Vino In My Dino

Going through hoops

January 20, 2015 17:44

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Cellar activity comes alive in January as we transfer the previous vintage, 2013, out of barrels and then fill them back up with the 2014 wines. There are two activities which help age our young wines. One is the container and the second one is the atmosphere found within the barrel aging room itself. We didn’t install air conditioning in this large building but the temperature here is regulated by vents that open to the night air, close in the morning and maintain a steady temperature throughout the year-on average 55-60 degrees. Each of our red wines are aged for 12 months. As the year progresses, the barrels are ‘topped off’ with additional wine every three months because, as it ages, a portion evaporates. Even when we are keeping the barrel room at a cool temperature we have loss, which is the reason behind aging wine in a porous container like an oak barrel. Slow oxidation over time concentrates flavor, adds character, and gives more structure through acidity-the less water and alcohol the resulting wine has, the more these shape and define the wine. There is a tipping point however because with too much evaporation, there is a chance of spoilage. With air getting to the wine there is a chance that it will turn bad, in a word vinegar. Another way of alleviating rapid loss is humidifying the room. In California the humidity level is rather low. By using these two relatively simple steps makes the wine in your glass much more complex, tastes better and is easier to drink upon release. Now where is my glass-I’m ready for some nicely aged Merlot.

The sight glass is a gauge used when emptying barrels, letting the cellar crew know when they have reached the bottom-more air, less wine and it keeps the lees at the bottom of the barrel.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Barrel aging, Barrel, Vintage Wine, Cellar
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Barrel Know-How

January 14, 2015 17:48

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How big are those barrels? We use 59 gallon size barrels which holds enough wine for about 24 cases, give or take a bottle or two. Why do we barrel age wine at all? Think about it in this way. If you have a raw piece of wood that needs the edge taken off and you’d like to use it as a frame, you’d take it to the shop and start sanding and shaping it. The same thing happens in barrel-the wine is raw and rough when it is transferred and aging for one year, on average, helps to smooth out those edges. There are more benefits to aging including aeration, concentration and oak notes like toast-something the cooper (barrel maker) does to increase the flavor components in the wine. The process gives the wine, over time, more complexity as it takes on some aspects of the wood itself. Aeration slowly incorporates oxygen thereby smoothing the tannins; concentration is next and with evaporation of water and even alcohol you get concentrated flavors. Did you know we lose about a gallon or two to this process? Oak flavor comes from the toasting of the wood-which caramelizes (bruleé anyone?) and infuses the aging wine with extra flavor. More later as I take a few more blog posts to talk about this important step in a wine’s life. Thirsty? How about a nicely aged Cabernet in your glass.

Cellar crew member Hector Lopez with a barrel wand, emptying one vintage to make room for the next.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Barrel, Barrel aging
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Barrel Room

January 13, 2015 17:51

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As you enter our Tasting Room you can’t miss the big window that is positioned between the connected buildings-this was one of the last additions to the winery and was completed in 1986 as our production was increasing and there was a need for more barrel space. It is a portal into the inner workings of our winery even though it seems as if nothing is happening, especially if you are stopping by on weekends. There is more going on during the week when the cellar crew is here. At times it looks like a bunch of barrels stacked neatly—in reality six high with a total of two thousand of them aging away to be exact.

The crew spends December through March emptying barrels of the previous vintage and filling with the new. This is a part of a wine’s journey where it seems like there isn’t anything going on but we, with inside information, know there is. The process itself is oxidation but a very slow oxidation because the barrel room is kept cool and humid. The barrel itself isn’t airtight and allows a minute amount of oxygen in to soften the wine, making it supple over time. We keep the barrel room adjusted with a humidifier because the lack of humidity, especially here in California, will make the wine oxidize too quickly leaving a chance of spoilage. Each barrel is taken down three times during the course of aging to replace the wine lost to oxidation thereby preventing any possible spoilage. The actual time spent in wood not only slowly ages the wine it also steeps in the oak, imparting the element of toasted wood, cedar and smoky aromas detected in barrel aged wines. This adds another level of complexity and plays an important role in bouquet and taste of the finished product. Our winemaking style calls for 25% new oak blended with seasoned barrels. This helps us keep a balance between the fruit and the oak components for a ‘just right’ taste in your glass of red wine. A toast (pun intended) to the barrels with some Zin in your glass.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Barrel, Barrel aging
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Uncle John

January 6, 2015 17:53

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JOHN PEDRONCELLI

Dry Creek wine giant dies

Second-generation vintner helped transform Dry Creek into noted appellation

By BILL SWINDELL

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

John Pedroncelli, a second- generation vintner who was instrumental in building Sonoma County’s wine industry, particularly in the Dry Creek Valley that he called home for almost all of his life, died Sunday at home after a months long battle with cancer. He was 89.

Pedroncelli, along with his brother, Jim, was a key figure in the history of the county’s winemaking as it emerged from a craft business practiced by a few families after World War II to today’s multi billion dollar industry known worldwide. He was 2 when his family purchased the winery and moved to Geyserville in 1927. With the exception of serving two years as a radar man in the Coast Guard, Pedroncelli spent almost all of his life around the winery and was a daily fixture up until last year, even providing advice on 2014’s early harvest.

“He preserved the past while looking ahead to find innovative solutions in a changing winemaking environment,” said Honore Comfort, executive director of the Sonoma County Vintners. “John’s legacy will be his unwavering commitment to the land, to winemaking and to his family which epitomizes the spirit of Sonoma County’s great wine families.”

Pedroncelli studied chemistry and botany at Santa Rosa Junior College and took enology courses at UC Davis, and in 1948 assumed winemaking duties from his father, John Sr.

It was nearing the end of an era where the Pedroncelli family would make, sell and deliver its wine to grocery stores, local ranchers and families. Buyers could pull up to the winery and fill up a gallon of red or white wine for 45 cents.

A year after taking over winemaking, Pedroncelli made a zinfandel for release bottled under his family’s label, a variety that the winery would become well known for throughout its history. He also produced California’s first zinfandel rose.

The winery began a major expansion in the mid 1950s with installation of an automatic bottling line and an increase in storage capacity. Jim Pedroncelli became head of sales and marketing in 1957. It also became the one of the first wineries to market Sonoma County’s appellation on its label.

PEDRONCELLI: Freely offered advice to new vintners

The family winery transitioned from a bulk wine producer into a premium winery, but with affordable prices, and later branched out into pinot noir, riesling and red blends.

In 1963, John and Jim Pedroncelli purchased the winery and vineyards from their father, and a year later began to vintage date its wines. They also began purchasing prune parcels around West Dry Creek Road and turning them into vineyards, helping put the Dry Creek Valley on the map as a winemaking destination. The area is mostly northwest of Healdsburg, where the creek is a tributary of the Russian River.

David Stare, founder of Dry Creek Vineyards, became familiar with the Pedroncelli brand as a student at UC Davis in 1971 when he organized a tasting of a bunch pinot noirs. The Pedroncelli brand was the favorite among the group even though it was much less expensive than the other competitors at a price around $5 to $6 a bottle at the time.

“Their wines have always been reasonably priced,” Stare said. Many of its wines today are priced at $20 or less.

When he started his winery in 1972, Stare said, the Pedroncelli brothers were always helpful about providing advice to him. He would occasionally take wine samples that did not turn out well over to the Pedroncelli’s lab and ask John for his opinion — a thought unimaginable today in the industry’s competitive marketplace.

“If I had a problem wine, I could always take it over there,” Stare said. “He was always helpful on giving me his opinion ... He was a very lovely man.”

The hard work of the Pedroncellis in the Dry Creek Valley paid off in 1983 when the region was named as an American Viticultural Area. It now has more than 9,000 acres of vineyards that blanket a 16-mile long stretch that is two miles wide. Overall, the Pedroncelli winery has 105 planted acres and produces 65,000 cases annually, said Julie Pedroncelli St. John, vice president of marketing and John’s niece.

Pedroncelli was noted as a humble man, who preferred the behind-the-scenes work compared to his brother, Pedroncelli St. John said.

But he carried so much respect and trust in the Dry Creek region that he helped set market prices for grapes in the area in the early 1970s, before brokers, pricing models and crush reports became commonplace in establishing rates, said Duff Bevill, founder of Bevill Vineyard Management.

Bevill said newer wineries at the time were unsure what to pay growers in their contracts, “So they would say we will pay what John Pedroncelli pays.”

The winery leadership is in its third generation of Perdoncellis, and a fourth generation also works in the family business.

Besides Jim, John is survived by his wife of 48 years, Christine, a former trustee for Santa Rosa Junior College; children Connie (John) Proctor, Richard Morehouse, Maureen Davison; and grandchildren Roseann, Lauren, Christopher, Ian and Elea. A private funeral service will be held.

Tags: Legacy, family business, family, Pedroncelli
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Sparkling Wine and Champagne Dreams

December 30, 2014 12:07

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Do you remember your first sip of Champagne? I do! 22 years ago Ed and I were in Whistler for a Sonoma County Wine Tour. Our agent invited us to his place for a small reception-and poured Pol Roger. Needless to say, I was hooked on French bubbles from that moment onward. Earlier this month I saw an article about the San Francisco Champagne Society and I thought what a great idea to schedule an appointment for my sister who lives in San Francisco and is also a bubbly fan. We had a marvelous tasting of three very special, small producer Champagnes-and they didn’t disappoint! A nice way to start the holiday week. Recalling my first sip of California sparkling wine, it was Korbel followed soon after by Piper Sonoma and Gloria Ferrer, Robert Hunter and J. I think it is great to have this wide world of wine to taste from including imports—life would be boring to sip one type of wine, don’t you agree? Instead of wondering why the world seems to wait for December to enjoy sparkling wines (except for the occasional wedding toast) embrace the moment—I certainly did! A brief recap of my sparkling month includes visiting a couple of local producers to procure the good stuff for the holidays; a Bubble Room session at J Vineyards & Winery for Ed and me, a Miyagi oyster pairing with a bottle of Brut out at the coast as we celebrated our anniversary with good friends; enjoying a blind tasting of 8 sparkling wines and Champagne at a local winemaker’s home, paired with new friends and dinner it was so much fun, and, finally, kicking off Christmas Eve with a magnum of Brut Rosé from Roederer. Now what to have on New Year’s Eve…it will be sparkling for sure. Happy New Year!

One of the Champagnes we tasted-it was our favorite. The photo doesn't do the beautiful color justice.

Tags: Pedroncelli, wine, California
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Food for thought

December 23, 2014 12:13

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I remember one gift I always look forward to and was from my great Aunt Rena. She always gave my family a big box of cookies-of all kinds-and my favorites were Lemon Lassies and Butterscotch Chip. My grandmother was able to get the recipe from her for the Lemon Lassies before she passed away and I am grateful to have it today. Other family dinner memories include the Ravioli my grandmother made at Christmas, they were so light and the sauce so flavorful-but that recipe is lost because we didn't have her write it down. The memory of the meal will suffice for me. Overall, our family tends to keep things pretty simple even for holiday meals. Especially for Ed and me. We serve Prime Rib (this is the one and only time we do) along with all the usual sides. We will include a sparkling wine kick off (we chose a magnum of Roederer Brut Rosé this year) and our Block 007 Cabernet Sauvignon will be paired with the roast beast. I consider our wines in the style of tried & true food friendly. It seems I always have a hard time choosing which wine I’ll pair with dinner because of this. We’ll likely include a bottle of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel as well-there are 10 of us for dinner and lots of palates to please. I do have quite a collection of recipes on our website (click here) and many of these are family favorites which have graced our table year in and year out. Merry Christmas! And pass the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tags: Pedroncelli, food and wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Recipe
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Mull This Over

December 18, 2014 12:18

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Since this is the holiday season, and we do like to celebrate, here are a few ideas for cocktails made with our wines as well as one after dinner coffee drink. These add a bit of pizzazz to your party or dazzle to your dinner. You are always welcome to share a glass or two without all the frou-frou but then it wouldn’t be the holidays, would it?

friends.white Punch

friends.75

Strawberry-Basil Rosé Sangria

Pedroncelli Mulled Wine

Portspresso

Portspresso by Dry Creek Kitchen, Healdsburg CA. Good to the last drop!

Tags: Pedroncelli, Recipe, wine
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Varietally Speaking

December 16, 2014 12:25

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Funny story about Sangiovese. Almost 15 years ago, I read an article predicting the next popular wines. At that time, Syrah was riding high, it was before the movie Sideways so Pinot Noir was still a sleeper, and Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were holding their positions as top selling wines. A wine writer wrote that two wines were up and comers and were about to sweep these other wines off the map: Sangiovese and Pinot Grigio. I became hopeful that our new addition of Alto Vineyards Sangiovese, first released in 1999, would do well.

Well I am here to tell you that while Pinot Grigio did well the wine buying public didn’t receive the memo about Sangiovese. In fact many of the vineyards planted back then have made way for other, perhaps better known varietals. I think it doesn’t quite have a hook like California’s own Zinfandel or familiarity of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is the grape that made a region in Italy famous: Chianti. When I talk to sales representatives and retailers about carrying our California Chianti I urge them to become a Sangiovese champion because it is a unique wine in a sea of others. I believe our estate vineyards are producing some of the best California-style Chianti on the market. Planted to three areas on our home ranch the vineyard has thrived. This is one of my favorite wines to pour in our tasting room. Taste it for yourselves with a toast to heritage and choices in the vast world of wine.

One of our Alto vineyards on our home ranch, you see the terraces of Sangiovese atop our Mother Clone vineyard.

Tags: Pedroncelli, varietals, Sangiovese, Mother Clone
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Canyon Creek Rising

December 11, 2014 12:30

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This day will truly go down in the books as an answer to the many prayers for rain. 5 inches overnight. And a few more inches today. While the drought is nowhere near over, this is a good healthy addition to our annual rainfall. Canyon Creek begins just north of us and runs through our Home Ranch as well as our East Side Vineyards, a mile west on Dry Creek Road. Part of it goes underground beneath the fermentation buildings, crush pad and bottling warehouse. Sometimes when we have this type of deluge it runs over. Today was one of those days—it flowed through our yard and partly into our cellar and warehouse. It even ran over Walling Road. The crew had their hands full cleaning up and trying to stay ahead of the storm. In the photo below, taken in the 1950’s, my uncle John is standing in the yard just outside of our cellar. As you can see, Canyon Creek spilled over then, the same as it has in every large storm. We’ll keep an eye on our hillside vineyards-sometimes they’ll slip with this much rain. Overall this is the relief that we were looking for-just all at one time. Grab your glass and toast the bounty of rain and 87 years of weathering storms.

While we didn't see this much water through here today, Canyon Creek is known to crest pretty high. John Pedroncelli, circa 1950s.

Tags: Pedroncelli, drought, weather, California
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What is an Old Vine?

December 9, 2014 12:34

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Bear with me as we navigate the sometimes confusing waters of wine terms. Old Vine, Reserve, Special Selection and others are phrases that are used on wine labels to help give more definition of style but don’t really stick to a particular set of rules. ‘Reserve’ in fact has no legal definition so wineries may use it freely—check out the wine wall the next time you are at a store and count the ‘reserves’. The same goes for Old Vine, where you would expect it to have a definition (75-100 years old at least) but it doesn’t. If you had 20 grape growers in a room I don’t think you’d draw a consensus for a definition. We don’t use the old vine term on our Mother Clone Zinfandel because we developed a proprietary name. It refers to vineyards ranging in age from 100 (a very small part of the blend) to 20 years old, some historic and some new kids on the block. These are well established vineyards but not ‘old’ in the sense that this Zinfandel is from a century old vineyard. If you are curious about what is in your glass when it comes to our wines rest assured we do our best to define it for you. From my Dino cup to yours, cheers!

This photo of the Mother Clone vineyard on our Home Ranch shows 30+ year old vines.

Tags: Pedroncelli, winespeak, Zinfandel, vines
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