Pedroncelli

Back in 1976 when we were first getting started in this business we don't specifically remember if Pedroncelli was on our store shelves, but we can't ever remember not having Pedroncelli around.  It's such a nice go-to for everyday needs it seems to belong in any store set.  Currently we have five types in the store.

We're writing about them now for a couple reasons.  Pedroncelli's claim to fame has always been Zinfandel and their current Bushnell Vineyard Zin has been such a treat we feel guilty for dissing that grape variety in the past.  Zinfandel is a prolific variety that was pumped up by the California wine industry to be more than it actually is; but for a blue collar wine grape, it's really pretty good...if that makes sense.  

Secondly, if you can read the fine print on the decorative banner at the top of the front label, it says, "Family Owned Since 1927."  That's ninety-five years.  If I had a family business for ninety-five years, I believe I would make that print a little larger.  Just for the record, the wine business isn't known for longevity.  The more we thought about that ninety-five year accomplishment, the more we felt we needed to know more.

Here's what we found:

In 1927 Giovanni Pedroncelli purchased 25 hillside acres in northern Dry Creek Valley and planted them in Zinfandel grapes.  That was right in the middle of the Prohibition Era so he must have been optimistic of a repeal and, sure enough, in 1933 he went from being a grape grower and seller to being a winemaker.  Ten years later he purchased what would become the Bushnell Vineyard and in the 1950s he added the next Pedroncelli generation to the business operations.

pedroncelli.com is where to go if you want to flesh out the whole Pedroncelli story.  Suffice it to say, the family continually innovated and adapted to the times and the market and grew their business opportunely.  Just as the industry went from jugs to 750mls, generics to varietals and then to single vineyard (like Bushnell) and reserve wines; Pedroncelli was with them every step of the way.  Back in the 1950's Pedroncelli was one of the first to put "Sonoma Valley" and "Dry Creek" on their labels.  Whatever mistakes they may have made through the years, must have been minor because today they possess 105 acres in Dry Creek Valley and have fifty year long relationships with growers in the area. 

The Red Mountain AVA

We make no secret about our fondness for Washington State wines.  That's been the case since the late '80s when Washington seemed to come of age over night as a fine wine venue.  Columbia Valley was hailed as Washington's Napa Valley and everything coming out of there seemed to validate the claim.  

At the time we didn't know anything about Washington except that the wine country was on the other side of the mountains from the great coastal urban centers.  The wine country was, in fact, very desert-like compared to the coast but more importantly, it was at the same latitude as Bordeaux and Burgundy, the two finest wine appellations in the world.  That latitude meant a longer growing season with two more hours of sun daily than what California could get.  The diurnal effect of warm days and cool nights meant a balance of acidity and sugars in grapes resulting in rich ripe wine flavors.  Columbia Valley's nutrient poor sandy loam and volcanic soils were also ideal for wine grapes, forcing tap roots deeper for sustenance, taking up mineral trace elements in the process. 

What we didn't know at the time was just how large the Columbia Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) is.   The Columbia Valley AVA encompasses eleven million acres including a border overlap into Oregon.  Fifty thousand acres are currently in vines and 99% of Washington's wine production calls Columbia Valley home.  Basically Columbia Valley is Washington State in wine terms.

The AVA was created in 1984 at the insistence of Chateau Saint Michelle Winery just as they were discovering the potential quality of their product.  By the time we discovered the greatness of Washington in the late 80s one carveout had already happened.  That was the Yakima Valley AVA.  Since then eight others have been legislated including Red Mountain which was carved out of Yakima in 2001.  

The Red Mountain AVA is the smallest fine wine district in the state.  It encompasses 4,000 acres with 2,000 currently in vines.  It is Cabernet Sauvignon-focused with fifteen wineries currently making award winning wines there.  Hedges Family Estate and Kiona Vineyards are a couple Red Mountain properties that we tasted decades ago and still remember today.  Their hedonistic Cabs are powerful and complex and yet, elegant.  

Our current favorite Washington State winery is Matthews in Walla Walla.  We think their wines are as good as anything coming out of Washington.  At their website matthewswinery.com they are proudly announcing their new Red Mountain wines.  And we can hardly wait.

Barbera

We've been having a lot of fun the last couple years selling all kinds of Italian Barberas here at the store.  Usually our sales have been everyday-priced lighter reds that are frankly perfect for most of our dinner table needs.  Wines like these show cherry, blueberry and raspberry fruit flavors and when put in oak, vanilla and additional complexity.  So why buy inferior bargain Pinot Noir when you could have something as fine, flavorful and food-friendly as Italian Barbera?

While the cheap stuff is nice, should you want to spend twenty or thirty dollars on your dinner red, Barbera offers a sophisticated alternative to Nebbiolo, the great wine of Italy.   While young Nebbiolo can be closed and hard as nails, Barbera shows a soft body with ample accessible fruit.  Again, perfect for most of our dinnertime needs.

Barbera d'Asti is the best known and best quality Barbera in the marketplace.  Asti is located just south and east of the center of the esteemed Piedmont wine appellation in northwest Italy.  The Nizza DOCG appellation lies entirely within the Asti borders and is home to the very finest Barberas.  Nizza boasts century old vines offering intense cherry and blackberry fruit.  Some examples from this region may be as hard and closed as young Nebbiolo so if you choose one of these, have your decanter handy.

Ampelographers are the scientists who study grapevines.  They have determined the Barbera grape had its origins in the nearby Monferrato region.  The earliest written Barbera documentation is from around 1250 but using DNA science, the ampelographers peg its origins back to the seventh century.  It is believed to have a common ancestor with the Cotes du Rhone grape, Mourvedre.

Piedmont is the finest wine appellation in Italy and the Nebbiolo-based Barolos and Barbarescos can command prices beyond most of our pocketbooks.  That is where Barbera comes into play.  It is a vigorous and prolific vine that does well wherever planted.  Nebbiolo is difficult and requires the best vineyard locations.  Barbera is planted everywhere else.  While Nebbiolo sales pay the bills, for those working in the Piemontese wine trade, it's Barbera that is the popular favorite.  

And by the way, if you enjoy the fresh fruity zing that Italian reds show so well, you're probably tasting an incognito Barbera component in the blend. 

How popular is Barbera?  Of the historic Italian wine grapes it ranks third in plantings behind Sangiovese and Montepulciano.  In Piedmont half of all vineyard plantings are Barbera.  In its entirety Italy has fifty thousand acres in Barbera.