Friday, May 31, 2013

June's Grand Opening for Baiocchi Wines Tasting Room brings “Mr. GST” into the Limelight

Vineyard owner and winemaker Greg Baiocchi is a little shy about claiming the title “Mr. GST”, but it’s apt. Like a growing number of winemakers, Greg is an advocate of experimentation with creative blends that bring out the sense of place in a wine. Greg’s co-fermented “G minor”will be one of the sought=after Baiocchi wines during the Grand Opening of their Tasting Room at 82 Main Street in Sutter Creek, CA, on June 1.

Named after Rachmaninoff’s Opus 23 # 5 in G minor, this wine’s GST blend (Grenache Syrah Tempranillo) exemplifies the power and finesse that is Greg’s passion in both winemaking and music. A professional bass player for many years, Greg tends to gravitate toward complexity in music and wine. The GST blend, G minor, is the result of Greg Baiocchi’s desire to have his vineyard’s varietals “play well together”.

G Minor (GST)
“G minor is the result of co-fermenting Grenache, Syrah and Tempranillo, three varietals that have been blended together occasionally, mostly two at a time but rarely three at a time. To my knowledge, they have never been co-fermented,” Greg says.

“In this GST wine, the Grenache is the finesse of our G minor, allowing for a softer experience when the wine first hits the palate. Strawberry and dried cherries with soft lushness, then blue fruits enter as the wine hits the mid-palate. The wine then finishes with firm earthy tannins, quite a bit of structure and some of the power that comes from huge hands… a wine just like Rachmaninoff would have created if he were a winemaker,” Greg said.

During the June 1 opening celebration of their new tasting room, winery owners Greg and Sharon Baiocchi are pouring their high quality, small lot wines made from their estate-grown Sierra Foothill grapes. Featured wines include Baiocchi 2010 Orellana (60% Tempranillo, 40% Grenache), Baiocchi 2010 Grenache Sharon’s Vineyard, gb 2011 G minor (Greg’s unique “GST” blend of 44% Grenache, 32% Syrah and 24% Tempranillo), gb 2012 Neophyte Rose (100% Grenache), and gb 2012 del papa (a co-fermented blend of 70% Viognier and 30% Roussanne). The Baiocchi family also grows Syrah and Mourvedre in their 12 acre vineyard and will soon be releasing more wines containing those Rhone varietals.

The new Baiocchi tasting room at 82 Main Street, Sutter Creek, CA, joins a growing group of elite wineries that comprise Sutter Creek’s “Wine on Main”wine tourism initiative to bring wine lovers to this historic Amador County destination for a day or two of tasting enjoyment. Baiocchi Wines have won many kudos since their first vintage in 2009, including accolades from Jeb Dunnuck (now at Wine Advocate) and The Purely Domestic Wine Report. Go to www.BaiocchiWines.com for more information.

More about Baiocchi Wines
Greg and Sharon Baiocchi’s passion for making great wine was born from a passion for enjoying it – namely, with friends and family. As a second career, Greg pursued an education in viticulture and winemaking through the U.C. Davis Extension Winemaking Program and is the Operations Manager of the enterprise. Sharon handles Marketing and Customer Relations. The mission of Baiocchi wine is to produce premium, small lot wines, and to stay focused on the land, the fruit, the wine, and the life. Baiocchi’s handcrafted wines feature Southern Rhone and Rioja style wines made in the Sierra Foothills with Baiocchi estate grown grapes. Greg is known in the California wine industry as “Mister GST” for his pioneering blends of Grenache, Syrah and Tempranillo.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Baiocchi Wines joins elite Tasting Rooms in Sutter Creek-Amador County

Baiocchi Wines Opens New Tasting Room in Sutter Creek


Greg Baiocchi, hammer in hand and ladder underfoot,
 puts the finishing touch on the
 Baiocchi Tasting Room sign,
 at 82 Main Street, Sutter Creek, CA.n
Directions for wine fun beginning on June 1: Set your GPS for N38 23.58204 W120 48.14621 or just get on picturesque Route 49 in Amador County, CA. Head for Gold-Rush-historic Sutter Creek, and stop at the tasting room of Baiocchi Wines at 82 Main Street, Sutter Creek, CA.

During the June 1 Grand Opening Celebration of their new tasting room, winery owners Greg and Sharon Baiocchi will pour their high quality, small lot wines made from their estate-grown Sierra Foothill grapes. Featured wines include Baiocchi 2010 Orellana (60% Tempranillo, 40% Grenache), Baiocchi 2010 Grenache Sharon's Vineyard, gb 2011 G minor (Greg's unique "GST" blend of 44% Grenache, 32% Syrah and 24% Tempranillo), gb 2012 Neophyte Rose (100% Grenache), and gb 2012 del papa (a co-fermented blend of 70% Viognier and 30% Roussanne). The Baiocchi family also grows Syrah and Mourvedre in their 12 acre vineyard and will soon be releasing more wines containing those Rhone varietals. All Baiocchi wines are available for tasting and purchase in the Tasting Room.


The new Baiocchi tasting room joins a growing group of elite wineries that comprise the "Wine on Main" wine tourism initiative to bring wine lovers to this historic Amador County destination for a day or two of tasting enjoyment. Charming hotels and restaurants nearby provide an experience that will provide visitors with a sense of California history and tastes of wine with a true sense-of-place.
 
Sutter Creek holds an important place in both Gold Rush and California wine history. John Sutter discovered gold in 1848 at nearby Coloma and located his mining camp on Sutter Creek. Sutter said that his work was going well "until three or four traveling grog-shops surrounded me...gold was taken to these places for drinking, gambling etc and then the following day they were sick and unable to work." Times have changed in Sutter Creek, which incorporated in 1913 and is now an exciting tourist and wine tasting destination, featuring eight quality wine brands and appealing tasting rooms. Sutter Creek is located in Amador County, CA, "The Heart of the Mother Lode". The word "Amador" means "one who loves"... in this case, Baiocchi's fine wines.

Baiocchi Wines have won many kudos since their first vintage in 2009, including accolades from Jeb Dunnuck (now at Wine Advocate) and The Purely Domestic Wine Report. Go to www.BaiocchiWines.com for more information.

About Baiocchi Wines
Greg and Sharon Baiocchi's passion for making great wine was born from a passion for enjoying it - namely, with friends and family. As a second career, Greg pursued an education in viticulture and winemaking through the U.C. Davis Extension Winemaking Program and is the Operations Manager of the enterprise. Sharon handles Marketing and Customer Relations. The mission of Baiocchi wine is to produce premium, small lot wines, and to stay focused on the land, the fruit, the wine, and the life. Baiocchi's handcrafted wines feature Southern Rhone and Rioja style wines made in the Sierra Foothills with Baiocchi estate grown grapes. Greg is known in the California wine industry as "Mister GST" for his pioneering blends of Grenache, Syrah and Tempranillo.

For more information:
Greg Baiocchi (aka Mister GST)
Baiocchi Wines
2145 Hidden Ranch Rd.
Fair Play, CA 95684


 Baiocchi Wines is a proud member of the El Dorado WineGrape Growers Association