Road Warrior for Lava Cap - Kevin Jones, third generation, wears many hats

I spoke to Kevin when he was pouring at the Lava Cap station during Zinfest.  He's on the road for the winery a fair amount, as Lava Cap does many outside events.  But this is one busy guy, and I thought I'd let him talk for himself:

"Well, my position is mostly here at the winery. I complete a lot of the marketing projects, from day-to-day scheduling of events and wine club events to schlepping tables and chairs for weekend groups.

Really what it comes down to, though, I think for many family farm businesses and wineries is the need to be a swiss army knife. Some days I'm sitting at a computer and another day I may be operating a spray rig in the vineyard. I think interacting with the wine consumers at events such as ZAP, however, is extremely important.

Wine is one of the few products where you drink a story. Everyone has a story, but without experiencing the story from someone writing it, it is just another story, or just another winery in this instance.

We are very proud of our farm and our product, so we are excited to participate in events; generally we do 30-40 outside events a year. We have several employees that have great enthusiasm for our story that help out with these events, but if the cards line up right and the family tries to stay involved in these offsite events as much as possible.

We actually have quite a lot of new exciting things at Lava Cap. Starting August 2013, we hired a new wine maker, Joe Norman whose past experiences include Heitz Cellars. The level of quality and consistency of his wine making should be a stepping stone for a future of amazing wines.

 Lastly, and something I think is very exciting for me, is our bird is coming back to the Lava Cap label and we are introducing that label this summer and fall.  I'm happy to share the story of our new endeavors!"

Lava Cap is located at 2221 Fruitridge Road, Placerville CA 95667
Call them for tasting room hours at 530-621-0175
or visit their website:  www.lavacap.com 

ART & WINE: Lexi Boeger Creates in Many Media, on display at Boeger Winery in Placerville EL DORADO COUNTY

The sake cups created by Lexi Boeger are an extension of her creative ventures; available at the Boeger winery tasting room, priced $8-40.  

Lexi is an artist and writer with a wide range of interests, currently pursuing many “mediums, materials, modes and adventures,” she says, “going where there is energy and excitement.” 

Lexi built a world-wide reputation as a fiber artist, hand spinning yarns and incorporating other textiles into her works.  Rumor has it that some of these creations will be on display in her studio on the Boeger winery property during the upcoming El Dorado Passport Weekends.  

Reach her via the contact button on her blog: http://www.pluckyfluff.com/ 

STARFIELD VINEYARDS: Action Photo of the Week

ACTION PHOTO OF THE WEEK: 

Pruning has been going on in the Sierra Foothills for a while, how much and where is very dependent on the locale. 

At Starfield Vineyards near Jacquier Road in Placerville, EL DORADO COUNTY, tempranillo vines received the loving touch recently.

Starfield -- well, we are starting to hear about it a bit now -- but the plans for a mass of rhodendendrons and daffodils, a Lake Pavillion and and event area, a new winery -- are afoot. It will be another year until Grand Opening, but we will keep you abreast of developments.

For more information, go to http://starfieldvineyards.com/story/placerville-property.html

Lovin’ That Neighborly Feeling in Fair Play AVA of the Sierra Foothills

In addition to making fine wines, the wineries of the Fair Play AVA in El Dorado County make good friends too.  

Linda Neal in wintry Mellowood Vineyard

It’s the time of year when opening a communication from winemakers like Linda Neal at Mellowood Vineyard reminds you what it’s like to be in a warm and close community.

Linda sent along the December calendar of events there, but what caught my eye was this:

A fun Neighborhood Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 19^th. , This parade beings at 11:00am at Ravine Rd (off Dorado Canyon) and ends at the home of Cindy and Lee Hodge, on Nob Hill Drive.  

I am told that EVERYONE is welcome and there will be lots of opportunity to visit with Santa and neighbors.  I’m urged to bring finger food to share.  And that there will be Prizes, Games and Fun!!!

If I’m to be a simple spectator, then I need to bring my own folding chair and find a spot along Dorado Canyon Road (between Winter Creek and Nob Hill. 

If I want to participate then come by 10:00am to sign a waiver and line up.  AND if I’m going to participate on horseback (!!!) then, pay attention -- horse trailers stage at 9:30am

I’m not sure I’ll make it, Linda, but your email is just so welcoming.  Gotta love the Wineries of the Sierra Foothills.

Here’s a picture of the tree at Mellowood, reputed to have gifties under it for anyone who comes to Linda’s open house at Mellowood on December 12 or 13^th.  

This is very tempting, because of the warm beef stew that’s going to be served, plus fresh bread from Andrae’s Bakery.  (Andrae’s bakery is located in the smallest incorporated city in California, Amador City.  It is so famous that viticulturalist Ann Kraemer of Shake Ridge Vineyards told me that some of her grape buyers from Napa would only come to look at the grapes’ progress on days that Andrae’s Bakery is open.  I’ve been there and its reputation is justified!)

Oh, so tempting!  The whole deal!  That Fair Play Holiday Spirit!

If you want to join the fun, get in touch with Linda:

Linda Neal

Mellowood Vineyard

2979 Mellowood Drive

Fair Play, CA  95684

530-306-9454

Open Saturdays and Sundays, 10-4

or by appointment.

What makes Wineries of the Sierra Foothills so special?  You can find out by reading my book when it publishes in early January!   Go to:   http://wineriesofthesierrafoothills.com/#home  

 SIGN UP (BOX IN THE CENTER OF THE HOME PAGE) TO BE ALERTED WHEN THE BOOK PUBLISHES 

Madrona Vineyards Winemaker "Elaborates the Wines" in El Dorado County, Sierra Foothills, CALIFORNIA-

Balancing Life and Work While Elaborating the Wine

So much is now written about work/life balance, but it isn’t always do-able.  It takes effort, as winemaker Paul Bush of Madroña Vineyards in Camino, near Placerville in El Dorado County will frankly tell you.

Maggie and Paul Bush

 Paul reveres balance in both life and his work, which is wine.  “Together with my wife Maggie, we find that our greatest challenge is how to be business owners with all of those responsibilities while still growing the grapes, making the wines, doing what’s required for marketing the Madroña Vineyards brand, and at the same time raising two daughters,” he says.  “Any given day can be filled with attending to the vineyards at daybreak, measuring the progress of wines in the barrel in the wine before lunch, working in the tasting room in the afternoon – and then throw in a swim meet or school play for spice.”

Balance is something that Paul believes is crucial in wine too.  When you visit this winery you’ll understand how much he took to heart a statement from a winemaker friend in France:  “One does not make wine.  One elaborates wine!”  With great fruit from the extended family’s own Madroña, Enyé and Sumu Kaw vineyards, Paul is quite content to be the elaborator.  “Most often, I find that the wine knows best about how it should be made, and I’m just along for the ride,” he says modestly.

Lake Tahoe White Wine
on the Madrona bottling line

One nice tip of the hat to the Sierra Nevada is the Lake Tahoe White and Lake Tahoe Red wines, a special bottling in gift packs that wine tourists love.

But more than anything else, the Madroña Vineyards wines are meant to be at a table with food.  They are balanced and focused on the characteristics of the fruit.  Paul does not over-manipulate the wines, doesn’t like to add enzymes during fermentation, and strives to show the character of what his Foothills vineyards produce.  “The quality of a wine is determined predominately in the field,” Paul says.  “By the time the grapes get to the winery, it’s a lot of babysitting.  The mantra is:  don’t screw it up!”

Paul is fond of their Cabernet Franc, saying it has a “glorious nature in that it pairs with almost anything.”   He is equally enthusiastic about their Malbec, calling on serendipity as the force that led them to plant it at 2800 feet – with a result of intense fruit and color and weight with surprisingly soft tannins.

Madroña Vineyards
2560 High Hill Road
Camino, CA 95709
     530-644-5948 or 800-230-7662

www.madronavineyards.com

     You can read more about this winery and enjoy a recipe that pairs well with Madrona's Malbec in the soon-to-be-published book, Wineries of the Sierra Foothills.   
      Sign up to get an alert when it's published via a simple process at the book's website,  www.wineriesofthesierrafoothills.com   There will be loads of ongoing features on Sierra Foothills wineries, and notification of book-signing events near you.

The Madrona Malbec pairs well with food,
but the book gives you a very special recipe
straight from the Winemaker family kitchen...

Baiocchi Winemaker Abandoned the Safety Net and Seeks Tone and Balance in his El Dorado County Wines

Greg Baiocchi’s first passion in life was music.  As musicians do, he opened himself up to many styles and rhythms as he matured.  His second passion is wine.  Wine also has an appeal to his creative side, since making good wines involves both complexity and experimentation.  Fortunately his wife Sharon shares his passions.  “We abandoned our security blanket to follow our dreams.  We have ended up working harder every day than we ever did, but we have no regrets as we both feel that this is truly what we were meant to do. We created a brand and also a lifestyle that is founded in the earth and is real, kinesthetic and sustainable,” Greg wrote in his blog.

That’s the origin story of Baiocchi Wines, which has planted 12 acres of the 40 they own in the Fair Play AVA of El Dorado County,  Sierra Foothills region.  From their first vintage in 2009 until today, it’s been a path of taking risk, correcting the course, and forging ahead.  The result is elegant wines in the Southern Rhone tradition.

A few years ago Greg named some wines after his favorite classical pieces.  In talking about his limited-release “gminor” blend of Grenache-Syrah-Tempranillo, Greg waxes rhapsodic.  “Grenache is a pretty part of the blend… it consumes the senses and it is what captures you when first meeting the wine,” he says.  “The Syrah provides weight and curves and seduction.  It holds you on the mid palate long enough to allow some acidity to catch up with the fruit – and then, here comes the Tempranillo kick.  Tempranillo brings structure, complexity and length to the finish.  These blends are like great symphonies!”

Greg and Sharon enjoy Baiocchi Grenache
during an al fresco lunch at the vineyard

At Baiocchi Wines, Greg can be a risk-taker with his blends.  He likes to experiment, and he blends with the goal in mind of delivering purity and freshness of fruit, imparting a sense of place, and ultimately creates an experience that emanates from the vineyard and finds its way to the glass.

Baiocchi Wines Tasting Room                                              
82 Main Street                                                          
Sutter Creek, CA                                                        
    209- 267-5523

Tasting Room open Thursday - Sunday from 11:00am – 5:00pm
Complimentary Tastings

Baiocchi Family Vineyard
2145 Hidden Ranch Road
Fair Play, CA 95684

This is a working farm and, as such, there are no public visiting hours.

www.BaiocchiWines.com     

The winery makes a total of 200 cases annually and releases 7-10 wines yearly.  Ten Library wines are also offered. Wines use Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Tempranillo and Viognier varieties.

(You can read more about this winery and meet the family at a special meal that photographer Johan Martin photographed for my forthcoming book...sign up to get updates/alert on publication date ... www.wineriesofthesierrafoothills.com)

MENTORS are hard to find, but John MacCready is a great one

In my many discussions with winemakers as I prepared material for my soon-to-be-published book on Wineries of the Sierra Foothills, the name John MacCready kept coming up.  John not only spent hours with me at the onset of my research in 2007, but he has been a mentor to many wineries here in the foothills.

John, who holds a PhD in electrical engineering, started “fooling around” with homemade wine while in graduate school at the University of Missouri.  He continued home-winemaking while living and working for NCR in Ohio.  While on visits to his sister in Pleasant Valley, he took some wine seminars, and his passion for winemaking grew.  Soon he was looking at land parcels in El Dorado County.

In late 1972, he and Barbara packed their two little girls, their dog, and a 15 gallon drum of fermenting wine in their Chevy and drove from Dayton, OH, to Placerville CA.  John found a job teaching in Sacramento and in his free time he worked hard with Barbara to establish the vineyard.  By 1974, they’d planted their first vines – cabernet sauvignon – on its own roots, pioneering the rebirth of mountain viticulture in the Sierra Nevada Foothills.

In 1977, Sierra Vista had its first crush, using grapes purchased from nearby vineyards.  The winery produced 1200 cases of wine in that first vintage. Production is now 5000 cases, and most are estate-grown Rhone wines.

Wines offered include Sauvignon Blanc/Fume Blanc (vinified Loire style with no oak influence), Chardonnay, Roussanne, Viognier, Syrah, Grenache, Grenache Rose, “Lynelle” – a Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre blend with a touch of Cinsault, Merlot, Mourvedre, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Viognier Doux – a dessert wine.  A newly introduced “Tiger Lily” label honors the Tiger Lily Winery which was opened in 1850 and lasted until Prohibition days, located on Sierra Vista’s land.

Sierra Vista Winery
4560 Cabernet Way
Placerville, CA 95667
    530-622-7221 or 800-946-3916
    www.sierravistawinery.com

(You can read more about this winery and meet the family at a special meal that photographer Johan Martin photographed for my forthcoming book...sign up to get updates/alert on publication date ... www.wineriesofthesierrafoothills.com)

Picnic at Sierra Foothills Wineries, with History!

Eldorado County winery, Boeger, in Placerville, encourages picnics during the beautiful September weather in the foothills right now...

This wonderful building was Boeger's first tasting room, opened in 1974, in the historic building that was the family home and winery of the Fossati-Lombardo homesteaders -- built from stones when they cleared the vineyards in the 1860's.  Get close and you'll see the Federal stamp on the door that served as the license to produce sacramental church wine during Prohbition.  Greg and Sue Boeger purchased the vineyard and winery in 1972. OF COURSE today's tasting room is big, wonderful, air-conditioned and welcoming.  Do pack that picnic and go!

Many Sierra Foothills wineries have beautiful picnic areas.

 (You can read more about Boeger and meet the family at a special meal that photographer Johan Martin photographed for my forthcoming book...sign up to get updates/alert on publication date ... www.wineriesofthesierrafoothills.com)

How to Analyze a Harvest Report

Harvest reports are flooding the wine industry media now. If you are a buyer of grapes or a winemaker already, you know how to view these reports. But for the “others” among us, the comments below from Elizabeth Standeven, who is the current President of the El Dorado Wine Grape Growers Association, give some perspectives that are useful and will enhance your appreciation of grower concerns at harvest time.

(Click here to see the latest El Dorado harvest reports)

Elizabeth says, “One thing many growers (and wineries) tend to track pretty closely is Brix (a measure of how much sugar and therefore potential alcohol of the finished wine). Other things they should e tracking, but not all do, is TA (total acidity) and pH.

“These 3 measures (Brix, TA, pH) plus favors in the grapes are generally what growers and wineries try to optimize at harvest........that said, the optimal range of each measure isn't always met, so that is where winemakers earn their pay.

“In an ideal situation the grower and winemaker work together to decide exactly when to pick based on what these ripening criteria suggest would be ideal for the type or style of wine they want to make. Each winemaker has his/her own style and "tricks" they use to adjust the grape-must before fermentation...it's a matter of stylistic preference.

“Other things growers are looking at this time of year:

· Crop load....not exactly cluster appearance...more of a broad brush how much crop is out there and whether it is ripening uniformly or not.

· Bunch rot- lots of different kinds can also show up this time of year as the grapes soften just before final ripeness... these include several different kinds of molds and mildews that can attack, especially tight clusters or clusters that get rained on.

· Labor - another issue this time of year...a limited pool and if many varietals ripen at once...not enough hands to go around

· Tank space - while not exactly a grower issue, if a given winery takes in too much of varietal A and runs out of tank space for varietal B the grower could get a call saying the winery will take less than previously discussed



· Weather - too much excessive heat or rain this time of year can ruin certain grapes.

· Logistics - always an issue...getting the winery, picking crew, and equipment ready to go at the same time

· Birds and other critters eating your grapes - this year we are experiencing extra bird and turkey pressure on the grapes...at Shaker Ridge, we had to put out more bird nets, borrow the neighbor's dog to chase turkeys and we have our annual visitations from the neighborhood bear(s).

· Hang time - for us, hang time isn't a concern usually....the grapes are ripe when they are ripe....if it takes too long to ripen (like in a cool year) then you run a greater risk of running out of good weather to fully ripen the grapes. At higher elevations and some later ripening varietals have more issues here.

I am sure there are other concerns out there, but this is what was on my mind today!



Shaker Ridge Barbera,
to be harvested soon

Tasting the Gold of El Dorado Wineries at South Lake Tahoe Community College Foundation Event

Madrona Winery gets in the mood
with its Lake Tahoe-themed wine

One of my favorite Tahoe-area summer wine events is the “Taste of Gold,” which benefits the Lake Tahoe Community College Foundation.  Why the name?  Well, it’s all about wines from El Dorado, that California county over there on the South side of Lake Tahoe. The term El Dorado, meaning “the golden one” was coined by Spanish explorers in the mid 1500’s as they sought a city of gold believed to lie in the heart of the Amazon jungle.  To find your “gold” in terms of good wine from the Sierra Foothills, simply attend the event, held each year on campus.  Top wineries from El Dorado County offer many wines to taste.

 

Jen Tomei pours Boeger Wines

Boeger Winery, Placerville, 2012 Pinot Gris.  It has aromas of honey, peach and green apple. On the palate, I like the hint of spice and the fact that it is light and delicate makes it a great summer wine. Grapes are sourced from Boeger’s own Pinot Grande vineyard.  $15 the bottle.  13.5 percent alcohol.  www.boegerwinery.com

Tina & Charlie Bruess
pour for Crystal Basin

Crystal Basin Cellars, Camino, 2010 Petite Sirah. A warm black cherry aroma leads to two distinct layers of flavor featuring, on the one hand, blueberries and on the other, soft tannins.    $27 the bottle. 15.8 percent alcohol.  www.crystalbasin.com

Connie Varvais & friend
pour for Holly's Hill

Holly’s Hill Vineyards, Placerville, 2007 Patriarche.  This is a delicious blend of Rhone wines:  63 percent Mourvedre, 19 percent Syrah, 13 percent Grenache Noir, 5 percent Counoise.  Aroma and taste of strawberries, dark berries and plum with complex spices.  This wine has a nice earthiness, good acidity and smooth tannins.  I love this blend.  $30 the bottle. 14.4 percent alcohol.  www.hollyshill.com

Perry Creek Winery, Fair Play, 2011 Zinman Rose.  Aroma of strawberry and hints of flowers, and a taste that come in layers of all the fruits of summer.  This is a light, dry and delightful Rose that is easy to drink. $12 the bottle.14.2 percent alcohol.   www.perrycreek.com

 

Carolyn Silan pours
for Colibri Ridge

Colibri Ridge Winery, Fair Play, 2007 Barbera Fair Play.  Wow, a whopper of a wine at 16.1 percent alcohol but tannin-lovers will find this delicious with berry aroma that leads to a mouthful of lush tasting blackberry, cherry, raspberry and blueberries.   $21.50  the bottle.  www.colibriridge.com



Nello Olivo pours his wines for
Sarah Deliniere

 Nello Olivo Winery, Placerville, 2009 Merlot.  Try this wine if you’ve become jaded about Merlot.  It’s quite a bold Merlot, made in the Bordeaux style.  $39.50 the bottle.   13.7 percent alcohol.  www.nelloolivo.com

Other El Dorado wineries pouring were Lava Cap and Madrona, both located near Placerville.

Lake Tahoe Community College is located in South Lake Tahoe; more at www.ltcc.edu.   Attendees enjoyed the event featuring El Dorado wines and the cuisine of Lake Tahoe, held on the Ledbetter Terrace and Demonstration Gardens at the College.

 If you missed this event, I suggest a visit to the tasting rooms of these wineries.  There are dozens of great visits you can make in a day from Lake Tahoe.  Check the El Dorado Wine Association map at www.eldoradowines.org/map.php



This review appeared in my Wine Time column, The Tahoe Weekly, on August 8, 2013

 

 

Tahoe City Wine Walk Introduces Hundreds of Consumer to Sierra Foothills and other Wines

The 8^th Annual Tahoe City Wine Walk presented tourists and locals a chance to taste wines from regional California wine producers as they sashayed the streets of downtown Tahoe City on a nice summer day. This fundraiser for the Tahoe City Downtown Association attracts great wineries and hundreds of wine lovers.

Julie Holeva, hostess at Tahoe
Mountain Brewing Company, pours
Main Street Chardonnay 2011

I started my tasting tour at Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company, where they poured a 2011 Chardonnay, Main Street Winery, St Helena, CA with grapes sourced from Santa Barbara County. The result is a wine with aroma of pear and tropical fruit, and taste of melon, lemon and apple, a hint of toasted almonds. It’s a nicely balanced and creamy wine, with a bit of spice. 13.5 percent alcohol. It’s on the wine list at Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company for $6 the glass.

Rosemary Bluhm of CG di Arie pours
for winelover Brian Aebi

A favorite area winery of mine is CG di Arie, based in El Dorado County. From its tasting location in front of Barifot, I sampled di Arie’s 2009 Sierra Legend, a red blend that won Double Gold in the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. This blend (35% Syrah, 25% Primitivo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc) features grapes from the Shenandoah Valley of California. It has an aroma of berries and chocolate, with flavor of fruit, and some savory and smoky notes too. Well balanced and with a structured acidity, this is a food friendly wine perfect for summer meals! 14.3 percent alcohol. $35/bottle. www.cgdiarie.com



Bill Manson of Cielo
pours for Bill Youndt

Cielo Estate of El Dorado County, poured wine at the North Tahoe Arts Center. The yummy 2011 Magnifique, El Dorado, is a blend of 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. Wine Director Bill Manson was on hand to discuss this wine, which features flavors of red fruits such as black cherry, currant and cassis. It is smooth, silky, and has a lingering finish. 13.9 per cent alcohol. www.cieloestate.com

Mount Aukum, El Dorado County, chose Blue Stone Jewelry as its pouring venue. I tasted the 2007 Syrah from the Fair Play AVA, and enjoyed this full-bodied wine. The flavor is classic Syrah: very berry and firm spices with smoky tannins. 15.7 percent alcohol. $35/bottle. Buy at Blue Stone Jewelry in Truckee or go to www.mountaukum.com

Hatcher Sauvignon Blanc
featured at Uncorked

As you might expect, Uncorked in the Cobblestone Mall, Tahoe City, had many of these wines on hand for tasting and sale. Their feature was Hatcher’s 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, Sierra Foothills. A nice citrusy nose of grapefruit, and flavor of lime and green apple. The medium acidity makes this a great summer wine! 14.3 percent alcohol. $18/bottle. www.hatcherwinery.com

Bogle Merlot at
Alpenglow Sports

Bogle’s 2011 Merlot is a crowd-pleaser, and widely available. Alpenglow Sports hosted this winery, and lines were long to sample this well-known wine. Cherry cola is the dominant flavor, with currant and fig mingling with a pleasant herbal nature. It has a smooth and lovely mouthfeel. 13.5 per cent alcohol. Internet prices as low as $10/bottle! Now, that’s a sweet spot for the summer!





This information first appeared in The Tahoe Weekly newspaper, where I write the Wine Timecolumn, on July 3, 2013

Greg Baiocchi Speaks Out on his GST: it’s Pretty, Seductive, Complex



Greg Baiocchi
is Mr GST

“Like many in the wine business, I am tired of what one wine writer refers to as “that old CabChardPinot thingy”. And so when we established Baiocchi Wines and Vineyards, we had a definite winemaking philosophy and vineyard plan,” notes Greg Baiocchi.

“In many ways, I am a “millennial”winemaker: I like to experiment. Baiocchi is a new winery so we can afford to be different, as there are no expectations imposed from the wine critics yet. I want to be authentic. I want to deliver an experience that emanates from the vineyard and finds its way to the glass. I like to co –ferment the fruit, and that’s a point of origin of our blend, GST. One wine lover has called me “Mr GST” because I believe in originality in my blends, and GST is a blend that is pretty, seductive, and complex.

Our winemaking philosophy, briefly, is that we co-ferment, use indigenous yeast, balance our use of new French oak, and believe in unfined and unfiltered wines. We want to bring the fruit to the glass with as much transparency as possible. The vineyard philosophy was to plant Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah & Tempranillo because of the excellence of our terroir for these varieties.

From a strategic winemaking viewpoint, these varietals all work well together in any growing season. This vineyard mix allows me to make handcrafted wines no matter what Mother Nature throws our way each year.

Our site in the FairPlay AVA of El Dorado County, CA., is perfectly suited for these varietals. I manage the vineyard to the terroir, which allows me to produce wine of defined character. To me, creating a sense of place in our wines was critical to the winery business plan.

To enhance the sense of place, all our wines are fermented on indigenous yeast, with little or minimal intervention. This winemaking technique allows the purity and freshness of the fruit to come forward, thus further imparting a sense of place in our Baiocchi wines.

Gminor, our signature blend of Grenache-Syrah-Tempranillo, was our second experiment with co –fermenting.

Why GST?

I studied these varietals and where they originated and how they are blended throughout Spain and France. I believed this blend would be a complex hybrid of origin, our El Dorado terroir, and fresh taste.

And so I handcrafted a wine that was pretty, seductive yet complex.

G minor:
a GST blend

Our GST is accessible at an early age, and can be opened anytime to share but still delivers structure that stands up proudly to food pairings. We see it marching ahead on wine lists at a value price ($24.00) to consumers of all ages, but perhaps it will be particularly attractive to Millennials.

Grenache(44% of 2011 G minor) is so versatile and brings so much to the table. This is the pretty part of the GST blend, with great aromatics, nicely floral, and a strawberry essence -- it consumes the senses and is what captures you when first meeting the wine.

Syrah (32% of 2011 G minor) provides the weight, the curves, the seduction of the GST blend . Syrah holds the wine on the mid palate, melding blue fruit with all the red fruit of Grenache. It plays an important role in the blend, because holding the wine on the mid palate long enough allows the acidity to catch up and then… the Tempranillo!

Tempranillo’s earthy tannins bring the structure, complexity and length to the finish in the GST blend. Tempranillo constitutes 24% of 2011 G minor.

The compatibility of these three varietals is what makes Gminor great for food. Overall it is a medium-weight wine, earthy and ripe.

Where does GST go next? Well, Christian Miller tasted this and put it on Spago (Beverly Hills) wine list. We are confident at Baiocchi that GST, at a $24 retail price point, will find a welcome in the marketplace.” 

Read more about this GST wine, and Baiocchi Wines and Vineyards, at http://baiocchiwines.com

Greg and Sharon Baiocchi
in their brand-new tasting room
on Main Street, Sutter Creek CA