Bunting Wines - Tasty Rhones in Calaveras County

Strolling around Murphys last weekend, I wandered into the tasting room for Bunting Wines.  I hadn’t been to Murphys for a while, and needed a refresher on the Calaveras County wine scene.

 

Bunting is a welcome addition to the cluster of tasting rooms in Murphys on and near Main Street, and I thoroughly enjoyed tasting through a few wines with Garrett Neeley, the young and amiable tasting room manager.

 

Bunting specializes in Rhone varietals and their offerings are all the classics you’d expect:  Grenache, Marsanne, Syrah, and a GSM blend.  A 2009 Muscat Canelli is their first dessert wine Garrett noted that their most consumer-popular wine was their Syrah, and it is a nice not-so-tannic wine,  and is at the upper end of their price range at $42 a bottle.

 

Scott Neeley
Tasting Room Manager

My favorite was their 2012 Red Blend GSM, which they call a Cuvee’ Rouge.  The grapes are sourced from Vallecito (not far from Murphys) and the blend is 44% Grenache, 44% Mouvedre and 12% Syrah.   It is really yummy, and at $32 the bottle, it is a good value in my estimation.  Alcohol is 14.2%

 

Bunting uses primarily grapes from the nearby Sierra Foothills vineyards in and around Calaveras, in particular their own Pyshon Vineyard which is just over 6.5 acres in Vallecito.  Mourvedre, Grenache, Marsanne, and Roussanne vines were planted in 2004, using French ENTAV clones.  Grapes for the Syrah come from Flicker Oaks Vineyard in Mokelumne Hill,  Calaveras County, managed by Steve Collum.

 

Rich Gilpin, owner of Lavender Ridge Vineyard in Calaveras County, has served as a consulting winemaker.  I personally love it when that happens … it is so much a part of the sharing-expertise tradition of Sierra Foothills wineries, and a wonderful attribute of wineries in this California wine region.

 

The Bunting Winery tasting room is located at 397 Main Street.  Open seven days a week from 11am until 5pm.   They also offer wine by the glass on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5pm-7pm.

 

For more information, go to www.BuntingWinery.com.

Best California Wine Event of the Summer: The Barbera Festival

Ever since the Wine Institute put me on their wine writers list, I get invitations to all kinds of events from all over the state.  My favorite is the Barbera Festival, held each June in Amador County.  I'm looking forward with anticipation to this year's festival.  If it's not already sold out... you should go!  Tickets are sold at www.barberafestival.com for $50 general admission and BRAVO FOR THIS! $30 for Designated Drivers.

This year, the fifth one, the festival moves to the historic Terra D'oro Winery/Montevina Vineyards in Plymouth.   Saturday June 13 is the date.

The organizers call Terra d’Oro Winery/Montevina Vineyard  "the original home of barbera in Amador County."   It is located at 20680 Shenandoah School Road, Plymouth.

All proceeds from The Barbera Festival benefit the Amador Community Foundation.

“Terra d’Oro is one of the fabled vineyards in Amador County’s distinctive barbera tradition,” said co-organizer Brian Mueller of the new venue.  “With its beautiful meadow spotted with ancient oaks tucked among Terra d’Oro’s hillside vineyards, everyone will have a little more elbow room. We look forward to continuing a barbera tasting tradition like no other in California.”

Miller, who coordinates the participating wineries for the Festival and is the proprietor of Amador 360 in Plymouth, reports that, “as in previous years, we will host nearly 80 wineries from all over California, including the Sierra Foothills, Paso Robles,Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake County, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Ventura County, Lodi and the Bay Area.”

"All of us here at Terra d’Oro are VERY excited to host the 2015 Barbera Festival!” said Jeff Meyers, Terra d’Oro Vice President and General Manager. “We are long-time supporters and producers of this very important Italian variety and feel privileged to be the host of this prestigious event and can’t wait to get started on it!"

Barbera-friendly cuisine for the Festival is provided by top area restaurants and caterers, including the prestigious Zagat-rated Restaurant Taste, local favorite Incahoot’s BBQ, premier Andrae's Bakery, the "fiery" tastes of Wood, Fire & Smoke, and more.

Barbera originated in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. In California, over 7,000 acres of barbera are planted. Louis Martini, produced the first varietal barbera in Napa in 1954. Today, nearly 200 California wineries produce barbera wines.

Sacramento’s internationally distinguished wine expert, Darrell Corti, explains, “The history of barbera in Amador County begins at Monteviña in 1971. This variety was one of the first ‘new’ varieties to the County commercially planted by Cary Gott at his new winery called Monteviña. The first vintage in modern times, if not the first ever, was in 1974. There is no reason why Amador County growers, several generations from now, could not look with pleasure on their ‘old vine’ barbera vineyards much as they now do with their old vine zinfandel vineyards.”

Barbera is known for its generous acid structure and low tannin levels producing a smooth wine that pairs well with food.  Barbera styles range from bright flavors of tart cherry, raspberry, and spice, to riper styles evoking flavors black cherry, blueberry, blackberry, and vanilla.

Tickets include admittance, wine tasting and commemorative wine glass. Food, provided by top restaurants and caterers, is sold separately.  Beer and white wines are also available for purchase. Free parking is provided.

GET WELL WINES - What to Send to Cheer up a Friend

Ironstone, Baiocchi and Spellbound:
Wines to Cheer ANYONE up!

What a twist of fate!  To be recuperating from an operation and not to be able to enjoy the wines that friends sent as get-well wishes … agonizing.   But I am back in the tasting mode again, and I thought I’d share some information about the wines that arrived.  It’s impossible not to make friends with winemakers because they are such a friendly lot, and I thank them all for wishing me well. 

Ironstone Reserve Estate Grown 2012 Sierra Foothills Chardonnay is an elegant Chardonnay with concentrated flavors of tropical fruit, and a nuance of vanilla and ripe apple.   It is creamy and almost butterscotch on the finish, a flavor enhanced during 12 months in storage in Ironstone’s underground caverns carved from solid rock.  Grapes are sourced from Ironstone’s mountain vineyards at Hay Station Ranch in the Sierra Foothills, and the estate grown grapes used in this wine come from prime Chardonnay clusters that are hand selected for their outstanding quality.  14.5 percent alcohol.  $19.99  the bottle.  http://www.ironstonevineyards.com

Baiocchi Neophyte 2013 was born in Fair Play, El Dorado County, and is a delightful rose made from Grenache and Mouvedre.  Frankly, I hate to share this with anyone, because it is so delicious and drinkable. It has an aroma of strawberry blossom and dried herb, and taste of strawberry and sweet pink grapefruit. It’s a perfect summer wine.    14.3 percent alcohol.    www.baiocchiwines.com

Spellbound Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 California is a nicely balanced Cabernet created by Rob Mondavi Jr., who is a fourth generation Napa Valley Winemaker.  Rob notes that it has ”bold dark fruit flavors with a slight hint of oak and spice. Cedar and tobacco aromas complement integrated lively tannins.”  I first tasted it at a Presidio Bank event, and the bank sent a bottle to me.  This 2012 Spellbound has an intensity of flavors and a lush texture.  “It’s one of our shining stars,” Rob says.  13.5 percent alcohol.  $15.99 the bottle.  www.spellboundwines.com

 Hawks View 2012 La Baleine “The Whale”.  This scrumptious red wine is a blend of 70 % grapes from the Double Canyon Vineyards in Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State, 25% California Syrah from Garys’ Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, and 5% Oregon Pinot Gris from the estate vineyards of Hawks’ View in the Chehalem Mountains of the Willamette Valley, Oregon.  So many 2012 wines from the West Coast are good, as moderate weather meant good crops with peak grape ripeness and a well-calanced chemistry.  Adding the Pinot Gris was the winemaker’s inspiration and A. J. Kemp took a chance that resulted in a really tasty wine.  There are yummy notes of violet and fig, framed by cedar and peppercorn.  14.7 percent alcohol.  $50  the bottle.  www.hawksviewcellars.com

 

This appeared as a Wine Time column in The Tahoe Weekly in June 2014

Placer County Wineries, including a New One, pour in Tahoe

One of the best ways to experience a variety of Sierra Foothill wines is to attend an event which features them. The recent Passport to Dining, which benefits the North Tahoe Business Association and the Community House, focused on wines from nearby Placer County wineries.

Jeff Evans and Mike Waljer
of Bear River Winery

The newest winery, Bear River Winery, is located in Meadow Vista, CA. I went straight for the 2010 Barbera, which uses grapes sourced from Viani Vineyards in the Pilot Hill area of Placer County. Jeff Evans, Proprietor, notes that this Barbera has rich fruit-forward flavors of red cherry and raspberry. The aroma is fruity, and matches taste. It has a nicely balanced acidity. The winemakers suggest pairing it with pasta, pizza or anything Italian. 14.6 percent alcohol. $24/bottle. The winery also sources grapes from the Clavey Vineyards near Chicago Park, for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Syrah. www.BearRiverWinery.com.

Raquel Mostajo of Dono dal Cielo

Dono dal Cielo Vineyard, Newcastle, CA, presented its 2009 Daven Port 6100. This port-like wine is a late harvest Zinfandel, and has a ruby-jewel appearance and strong ripe black-cherry aroma. It is a nicely soft wine, with a hint of warmed currant, and is rich on the palate. I think a port should be in everyone’s wine rack, and this is a good one at a reasonable price! 16.5 percent alcohol. $25 for the 375 ml bottle. www.donodalcielo.com

Denise Bellacera, wine educator
of Wise Villa Winery

I’ve tasted wines before from Wise Villa Winery, located in Lincoln, CA. Dr. Grover Lee, winemaker, has a philosophy that I appreciate: “We believe that great wines come from ultra-premium grapes, hand picked and crafted one barrel at a time. Our premium wines are aged in French oak barrels and enriched by the mineral, loam, soil of the Northern California Sierra Nevada Foothills in Lincoln, California.”At the benefit, they poured a Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I liked the 2011 Wisdom of Wise best of all. This wine is a blend of Merlot (54 percent), Cabernet Sauvignon (26 percent), and Cabernet Franc (18 percent). It’s made in the Bordeaux style (think claret, etc). Taste is of bright fruit, a fair amount of spiciness, and it has a lovely medium body. 13.5 percent alcohol. $30/bottle. www.wisevillawinery.com

Lori and Mark Bonitata
of Bonitata Boutique Wines

Bonitata Boutique Wines is located in Auburn in the original Bernhard Winery founded in 1874. This is part of the Bernhard Museum on Folsom Road in Auburn. Bonitata poured its 2009 Barbera, made from fruit sourced from the Boa Vista vineyards in El Dorado County. This Barbera is a classic one, made from those great El Dorado grapes. Rich, fruit, medium body. 14.5 percent alcohol, $24/bottle. www.bonitataboutiquewine.com

The North Tahoe Business Association was founded in 1979 and is a non-profit organization that strives to improve and enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the communities of North lake Tahoe. www.NorthTahoeBusiness.org

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

Hope this helps.

Elizabeth ”

 

What is "Bottle Shock"?

With kudos to the folks at Bodega Del Sur winery, in Murphys, Calaveras County, CA,  I am re-printing the excellent piece from their latest newsletter, written by winemaker Brett Keller. It's a great explanation of this phenomenon!

"Recently, Bodega Del Sur bottled some new wines for your enjoyment! During bottling, one of our crew asked, "What is Bottle Shock?" Well, there is a lot more to it than a clever movie showing California's dominance over French wine...!

"Bottle Shock" is the term we use to describe the tumultuous journey of wine from the barrel to the bottle. After staying stationary for up to thirty months in oak barrels the wine is suddenly taken from its slumber, moved to a tank, filtered, and pumped gently to the bottling line where it falls with gravity into the bottle. It's kind of like being rudely awaken from a good sound sleep and being thrown into a lake!

During the process of bottling we are also adding sulfites as a preservative to prevent spoilage and amend sulfur dioxides that naturally occur in wine. As we bottle the wines we treat them as gently as possible with slow movement of the wine, minimal use of sulfites, and almost compete lack of contact with oxygen, which can oxidize the wine too quickly. Despite our best efforts, all the components of the wines that came together over the last couple of years tend to be a bit shaken, and they temporarily become a bit disjointed... When the wines make the bottle we use inert gas and a vacuum sealer to cork the bottle to protect it. Once the bottle is corked it is almost an impermable vessel, other than the slow movement of tiny amounts of oxygen that passes through the cork.

Finished wines available to
taste or buy in tasting room

"Bottle Shock" will generally last for a period of three to six weeks, after which time the wine tends to recompose itself and once again prepare for its long cellar sleep, until you, our valued customers, have a chance to taste our efforts. We release our wines after the period of "Bottle Shock" has run it course, during which time we are frequently checking its progress towards readiness.

Until then, watch the movie 'Bottle Shock' with Alan Rickman. It is an entertaining rendition of what makes a small winery in the early seventies Napa Valley 'shock' the world with its sojourn into the annals of winemaking history...

Until next time, Brett Keller, Winemaker"

For more info on their fine wines, go to www.bodegadelsur.com

Early Harvest Predicted in El Dorado County, CA...Hard Work Pays Off

"I am going to be relatively worthless for the near future...veraison in the vineyard and the last push of summer," wrote Elizabeth Standeven last week of the situation in her vineyards, Shaker Ridge Vineyards. Elizabeth is one of my treasured contacts in the Sierra Foothill grapegrowing community. Elizabeth is as honest, hardworking and progressive a grapegrower as you will find anywhere, and her dedication to farming in the Sierra Foothill terroir is heartwarming.

The tempranillo will be the first red
to ripen at Shaker Ridge Vineyard

Earlier this year, she did a long interview that I wanted to post, but time just flew. You know how that goes. But here it is, a bit belated, but if you ever wanted to gain more appreciation for what goes into great grapes and therefore great wine, read on....

IN THE WEEDS IN EARLY JUNE 2013:
TIME-CHALLENGE FOR SMALL VINEYARD OWNERS IN El DORADO COUNTY

Elizabeth Standeven and her husband Andrew grow Barbera, Primitivo and five Portuguese winegrape varietals on seven acres of vineyard in a prime location at 1500 feet elevation in El Dorado County. They are like many small farmers: time-challenged.

“Right now,” Elizabeth said early in June, “we are literally in the weeds. We just mowed between the rows a few weeks ago because the rain is usually done at this time of the year. But with these constant little bits of rain we’ve had, the weeds are growing again. I’d like to talk more, but I gotta get out and mow again.”

It was difficult for Elizabeth to find 15 minutes to update me on the state of her vineyard, which actually reflects the status of many vineyards nearby in El Dorado County, California. Elizabeth, however, does take her position as President of the El Dorado Wine Grape Growers Association seriously, and any bits of awareness she can garner for El Dorado grapes has moved closer to the top of her multi-layered priority list.


The vineyard in early spring

“With this unusual spring weather pattern, our do-list seems almost endless,” she said. “So many of the tasks must be done in a tight window of time. For example, we need to thin the shoots for our Barbera; there are ‘way too many shoots. And we have to do this when the shoots are between one foot and two foot of growth. That’s right now.”

Other tasks on her list?

“Well, we just had bloom, so we must sample for nutrients and see what to add; we have to adjust things before you get too far into fruit set. We’ve got this ideal weather now, between 75-80 degrees, and this is ideal not only for bud burst but it is also perfect for mildew. So if we have vine growth, we have to start spraying to control the mildew, and whether you use sulfur or oil, this spraying must be done every 7 to 10 days.”

Then there is the need for labor. Elizabeth and Andrew try to do as much work as possible themselves on their 7 acres. At that size of vineyard, she notes, you can’t make any money unless you do some of the work yourself. “Unless you have a winery as well as a vineyard, it doesn’t pay to hire lots of labor. The truth is that who performs the tasks is very dependent on the size of the vineyard,” she said.

This year, as in past years, with the tight window of time to thin Barbera shoots, Elizabeth turned to her labor contractor to supply help. Her vineyard, Shaker Ridge, needed 100 to 120 hours of work to be done in 2 to 3 days time. But this year, labor was tight. Her contractor turned her down and she was scrambling to find help. “I don’t know what is more stressful, trying to do the work yourself, or trying to find help,” she said with exasperation. Finally their contractor sent some laborers to help finish the job, but Elizabeth and Andrew had already put in 60 hours between them on a beautiful spring weekend. Their daughter busied herself with schoolwork.

“This is one of the perils of being a small farmer. Scale is helpful in that respect.”

Providing high quality grapes to wineries in El Dorado County and elsewhere has been the role of small winegrape growers, and that isn’t changing very fast. New farmers come into the Sierra Foothills every year to grow winegrapes, largely because they want to get out of the corporate rat race and to be close to the land. Over half of the 70 members of the El Dorado Wine Grape Growers Association farm fewer than 10 acres.

“We have a lot of small vineyards here largely because of the mountain topography,” Elizabeth said. “There are some vineyards of more than 100 acres, but we don’t have any thousand-acre vineyards. In the middle-range vineyards, between 10 and 100 acres, some vineyard owners have extended families or grown kids who help them do the work.”

In the more remote areas of El Dorado County where so many small vineyards are located, labor will continue to be a concern. “In the Apple Hill area, where there are a dozen vineyards within a mile of each other, or in the Fair Play AVA, it’s possible to pool labor efficiently with the labor contractors. But so many of our members are all by themselves, farming a few acres in challenging terrain,” Elizabeth noted.

It is worth the effort. The grapes that these small farmers grow have intense flavor, gorgeous color, and are used to produce the delicious wines that are garnering Sierra Foothill wines more and more awards and recognition. The buzz in the wine business is palpable.

As to Shaker Ridge Vineyard, located up mountain in the little town of El Dorado, population about 4500, Elizabeth and Andrew are now in their 11^thleaf. They bought vacant land, prepped it, and planted their vines in 2002. Now in their mid-forties, the former molecular anthropologist and her husband the toxicologist have no regrets. Will their elementary school daughter see farming as a career too?

“She is starting to see the light,” said Elizabeth

Tahoe City Wine Walk Introduces Sierra Foothill and Other Wines to Hundred of Wine Lovers

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 Time column, 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.”   

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

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

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.