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Happy New Year from the Pedroncelli Family! The Latest
It is pretty cold right now with temperatures dipping into the twenties at night. A note to all of our friends who live east of Winter has now made its mark on our vineyards. The leaves are completely gone, dormancy has set in and the vines are looking scruffy-like they need a haircut--get it? ‘head'pruned vines...This prepares the way for pruning of the vineyards which keeps Lance and his team busy for the next few weeks, providing that we don't get a deluge or two. Having learned how to prune from Rich Thomas at Santa Rosa Junior College and leaving some vines in a bad way, I am in awe of the vineyard crew as they get a feel for each vine and prune it so that next year's crop will set just right. For some glimpses our vineyards and winery click here.
Released! Our 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir has just been released. Inconceivable! If you remember Vizzini's line from Princess Bride, then you know what follows: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." replied Inigo Montoya. Perhaps it should be something along these lines: Happy New Year, the 2008 Pedroncelli Pinot Noir is here. In any case, try this link for more background information on this delicious wine: See our recipes for ideas of what to fix with this delicious Pinot Noir.
Gold Medals! Mother Clone Zinfandel took one at the Jefferson Cup Wine Competition at the end of November and our just-released 2006 Petite Sirah took a Critic's Gold at the Wine Critic's Challenge. Check them out here: Speaking of Zinfandel, if you are a Zin Fan you'll want to attend ZAP's (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) Grand Zinfandel Tasting on January 30. Richard and Steve will be pouring our 2007 Mother Clone Zinfandel and 2007 Bushnell Vineyard Zinfandel at the event. Stop by for a taste of great Zin. Click here for the rest of the story.
Dark & Delicious: We have teamed up with Chef Brian Anderson of Bistro 29 for this Petite Sirah-focused event (put on by the folks at PS: I Love You) and you'll find Brian and Jon Brown behind the table from 6-9pm on February 19. Go to this link for tickets and more information:
The Family – The Third Generation~
The Archives: Bonded Winery 113 If you have ever visited Pedroncelli Winery or if you have seen a photograph of our cellar, you may have wondered what "BW 113" means-so for our archive moment this month, here is the story behind the sign. When the winery was first built in 1904, a Bonded Winery number was issued by the Federal Government so that in operating as a winery, you would pay taxes on the wine as well as follow regulations set up by said government. In those days the wineries were numbered by application-today it is a four digit number that is computer generated. There are only a few wineries operating today with these early one, two or three digit numbers and we are proudly one of them. Giovanni Pedroncelli purchased the winery mid-Prohibition, when no wine was being made commercially, and luckily for us that law was appealed in 1933. He then wrote to the government to ask for the original Bonded Winery number (BW113) and was granted the use of it. You will see the number displayed over the oldest part of the winery, our cellar and a copy of that letter of approval hangs in our tasting room. Click here for images of our history.
The Menu I am torn between a recipe for NewYear festivities and good old-fashioned Italian comfort food for those chilly nights. The comfort food won out so here are two great recipes for soup-one takes some time but the short and sweet version is quite delicious and only takes 40 minutes. In either case, to make the meal even more authentic, place a lightly toasted slice of Italian bread in the bottom of the soup bowl and ladle the soup over it. Squisito! (Italian for yum-o) Pair with F. Johnson Chardonnay or friends.red
From Cook's Illustrated
6 oz pancetta, one 1-inch slice cut into 1-inch cubes In large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 12 cups water, beans, halved onion, unpeeled garlic, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cover pot partially; reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are almost tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove beans from heat, cover, and let stand until beans are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid (you should have about 5 cups; if not, add more water); discard pancetta, onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Spread beans in even layer on baking sheet and cool. While beans are cooling, heat oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering; add diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cooled beans and cooking liquid; increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Submerge rosemary sprig in liquid, cover and let stand off heat 15 to 20 minutes. Discard rosemary sprig and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls, drizzle each bowl with extra-virgin olive oil, and serve, passing balsamic vinegar separately.+
From Cook's Illustrated
6 oz pancetta, one 1-inch slice cut into 1-inch cubes In large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until just golden, 8 to 10 minutes; discard pancetta and add oil to pot with pancetta fat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes; stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beans, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3 1/2 cups water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Submerge rosemary in liquid; cover and let stand off heat 15 to 20 minutes. Discard rosemary and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls, drizzle each bowl with extra-virgin olive oil, and serve, passing balsamic vinegar separately.
If you are planning to be in Sonoma County, please let us know and join us for one of our events! Click here to go to our events page
Need graphics, images, labels or bottle shots for an ad? Check out our Trade Media link. You'll find fact sheets for current and past releases, labels and logos. click the image above. Want cool wallpaper? Check out our photo galleries.
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Our 2007 Mother Clone Zinfandel was highlighted recently in The Wine Spectator by Tim Fish-very nice comments and rating! And our Dry Rosé of Zinfandel received 87 Points in the Spectator. Click the label.
I should call them the invisible ones. I have two younger sisters, Cathy (left) and Joanna,(right) who work for the winery but you won't see them on the road or taking you on a tour. They each have great abilities and use them well at the winery. Cathy, who is a bookkeeper by profession in San Francisco, keeps an eye on the accounting and financial aspects of the winery and Joanna is the go-to person for our Tasting Room Manager Jon Brown-together they are working toward better ways to ser
ve our visitors. You know, the statistics say that very few family businesses survive beyond the second generation and we have all found a way to work together by using our particular talents at Pedroncelli. Our eye is on the future generations, sustaining our niche as a family owned and operated winery through careful management and teamwork. After all, we really are in this together.
Pedroncelli Winery*1220 Canyon Road*Geyserville*CA*95441*800-836-3894
service@pedroncelli.com * faceook.com/pedroncelli