Vino In My Dino

A Pedroncelli Taste Up

January 27, 2017 12:46

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Moving into the 21st century for a winery celebrating 90 years can sometimes be a challenge or easy. This was one of those easy moments. Cooking was involved and this made it easy for me. We worked with Robert Larsen, The Larsen Projekt, to set up a virtual tasting with several members of the blogging community reaching from coast to coast.

I chose a recipe and the wines we’d be tasting along with it. Thinking of my grandmother Julia I chose one that closely resembled her own cooking-she didn’t write anything down so it is up to the ensuing generations to take a stab at her delicious meals. Parmesan Polenta with Sausage Ragu was my choice and I paired it with three of our wines: Signature Selection Chardonnay, Mother Clone Zinfandel and Family Vineyards Petite Sirah.

The chosen day and time was January 26 at 4pm in order to touch base with our east coasters and friends in the mid-west in order for us all to have a chance to make the meal. I uploaded several tweets ahead of time in order to give them some information on the winery, family and wines. We queued up the computers and hosted two bloggers at the winery as well-@luscious_lushes and @wizardofwhiskey.

Questions and fingers flew as we tasted each of the wines and also dug into the tasty polenta. We were also trending on Twitter which I heard was a good thing-nice to be trendy! The link will bring you to the conversation as well as the many photos shared of each blogger's success with the recipe. I answered as many of the inquiries as possible-and enjoyed sipping and eating along the way.

Here are some of the exchanges which you can follow in the link above:

@Pedroncelli Why the decision to begin a winery mid-Prohibition? #ped90th (@Fiery01Red)

@Pedroncelli gets it right: Their wines are made w/ food, friends and family in mind! #Zinfandel #wine #food #lifeisgood#winelover #PED90th (@myvinespot)

Reconnecting with Dry Creek Valley with @Pedroncelli for #ped90th (@DrinkWhatULike)

All in all it was a fun and informative evening. A toast to all with a splash of Mother Clone Zinfandel in my Dino (it was my favorite pick and pairing of the evening).

Tags: Pedroncelli, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, Recipe
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Speaking Pedroncelli

January 19, 2017 12:59

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I am an introvert through and through. 32 years in the wine business has changed this part of me. I often say I am an extrovert by profession meaning I’m ‘on’ when in the public eye. In the early years I learned one thing: if you didn’t speak up you were overlooked. I signed up for an executive speaking course from Lynda Paulson and 28 years later I took it again.

I took The Executive Speaking experience because I needed to brush up on my talks this year about our 90th anniversary. What I ended up doing was writing a 7 minute speech about my passion for cooking, which comes second to wine in my life. Well, my husband and family come first. Then Wine. Then Cooking.

The outline for my speech:

This particular class was made up of winery people like me as well as other executives from the insurance and capital management worlds. We had fun introducing each other and began videotaping all of our assignments including our 7 minute talk which we then critiqued on the afternoon of the last day. While a work in progress, I could see more confidence in my posture as well as voice. What struck me most was the 'But, ums' I peppered throughout—and I recalled the How I Met Your Mother episode with the drinking game based on how many times Robin said But, um. See it here for a refresher.

So I’ll be working those But, ums out of my speaking. Lynda calls them non-words which also include actually and so. Most importantly I’ll be rehearsing the heck out of my talking points. The mirror and video will be my friends during this time. I also want to call out my husband Ed who has helped me over the years with finding my voice-the real me. A toast to future talks with some Chardonnay in my Dino!

Here is the team-great lunch at Bistro Don Giovanni by the way.

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Vineyard View: Atmospheric River

January 13, 2017 13:05

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Earlier this week I was looking out my office window wondering if the rain would ever end. It was difficult to see beyond a few hundred feet the visibility was so poor during the deluge that particular afternoon. You might say you can’t see the vines for the sheets of rain coming down. Contrary to last month, when the soil was still absorbing the rain, today it is running off as fast as it can.

The creeks are full, sometimes to overflowing, because they are reaching their limits as water courses down from the hills. The way our property is situated we have a major tributary, called Canyon Creek, which runs east to west across and under the property. It joins Dry Creek about two miles west of us. It is backed up as it joins the swollen creek because there is so much water heading down to where it meets the Russian River in Healdsburg, 9 miles downstream.

The really good news from this atmospheric river dropping nearly 11 inches on our vineyard in the last week, with other areas receiving 22 (!) inches, is the drought has bee officially called off for most of Northern California. The sad news is it came at a cost-erosion, trees falling, 3000 residents evacuated in the Guerneville area (where the Russian River flows on its’ way to the ocean), roads closed and roads washed out. For rain geeks here is the Sonoma County Water Agency website with the latest totals--typically our average rainfall by now is 11 inches-and we got that in less than a week! Also of note is the level of Lake Sonoma-which was built to hold back water and flood control and is already at 113%.

For now, we are happy for a break over the weekend as more rain is predicted next week. A toast with a splash of Mother Clone Zinfandel in my Dino!

The first photo was taken on December 21st and the second one on January 13. Notice the difference in the color of the water.

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3 Views of 90

January 5, 2017 13:10

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We are looking forward to turning 90 as a four generation family owned and operated winery this year. The official ‘90’ mark is July 22, the anniversary of my grandfather Giovanni Pedroncelli signing the papers. It is a good time to look both to the past, the present and the future so the next three posts reflect each period.

The first two decades of the family business found my grandparents getting through the rest of Prohibition (1927 was about the halfway point) by selling grapes to local head of households who could legally make 200 gallons of wine. Let's pause and add up the amount of wine which equals 84 cases! That is one happy household. And more importantly it kept the 25 acres of grapes thriving on our home ranch-mostly Zinfandel with a smattering of other grapes.

This receipt is the final part of the purchase of the property for Giovanni or John as he was now known.

Once we were through Repeal, the Great Depression and World War II, with the second generation of John (winemaker) and Jim (sales) in place, we were in business with a label, a line of wines and consumer demand in part brought on by those who served in Europe during the war.

Note in the label above that Sonoma is used well before it was made a requirement-proudly used since the 1950s.

The ensuing decades saw huge development not only in the production of wine and vineyard acquisition but also the second generation investing in the purchase of the winery from the first. Vineyards were planted, stainless steel tanks replaced redwood, more cellar expansion, and markets were opened nationally and then internationally. It was a busy time with many other wineries joining us in what I call the Wine Renaissance of the 1970s.

John, left, and Jim in the Mother vineyard circa 1973.

A toast to the early years and hard work of the first and second generations with a little Zinfandel in my Dino!

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Where were you in '76?

December 29, 2016 13:19

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Where were you in 1976?
- The luxury jet plane, the Concorde, embarked on its first commercial flight in January.
- The Winter Olympics were held in Innsbruck in Austria and the Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Canada. Nadia Comaneci (from Romania) earned the first of 7 perfect scores of 10 in gymnastics at the event. Bruce Jenner won the Decathlon
- The Apple Computer company was formed on the 1st of April 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.
- Jimmy Carter was nominated for U.S. President at the Democratic National Convention in New York City in 1976. He won the election to become the 39th president of the United States of America.
- Microsoft was officially registered with the Office of the Secretary of the State of New Mexico in the United States in 1976.
- The Concorde has stopped flying, we all know what happened with Bruce, Steve, Steve and Jimmy. And we all remember Microsoft-the huge software company that missed that whole personal device craze.
One other thing of note happened in 1976. Kathy Cross joined J. Pedroncelli Winery, Inc. as Secretary and Office Manager. A post which she has quietly held for 40 years. It took a mention from husband John Cross while talking to my mom Phyllis that brought Kathy to Pedroncelli-she was looking to shorten her commute which at that time took her from Healdsburg to Rohnert Park to work for State Farm. Once hired she commuted 9 short miles to Geyserville and the rest is history (or herstory).

There haven’t been too many long term bookkeepers at Pedroncelli-my grandmother Julia was the first, my mom filled in for a time followed by a few other secretaries. When Kathy started I don’t think she thought it would be for this long!

She has been at Jim’s right hand watching the ebbs and flows of the wine business; the changes from high-volume Sonoma Red to Single Vineyard varietal wines. She went from manual type writer and adding machines to networked work stations and printers and web-based software. She’s watched and guided a whole new generation of Pedroncelli’s grow into their own, preparing to lead the next generations along a new and wonderful path. She’s been here through births and deaths and life changes and celebrations, always at her desk quietly encouraging and guiding the family-our family--of which she has been a big part for a very long time. And her family has grown throughout the years as well—most recently with two grandchildren who are the light of her life.

Saying goodbye to someone who has worked at the winery since 1976 is a challenge to say the least. My mom calls her my dad’s ‘office wife’ and for sure it will be a difficult transition for all of us-40 years, 7 months and 26 days later Kathy is retiring on Friday December 30. A toast to Kathy with a splash of Sauvignon Blanc-her favorite.

From a favorite photo of Kathy and her daughter Katy who worked in our tasting room for a time. Cheers ladies!

The bus on our way to Kathy's retirement lunch-Roederer Sparkling all around!

Happy retirement Kathy!

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Wine + Food

December 23, 2016 13:24

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Wine plus food plus whoever is at the table equals an experience heightened by the holidays. Whatever your celebratory mood it is easy to go through the holidays thinking up great combinations with wine-whether it is Champagne, red, white or rosé.

If you have been following along with previous holiday posts you’ll know one of my secrets: I LOVE Champagne and sparkling wines of all stripes. Starting the appetizers with a glass or two is festive. When it comes to pairing up that sparkler I like simple things like a nicely ripened brie with some creamy fat to complement the higher acidity. Charcuterie works well too-especially with a fizzy Rosé. Here is one of my favorite appetizer recipes to go along with your cheese and charcuterie, Three Cheese Crackers.

My other love is pairing wine with what’s on the table. Thinking about what goes into each dish, whether it is herbs, spices or onion, has elements that match well with different wines. Moving along to the meal I am glad we make 16 wines with the full complement from Chardonnay to Port and everything in between. Have fun by selecting a few bottles you like-even if convention says don't pair this with that! The moment is to be enjoyed so pull out the vino and pass it around-two glasses at each place setting is nice-so you can taste two wines with your soup or entrée and see which one plays nicely.

Can't skip dessert-what would we do without a glass of Port and something sweet! Or a sherry or madeira or a late harvest wine too. I like biscotti, the twice-baked Italian cookie. I’ll share some of my recipes with you-all tried and true, delicious paired with a glass of sweet wine! Orange-Almond, Walnut-Black Pepper or Fruitcake Biscotti have graced our holiday table for years. A toast to the holidays with whatever you like in your glass! I'll have a splash of Zinfandel in my Dino. Cheers!

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Vineyard View: Winter Begins

December 21, 2016 13:39

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Our weather this month has been very cold and wintry. The vines have all entered dormancy, preparing for their long winter’s rest. We received a good amount of rain over the previous weeks with 5 inches total so far and more is on the way this weekend. The good news is we had a break in the weather as the surrounding hillsides and valleys absorb the deluge which caused flooding in other areas of Sonoma County last week. What does this mean for the vines?

The good news is the vineyards are drinking every drop and since they have been challenged by drought conditions over the last few years this is very good news indeed. The nutrients that support the vine are being replenished and absorbed storing up for the 2017 crop.

Rounding up the rain statistics we have had about 18 inches of rain since they began recording for the year in October. We saw an unprecedented 5 ½ inches in October alone-compared to the three previous years where the highest amount of rain that fell was ½ an inch in that same month. November had 3 ½ inches keeping with the theme.

The other side of the coin is how much more will we get? Long range forecasts are nearly worthless, truth be told, but there is hope for a wet winter in Northern California-not much luck for our friends in the southern part of the state. We as farmers are dependent on the weather so I’ll hold out hope for more rain for us here on our little corner of Dry Creek Valley. A toast to much needed rain with a splash of our Mother Clone Zinfandel!

Our frosty Petite Sirah vineyard at the corner of Canyon and Walling Roads-32 degrees!

Noontime walk along the back of our Mother Clone Vineyard-vibrant green.

This waterfall is part of Canyon Creek which runs along our property and into Dry Creek eventually. Runoff continues from the rains of last week!

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Sprained finger writes no blog post

December 16, 2016 14:36

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Had an unfortunate incident with the floor and have sprained an important digit. Two posts for next week: Vineyard View-Water and Ped Pairings-A Holiday Post. I'll leave you with a photo of the Mother Clone Vineyard in winter.

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Wine Dinner Perfection

December 9, 2016 14:39

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Wine dinners. I have done my fair share over the years. I have met some great people as they tasted our wine and dug into one of the multi-courses the chefs prepared for the evening. I believe it is the best way to enjoy our wine-with food and friends.

This week I flew up to Seattle (just in time for the deep freeze with highs of 37 degrees and lower) for a dinner at The Whale Wins, one of Executive Chef Renee Erickson’s restaurants, and was treated to the best wine and food pairing menu ever. And in 30 years that is saying something. Chef Renee sat down with her staff and tasted through our wines a month before the event. Her menu is below and I am here to say our wines glowed as each pairing came along.

I was not surprised when I found that Chef Renee is a James Beard award-winning chef and author. I’ll quote from the press sheet because her style is exactly what we envision when it comes to finding the perfect pairing for our wines: ‘Dedicated to creating an environment that not only nourishes the body, but feeds the soul…her food, casual style and appreciation of simple beauty is an inspiration to her staff and guests.’ Indeed, everyone at the dinner was inspired. We often say our wines go best in casual fine dining and it all came together on this night.

It was difficult to choose a favorite course-I think the Mother Clone Zinfandel with the Duck Confit was dazzling!

Julie working the room-taken by my friend Lucy Hillier.

I told the group that Chef Renee had read my mind in coming up with the dessert course paired with our Port-a little savory (Jasper Hill Sharp Cheddar!), a little sweet (chocolate truffle and pear butter!) creating a great combination.

I brought my Dino cup and shared with the crowd memories of my first taste of wine, launching a lifetime of passion. I also encouraged them to recall their favorite memory when the wine and food became a perfect pairing. Cheers to Chef Renee, the staff at The Whale Wins and you with a splash of Chardonnay in my Dino!

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Repeal!

December 5, 2016 14:49

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83 years ago Prohibition was Repealed!

I'll toast with some Mother Clone Zinfandel in my Dino-what's in your glass?

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