Vino In My Dino
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Flora & Fauna
April 24, 2015 13:36
We own 180 acres between three properties and not every inch is planted to vineyard or has a winery building on it. Our home ranch, which comprises a total of 90 acres, was the first piece of property purchased by my grandparents in 1927. It was a farm as well as a winery with plenty of room to grow vegetables and support the family with barnyard animals and the occasional deer. It sustained my family in those early lean years when my grandmother canned and made most of the food set on their table. I mentioned the family garden we had when I was growing up in an earlier post-and today we have an office garden planted to tomatoes, zucchini and onions. We have two other vineyards, both about a mile west of the winery, with riparian set-backs because they border Dry Creek. It is important to have buffer zones to promote the wildlife population. These supply the local wildlife with enough area to sustain them. Our buffer areas are teeming with turkeys, red tail hawks, the occasional mountain lion, snakes, all sorts of birds from blue jays to sparrows, possums, raccoons and the like. We have an owl box on the East Side Vineyards area and the importance of having Barn owls is to control the rodent population-they think gophers are pretty tasty. We had a family of four last year-hoping for another four or five this year. 87 years of being sustainable means being good stewards of the wildlife too. A toast in my Dino to sustaining the critters.
Our owl box in the evening light; our Mother Clone Zinfandel with hillside oaks.
For more about owls in the vineyard click here.
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Winery Ops
April 22, 2015 13:49
The sustainability efforts were just a whisper in 1986 when we built our Barrel Room. It houses 2000 of our red wine barrels and is not an air-conditioned building. A barrel room does its best work when it is kept between 55-60 degrees. How do we keep our barrel room cool? The large room has vents on the outside walls that automatically open at night to allow the cold air in and close by sun up so the chill stays inside. This has helped us maintain the right atmosphere to age wine as well as keep our carbon footprint even lighter. In fact our cellar, built in the early 1900s, is not air conditioned either. It has some help with the temperature controlled stainless steel tanks but they don’t chill wine tanks down every day –and the building maintains the cellar chill year round. Other ways we strive for sustainability at the winery include simple things like energy efficiency (we changed the lighting in all warehouses to turn on when someone is working in the area), recycling and composting, and water conservation. We like to say we have been sustainable for 87 years and our goal is to maintain it all for future generations. We achieve this goal by looking at the options we have to make not only the vineyard but the winery operations better with each passing year. A toast to Earth Day and keeping our sights on being good stewards of the land.
For more about Earth Month visit Discover California.
One vent on the side of our Barrel Room-doing its part to lighten our carbon footprint.
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Concerning Water: A Delicate Balance
April 13, 2015 13:54
It is a delicate balance indeed when we, as farmers first before vintners, depend on the weather to bring the right amount of rain at the right time. This doesn’t always happen and there are many examples over the 87 years we have farmed our vineyards when we didn’t have enough, had too much or it rained at an inopportune time i.e. during harvest. And water in California during the fourth year of drought is one hot topic. In our area of Dry Creek Valley we depend on wells and those wells depend on 35-40 inches of average rainfall that fills the underground caches as well as keeps the soil drenched. The last four years have been challenges with one half or less of the average amount and surprisingly the harvests from 2012-2014 have been abundant. We’ll see how this vintage goes-it isn’t over until we have picked our last grapes. But I digress. Being sustainable means having a plan for water. Over the years we have shifted from dry farming to overhead irrigation to a drip system which delivers a regulated flow of water when needed. Now during these dry years the vines will show some stress which means the canopy as well as the developing fruit crop will be affected. Before that happens the vineyard manager watches and decides when to apply water. Remember we have 100+ acres of vineyard so it is a challenge to say least that each and every vine is tended to properly. The great part of drip irrigation is it allows control-we get to decide how to efficiently deliver the right amount to keep fruit quality at optimum levels. Most growers use some form of irrigation and the sustainable focus is to understand the delicate balance of such a limited natural resource. And too much water is just as bad as too little. Conservation is on many a Californian’s mind especially the California farmer. We’ll do our utmost in sustaining our vineyards with an eye to conserve for the future generations. Now a glass of vino is in order.
Drip irrigation on the Home Ranch vineyards.
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Importance of Being Compost
April 9, 2015 14:02
Part of being sustainable means we use sound vineyard practices so the impact on our land will be minimized and it will be preserved for future generations. We have three generations and counting on this little corner of Dry Creek Valley! Sustainability in today’s post means using organic material from things like fermentation for the good of the vineyard. For instance, some of the odds and ends from fermentation are spread to lend nutrients to the soil. It has been part of vineyard life since I can remember. When I was growing up we always used pomace in our garden to enrich our zucchini plants, tomato vines and green beans. It is a combination of dried grape seeds and skins left over from the fermenting process and it spends a year drying out, so to speak. I also remember digging around the garden and finding the pomace was full of bug activity too—the good kind to help the garden grow. A phrase used by a grape grower down the road, who was of German decent, always said they used every part of the pig, ‘except the squeal’. In that vein, we use by products of fermenting wine, divert wastewater into ponds where ducks, frogs and turtles thrive, and line roads with erosion-controlling stems. There is still life left in these grape skins and seeds and they are a great addition to vineyards just like they were in our family garden. Were you aware that pomace (fresh) is a component of grappa, the Italian liquor? Like he said, everything except the squeal. Cheers and now for some fermented grape juice in my Dino!
Fresh pomace in my hand.
Last vintage’s pomace-not pretty but kept under tarps until dried out. Ready to spread!
Tags: Pedroncelli, Dry Creek Valley, sustainability, certified sustainable, Down To Earth Month
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Bell Beans, Mustard and Vetch: we're covered.
April 7, 2015 14:09
I remember when mustard would grow between the vines with its beautiful spring yellow flowers and didn’t know until years later what an important part it played in the vineyard’s health. Cover crops have been integral to vineyards for almost as long as grapes have been grown. When we talk about the good work they do it includes promoting healthy soil, erosion control, eradicating weeds, help control pests, and, either in a drought situation or regular rainy season, they help regulate the moisture in the ground.
Nitrogen is a by-product of cover crops and is one of the most important minerals when it comes to grapevines. Let’s just say the presence of this mineral, in the right amount, will produce better grapes in the end. Cover crops not only produce it but in the event of too much rain they will also hold the nitrogen in the soil instead of washing away. While this mineral is available in less expensive synthetic form there is so much more to a having a cover crop because of the interaction between the organic matter and the soil. You might also consider the roots as both loosening the ground as well as securing the soil when too much rain falls. And don’t forget your legumes! Bell beans, which have been a cover crop since Roman times, and crimson clover do their part because of the high nitrogen content. Non-legumes include mustard and grasses also play an important role as well. I think I have covered some ground here-time for a tasty glass of wine thanks to bell beans, mustard and clover!
Visit here for more information about Down to Earth Month.
Bell Beans flowering in spring.
Mother Clone Vines and cover crop on the Home Ranch.
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Down to Earth Month: Being Sustainable
April 2, 2015 14:23
What does it mean to be sustainable? It means to tread lightly and to be good stewards of the land. It means creating a better environment now and for the future generations. Three generations of my family have called Dry Creek Valley home since 1927. Sustainability is part of our DNA. We have always been good stewards from the days when my grandparents tilled the soil, farmed grapes, raised crops and animals to sustain their family to the next 8 decades of tending the land, making wine, and sharing the fruit of our labors. Our family is committed to bringing up the next generations the same way we were. After 87 years of farming we are on the path to be certified sustainable through the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. Even our home county of Sonoma has pledged 100% of the vintners and growers will be certified by 2019. We are on board and have accomplished many of the requirements already. Believe me when I tell you I have gone through more than 200 of the assessment questions myself (twice!) and it is gratifying to see the proof of our sustainability in many areas along with room for growth in others. Join me as this month is spent studying our vineyards and winery operations and logging examples of our sustainability. Cheers!
An example of erosion control: stems from the 2014 harvest are spread along hillside areas to cut back on erosion of the vineyard roads.
Tags: Pedroncelli, Down To Earth Month, certified sustainable, sustainability, Dry Creek Valley
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Making history: A new winemaker
March 31, 2015 14:35
Changes don’t happen too often here. We are a family-owned three generation business. When you lose someone like John Pedroncelli it has a deep and lasting effect on us all. His strength as a quiet leader as well as his depth of knowledge cannot be replaced. I was looking through our website and ran across a photo of John Pedroncelli and ‘his team’. I was reminded of the last few years whenever he was asked about who made the wine, he’d answer “the team, of course”. His years of experience combined with his team of Lance, Polo and Montse created consistently remarkable wines. While one legacy has come to an end, we, as a family, need to take the next step and announce that Montse has been promoted to winemaker.
Having worked in wineries from the Penedes and Montblanc regions of her native Spain, Montse earned her degree in enology from the Rovira I Virgili University in Tarragona. Once finished with college she came to California and joined the harvest crew at Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves in Sonoma in 1998. After that she was hooked and held positions at both Ferrari-Carano and Rodney Strong Vineyards. She joined the winemaking team at Pedroncelli Winery in 2007.
She considers it an honor to have worked with John for 7 years and says he truly was an icon. In an earlier interview for a local wine writer, she was asked what she has learned from him. Having learned about the valley, the grapes and his style, her answer was, “to keep it simple”. In fact she has taken John’s expertise and created her own stamp on the wines through her focus on detail, by zeroing in on the unique qualities of each vineyard block and creating singular small lots. She has the continuity of vineyards, staff and the team behind her. We've begun to see her passion and style in the 2014 vintage. It gives us great comfort and pleasure to know that John's legacy, and ours, is in good hands. Join me for a toast to Montse and all the women winemakers around the world!
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Women's History: Living History
March 31, 2015 14:29
Julie has been posting things about the women in her family all month as a tribute to Women’s History Month. There have been some great insights to the quiet strength of the women before her. It is no surprise, then, to find ourselves at the end of the month with no mention of one of the strongest, most humble of the Pedroncelli women to date. That would be, of course, my bride. Forgive me if I gush a bit here.
Having been raised here in the center of the winery, in what is now affectionately known as “World Headquarters of J. Pedroncelli Winery, Inc.” Julie lives and breathes Pedroncelli. She is the voice of Pedroncelli to the world, but more importantly, she is the guiding force behind all our hospitality—public and private. Given a choice, Julie would be in the kitchen or shuttling food, or taking out the trash—whatever she can do to serve others. She is, as she puts it, an introvert who has had to become a “professional” extrovert. She loves going on the road to sing the praises of Pedroncelli, but when she gets home she much prefers quiet times with Dirk the Dog and me. And sometimes I’m not so sure about me!
Julie is also the family archivist. She is the one who has files and boxes and lists and photos from generations of Pedroncelli achievements. From distant cousins in the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Olympics to letters home from the family when they were serving their country in the armed forces. From family photos (now in the Smithsonian) to boxes and boxes of gold medals and ribbons spanning our nearly 90 years of winemaking awards. If you ask her about something she’ll say “give me a minute, I think I have a picture…”
As a wine lover (since age 4, she’ll tell you) Julie was thrilled to be invited to be a wine judge for the first time this year. We have a running joke that we can’t afford to go to a wine bar together. It isn’t the couple of glasses of wine that we have—it’s the several BOTTLES she discovers and wants to take with us when we leave! She has a great palate, a great wine vocabulary and has heard about every wine mentioned by some wine geek who is just testing her—she answers them with her trademark smile and sparkling eyes. She’s always happy to share her thoughts, but you’ll have to ask. She would never impose them on you. By the way—if you produce a Catawba, thanks for the offer, but I think Julie has had her share…that’s what you get when you are the rookie judge!
Julie’s quiet nature belies the depth of her knowledge about the wine business. She’s been around it all her life and in the thick of it for about 30 years. She’s quick to listen, a voracious reader and student of wine. She knows the history of Dry Creek Valley and Sonoma County like the back of her hand. As well she should, she’s lived it. And for that matter, written a good part of it herself. She is past president of the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley and Sonoma Vintners and recognized with the Spirit of Sonoma Award. She’s served on countless boards including the Wine Road, California Wine Institute and Healdsburg Shared Ministries. She is a perennial volunteer with various community service projects and most of all, beloved Grammie to our two grandsons—there is a wonderful picture of Julie looking at a grapevine with Jordan, our oldest grandson. That’s how it all begins, isn’t it?
So I’ll raise a glass to the woman who is making history every day at Pedroncelli. And I’m proud and honored to call her my wife. Here’s to you, sweetie. Go make some history!
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Women’s History Month: Weaving the Story of Women’s Lives
March 25, 2015 14:43
They say it takes a village to raise a child and I say it takes everyone in a family to run a winery. All four Pedroncelli children worked on the farm and in the winery or vineyards as soon as they were old enough. One of Margaret’s jobs as the big sister was to take care of Jim, 11 years her junior. She married Al Pedroni and through them the Bushnell Vineyard survives today, with over 60 years of grapes from this hillside vineyard. Marianne was the bold one, always offering to drive the tractor and taking on the more challenging jobs. After enlisting in the Marines during World War 2 she worked for the State of California until retirement. She moved home where she became our tireless promoter. John married Christine in 1966 and moved to their home on estate vineyards. She served on the Dry Creek Zoning Committee to help design the zoning regulations and keep agriculture the focus rather than creating subdivisions. She served on the Santa Rosa Junior College Board of Trustees followed by the Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees and the Memorial Foundation. My dad Jim married my mom Phyllis in 1959 and, once they moved to the family home on the winery property, she took on the task of keeping the books as well as other winery duties outside of raising me and my sisters. My mom not only had her hands full here but she also volunteered countless hours at our school while working side by side with my dad as the business expanded. My aunts and mom contributed greatly, one and all, and by their example and hard work the winery continues today. A toast to them for their contributions to the family and to the wine business.
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Women’s History Month: Weaving the Story of Women’s Lives (1)
March 19, 2015 16:23
My grandmother was born in Italy and immigrated with her parents Antonio and Margarita Petrelli and sister Rena to California in the 1890s. They landed in Redding and operated a boarding house. Teaching would be her first profession out of high school and she taught at a one-room school house. Later on, she met my grandfather Giovanni when he sold vegetables from his garden to my great-grandparents. After they married they began to look for a permanent home. In 1927 the young family purchased 90 acres of land, a defunct winery, 25 acres of Zinfandel and a home here in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. Three children came with them and my dad, Jim, was born a few years later at the family home.
My grandmother’s contributions were invaluable in many ways to the family business. From keeping the books, raising her family, working in the vineyards not to mention her generous hospitality, she was the backbone of our winery's early years. When I was growing up I was unaware of her accomplished life because she didn’t speak much about those days. I imagine they were difficult at first, especially with the Depression settling in two years after they moved to the ranch. Sons John and Jim reminisce in their oral history J. Pedroncelli Winery: An Ongoing Family Tradition about how she made sure her family always had food on the table-canning fruit and vegetables, making cheese and butter, raising chickens and cows to make ends meet.
Later on, during the heyday of the 50’s and 60's, she hosted many dinners with family and friends, dining alfresco style. We even have a photo of one of those afternoons in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History celebrating FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000. Her rosemary chicken, venison stew, risotto, ravioli and spinach malfatti remain in a class by themselves.
Most of all, I remember her as a quiet pioneer. She didn't call attention to the years of hard work and dedication, of working side by side with my grandfather, because she was humble to a fault. You didn’t call attention to the wine, wine was just part of life. If life is good then the wine, like my grandmother, has done its job. She helped create a legacy which proudly continues today. Her philosophy still echoes in our wines and lifestyle. A toast to Grandma P and National Women’s History Month.
Great-grandparents Margarita and Antonio Petrelli with my grandmother Julia and her sister Rena standing behind her.
This is the ledger my grandmother kept between 1950 and 1960. We have donated this to the archives of the National History Museum along with her polenta pot as testament to her enduring legacy.
For more photos of the family click here.
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