Vino In My Dino

Wine Science! Part 3

February 10, 2015 17:27

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Tasting rooms are one of the best places to try wines from many different areas and varietals. How many times have you been on vacation, traveled to wine country, and came away with quite a few bottles of wine? I have and sometimes when I get back I wonder ‘what was I thinking’ because, in my case, many of them are dessert wines. For some reason whenever I taste a one of these at the end of the line-up it is the wine I buy, and now I have quite a nice cellar of 20 year old sweet wines. The whole experience led me to enjoy a wine I don’t normally buy. This video on the psychology of wine is a great discussion on how we taste wine in different situations: a candlelit restaurant (or well-designed tasting room), listening to what someone else finds in the wine, knowledge of the cost of the wine, what the label looks like, which brand, whether familiar or unknown, is in our glass. Our experience and assumptions inform the taste of the wine. I like the part in the video that talks about what a friend or stranger finds in the wine-and suddenly you too find the ‘earthiness’ as stated in the example. Yesterday Ed said he could taste a certain floral characteristic in the red blend we were tasting in our office. And just as suddenly the aroma of narcissus wafted out of the glass-but I hadn’t identified it before he said something. What about the price of a wine? Is a $5 wine worse than a $45 wine-especially if you enjoy the taste of the $5 version. Imagine you would then have 9 times the fun if you are prefer the lower priced wine. If you are a wine lover like me look for how the psychology of wine affects you-it may be as subliminal as the preferring one label over another or subconsciously finding the fruit aspect that a friend picks up in their glass of wine. I see you are becoming thirsty, very thirsty, for a glass of Pedroncelli Zinfandel…

Psychology of Wine video.

Tags: Pedroncelli, wine tasting
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Wine Science! Part 2

February 5, 2015 17:31

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A few years ago a friend was over at our house and was enjoying some of our Cabernet Sauvignon-he read the back label for more information and came across the descriptor “red cherries” in the tasting notes. He asked if cherries had been added to the wine at some point along the way. He was new to wine tasting so I assured him that no cherries were used in the production of the wine and it was a description used by the winemaker to describe the fruit characteristics of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Which opens up another form of thought we’ll explore in a future blog post: what sets Cabernet, for instance, apart from Merlot or Zinfandel for that matter. But I digress. You’ve heard that a wine begins in the vineyard-from the type of growing season to how late you leave the grapes on the vine-they all come into play when we talk about the flavors in wine. How about throwing in oak barrel aging? Then you have another layer of flavor or, as I like to say, complexity. This video does a great job (thanks Dr. Sacks at Cornell University) of explaining the science behind the flavors we smell and taste in wine. And I completely agree with him when he says to ‘add your two cents’ when it comes to describing the wine you are trying-it is after all your palate and your tasting experience which is coming into play! When you enjoy your glass of wine tonight, may you taste the monoterpenes!

Out of the bottle: Wine Flavor

Tags: Pedroncelli, wine, wine tasting
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Wine Science! Part 1

February 3, 2015 17:34

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Wine terms don't always communicate what we are talking about and if you are outside of 'the industry' they are difficult to comprehend. I have worked 30 years for my family's wine business and I have developed a large wine vocabulary. When I speak to groups I make an assumption (yeah I know) that the audience has the same knowledge or vocabulary. I have the most fun coming up with ways to make wine words understandable and comfortable, like your favorite slippers instead of some squeaky leather shoes you have hard time breaking in. Some terms are easy like ‘barrel fermented’ and mean what they say-wine is fermented in the barrel as part of the winemaking process for this particular bottle—pretty simple. Others like malo-lactic fermentation and sur lies are Greek to some people-who the heck is 'Sur' lies and why is he lying? I found these videos a few months ago and saved them for a rainy day-even if it isn't raining today here is the first of three-enjoy with a glass of wine and prepare to be informed!

Out of the bottle: Tricks of the Trade

Tags: Pedroncelli, wine tasting
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Wine Thieving

January 29, 2015 17:36

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The act of ‘thieving’ wine, also referred to as barrel tasting, is an educational process. Usually the winemaker will taste the young wine while it is heading into the barrel and then, using a wine thief, will check on the progress a few more times during the year as it matures. The wine thief itself, pictured below, is nothing more than a glass tube for siphoning out a small sample of the wine. You don’t have to be a winemaker or cellar master to thief wine because around these parts (Sonoma County) we have an event that celebrates Barrel Tasting via the Wine Road, the sponsoring organization. Almost 40 years ago a few wineries banded together, Pedroncelli included, to market wines made in the northern area of the county, specifically the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys, to locals and visitors alike. Today guests buy tickets, roam the wine roads, taste young red and white wines and learn more about the process of aging. We usually pair the barrel sample with the current release for comparison’s sake. Sometimes we throw in a library vintage of the same varietal-all in the name of educating one’s palate. But I digress. During the aging process, as the water and alcohol dissipate, the wine softens little by little. It will take on aspects of the oak as well as loosen up its' grip. If you are trying a wine from the recent harvest be prepared-the tannins are pretty harsh but the silver lining is you get a glimpse of things to come—the fruit components, the acidity, the body—and some of the characteristics will dominate the others. It boils down to a matter of time. Winemakers are a patient lot. Time in the barrel equals a nicely aged wine making it more ready to drink upon release. Enjoy an insider’s look at wine country by attending and tasting for yourself—the first two weekends of March. I’ll be the one at the barrel with my Dino cup.

Learn more about Barrel Tasting Weekend here

Tags: Pedroncelli, Barrel Tasting
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Ullage-it's not a town in Sweden

January 21, 2015 17:40

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First I’ll define the word ullage. We use it in the wine industry to describe the loss of wine due to evaporation while the wine ages in barrel or bottle. For example, when someone writes to me about their 1974 Cabernet and they want to know how it’s doing, one of the first questions I ask is to describe the fill line on the bottle. We call that ullage-the level at which the wine is located in the neck of the bottle indicates loss of wine over time and determines whether the wine is spoiled or not. It is the same in a barrel except instead of an ounce of wine lost it is more like 1-2 gallons every 3 months-when the cellar crew tops each barrel and continues the aging process. However even at this cost (in wine) the act of barrel aging does concentrate by the slow vaporizing of water and alcohol. Why do you think a barrel room smells so good? It’s all about wine vapor. And in either case, if too much air gets in, spoilage will occur at an even greater cost-that of the entire contents turning into vinegar. Another form of loss is in the lees. You’ve heard of the term ‘dregs’ and this is what you get at the bottom of the barrel-dead yeast cells, a byproduct of aging. These dregs are not used and are, after the wine is removed, washed away-as in the photo below. Oak (and cork) is permeable and ultimately, even though a little air is a good thing, the benefits outweigh the loss of product. Hmmm, I’m ready for a glass of red-preferably a nicely aged one!

Cleaning barrels-the purple sludge is AKA dead yeast cells.

Tags: Pedroncelli, Barrel aging, Aged Wine
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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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