Vino In My Dino

'CA'bernet Sauvignon

June 8, 2016 15:17

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Cabernet Sauvignon is king of the red wine grape acreage in California with 89,697 total acres, bested only by 6000 more acres of Chardonnay. It is the popular choice that put it here in the first place. Wine drinkers in the 1950s and 1960s recognized Cabernet Sauvignon and enjoyed its charms of fruit and tannin and growers followed suit. In Sonoma County (12,090 acres) it is the second most widely planted, with Pinot Noir reining in this particular category. Dry Creek Valley, where Cabernet is 3200 acres strong, has its’ own unique charms. What is distinctive about Cabernet Sauvignon from our valley?

First a bit of history. John Pedroncelli was the first grower in the valley to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in the mid-1960s. If there is a site specific grape I believe this is it. Beginning with that 5-acre planting we learned over the next 5 decades what it takes to get the best out of this varietal. We now farm 29 acres along the bench of Dry Creek Valley.

Cabernet needs sun to ripen and a long growing season. Dry Creek Valley’s climate is here to help with its’ ideal climate paired with the upper end of the degree day spectrum, a Region II. The all-important marine layer, cooling down the grapes at night, also helps to keep balance and complexity. The vigor this varietal brings to the vineyard can impede ripening so canopy management and crop management become key to grapes and wine with good flavors and balance. Those flavors of plum and berry fruit combined with tobacco or sage notes wrapped in a blanket of tannin are the core of Dry Creek Valley Cabernet.

Compare and contrast: there is literally a world of Cabernet Sauvignon out there. Pick out two or three bottles including our Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. Perhaps compare appellations with a Napa Valley, Washington State or Bordeaux selection. Either way you’ll educate your palate, which is what it’s all about.

Our estate Cabernet Sauvignon ready for harvest.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Cabernet Sauvignon
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Zin Valley

June 3, 2016 15:21

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I was asked recently what sets Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel apart from all the other Zins from various appellations? Just what is so very special? I think in a nutshell it is site specific meaning the ‘where’ rather than the ‘how’. Winemaking definitely makes its’ mark but what does growing Zinfandel in Dry Creek Valley offer?
1. Hillsides, plain and simple. Gentle rolling hills with fertile rocky soil. On parts of our Home Ranch you’ll see many types of soil but it is the hillside slant which challenges the vine, discourages overwhelming growth and provides the foundation for the ‘Dry Creek’ characteristics of berry and spice.
2. Climate, one suited for ripening grapes combined with cooling marine fog that settles in at night. This brings temperatures down substantially and helps to develop the right combination of ripening, acidity and pH which equals a balanced Zin.
3. Head pruned vines. This is borne of 89 years of vineyard know-how. It is how all vineyards were originally planted until the latter part of the 20^th century when vine trellising and cordon arms became the standard for planting Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and the like. This style developed the markers of great wines, giving the grower the opportunity to better ripen the fruit. We tried it and put a few acres of our Zinfandel on a wire. Now we are replanting back to the original head pruned style because we found Zin doesn’t like to be strung out-it prefers to keep the fruit close to the trunk of the vine where it ripens more evenly.
My suggestion is to compare and contrast. Pick up some of our Mother Clone Zinfandel and bring in another 2 or 3 other Zins from Paso Robles and the cooler Russian River Valley. Or even 3 from Dry Creek Valley. Invite friends, educate your palate, and, my favorite part, enjoy the wines for their stories, where they came from and who made them.

A mid-winter shot shows our Mother Clone Zinfandel on the Home Ranch.

Near harvest time, one of our oldest vines continues to produce fruit, now over 100 years old. Note where the crop has set.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Zinfandel, Mother Clone
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New Zin on the Block

May 25, 2016 15:47

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Replanting a portion of vineyard is a big project. When a block of vineyard has aged out (think low production--anyone ever hear of old vine Cabernet Sauvignon?) or become too virused to farm economically it is time to replant the vineyard. The subject is an almost 3 acres Petite Sirah block that was riddled with virus, nearly 20 years old at the time and we made the decision to pull it out. The process takes time so basically you put a portion of vineyard out of production for 2-3 years.

Originally planted to Zinfandel, John Pedroncelli replaced the aging vines with Petite Sirah to to be part of our Mother Clone blend. It was pulled out two years ago, lay fallow for a year and last April (2015) was planted with St. George rootstock-a “drought tolerant, aggressive hillside grower” as vineyard manager Lance Blakeley describes it. And coincidentally what all of our Zinfandel is planted on because of its’ hardy nature.

We gave the rootstock a year to settle in and then in mid-May two fellows from Top Notch came with budwood and went to work, grafting 1680 vines in a day and a half. A note about the process: rootstock is just what it says-the base of operations for the vine and it doesn’t produce fruit. You need to graft on the type of grape that will work well on this site. We chose the Rockpile clone of Zinfandel which is said to have smaller clusters and smaller berries with more intense fruit characteristics. While we’ll see grapes by 2018, the proof will be in the pudding so to speak when the vineyard matures in another 5 or 6 years. Until then I’ll post updates on the brand new Zinfandel vineyard, the third generation of vines on the property.

Even #dirkthedog was on the job keeping an eye on the new Zin block.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Zinfandel
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Reaching for the Sky

May 18, 2016 15:51

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Shoots are growing by leaps and bounds as the weather this week reaches into the 90s and the new canes seem to get longer by the hour. Thanks to plenty of water in the soil from our winter and spring rains the vine growth seems uninhibited. The vineyard crew is busily putting the finishing touches of what we call shoot selection (and old-timers call suckering) on each and every vine planted on our 105 acres. This means the unnecessary shoots, which take energy and nutrients away from the main crop, are nipped in the bud. And with all of temperate weather this spring the timing has paved the way for bloom to occur as the next stage of the future 2016 crop.

Did you know?

4,600 growers farm 543,000 acres of winegrapes in 46 of California's 58 counties, though vineyards cover less than one percent of the state's terrain.

Reach for the sky! Our Petite Verdot vines seem to say that as the growth in the vineyard is spurred on by a temperate spring.

Tags: Pedroncelli
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Travel kills the Blogposts

April 28, 2016 15:56

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With four weeks of travel and Passport to Dry Creek Valley weekend in between I have come to the conclusion it is not possible to post my thoughts until my return the week of May 16. I'll leave you with a photo of Dirk while on one of our vineyard walks earlier this month. Hoping to post photos from the market visits too! A splash of Zin in my Dino as I make my way to the northeast to tell our story.

Downward Dog Dirk in Dry Creek, near where our Sauvignon Blanc is planted.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Dry Creek Valley
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Down to Earth Month: Fish Friendly

April 8, 2016 16:00

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Recently my dad Jim and brother-in-law Lance (our vineyard manager) attended an event in Dry Creek Valley to get more information on the Dry Creek Habitat Enhancement project. As part of Down to Earth month we'll go fish friendly.

But first, I’ll take a walk down memory lane. When I was a kid growing up here ‘Dry Creek’ itself would dry up during the summer. The function of this major creek is to empty into the Russian River which in turn empties into the Pacific Ocean. When I was in high school the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began work on what would become known as Warm Springs Dam and Lake Sonoma. It was built for three main reasons: flood control, water supply and recreation. A fish hatchery was also part of the plan. As farmers we all know the importance of this vital element in both grape and wine growing. The argument was this dam was needed to save the lower parts of Sonoma County from excessive flooding in heavy rain years-see a photo below of the town of Guerneville during flood stage, with the dam in place-imagine what it would have been like without it!

Fast forward to 2012 or so and over the ensuing years lots of erosion along the creek banks has occurred because water is let out of the dam year round-widening and pitting in many places and making a poor habitat for the fish to thrive. In order to protect the endangered Coho salmon as well as the threatened Steelhead and Chinook, the Sonoma County Water Agency in cooperation with wineries, private landowners and the USACE proposed a six-mile habitat enhancement project. This development would use boulders, root wads and logs to create backwaters, side channels and shady habitats for the young fish that live in Dry Creek during the summer. Ultimately the project is intended to restore our creek to its original flow and restore the original ecosystem so that wildlife can thrive. We, as landowners, have agreed to participate in the program and are proud to continue this worthy venture. A toast with some Sauvignon Blanc (which grows along Dry Creek) in my glass to these future efforts.

The 1986 flooding of Guerneville along the Russian River.

Tags: Pedroncelli, weather
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Sustainable for Generations

April 4, 2016 16:04

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Spring is a great time to focus on the earth and the future bounty of a harvest what with the vineyards growing inches by leaps and bounds. This month also happens to be Down to Earth Month, established five years ago by Wine Institute’s California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) program to celebrate sustainability in both vineyards and wineries.

A couple of years ago Sonoma County’s winegrowers and vintners decided to put our words into action and created a deadline of 2019 for all vineyards and wineries to be certified sustainable. We here in Dry Creek Valley are proud to be part of this initiative to become a 100% sustainable wine region. Sustainability is defined by three key and comprehensive practices: being environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically viable. To me the idea of sustainable winegrowing boils down to good farming practices, good for the people and as a family we can make a living doing what we love.

So we, the Pedroncellis, find ourselves working through the self-assessment process and plan on being certified in the next year or so-well in advance of the deadline set by Sonoma County. Part of the process has us as a team in discussion about what we have achieved, what we can do better and what we can focus on in the future, for generations to come. Much like my grandparents, we hope to continue the legacy of several generations farming the same corner of Dry Creek Valley and be good stewards of what we have.

Interested in learning more? There is great information put together by the CSWA and I have found the best source is their website. Discover what it means for us as family businesses who have come together for the betterment of our land and our wines. Check out the number of vineyards and wineries over the last 10 years who have adopted the program from one end of the state to the other. I'll raise my glass of Mother Clone Zinfandel in celebration of being down to earth.

This is a close up of bell bean blossoms, part of the cover crop among the vines on our home ranch.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Mother Clone, certified sustainable
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Women's History Month: Julia Child

March 25, 2016 16:10

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In celebration of Women’s History Month, I take a look at the late Julia Child who influenced so many people with her cookbooks and cooking shows. One of the most impressive facts about her life is, at the age of 50, she changes course and delves into the world of French cooking. She was a writer (near and dear to my heart) and served in World War 2 working with highly classified information as chief of the OSS Registry. Her life was one of many adventures and I admire her bold choices. While I never met Julia Child I have three stories about her that involve Pedroncelli in one way or another.

When I began looking through newspaper clippings in my early days at the office, I came across a 1980s Parade article which focused on what was in celebrities’ refrigerators. The photo of Julia’s included, serendipitously, a bottle of our Chardonnay.

The wine connection continues with a story from one of our retailers in the Cambridge area where she and her husband Paul lived. A couple of years ago, when I was calling on Murray’s Liquors in Newton, the wine buyer, Rich Cataldo, told me a story about his experiences with Julia herself. At the time he was working in a wine shop near her home, one that Ms. Child frequented. He regaled me with this story and did a great impression of Julia asking about where to find Pedroncelli Gamay Beaujolais, a light red wine we don’t make any longer. She did love wine and it is so nice to be reminded of how much she liked ours.

Lastly we were honored a few years ago to have one of our family photographs installed in an exhibit at the Smithsonian’s American History Museum. The photo is an alfresco BBQ here at the winery in the 1950s. The name of the ongoing exhibit is FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000 and Julia’s home kitchen serves as the opening to the major exhibition on food history. A toast to a great lady with some of our Pinot Noir, a wine I know she would enjoy!

Our Chardonnay in the door of Julia's fridge!

And the photo exhibited at the FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000

Tags: Pedroncelli, Women's History Month
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Women's History Month: Sisters

March 23, 2016 16:51

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Women’s History Month is designated each year to celebrate the achievements and contributions by women in the history of our great nation. We seem to celebrate women everyday here-we are a large part of the staff from our office manager Kathy Cross to our winemaker Montse Reece. Women in my family have played an important role at the winery and in the vineyards from my grandmother Julia, who worked hard to ensure the success of their shared dream to the second generation including aunts Margaret, Marianne, Christine and my mother Phyllis who all played important roles from grape grower to businesswomen and advocates. There is a solid layer of us in the third generation including my sisters Cathy, Lisa & Joanna along with cousins Carol, Connie and Maureen. Fourth generation includes our daughter Adrienne who is a winemaker in Solvang CA and Denise MacNeil our graphics designer along with Erin & Sarah, Lisa's daughters and Katrina & Felicia, Cathy's daughters.

We four grew up together here at the winery-you might remember that my office is formerly my bedroom, the one shared with Joanna, my youngest sister. We played in the vineyard, traipsed through the cellar, pestered my uncle and dad with questions, ‘picked’ grapes, later on gained respect for the work done by the first and second generations and then followed in their footsteps, each blazing our own trail into the family business and beyond.

We now work together at the winery and our jobs are as diverse as we are. I took on marketing and travel almost from the start, after having honed my skills in the tasting room and offic. My sister Cathy, who owns her own bookkeeping and payroll service in San Francisco, has always worked with numbers-I used to call her The Collector because she was diligent in tracking those who were slow to pay. Lisa began in the tasting room when she was 18 and going to Santa Rosa Junior College taking viticulture courses. Hers’ is an administrative position balanced with care for her grandsons. Joanna began here in the office taking on many administrative duties but has cut back and is following her passion of animal rescue and care.

A toast to sisters everywhere but especially to my own. We all have our favorites-mine is our Mother Clone Zinfandel, Cathy's & Joanna's is Sauvignon Blanc, and Lisa likes the Dry Rosé of Zinfandel.

Clockwise from the top are Lisa, Cathy, Joanna and me.

Tags: Pedroncelli, family, Women's History Month
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Women's History Month: Women Winemakers

March 18, 2016 16:57

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Women’s History Month is proclaimed by our President each year to celebrate the achievements and contributions made to our great nation's fabric. Women winemakers are very innovative and ground breaking the world over and yet unsung in their own right. Three women who chose winemaking in one form or another can be found in my family and winery. My cousin Maureen graduated from UC Davis with her degree but chose another path by also attending culinary school in New York and becoming a pastry chef. Our daughter Adrienne graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a chemistry degree and is now the winemaker for Rideau Vineyards in Solvang. Montse Reece, a native of Spain who was hired by John Pedroncelli (Senior Winemaker, 1925-2015) and was named winemaker a year ago after working 8 harvests here.

For great information on these and other women winemakers there is a website founded and maintained by Professor Lucia Albino Gilbert, Ph.D, Santa Clara University, entitled Women Winemakers of California. There she, and her husband Professor John Gilbert, Ph.D, collect data, articles and studies on the number of women in this male dominated area of the wine industry. As it says on their website, "Our searchable web-based resource introduces you to California’s talented women winemakers and their accomplishments. We also provide the most comprehensive and accurate information currently available on women winemakers in California, the wineries for which they craft their wine, where they are located within the state, and the evolution of their careers."

I encourage you to read a case study published last May by the Gilberts from a sampling of 480 wineries in California. It showed an increase of about 4% between 1999 to 2014 in the number of women hired as winemakers. While this seems to be a small increase it is considered an important one. In another 10 years I hope more are added to this number. For now we are proud of the wines made by Montse and Adrienne. They are exciting to taste and we are looking forward to future achievements on behalf of our family and family of wines. A toast to them and the women winemakers here in California and beyond!

Montse taking a sample from the Wisdom Cabernet Sauvignon during the 2015 harvest.

Adrienne in the cellar at Rideau Vineyards.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Women's History Month
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