Vino In My Dino

Dear Dino: Salads

March 17, 2015 16:33

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As the transition from winter to spring happens this week-and it has been spring-like here for awhile-we’ll talk about spring greens and pairing them with wine. Salads in general are a challenge to pair with wine. Truth be told they are a large part of my daily meals and are included for lunch and dinner. Let’s take a look at what is involved in order for there to be a bridge between the salad and the wine: the components, the dressing and the style of wine. I tend toward bitter greens but my workhorse salad base is Romaine. Meats like bacon is a favorite as is grilled chicken or beef. If I am in the mood for cheese I’ll add some cheddar or parmigiana. Other add-ins include the usual suspects but I do use green onion as it is the most mild in that family. Dressing is either vinaigrette or creamy depending on my mood.

To match these combinations with a wine I consider the style-is it light and fruity or full and oaky; is it tannic or highly acidic? Look for lighter wines with salads-not necessarily sweet but fruity. Our Sauvignon Blanc and friends.white make great candidates for vinaigrette style dressings especially since the Gewurztraminer in the white blend makes for a spicy and floral base. Chardonnay is a nice companion to creamy dressings especially green goddess or even Ranch (homemade of course).Our Dry Rosé of Zinfandel is a great choice for salads with salty elements like cured meats, cheeses or nuts due to its crisp acidity. If you want to consider a red wine, I recommend Pinot Noir which is lighter in tannins. For a wine dinner I once paired our Pinot Noir with salad by roasting Portobello mushrooms with salt, pepper and olive oil. I used some of the pan juices from the mushrooms in the salad dressing-lowering the acidity and boosting the flavor. I also added shaved Parmigiana which contributed a richer element that matched well with the woodsy mushrooms. Your salad bowl is your palette, use your imagination with ingredients and the wine. Go green this spring!

Dungeness Crab Salad is a favorite to pair with our F. Johnson Vineyard Chardonnay-thanks to Gary Gross for the photo.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Recipe, food and wine, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
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Barrel Redux

March 12, 2015 16:43

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How many bottles of wine do you get out of each barrel? What does “MT” stand for? Where does the oak come from to make the barrels? I’ll answer them in order and I will include some other aspects of the Barrel Room and barrels in general. We get about 300 bottles of wine (25 cases) from each barrel. We store 2000 of them which equals 600,000 bottles total. To take it a step further we make 70,000 cases of wine with a total of 840,000 bottles. And we are still considered at the larger end of ‘small’ production. The initials ‘MT’ stand for medium toast, which is the overwhelming choice when it comes to the level of toast in a barrel for us. The toasting of the staves and heads (barrel ends) brings more flavor to the gradually aging wine. By toasting the oak you get aromas and flavors like vanillin and spice. They aren’t in the forefront but they do add complexity. Oak or Quercus Alba, American oak in this instance, is grown in and around Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin. We think this type of oak suits our wines and is used almost exclusively (we do incorporate French oak for a couple of our wines). The life of a barrel typically sees about 8-10 vintages here because we use 25% new oak combined with seasoned barrels. This also gives us wine that is mellow rather than overly oaky-my dad always says he’d rather taste the grape than wood. Stop by this weekend-I’ll be thieving our 2013 Merlot. I will be happy to answer your questions! Click here for ticket information.

A peek at a few of our barrels--did you know our Barrel Room is naturally air conditioned?
Vents open to the night air and close during the day keeping it a cool 48-55 degrees.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Barrel, Barrel aging
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Wine + Julie: In a relationship

March 9, 2015 16:49

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This revelation should come as no surprise to many of you. I enjoy wine. I know it is a funny thing to admit here, in a winery blog, after all. It must have begun long ago when I would play in the vineyards during harvest and taste the grapes, see wine included at dinnertime, experience the camaraderie in sharing with friends and family on holidays and Sundays. My passion for wine developed over the years-after spending 30 of them working for my family’s winery it seems I have it in my DNA. Perhaps it is from focusing on our wine over this long period where my perspective was broadened and my palate sharpened. My life of wine led to trying ‘Other People’s Wine’ or OPW as Ed and I like to say. It also led to being adventurous in my scope-trying varietals or appellations I had never heard of before (I’ll admit I had a brief fling with Paso Rhone blends not too long ago). I have shared before how much I love Champagne and other sparkling beverages and will continue my search for the next delicious glass of red, white, or rosé. I think of it all as an adventure and a very fun side of my career. How many people do you know who taste wine at all times of the day or night? Hmmm, which wine will I choose this evening? Dear friends gave us a bottle of Chardonnay to try and tonight it will be enjoyed!

Sharing my passion for Pedroncelli (it’s all in the hands) at a sales meeting in Chicago last week for Louis Glunz Wines.

Tags: Pedroncelli, family, family business, wine tasting
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Stave yourself

March 5, 2015 16:53

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Barrel tasting, a term which has been around since barrels were invented, refers to tasting wines throughout their time in barrel. Each year we participate in an event that features hundreds of wines thieved out of the barrel for educational purposes. We believe you, the taster, will gain a better understanding of what goes on with the wine as it ages. Many of us will either feature the 2013 or 2014 vintages depending on the winery (we’ll be thieving our 2013 Merlot) and a younger vintage will display some rougher mouthfeel because the tannins in the wine haven’t been tamed by time. If you read some of my blog posts from January I discussed the importance of oxygen in aging. A little bit over the year or so in barrel will soften the wine and make it more appealing-ready to drink. Bottle aging helps too because again that bit of oxygen exchange also takes place and softens the wine even further. Some questions to ask as you stand at the barrel talking to the winemaker or cellar master might be: What type of oak do you use? How many vintages do you use your barrels? What do you prefer when ordering your barrels, medium or light toast? How long has this wine aged or how long will you age the wine? You get up close and personal with the wine process. There is nothing more personal than having the winemaker thief a sample of his or her pride and joy for you to taste. I’ll be there at the barrel during the weekend-stop by and we’ll discuss the finer points of toast, wood and aging.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Barrel Tasting, wine tasting, Barrel aging
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Swirl it, sniff it, taste it, dump it.

March 3, 2015 16:57

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Tasting rooms come in all shapes and sizes. There are a bunch, a big bunch, of wines to try. It seems a bit overwhelming at first. My advice is to plan ahead as much as possible-even if it is a day trip. With hundreds of choices, you can narrow it down to a few like appellation or varietal, white or red wine, organic or sustainable. The list goes on. Have fun with it because the last thing I want you to do is take wine too seriously. We believe wine is made to be shared with friends and family-and taking home a bottle that you enjoyed in order to share with them is the best part of the experience. About the video: the Wine Road, a marketing organization for northern Sonoma County wineries, produces some great videos involving their events, winemaker tips, inside information on vineyards and today’s subject: wine tasting tips. If you plan on visiting the wine country to find some great wine I think you’ll find this a fun way to guide your wine tasting experience. And at 1:23 you’ll see my husband Ed who shares one of his tasting tips. And like Robert says—no cologne! Now where is my Dino cup…I’m ready for a taste of wine.

Check out the Wine Road video here.

Tags: Pedroncelli, wine tasting, Wine Road, Dry Creek Valley
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OTBN-What are you saving it for?

February 27, 2015 17:01

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Ed and I have collected wines here and there during our 25 years of marriage. I hesitate to open some of them because, in some cases, we waited too long. There are great memories associated with several of these bottles, others in our collection were given as gifts, some I don’t remember where they came from. It is a gamble I’ll be taking come this Saturday, the official Open That Bottle Night. Whatever the case, the wonderful thing about opening a cellar jewel is memories like who you were with, where you were or who gave it to you. Think of opening an aged or old bottle of wine as an adventure in taste. You’re not really sure what you’ll find but you may be rewarded with a gem! Don’t be afraid to open your bottle but have a back-up in case it has become like Elvis and left the building. I’ll be with my family enjoying a bottle of 1977 Cabernet Sauvignon, toasting the memory of my uncle John and celebrating his winemaking legacy.

For guidelines click here

We opened this bottle at Bern's Steakhouse in Florida a couple of years ago.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Vintage Wine, Vintage Year, wine tasting
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Aging Wine: The Good, Bad and Ugly

February 24, 2015 17:05

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The Good: (From 2013) "I just wanted to share my experience with you. I am stuck in a bit of an aftermath from the recent snow, so I have not been able to restock in the last week. I have been dipping into the cellar reserve (and found) the 1994 Three Vineyards “Special Vineyard Selection” Cab. Needless to say, it has endured the years and poured most perfectly into my glass before I affirmed the reason I bought it in the first place." Blogger’s note: Great news! Our wines have the structure to age gracefully.

The Bad: (From 2003) "My parents are moving after more than 30 years. We found a bottle of 1973 Pedroncelli Zinfandel that had been in their cellar since they bought it. I wanted to know if that much age is good for your zinfandel. Or from 2004: "I found this bottle of wine, 1976 Pedroncelli Zinfandel, on my trash route. I was just wondering how much this bottle of wine would be worth." Blogger’s note: Sometimes we lose out because we waited too long. I usually suggest a Zinfandel be consumed 5-8 years after release especially if you like the fruit component.

The Ugly: (From 2011) "I received as a gift a bottle of your 1993 (!) Primavera Mista Original White Wine Blend and it has many suspended particles in it. It looks like the cork may have deteriorated. Otherwise it looks to be OK. Can you please tell me if this wine is still expected to be OK and if so how best for me to remove the particles in it to try it?" (From 2005) "We got the bottle of 1975 Pinot Noir out of our wine storage. The neck/cork was protected by the old lead foil. The big disappointment, the cork had rotted, and was soft, soggy, moldy and the wine ruined. The 4-5 tiny pin prick holes on the top of the foil showed no sign of wine leakage and the bottle appeared full." Blogger’s note: you win some and you lose some. These were total losses in the quality category. Some white wines are not made to age and other times there are closure failures.

The moral of the story? Open those bottles before they go bad. I’ll have a couple of more stories on Thursday and a special announcement of what bottle I’ll be opening! Open That Bottle Night: February 28.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Vintage Wine, wine tasting, Cabernet Sauvignon, Vintage Year
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Bottle Closure

February 19, 2015 17:10

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Many of you are familiar with the subject of closures for wine bottles, especially if you have ever tried to open a stelvin cap as if it were a cork (I admit it fooled me once). As far back as the 1950s we bottled gallons and half gallons with screw caps and fifths (now 750ml) using both cork and screw cap. While these closures have come a long way in both quality and style how does using either one affect wine as it ages? It has to do with oxidation. Cork allows the important but minuscule amount of oxygen to interact with the wine and, as it ages, it softens becoming a more complex wine. Screw caps also allow a bit of oxygen but much less and we believe they deliver a fresher version of the wine-by slowing the oxygen exchange. The mechanics so to speak of a red wine that has been aged develops a more pleasant texture because tannins soften and fruit becomes more balanced. We bottle all but one red wine with cork. Our friends.red, meant to be consumed early because it is made in a lighter, softer style, has no need for extra time in the bottle. Five others (4 white wines, 1 rosé) are bottled with screw caps. These wines are made in a style where we encourage you to drink them soon after bottling. An interesting case in point: a month ago I tasted our 2009 Sauvignon Blanc and was pleasantly surprised to see the wine had not oxidized (it remained a lovely straw color), the bouquet had lost most of the fruit which is the core of our style but all in all it was a very pleasant glass of white wine. This is not always the case-too much oxygen and aging will turn some white wines brown and funky, definitely not to be enjoyed. I feel each of us needs to do a bit of sleuthing about the wines we feel needs to age and those which should be opened in a month, year or two after purchase. I found a great article by Andrew Waterhouse, professor of Enology at UC Davis, who has more to say about natural and synthetic closures. Check your cellar, cache or wine rack for wines you may want to open now or continue to age. We’ll continue the discussion next week as we head toward Open That Bottle Night on February 28-what will be in your glass?

Read Dr. Waterhouse's article here

Tags: Pedroncelli, wine tasting, wine
Categories:
Cellar Jewels

February 17, 2015 17:16

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One of the fun parts of my desk job is receiving an email message or two every month about a wine someone has found or opened after it spent 20-30-40 years aging away. Here is one of the recent posts, read it and then I’ll discuss the finer points of aging red wine. From Robert Fakundiny, “On Monday I popped one of my two remaining bottles of your 1974 Cab. What a delight! The cork broke in two but was still clean and dry on the end. I double decanted it and filtered the dregs. It opened with a good cab nose, was purple with a garnet tinge, still had some fruit, and acid and body were still there, even some tannins. (I bought them from the winery and carted them home on the plane, wrapped in a box of clothes. You could still do things like that back then.) Last night I had the rest. It had lost some of its charm by then. The fruit had fled. I suggest consuming the whole bottle within a few hours of opening, especially with knowledgeable friends. Thank you for those old, great cabs that were made in the "old" style. Now the only question is: when do I open the other?”

Thank you Robert for sending not only your experience of tasting the wine but a photo as well. I figure he bought this wine in 1977 or 1978. We had aged it for two years, first in a redwood tank and then oak barrels. It also received a full year of bottle aging before release. Robert took it home and stored his cache, opening a bottle every now and again. As you can tell by his comments this wine is slipping just a bit but notice his comments about acid, tannin, a bit of fruit that frankly wafts away minute by minute, urging one to open, decant and immediately, without pause, drink the wine. 40 year old Cabernets aren’t for the faint-hearted, their characteristics are completely different because of the length of time aging it. Our style, which Robert refers to as ‘old’, is one of the reasons the wine is still enjoyable. I must note that not everyone is so lucky when it comes to opening a wine which has decades in the cellar-sometimes the cork has deteriorated and allowed too much oxygen and has leaked thereby spoiling the wine. There are also wines that have had to overcome great odds, being stored in a garage where temperatures fluctuate beyond the preferred constant environment of 55 degrees or so. And to answer his question of when to open his last bottle? Soon, very soon because the risk of aging it much longer will outlast the drink-ability of this 40 year old Cab. A toast as we work our way to Open That Bottle Night the last Saturday of this month-what are you waiting for?

For more about OTBN click here.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Cellar, Vintage Wine, wine tasting
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Dear Dino: Sweets and Wine

February 12, 2015 17:22

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Does chocolate really go with Cabernet Sauvignon? Does Zinfandel pair well with snickerdoodles? These are only two of the things to consider when thinking about pairing wine with desserts. I am adding my thoughts on the subject today as we plunge toward Valentine’s Day, a holiday rife with sweet things. In a winery’s or restaurant’s desire to showcase all of their wines I often see the suggestion to pair dry red wines like Cabernet, Zinfandel and even Petite Sirah with desserts. I am not a fan of these pairings and luckily for us we make a Port that does pair well with most desserts. (Although, frankly, I prefer a tasty Stilton and toasted walnuts as the perfect pairing with Port style wines). I recommend going with less sweet confections-perhaps richer in butter, some caramelization, and featuring nuts for a good tie between the wine and dessert. On one occasion when our wine paired well with something sweet we were at an event and placed next to a bakery featuring a vast array of cookies. Ed tried our Mother Clone Zinfandel and snickerdoodles and loved the two together-there is a hint of cinnamon that links to the flavors and fruitiness of the Zin. He also enjoyed pairing their chocolate topped macaroon with our Rosé where the coconut resonated with the flavors in the wine. In my efforts to include using wine in desserts to help bridge the gap even further-like our Mini Port Chocolate Cupcakes or Poached Pears in Spiced Red Wine, it helps to have the addition of wine to link the two. A bit more advice-consider the wine you are serving with dessert: is it a bit fruity or soft, with lower tannins? This style will pair better with certain sweets. Are you pairing it with chocolate? It can be a tasty experience but too much sugariness and I think you have lost the connection between the two. I have included a few links which I hope will help you and me in our search for a perfect pairing. I will enjoy the moment with a bit of Zin in my glass and a snickerdoodle or two.

While these are some great ideas, all of the wines are in the dessert wine category.

Here are the recipes in our dessert section of Pedroncelli's recipes-enjoy!

More recommendations for you.

Tags: Pedroncelli, food and wine, Recipe, Zinfandel
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