25 through Saturday, February 27. This year’s Zinfandel gathering will be even more special. 2016 ZinEx will be the 25th anniversary of this gathering of Zinfandel enthusiasts.

The happenings at this year’s ZinEX

Thursday, February 25 from 1:30 – 4 PM: A pre-event Trade and Media tasting* at the Bently Reserve in San Francisco. Joe and I will be attending this event and I will certainly report back to our readers on the highlights of this event. This tasting gives us the opportunity to meet and talk with winemakers about their latest Zinfandel releases.

*Please note that this Trade and Media tasting is not open to the public.

Thursday, February 25 from 5 to 7 PM: A 25-Year-Tribute Party held at the Bently Reserve celebrates ZAP’s 25th anniversary in resplendent style with a tasting featuring 60 winemakers. ZAP’s founders will be pouring cult collections, rare bottlings and vineyard designates. It’s a toast to legacy, inspiration and Zinfandel. There will be a special performance by Margaret Belton, the critically-acclaimed star of “Always…Patsy Cline.”

Friday, February 26 from 10:30 AM – 1 PM: Flights! “Forums of Flavor” takes place at the Bently Reserve.  This will feature a professional tasting seminar focused on highly allocated, limited production Zinfandels, tailored to wine aficionados. This year, ZAP is partnering with the Historic Vineyard Society to present wines from exceptional old vine Zinfandels.

Friday, February 26 from 5:30 to 10 PM: Join ZAP for an evening of dazzling indulgence during the Winemakers Dinner, Silver Anniversary Spectacular, in Bently Reserve’s Banking Hall. The intimate evening features celebrities of the wine world as 28 winemakers “pour it big” with magnums and reserve offerings. This is a chance to meet and talk with winemakers, who will host each dinner table.  The dinner will include a customized farm-to-table menu crafted with meticulous care. Live and silent auctions offer one-of-a-kind lots, rare bottles, and winery experiences with proceeds benefitting ZAP’s programming, education and Heritage Projects. There are two ticket levels available for this event: Reception & Silent Auction for $95/person; Reception, Silent Auction, Dinner & Live Auction for $295/person. To purchase, visit www.zinfandelexperience.com

Saturday, February 27 from 11 AM – 5 PM: Zinfandel enthusiasts will enjoy the opportunity to “Meet the Makers” during the Grand Tasting at Pier 27 in San Francisco. Located on the Embarcadero, with a spacious open floor plan and panoramic views of the bay, doors open at 11 AM for the exclusive Past, Present and Future Tasting for VIPs and all-day ticket holders. At this event, more than 150 winemakers and principals will pour samples and provide a “sneak peek” of upcoming vintages and special ‘Reserve’ Zinfandels. ZAP members will also be admitted at 1PM and non-members at 2PM, in time for the New Releases Tasting. Over 400 different wines will be poured by 150 leading Zinfandel producers. ZAP Heritage Club members will enjoy exclusive access to the Heritage Lounge on Saturday.

Complete ticket information go to: http://www.zinfandelexperience.com/

Gnarly old vine Zinfandel

Gnarly old vine Zinfandel

 

 

Ten Tips For the California Wine Country Traveler

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about wine country getaways

Joe and Janelle in St. Helena , September 2015. St Clement winery on the hill.

We have been traveling the wine country for many years. We travel year round to visit wineries and tasting rooms. Each season and month bring its own rewards in wine country.  We are seasoned wine country tourists and we have some travel tips for you.

Ten Tips For the California Wine Country Traveler

Tasting room fees can quickly add up

Walk into any tasting room these days and more than likely you will be paying a fee to taste wine. In the Napa Valley the average is in the $10 to $20 range, with the high-end wineries charging much more. To save on tasting fees, share a single tasting with your partner or friend. Stop off at the local Chamber of Commerce office and pick up any discount or two-for-one coupons for tasting. If you stay at a local B&B or hotel, they usually offer a few coupons.

Tasting rooms in town save driving but you miss the experience

Napa, Yountville, Healdsburg, Sutter Creek, Murphys, you name it, they all have tasting rooms where you can walk outside your hotel or B&B and never get into a car to taste a plethora of wines. The one thing these tasting rooms lack is wine country. You came to see vineyards, wine barrels, fermenting tanks, and bottling lines. Go to a working winery and take in the sounds and smells of the wine country.

The Designated Driver

The Highway Patrol is increasing their patrols everywhere in wine country. Small towns have the local sheriff on the prowl. DUI related costs can add up to $10,000. Hire a limo, take Platypus, or have a driver that will not drink a drop.

Put the wine club on hold

Just about every winery has a wine club and joining one is always a temptation, especially when you have imbided just a tad too much. Take the brochure home with you and think about it. Wine clubs are a big source of income for the wineries. You pay top dollar for the wine even though you may get a so-called 10 to 20 percent discount. Wineries sell their wine at the top retail price, plus you always have shipping costs.

Big crowds at popular tasting rooms – avoid them

On weekends all the popular wineries are going to be crowded, often layers deep with people anxious to taste. Hit the tasting rooms before noon and you will likely find them sparse. Get off the beaten path for the afternoon and there will be fewer crowds to contend with. The best way to avoid the big crowds is to travel to wine country during the week.

Make your reservations for lodging and restaurants well in advance

This is especially true for the popular holidays, the summer season, and harvest time. Book as early as possible, you can always cancel at most lodging establishments a few days before without a penalty fee.

Experience a mix of wineries

There are many types and styles of wineries ranging from the small, single family-owned wineries to huge multi-owned wineries like Constellation, Jackson Wines, Treasure Wine Estates, and Gallo. Get a feel for both. Some have elaborate tasting rooms filled with merchandise, while the very small winery might have a tasting bar set up in their barrel room. You can search for different styles of wineries on the Winery Finder/Trip Planner.

Pace yourself

Enjoy the wine country lifestyle. We recommend visiting three wineries max in one day. Mesh in a picnic lunch at a winery and relax for an hour or more and take in the beauty of wine country.

Avoid driving to restaurants

Find lodging within walking distance of good restaurants or check with the hotel for taxi service. This way all can enjoy, without worries, the wonderful wine produced in the wine country you are visiting.

Direct your Limo driver

If you hire a Limo driver, be sure to hand the driver your itinerary. In many cases Limo drivers will try and steer you to their favorite wineries. Many wineries require reservations for Limo groups, so make sure they know your group is coming.
It’s a good idea to bring plastic spit cups with you to remind that you don’t have to drink the whole amount poured into your glass.

Plan you trip with Wine Country Getaways

Use our handy Trip Planner to find and map wineries. Consult our lodging, restaurant, picnic and deli pages to find our top recommendations.  Pick one of our wine trails.

Pepe Galante and Bodega Salentein

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Pepe Galante

Pepe Galante on the right with Matias Bauza Moreno

Meeting Jose Antonio “Pepe” Galante – winemaker at Bodega Salentein

One of the benefits of wine blogging is an occasional invitation to meet with winery owners and winemakers.  This invitation was special. We were invited by Balzac Communications to a dinner with Pepe Galante. Pepe was here in the U.S. on tour to promote Bodega Salentein wines and to celebrate his 40 years of winemaking in Argentina. The dinner was held at the Osso Steakhouse on Nob Hill in San Francisco.  How fitting to have a dinner with Pepe at a famous San Francisco steakhouse. We know how much Argentina loves its beef.

Janelle and I, along with blogger friends Mike and Mary, had the good fortunate to visit Bodega Salentein in the Uco Valley of Mendoza in March of 2009.  That’s the harvest season in South America. We stayed in their wine lodge, Posada Salentein, for three nights.  Salentein is a first-class winery and wine lodge, with amazing views of the vineyards against the Andes Mountains. We were treated to wonderful meals, wine, and a tour and tasting at Bodega Salentein.  Salentein is owned by Mijndert Pon, a Dutchman who imported cars to Holland. The year after we visited Salentein, Pepe Galante was appointed as head winemaker at Bodega Salentein. Prior to that, Pepe had been the winemaker at the famous Bodega Catena Zapata winery in Mendoza, Argentina.

Our dinner at Osso was delicious, but more importantly was the chance to sit  and talk with Pepe Galante. He indeed is one of the great Argentine winemakers and recognized for his skills throughout the world. He has an amazing passion for creating wines at Salentein and for teaching young winemakers what he has learned over the past 40 vintages. He left Catena because he felt he needed a change and a new challenge. When Pepe explored the Salentein Vineyards, he was greatly impressed with the soils of the land and the higher-elevation vineyards. He immediate saw the potential in the terroir. The Salentein wines were good in 2009 when we visited and, after tasting our dinner wines, what a difference a winemaker can make! These wines are absolutely delicious.

We were treated to four fantastic wines with our dinner. First was from the Killka label, a more affordable line of wines. This wine was a refreshing Torrontes from Mendoza. We were also served a 100% single-vineyard Chardonnay. Wow! What an amazing Chardonnay, and in so many ways like a White Burgundy wine. These two wines were paired with traditional San Francisco crab cakes. I will get back to the Chardonnay shortly. With our delicious Filet Mignon entrée, we were were served two reds. We had a 100% Malbec and a 100% Cabernet Franc, both from Salentein’s high-end line of wines. Both wines paired very well with the veggies and the wonderful, juicy filet. As we finished dinner, Pepe poured himself a small glass of the Chardonnay. He noticed that I was curious about this, so he offered me a glass and said, “You will notice something more.” The Chardonnay flavor virtually exploded in my mouth, along with a finish of great depth. Pepe said that there is something about this Chardonnay that finishes off a heavy meal. Delightful!  I am always on the search for excellent wines at a value price. These Salentein wines are so much so. I have had good success locating Salentein’s Portillo, usually under $10,  and Bodega Salentein Reserve labels under $20. The single-vineyard wines we tasted range in price from $35-$65. Use wine-searcher.com to find Bodega Salentein wines near you.

If you have the chance to travel the wine country of Argentina, you should consider a stay at the Posada Salentein (lodging and dining) and a tour and tasting at the winery, Bodega Salentein.  Here is a little more information on Mendoza wine country of Argentina.

Our visit to Salentein

Napa Valley Bits & Pieces of News – Wine Train Debacle

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train napa

To ride or not ride the train in Napa

Is Wine Tasting in the Napa Valley a Whites only activity?

The recent Wine Train debacle where a women’s book club of 10 Black women and one white woman were kicked off the wine train brought something clearly to my attention. We visit many tasting rooms in the Napa Valley and Sonoma, as frequently as any wine country travelers. The wine train incident made me realize that wine tasting in the Napa Valley and elsewhere in California is largely a White activity. Rarely in a Napa Valley or Sonoma tasting room does one see people of color enjoying a wine tasting flight. The only people of color I see in a tasting room are Latinos who work in the cellar or in the vineyards. We occasionally see Japanese visitors, but they are usually with a large tour group from Japan. I realize there are a few Latino and African American vintners in the Napa Valley, but why are there so few who come to the wine country to wine and dine? Are we intimidated or just not interested? We’d appreciate some feedback on this question.

The works of Ben Nixon at Mumm Napa Art Gallery

The works of Ben Nixon at Mumm Napa Art Gallery

New art exhibit at Mumm Napa

The very cool Mumm Napa art gallery has a new exhibit opening this Saturday, August 29, called “Timeless California & The Sierras: Photographs by Ben Nixon.” Ben Nixon creates landscapes using a 19th century, wet-plate collodion process. As you can see from the above photo, the images are very different and striking. A Mumm Napa Sparkling Gallery Opening Reception with Ben Nixon is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, and is open to the public. Details: “Join us and Ben Nixon for an evening of sparkling wine, stunning art, and the opportunity to learn about Ben’s unique photography style, all while sipping Mumm Napa sparkling wines. August 29, 6:30-8pm. No fee to attend, RSVP Required. RSVP at 800.686.6272.” Cabernet harvest

Harvest activities

The harvest of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc is nearing completion, with the red grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon at the forefront nearing harvest. So far it looks like yields are down but, according to many in the vineyards, the quality is high.  Cabernet Sauvignon will be harvested very shortly. Vintners who like a lighter style will harvest their Cab grapes within a week or so. Those who like a more robust Cabernet style of wine will harvest in two to three weeks. Cairdean Estate Rousanne

Cairdean Vineyards introduces “Whites in Flight”

Cairdean Vineyards is offering a taste of five unique white wines inspired by the wines from around the globe. These are Gewurztraminer, Picpoul Blanc, Riesling, Rousanne and Fume Blanc. It is very interesting that a Napa Valley winery would undertake the production of a 100% Roussane and the obscure Picpoul Blanc grape. I tasted all these wines; they are delicious and a welcomed change-of- pace from the usual fare of Chardonnay. At the winery, one can purchase these wines for $125 in a six-pack with a bonus bottle of the Cairdean Estate Rosé. Tasting this flight is $25 at the winery’s elegant tasting room.

In Search of the Perfect Fig Pizza

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This is fig season so why not try making a perfect fig pizza in your oven or on the BBQ grill. I got this recipe for fig pizza thanks to Chef Matt Paille, who created this pizza during his stint at the Manzinata Restaurant in Healdsburg. It really is a fabulous and delicious pizza even though I am still trying to perfect the exact taste of that pizza I had in September of 2009 at the restaurant. Chef Matt sent me the recipe but unfortunately it did not include his recipe for the pistachio pesto that is the base of this pizza. Maybe some of you out there can suggest your favorite recipe for pistachio pesto. I did a search on the Web and found several recipes for the pesto, and from them I concocted my own version included below.

oat cheese and pistachio pesto.

Fig Pizza with goat cheese and pistachio pesto. Wow!

This time of year we spend as much time outdoors as we can and that means lots of time on the grill, including barbequing pizzas. This is how to manage a pizza on the grill. Form your pizza dough on a pizza peel and make sure it will slide off the peel onto the grill. Hold it at a 20-degree angle and slide it off by shaking the peel gently. I cook the dough for two minutes at medium heat. At one minute I use a spatula and turn the dough a half turn so it doesn’t get burned grill marks. After two minutes take the dough out and turn it over on the pizza peel. To this cooked side add your toppings. Return to the grill and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, turning the pizza on the grill a quarter to a half turn with the spatula each minute.

For the fig pizza: Spread the pistachio pesto over the dough and add a layer of prosciutto. Add a layer of fresh sliced figs and some goat cheese. When you take the pizza out of the grill, drizzle olive oil over the pizza and add some salt if you like.

For the pesto:

  • one garlic clove
  • 1/3 cup shelled pistachio (plain-not roasted or salted)
  • 2 cups Fresh basil leaves – lightly packed
  • 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

First put the peeled garlic clove in the food processor and chop. Add Basil, pistachio, cheese and process.  While processor is running add olive oil to a spreadable consistency.

I like to make my own dough from scratch. The best dough recipe in my opinion is from Chef Joanne Weir. I cut the dough ball in half and make two 9-inch pizzas from the one ball of dough. As far the wine pairing goes, my preference is for one of those big Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel wines.

For wine pairing I like a red wine with some acidity. I think that cuts goat cheese a bit.  A Tempranillo from the Rioja, a Syrah from Santa Barbara, or perhaps a Merlot. For a white wine, a Viognier feels about right.

 

East Bay Vintner’s Event

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Urban Wine Xperience Pops Corks on Oakland Waterfront on August 1st in Jack London Square

Urban Wine Xperience

Urban Wine Xperience – 2014

Unknown to many a wine lover is the large contingent of Urban wineries in the East Bay cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda and Castro Valley. This is Urban Wine Country.  On August 1st, in Jack London Square, wine lovers will have a chance to experience what these fantastic wineries have to offer. You will be able to taste Grenache, Syrah, Zinfandel and other varietals. The event will take place from 1 to 4 pm.  To accompany the wine, there will be tasty bites from award-winning local eateries and food purveyors. Act quickly. Last year’s event was sold out and tickets are expected to go fast for the 10th -anniversary event. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1626900.

Participating wineries include Aubin Cellars, Carica Wines, Chouinard Vineyard and Winery, Dashe Cellars, Jeff Cohn Cellars, Mead Kitchen, R&B Cellars, Rock Wall Wine Company, Rosenblum Cellars, Stage Left Cellars, Paradox Wines, Urban Legend and Urbano Cellars, with more wineries set to join. 

Monte Rosso Mystique

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Monte Rosso Vineyard

The entrance to the Monte Rosso Vineyard

One of our first discoveries in California wines was the Louis M. Martini Winery. My Dad had a customer who was in wine sales and would sell him Louis Martini, Charles Krug, and Wente Bros. wines by the case. This was in the mid 1960’s. Get this: A bottle of Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon was slightly under $2 a bottle. My Dad’s gifts of these wines started us on our wine journeys. My first trip to the Napa Valley was a visit to the Louis Martini winery where I learned about the Monte Rosso Vineyard. I had aways wanted to visit the Monte Rosso vineyard and find out more about this mysterious vineyard located in Sonoma. Last Tuesday I, along with my friend and fellow wine blogger Mike Beltran, had an amazing two-hour educational tour of the prized Monte Rosso Vineyard on the Mayacamus mountains in Sonoma County. Thank you, Gallo, for this fabulous and informative tour. So what is the Monte Rosso mystique?  After our dazzling tour, I think it has to  be the place and the people.

The Place

The Monte Rosso location is near the town of Aqua Caliente on what is called Mount Pisgah. The elevation is 700 to 1200 feet, bringing an array of microclimates to the 250 acres planted to vines. In the late afternoon, cooling breezes flow from the San Pablo Bay, bringing daily temperature relief to the baking vineyards. But it is the soil that gives the Monte Rosso grapes their special characteristic. The soil is Red Hill Loam. This is volcanic soil deposited when Mount Veeder erupted eons ago, building the mountain and the rolling topography. The Red Hill Loam among the green rows of vines is a beautiful sight to see. If you have ever tasted a wine made from Monte Rosso grapes, you’ve probably noticed that there is a distinctive character to the wine. It’s generous but elegant, with a perfumed characteristic.  Is it the iron in the red soil that gives the wine this distinction? Besides Louis Martini, there are a host of wineries that purchase Monte Rosso grapes to produce Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Among the wineries are Biale, Bedrock, Stryker-Sonoma and Sbragia.

The People

First, there was Emmanuel Goldstein who purchased the property and planted the first vines in 1880. It’s hard to imagine how he was able to plant these acres in the rolling and sometimes steep hillside of volcanic soil. He also built a gravity-flow winery in 1886 that produced 20,000 cases of wine a year. The grapes were delivered to the top floor and the crush brought the grapes down to the lower level. The gravity flow winery is just a shell these days and fenced in after the most recent earthquake that shook the area a few months ago. In 1938, Louis M. Martini purchased the property after Goldstein’s death. Louis feared he would no longer be able to source Zinfandel from the Pisgah Vineyards.  Louis changed the named to Monte Rosso (red mountain). He added Cabernet Sauvignon to the vineyards and increased the vineyard acreage to 240 from the original 180.

In 2002, the Gallo Family purchased Louis M Martini, and with that purchase came the famed Monte Rosso Vineyard. The Gallo Family has a partnership with the Martini Family and grandson Michael Martini. Monte Rosso will continue as it is with no plans to increase vineyard acres on the 525-acre property.  Gallo would like to keep things on Monte Rosso much the same as Louis Martini had done. One example is a 3.8-acre vineyard block of 108-year-old Semillion. One might think that replacing those vines with Cabernet would make more business sense. But Gallo will keep those old vines. Ranch manager Brenae Royal toured us around the vineyards and we were impressed with the reverence given to the vineyards.  Full-time employees treat the vines as though they are their own. The veterans of the farm referred to several of the blocks by nicknames rather than just numbers. El Banco block is the one they think makes the most prized wines.  One interesting note to further the Monte Rosso Mystique: Brenae lives on the property in a Victorian house built in 1903. The Victorian is located near the old gravity-flow winery. She says with all sincerity that often she awakes in the middle of the night to hear music, singing and dancing coming from the ghost winery. Perhaps it is the ghosts that are keeping Monte Rosso unchanged and mysterious!

Monte Rosso Vineyard Slide Show

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More resources for Louis Martini Winery

Varietal theme wine tasting hunt

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cabernet sauvignon wine country

Cabernet Sauvignon is the specialty at the Silver Oak Winery in Oakville – Napa Valley

Do you like a certain wine varietal of red or white wine that is your favorite? Why not base your wine country travels on your preferred wine grape.  Here is a list of the top wine varietals  and where to find these wines in wine country. Hit the tasting rooms that specialize in these varietals. Collect your favorite wines from the tasting room visits for a blind wine tasting. Invite your friends over for a wine tasting party and see which wine is everyone’s favorite.

These are our personal favorite wine regions for each of these popular wine varietals. Each of these wines can be found in other wine regions of California. One can easily make a case for one wine region producing the best for each of these wine types. Tell us in the comment section your favorite wine varietal and the best wine region or AVA that makes this wine.

As the days roll along, we plan to do a post on each of these wine varietals and offer some advice on which wineries to visit and why. Stay tuned.

CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY REGIONS:

Carneros • Livermore • Lodi • Mendocino • Monterey • Napa Valley • Paso Robles • Santa Barbara County • Santa Cruz Mts. • Sierra Foothills • Russian River • Sonoma Valley

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