Vino In My Dino

Harvest Memories

August 2, 2016 12:59

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Growing up in the middle of the vineyards and winery has imprinted many sights, sounds, and smells over the years. The earliest memory of harvest I have is the smell of fermenting wine. It is hard to miss when you live right next to the cellar and the pungent aromas have been woven into my life for over 50 years. My family moved to our home at the winery in 1965 after my grandparents had built their retirement home just a hop and a few skips from the winery-in the middle of our Mother Clone Zinfandel vineyard in fact.

Our estate vineyard is all hand-picked so there is usually a small army of 15-25 grape pickers going through as quickly as possible and the speed at which they would move from vine to vine made the whole vineyard come alive. When I was younger I tried my hand at ‘harvest’ by going out and picking second crop Zinfandel with my sisters-we used wheelbarrows and buckets to bring in the bunches and proudly stopped at the weigh station to find out how many pounds we had picked-I think is was around 15 pounds-if that. We were so happy to be a part of what my dad and uncle did.

I also remember just after I first began working for the family business, in the tasting room, wanting to learn more about the winemaking process. So during the 1987 harvest I weighed and tested grapes as they arrived at the weigh station. I would listen and watch for gondolas of grapes from my office and meet the tractors to begin the process. I learned quite a bit by being at the start of grape crush, from weighing the grapes (which is serious business because the government watches this closely) to testing juice samples from the particular load of grapes checking for sugar with a refractometer as well as total acidity and pH, two other indicators of quality of a load of grapes.

More recollections to come as we make our way towards the 2016 harvest. A toast to memories with a bit of Zinfandel in my Dino!

The sampling process from last year-the bucket with the crushed Sauvignon Blanc and the juice sample representing the load of grapes-ready to be tested.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Harvest, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel
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Blackberry Ramble

July 8, 2016 13:07

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Blackberries are THE fruit of summertime for me! When I was growing up here at the winery we used to make blackberry jam by the pint, usually helping my grandmother by seeding the berries before they became jam in a huge colander. Our home was infused by the sweet smell of berry jam bubbling on the stove. In later years the blackberry component in Zinfandel was always easily recognizable to me, easy to pick out in the aromas and flavors of this grape and I attribute this to my experience picking the ripe berries and making them into jam in our kitchen.

One Christmas my aunt and uncle gave our son Joe the book Blackberry Ramble. I will be bringing this book to read to our grandsons while we vacation in Truckee this month. Coincidentally blackberries were a theme at Joe and Ashley's July wedding a few years ago as it was part of the message delivered by Ed when he presided over their marriage.

Earlier this week Ed and I took our own ramble to the blackberry patch along Canyon Road. It is the simple things in life like berries with which we celebrate birthdays (Ed) anniversaries (Joe and Ashley) and a first triathlon (Adrienne). I look forward to our time away so with some Zinfandel in my Dino, I’ll toast summertime and vacation-may we all relax and count our blessings!

Freshly picked blackberries-the smell was heavenly and brought me back to my childhood. Destined for Blackberry Crisp and blackberry ice cream!

Tags: Pedroncelli, Recipe
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Feeling the Heat

July 6, 2016 13:21

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Red wine in the summertime? Some say it is too hot but here are my ideas to make it more enjoyable.

In the early years of representing our winery at public events I was pouring at an outdoor wine tasting in mid-July. It was a HOT summer afternoon. I recall it was a focused event on Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon hence the inclusion of red wine on a hot afternoon. The sun was glaring off of our tables and bottles as we poured and visited with the attendees, making our Cabernet too warm. One of the attendees said “be a Boy Scout, come prepared” and told me to ice down the Cab. I proceeded to cool it down-even though a part of me was shocked at ‘chilling’ red wine.

The effects of a warm red wine are not pleasant in the glass. Any of the alcohol will start to throw off unpleasant aromas as you swirl your glass. Aroma is our introduction to the wine and when too warm won’t give us the best side of the wine and doesn’t taste good either. Our goal, as wine imbibers, is to make sure all aspects of wine service are covered. No matter whether you are on a picnic, at a backyard BBQ, dining in a restaurant or sitting on your front porch if it is a warm day be that Boy Scout and come prepared.

The secret is not to chill red wine all the way down. You want what is considered ‘cellar’ temperature which is between 55 and 60 degrees. When it is 95F outside your bottle typically follows suit. Achieving close to cellar temperature is easy-all it takes is a container, water and ice. Water helps distribute the cooling effects of the ice more quickly-and we all want access to our glass of wine fast, right? Even some restaurants store their red wines too close to the hot kitchen so don’t be afraid to ask for the ice bucket and set your bottle there for a few minutes to cool it back down. The key in all cases is a few minutes-more than that will close down the aromas and flavors. You can always put the wine back in for a quick dip if needed. So with that advice, I’ll pour a little Cabernet in my Dino and toast our warm summer nights.

Ice, ice baby. Enjoy a (slightly) chilled bottle tonight!

Tags: Pedroncelli, Cabernet Sauvignon
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Vineyard View: Crop Set

June 30, 2016 13:26

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Bud break is a distant memory, bloom in May was without any problems and now the vineyard crew is catching up on shoot thinning and drip irrigation as summer begins. The push is on as canes grow longer and bunches of grapes get bigger and fill out. Their next stop is veraison, when the berries begin to soften and color up. This is expected to begin in earnest by the first week of July, right on schedule.

“More than we expected” is the general feeling about crop set for this vintage as I visited with vineyard manager Lance Blakeley. With plenty of rain and a slight recovery from the drought period we have an average crop on the vine. There won’t be much thinning of bunches on estate vineyards-just a bit in our Sangiovese, for instance, where bunches are touching. If not addressed now it will lead to bunch rot as the season progresses.

Mother Clone Zinfandel, planted on the home ranch since the early 1900s and now is mostly a second generation vineyard, is showing average crop size which, for this hillside vineyard, is 3-4 tons per acre. Lance Blakeley, vineyard manager, noted the bunches are quite elongated on many of the head pruned vines, something you don't always see on our vines.

Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, planted a mile west of the winery since the 1990s, has set up what is considered an average crop with an expected 5-6 ton per acre. Why the difference in tonnage? Our Cabernet vineyard is planted on a different style of trellising than the head pruned Zinfandel and develops the arms of the vine straight out with more spurs for production. A toast to the season with either our Mother Clone Zinfandel or Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon in my Dino. It seems it's a toss up between the two.

Mother Clone Zinfandel with the iconic 'wing' on the right.

Mother Clone Zinfandel with elongated bunches we're seeing this season.

Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon crop set 2016. Note the berries have more room than the Zinfandel which is tightly packed.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Mother Clone, Cabernet Sauvignon
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Rosé in 140 Characters

June 22, 2016 13:34

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Thanks to @winestudio and @lusciouslushes I was asked to take part in the Sonoma Rosé Revolution on June 21st. I participated in an hour long tweet-fest with bloggers across the U.S. over the bottle of our 2015 Dry Rosé of Zinfandel each of them had received. What fun it was to type madly trying to answer everyone’s questions. My fingers needed a break an hour later. Thankfully I was able to lift my wine glass for a last sip of Rosé!

Here are some of the questions and answers in 140 characters or less:

“Intentional Rosés: Rosés are what they are-or are they?”

I think Rosés are in a class by themselves-not quite red not quite white but like Goldilocks they are just right.

Our Dry Rosé of Zinfandel is not a mistake and never was. It was our (my grandfathers') intention to introduce a Rosé to our line of wines.

“Do you feel Zin has a bad reputation for Rosé?”

Just a bit-raised eyebrows but then they taste it and know there is a difference.

It ain't your grandmother's White Zin.

“Should there be specific rosé criteria?”

I'd hate to put rules down for rosé. It is in a class by itself and even with Chardonnay you have a full spectrum.

“Any life lessons you’d like to share?”

Patience is a virtue. Wisdom comes from time and experience. Intuition is the guiding hand.

Family, great vineyards and authentic wines. Our way of life is the reason our wines are remarkable.

Some comments from the hundreds of tweets we all shared:

Top takeaways from #winestudio tonight - let #rosé warm a little, #rosé goes with many foods & old zin vines make great #rosé

What a great informative show tonight. Oh and the wine wasn't to shabby either LOL.

Color is key! The color of this wine is gorgeous.

These ripely fruited, fleshy rosés with mouthwatering acidity pair nicely with barbecue fare (and more importantly, thick, sweeter sauces). Yum!

Keeps evolving with subtle nuances. Well made wine. #winestudio

Follow @Pedroncelli you’ll see the whole online discussion. Here’s hoping I get to do this again. In the meantime, a toast to summer and the perfect wine for it: Dry Rosé of Zinfandel.

And now for some photos that were shared throughout the hour:

Rosé of Zin & Carbonara from @ArtPredator

@Fiery01Red tempted us with Lamb Chops

@ToledoWinesandVines grilled up salmon-one of my favorite pairings.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Rosé
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'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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