Friends of the Winemakers

Vino Cruz

2012-01-04T15:59:00.000-08:00

Right after Thanksgiving last year, I popped over "the hill" from San Jose to Santa Cruz and met Steve, the new owner of Vino Cruz. We were early, but Ryan (he runs the shop and tasting bar) was nice enough to let us in and start browsing while he set up the tasting area.

There were seven of us in our group but we still managed to zip through the selections and talk "shop" before the next group of visitors came by to steal away Ryan's attention.

Overall it was nice to see the place re-arranged, I thought the layout was welcoming and the new bar and chairs were comfortable. The artwork changes periodically keeping the walls and space fresh and inviting AND the tasting menu changes often!

In keeping up with social media, they update events and tasting menus almost daily on Facebook.

Specializing in local wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, these guys know their stuff and are passionate about sharing their knowledge.

Vino Cruz

725 Front Street #101

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

831-426-8466

Santa Cruz Mountains Vintners Festival

2011-05-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

June 4 & 5 Western Side of Santa Cruz Mountains

June 11 & 12 Easters Side of Santa Cruz Mountains

www.scmwa.com

The Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association is pleased to announce the 22nd Annual Vintners' Festival "A Taste of the Mountains" This years' Vintners' Festival will be held on two consecutive weekends. The first weekend, June 4th & 5the, the festival will be hosted at wineries and restaurants in Santa Cruz County. The second weekend, June 11th & 12th, the festival will be hosted at wineries and restaurants in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Wineries participating in the Vinters' Festival will be pouring from 11:00am to 5:00pm with restaurants closing at 4:00pm.

Saratoga Stroll this Saturday May 21st

2011-05-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 21, from 3pm til 6pm.

Don your best bonnet and come out to enjoy the incomparable charm of Saratoga Village on a spectacular spring day!

Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the unique shops and restaurants of downtown Saratoga, while sipping wines from 18 local wineries, many of whom may be new to you: Big Basin Vineyards, Dancing Creek, Jazz Cellars, House Family Winery, Generosa, King’s Mountain Vineyard, Loma Prieta Winery, MJA Vineyards, Naumann Vineyards, SKOV, Stefania, and Villa del Monte. Bid on unique magnums and wine lots from Cinnabar Winery, Burrell School, Cooper-Garrod, Guglielmo, Mountain Winery, Savanah-Chanelle, Stefania, and Poetic Cellars.

Feast your eyes on art, jewelry and painting demonstrations. Groove to live music by The ONES, Rodrigo Teague and Asher Stern. Indulge in gourmet food by Tabitha and T3, including outrageous jams and sinfully rich chocolates. Treat yourself to a flirty new hat from Black Cat Hat. Dress up any outfit with a colorful corsage from Floral Fantasia. Score some new eyeshades or a roomful of new window shades.

Linger afterwards and dine at one of our world-class restaurants, many of which will offer special dining incentives, including 10% off, exclusively for Stroll patrons that evening.

Tickets will sell out quickly! $35 in advance, $40 day of (if available)

http://www.saratogachamber.org/spring_wine_walk.htm

Winemaker Dinner at Twist in Campbell

2011-05-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

Join FOW and Stefania Wine for dinner at Twist!

When: Sunday May 22nd, 6pm
Where: Twist Bistro, 245 E. Campbell Ave, Campbell

Starters: Twist Salad or Onion Soup or Eggs Poached in pinot noir

Main Choices: Tri-tip or Catch of the Day or Chef Dominiques Vegetarian plate

Sweets: Chocolate Mousse or Espresso ice cream or Cheese platter

Paul and Stefania will pour wine from the current release and spend as much or as little time as you like talking about anything and everything.

Members: $60/per person
NonMembers: $70/per person

Cost is all inclusive (food/wine/tax/gratuity)

Checks and menu choices need to be posted no later than Saturday, May 14th

email to cherylmarkman@hotmail.com for the payment mailing address

www.stefaniawine.com

Tasting Notes on Older Wines.

2011-03-31T18:16:00.000-07:00

Last night we opened two wine from the 2006 vintage.

2006 Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch. - This is in a really good drinking window right now. The tannins are soft and lots of secondary flavors coming through with the plum and berry fruit. Originally I put a shorter drinking window on this and I think now to 2013 is prime for this wine.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek Vineyard - The was also really good last night, with round tannins, lots of berry and cherry fruit and a long finish. Worth trying at 5 years old and rounding out really well. There's a nice spice on he finish.

I'm going to open a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek soon. The 05 and 06 both went through rough patches from age 3 1/2 to 4 when they seemed disjointed without a long decant. The 07 has been the same for a few months now and I want to check if it's coming out of that.

Bottles and Bins Recipes p. 108

2011-01-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

I recently acquired a book titled Bottles and Bins Recipes, published by C. Mondavi & Sons: 1965

As I was perusing the titles and the recipes and casually thumbing through it, I came across this poem by Miriam Allen deFord on page 108.

Young Dionysus ranged the earth
To teach the sons of man
A magic of surprising worth --
And vineyards thus began

Now, drainers of the grape-born cup,
Remember him, your guide,
And toast him as you gaily sup
At this glad Christmastide.

And as the old year sinks to rest,
Praise him in draughts of wine
Who gave to all mankind his best --
The secret of the vine!

To a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

Cheers, SR

FOW Annual Holiday Party

2010-11-19T15:28:00.000-08:00

Ring in the holiday season with FOW at:

The Blue Pheasant Restaurant
2210 Stevens Creek Blvd
Cupertino, CA 95014

Thursday night, December 9th

Appetizers at 6:30
Dinner at 7:30
Games and Dancing 'til 11:00 p.m.

Live Music by The Lyratones!

$55 per person, all inclusive (food, wine, music, prizes)

Send your checks, payable to FOW, no later than 12/1 to:
Paul Skov
PO Box 895
Los Altos, CA 94023-0895

Indicate your choice of entree:
Chicken (with mushrooms and artichoke hearts)
Salmon (topped with dill sauce)
Prime Rib (au jus and fresh horseradish)
Pasta Primavera (fresh veggies over linguine)

Dressy Holiday Attire

Oktoberfest Quiz and Answers

2010-10-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

1. How many liters of beer are consumed during Oktoberfest season?
A. 1 million
B. 10 million
C. 7 million
D. 5 million

2. The original Oktoberfest celebrated?
A. The marriage of Prince Ludwig & Princess Therese
B. The coronation of Prince Ludwig
C. The marriage of King Helmut & Princess Elizabeth
D. The success of the fall harvest

3. What event caused an interruption in the annual Oktoberfest celebration?
A. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
B. The Napoleonic wars
C. The Great European Plague
D. The country wide famine

4. Why is Oktoberfest celebrated in September?

5. Most beer served at Oktoberfest is called_______________?

6. In what month was beer usually brewed and why?

7. What is the average attendance of Oktoberfest each year?

8. The following breweries are represented at Oktoberfest except for: (one)
Augustiner
Hacker-Pscharr
Hobrau
Lowenbrau
Heineken
Paulander
Spaten-Franzislaner

9. Where is Oktoberfest held?
A. Berlin
B. Bavaria
C. Hamburg
D. Munich

10. How long does it take to brew an Oktoberfest beer?

ANSWERS:

1. C

2. A

3. B

4. Better weather

5. Marzen

6. It was brewed in March, cellared in the summer and ready to drink in September.

7. 6 million people; 85% from Germany

8. Heineken

9. D

10. 6 months, March-September

UpComing Event At Arcadia!

2010-10-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

Do NOT miss the November event if at all possible, it's going to be one of 2010's highlights (based solely on my personal experience at Arcadia, and I've met Matt, a great winemaker).

Fernwood Cellars and Arcadia Restaurant at the Marriott San Jose

Join us for a luncheon featuring Fernwood Cellars owner and winemaker, Matt Oetinger.

When: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m., Sunday, November 14, 2010
Where: Arcadia, at the Marriott
100 W San Carlos Street, San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 278-4555

Menu:

First Course:
Arcadia Salad with Fuji Apples, Candied Walnuts, Blue Cheese
Paired with 2008 Estate Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay
-or-
Ahi Tuna Poppers with Wasabi Caviar, Ponzu Vinaigrette
Paired with 2008 Santa Clara Valley Riesling

Entrée Course:
Phyllo Dusted Sole with Herb Brandade and Sauce Dijon
Paired with 2008 Estate Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay
-or-
Beef Short Ribs with Horseradish Whipped Potatoes
Paired with 2007 Mirepoix

Dessert Course:
Banana Tart with House Made Caramel and Rum Raisin Ice Cream
Chocolate Molten Cake with Salty Caramel Ice Cream and Hazelnut Praline
Coffee or Tea

Cost: Members: $50.00 per person – all inclusive
Non-members: $55.00 per person – all inclusive

RSVP: Please call for payment deadline and mailing address

Cheryl Markman
(408) 578-8315

Note: This date is firm. If the number of confirmed reservations is too low, the event will be
cancelled on November 5 in order to avoid being charged the minimum guaranteed amount.

Cheers! Stefania

New Concept in Stemware

2010-08-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Not everybody is hip to new ideas or concepts, but check this out:

This not yet patented stem design is available from Chevalier Collection in Beverly Hills, CA, for a fancy price tag.

The idea is that the wine is aerated within your glass rather than using other hand held devices.

http://chevaliercollection.com/collection.php

Harvest 2010 Santa Clara Valley

2010-08-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

I poked around some of the winery websites in the area and the consensus about Harvest 2010 so far is that it's behind "normal". At Clos La Chance, they are running about a week behind in veraison and anticipate the first grapes coming to crush in another week or so.

For Stefania Wine, the vineyards we manage in Morgan Hill and Los Altos Hills are on track, but running about two weeks past "normal". The grapes at the "estate" (our suburban home in South San Jose) vineyard are also about two weeks behind normal. The fruit we have growing in Woodside still has not yet started veraison. The cabernet sauvignon is likely a loss this year, or we harvest in December...it's too soon to tell for sure.

Some of the other high altitude vineyards are reporting similar conditions and much of it has to do with the weather. The very wet winter was fabulous for the roots and quenched the vines from the past few drought years, but then the cool Spring got everything off to a very slow start. It would be great for everyone, tomato growers too, if we had some very warm days all through September and October.

Historically we have a cooling trend and sprinkles around the 1st and 2nd weekends in October so we'll see what impact that has on ripening this year.

July 17th Event Summary

2010-07-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

Join us for a day of touring and tasting in South County. We will visit five wineries, two of which
are FOW member wineries, and we will end our day with a pot luck dinner at one of our member
couple’s home

On the Agenda:
10:00 a.m. Sycamore Creek
11:30 a.m. Martin Ranch Winery

SANDWICH BREAK*

1:00 p.m. Solis Winery
2:30 p.m. Creekview Vineyards
4:00 p.m. Satori Cellars
5:30 p.m. BYOB Potluck in Gilroy

*SANDWICH SELECTIONS
Grilled chicken with havarti cheese, bacon and avocado on whole wheat bread
Roast beef with blue cheese and caramelized onion on split crust bread
Tuna salad with cheddar cheese and dill pickle on rustic Italian bread

Cost: Members $15.00, Non-members $20.00
Please indicate your sandwich choice with your RSVP (or I will decide for you!).

RSVP with your check made payable to FOW
No later than Saturday, July 10 to:
Cheryl Markman
4982 Collomia Court
San Jose, CA 95111
(408) 578-8315

To see full event details:
http://www.fowca.org/docs/jul2010.pdf

Castillos Winery Event, June 26th

2010-06-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

From Roni Jo at Castillos:

Hello everyone,

This is a busy time of year and the weather is so unpredictable!! Please don't let it keep you from attending our first Comedy show on June 26. Flyer with all of the info is attached, although, we have added a third comic to the lineup, a gal named Shannon Gittens. You can send a check to the address on the flyer. We will be in Italy until mid June. Vivienne and I have the privelege to sing with the choir at the Vatican. We will be performing 6 concerts total, in Venice, Florence and, of course, Rome. So it would be greatly appreciated if you could have your reservation and payment made prior to June 6th, so that I can finalize all of the details before we leave. We don't return until June 22. We do have limited seating so don't wait. Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards, Roni Jo 408 595-3145

Sips From the Board

2010-06-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

Information from the board meeting held May 25, 2010.

FOW is in the process of becoming an associate member of the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley.

Welcome new member Jim Nash.

In order to proceed with the museum project, FOW needs volunteers to participate in various committees such as Fund Raising and Volunteers. Interested members can contact Marv Bamburg.

FOW members are urged to attend the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers’Association's 2010 Vintners' Festival "A Taste of the Mountains" which takes place over the first two weekends in June in lieu of an FOW monthly event.

Upcoming events include the following:

July 17 - a visit to Sycamore Creek Vineyards, Martin Ranch Winery, Solis Winery, Satorie Cellars, Creekview Vineyard

August 21 - a visit to Clos la Chance, Castillo Hillside Shire Winery, and Guglielmo’s Harvest Festival

September 18 - Annual meeting

Silver Mountain winery needs your help

2010-05-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

You may already have heard about Silver Mountain's fight to be allowed to open to the public. They are asking for help from supporters to call or write to the Santa Cruz planning department. Also if you're free on Wednesday May 26th in Santa Cruz it would be extremely helpful if you can attend the hearing in person. It will be held at 9AM in the Supervisors chambers in the County Building on Ocean Street in Santa Cruz.

Founding Member of FOW Obituary

2010-05-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

Bro. Norbert J. Korte, S.J.

Resident of Los Gatos

Brother Norbert J. (Biz) Korte, 80, died May 12, 2010 in Regis Infirmary, Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, Los Gatos, after a long illness. He was in his 59th year as a Jesuit Brother.

Biz was born December 23, 1929 in San Francisco and raised in Oakland. He graduated from St. Ignatius High School (Class of 1948) and attended Santa Clara University, 1948-51. Biz began his Jesuit life at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Los Gatos, in August of 1951.

With the exception of one year at St. Ignatius High in San Francisco, all of Biz' Jesuit assignments were at Sacred Heart Novitiate. In 1969 Biz began his work for Novitiate Winery, a job loved and for which he is known throughout the country. Over the years Biz became the public face of the winery. He promoted wine tastings and other events as the winery became more oriented towards the commercial wine market. When the winery closed in January 1986, Biz was on hand liquidating the inventory and locking up the door.

After the closing of the winery Biz did various in-house jobs at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center. Because of failing health, he spent his last few years as a resident of the infirmary at Sacred Heart.

Biz was a big man physically. He was gregarious and friendly, a man of great emotions and of high ideals. He was not afraid to express his opinion and you always knew where Biz stood on any given subject.

He was active in the Lion's Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and was a founding member of the Friends of the Winemakers, a group dedicated to preserving the history of wine making in the Santa Clara Valley. As a Lion, Biz acted as the group's chaplain and worked closely in support of the San Jose Blind Center and its teaching activities. For almost two decades he played Santa Claus at the Los Gatos Christmas Parade.

On the occasion of his Golden Jubilee as a Jesuit, Biz reflected, "my life has been full of God's graces; I have much to be grateful forfrom caring for the aged, typing invoices, knocking on the doors of countless parishes selling altar wine, to balancing the books of the community." All this was done with a generous heart.

Biz is survived by his brother George Korte, and his sisters Marla and Mary Norbert Korte.

The funeral Mass will be on Thursday, May 20 at 10:30 AM at St. Mary's Church, 219 Bean Ave., Los Gatos. Committal Service at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery will immediately follow the Mass.

Donations in Br. Korte's memory can be sent to the California Province of the Society of Jesus, P.O. Box 68, Los Gatos, CA 95031. Funeral arrangements by Darling-Fischer Chapel of the Hills, Los Gatos, CA.
Published in San Jose Mercury News/San Mateo County Times on May 16, 2010

Wineries of Santa Clara Valley 2010 Spring Celebration

2010-04-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 24th
noon -- 5pm
Casa de Fruta Country Park
10021 Pacheco Pass Hwy
Hollister, CA (appx 15 miles East of Gilroy)

FOW members can buy tickets for $45. Guests or Non-members $50
Make checks payable to FOW by Friday 4/16 and mail to:

FOW Activities Coordinator
4982 Collomia Court
San Jose, CA 95111

Your ticket price includes wine tasting, steak bbq, and live music by The House Rockers.
Look for the FOW RESERVED picnic tables.

Rain or Shine; no refunds

January Event Rescheduled for April 3rd

2010-03-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

The January event listed here:

http://fowca.blogspot.com/2010/01/january-event.html

Has been rescheduled

What: A Comparison of Old World and New World Wines
Pot Luck Hors d'oeuvres (preceding) and Pot Luck Dinner (following)

When: 4:30 – 8:30 PM, Saturday, April 3, 2010

Where: Home of Claire and Monty Boyer
Saratoga, CA

Cost: Members: $20.00 per person and a Pot Luck dish to share
Non-members: $25.00 per person and a Pot Luck dish to share

How: email to wine@stefaniawine.com for directions and payment instructions

February Event

2010-02-16T11:58:00.000-08:00

FOW Members & Friends:

The FOW event for February features food, wine, socializing and a presentation from the FOW Museum Committee. You will bring food, wine in a brown paper bag and an open ear or two. It should be interesting. FOW for years has dreamed of establishing a museum to document the history of wine making in our local area--not a small task. Come and find out what the Museum Committee has been up to. The deadline for getting your check to Cheryl is Wednesday, February 24.

The event is Saturday evening, February 27, starting at 5:00 PM.

DETAILS:

Wine Museum Project Proposal followed by
Blind Tasting of Chardonnay and Syrah and Pot Luck Dinner
When: 5:00 – 8:30 PM, Saturday, February 27, 2010
What: 5:00 – 5:30 - Welcome wine and Hors d’ouevres, provided by members of the FOW Board
5:30 – 6:30 - * Presentation by Marvin Bamburg on the FOW Wine Museum Project
6:30 – 8:30 - ** Blind Tasting and Pot Luck Dinner
Each couple brings: 1 bottle of wine** and 1 pot luck dish to share
Each single brings: 1 bottle of wine** or 1 pot luck dish to share
Where: Town and County Mobile Village Clubhouse
195 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, CA 95123
Cost: Members: $2.00 each (plus wine and/or pot luck dish)
Guests: $5.00 each (plus wine and/or pot luck dish)
* The first Friends of the Winemakers Advisory Board was formed in 1975 for the purpose of preserving the art and history of winemaking in the Santa Clara Valley. An important part of their vision was to establish a museum to document this history. A possible site was selected but the project did not prove to be feasible. The group continued to explore new ways to recognize this dream and now has what appears to be an appropriate venue. The Museum Committee has developed some conceptual plans and a rudimentary business plan for this
project, a presentation of which will be made at this meeting. “Buy-in” by the membership is essential if this project is to proceed and succeed. Please plan to attend and express your opinions.
** This will be a blind tasting of Chardonnay and Syrah. The wines should be brought in a plain paper bag and preferably be a current release from a Santa Clara Valley or Santa Cruz Mountains winery. We’ll taste the wines blind, enjoying the pot luck dinner as we do, vote on our favorites in each category, and then the wines will be unveiled.

Event Postponed

2010-01-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

FOW Folks Planning to Attend the January Event:

My apologies to all of you who were planning to attend the FOW event this Saturday. It is with much regret that I must cancel the event. Although our host's home is without power due to the on-going storms and the parking area is a virtual swamp (and therefore a sink hole for parked cars), an alternate site was arranged and we thought we could still make this happen - in spite of the wrath of Mother Nature.

However, our guest speaker informed me Wednesday night that his mother has just been hospitalized in serious condition, and the doctors say, "It is only a matter of time." Obviously she must be his first priority and he will be unable to be with us that evening. So, again with my apologies, I know you will all understand.

Joyce's Eggplant Recipe

2010-01-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

Eggplant, Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Terrine
2 eggplants about 21/2# cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices
1/3 cup olive oil
olive tapenade
3 red peppers roasted, skin removed
7 ounces soft goat cheese
Brush eggplant with oil and broil, 4-5 minutes/side and place on paper towel to drain.
Roast red peppers and take skins off.
Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap with overhang.
Arrange eggplant slices, olive tapenade, red peppers, goat cheese in several layers ending with eggplant.
Cover eggplant with plastic overhang.
Weight it down with canned goods.
Chill for 24 hours. Can be made 3 days ahead.

Board Meeting Update

2010-01-14T10:47:00.001-08:00

FOW Members and Friends:

Friends of the Winemakers

Sips from the Board…

Here’s what was discussed at the board meeting held January 12, 2010.

Membership renewals were sent out in December. Members should send in their renewals as soon as possible.

Cheryl Markman, activities coordinator, is looking for volunteers to assist in the planning of events for 2010.
If you have some fresh, new ideas for events or want to help with planning, call Cheryl.

The board plans to add a photo gallery to the FOW web site. Members with pictures of past events can contact Betty Skov or Joe Schaefers.

Anyone interested in helping develop a Facebook fan page for FOW can Contact Betty Skov.

January Event

2010-01-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

FRIENDS OF THE WINEMAKERS

Presents

Guest Speaker Reggie Narito, MS“Old World vs. New World Wines”

Reggie Narito is one of only 96 people in the United States and one of only three Filipino-Americans to hold the prestigious title of Master Sommelier. A native of Alameda, Reggie began his career in the restaurant business at the age of 17. He has worked for noted Bay Area restaurants such as Stars in San Francisco, Le Papillon in San Jose and the Plumed Horse in Saratoga. He has served as consultant on numerous wine programs throughout Northern California.

Reggie is currently employed with Southern Wine & Spirits of Northern California as the Director of Training & Prestige Account Specialist. We are very fortunate to have him as our guest speaker. He will discuss with us how two wines made from the same grape variety can be completely different depending on where in the world they originated. Reggie will also include a bit of food pairing to help us better understand the term “food wine”, which is how people in many old world countries view wine. It should be quite an interesting and illuminating evening.

What: A Comparison of Old World and New World Wines Pot Luck Hors d'oeuvres (preceding) and Pot Luck Dinner (following)

When: 4:30 – 8:30 PM, Saturday, January 23, 2010

Where: Home of Claire and Monty Boyer - Saratoga, CA

Cost: Members: $20.00 per person and a Pot Luck dish to share Non-members: $25.00 per person and a Pot Luck dish to share Please note – Seating is limited.

How: RSVP with check payable to FOW, to be received by Wednesday January 20, to:
Cheryl Markman

For payment information and directions please send email to : info@stefaniawine.com

Mirassou

2010-01-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

The Mirassou story began when Louis Pellier came to California in 1849 and established a nursery in San Jose. He was joined two years later by his brother Pierre, who helped import a large amount of nursery stock from Europe, including many grape varieties. After a few years Pierre went to work for Clement Colombet on his winery in the east bay. Meanwhile Louis purchased over 300 acres in the foothills east of San Jose. Here he planted 150 acres of vineyards and built a winery.

Pierre took over management of the winery in 1861 and on the death of his brother in 1872, took outright ownership. With the untimely death of Pierre's son two years later succession fell to his daughter Henriette. She managed the winery until 1881, when she married Pierre Mirassou. Together they had three sons and two daughters - Peter, John and Herman, Denise and Theresa - before Pierre died in 1889. The following year Henriette married Thomas Casalegno.

At first the Mirassou boys helped Casalegno manage the Pellier Ranch. Then around 1910 Casalegno sold the ranch and moved to Oakdale. The brothers formed a partnership and together purchased around 100 acres on Aborn Road. This was planted with vineyards and a small winery was built to the northwest at Quimby and White (now a strip mall). The brothers also purchased land off Cypress Avenue which became an orchard and a ranch off McLoughlin Road. In 1918 the partnership was dissolved and the brothers split the holdings, with Peter taking the vineyards.

The family continued to grow grapes throughout Prohibition; these were shipped in refrigerated rail cars to home winemakers on the east coast or sold to other local wineries including Cribari. In the mid 1930s Peter Mirassou expressed a desire to retire and hand over to his sons, Edmund and Norbert. They decided to establish a bonded winery and, with their father's support, the winery opened in 1937.

The name changed several times, from Peter L Mirassou Winery to P.L. Mirassou & Sons before finally becoming Mirassou Vineyards. For the first 30 years the winery produced unblended, varietal wine in bulk. They specialised in white wines, growing Riesling, Sylvaner, Semillon, French Colombard and Pinot Blanc. Much of the production went to Paul Masson and Almaden and was made into sparkling wine. They also had some old Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan and Mourvedre vines.

Towards the end of the 1950s the inevitability of development became apparent. The family looked around the state and eventually selected a 270 acre ranch in Salinas. At the same time Paul Masson purchased 800 acres nearby and the two companies worked together developing this new viticultural area. Together the brothers planted over 1,000 acres with ungrafted vines and installed a permanent sprinkler irrigation system, believed to be the first of its kind.

In 1966 Edmund's sons, Daniel, Jim, and Peter Mirassou, formed San Vincente Vineyards and Mirassou Sales. Together they began bottling the Mirassou Vineyard wines and selling them under the family brand. They eventually took over the winery in 1984.

In 2002 Gallo purchased the rights to the Mirassou brand name along with the current inventory, though not the property which remained in a family trust. David Mirassou still works for Gallo, the 6th generation of "America's oldest winemaking family". Brothers Daniel and Peter Mirassou launched a new label called La Rochelle in the old building, but in 2005 they sold the brand to their cousin Steven Kent Mirassou; he wanted to purchase the property too, but the asking price was too high. The La Rochelle wines continue to be made at his Steven Kent winery in Livermore.

The historic estate is now closed, awaiting redevelopment and economic recovery. A request for access was politely refused. The old winery building is visible from the road but all the equipment has been sold and the unoccupied property has apparently suffered from vandalism. The planned redevelopment includes provisions for the preservation of the main winery building as well as the Mirassou house, built in 1924.

References

History of Santa Clara County by Eugene T. Sawyers
Norbert C. and Edmund A. Mirassou, "The Evolution of a Santa Clara Valley Winery," an oral history conducted in 1985 by Ruth Teiser, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1986.
Closure of the La Rochelle winery reported on sfgate.com
Obituary of Edmund Mirassou on nytimes.com

Update: Stanford Winery

2009-12-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

I'm most grateful to the California State Office of Historic Preservation who provided these historical photographs of the Warm Springs vineyards and winery, as well as a copy of a letter written by Josiah W. Stanford (Leland Stanford's nephew) in October 1932.
My belief is that due to their age the copyright on these documents has expired.

Stanford Winery

2009-12-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

Leland Stanford is well known as a railroad tycoon, senator for and governor of California, and founder of the university that bears his name. What's perhaps not as well known is the fact that he owned a number of vineyards and wineries. The great Vina winery in Tehama County encompassed over 55,000 acres with around 13,400 acres planted with vines, making it the largest vineyard in the world at the time, though the quality was never great and mostly went to produce brandy. In addition there were vineyards planted on the grounds of the university where the Stanford shopping mall now stands and a small winery based in the Stanford Barn supplied cheap wine to locals until it was closed in 1893. (Source: stanfordalumni.org). Stanford also owned a more successful winery in the east bay.

In 1850 Clement Colombet purchased 640 acres of the 9,564 acre Agua Caliente land grant from Fulgencia Higuera. The land included several natural volcanic springs, and Colombet soon established the Warm Springs Hotel & Spa. He also planted vineyards and made some award-winning wines. The property was badly damaged in the great earthquake of 1868.

Colombet retired to San Jose and sold the resort to Alfred Cohen, owner of the San Francisco and Alameda Railroad. Cohen rebuilt the main building and renamed it the Cohen Hotel, with the intention of extending his railroad to the resort. However the following year he merged his company with Leland Stanford's Central Pacific railway and in the process sold the property to him. (Image, undated, from the US Library of Congress).

Leland's brother Josiah and his family ran the property, extending the vineyards and establishing a successful winery and distillery. They soon achieved a reputation for excellent wines. At its peak, annual production from the Stanford Winery was around 250,000 gallons.

Following the death of his son Leland Jr. in 1884, Stanford took the decision to build the University in his memory. Leland deeded the Warm Spring property to Josiah who, together with his son, continued to operate it until the vineyards were attacked by phylloxera in 1917. Following prohibition the property was sold and for a while became a regular horse ranch. In 1945 the Weibel family bought it and set about restoring the vineyards and producing sparkling wines. Following an application by the Weibel family the property was designated California Historical Landmark No. 642 in 1958. (Photo by Mark Heringer).

By the mid 1990s the value of the land for housing was so great that the Weibels sold the property to developers and moved to Hopland, in Mendocino county. There were moves to preserve the Cohen Hotel, but it was destroyed by fire in 1992. All that remains of the winery and vineyards is a single building and a number of street names: Stanford Avenue, Vine Hill Terrace, Weibel Avenue, Vineyard Avenue and Vintners Circle. The building is locked and, though it appears in excellent condition, is not currently in use or open to the public.

Unfortunately the landmark plaque was stolen around a year ago during a spate of bronze thefts in the area. Although the California State Office of Historic Preservation approves and issues the plaques they do not pay for them; the cost of a replacement is around $3,000 and must be borne by the applicant. The city of Fremont is aware of the loss and intends to have it replaced, but in the current financial crisis the funds are not available to do so. It is to be hoped that the money can one day be found to replace the marker, recognising this location's significance in the history of Californian viticulture.

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Cribari Family

2009-12-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

In 1904, Benjamin Cribari purchased a 40 acre parcel in what is now Morgan Hill. Together with his three sons, Fiore, Angelo and Anthony, they planted vineyards and established the Cribari winery. The winery itself was built at Madrone and El Camino Real.

The winery stayed open through Prohibition, producing sacramental and medicinal wines. In addition the family shipped their "Sonnie Boy" branded grapes across the country by rail. The Volstead Act allowed up to 200 gallons of "non-intoxicating cider and fruit juice" to be made each year at home, and the definition of "non-intoxicating" was very leniently applied.

The quality of Sonnie Boy grapes was so good that despite Prohibition the Madrone winery expanded and additional vineyards were planted in Santa Clara and San Benito counties. The family acquired a winery and a number of vineyards in Fresno, including the Las Palmas Vineyard which dated back to the 17th Century. Following Repeal the Madrone and Fresno wineries continued to expand and additional vineyards planted in the foothills of San Benito County, with sweet wines being produced in Fresno and quality table wines in the Santa Clara valley.

The Madrone winery and vineyards were sold in 1944 to the Lucky Lager Brewing Company. In 1951 Lucky decided to get out of the wine business and the Madrone Vineyards were sold to Almaden. Today that land is an industrial estate and all that remains of the winery is an old water tower (pictured), located at the corner of Monterey Highway and Madrone Parkway. (See map.)

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The Cribaris moved their headquarters to the old William Wehner Mansion and winery in Evergreen, a couple of miles south of the Mirassou Winery. In 1954 the Fresno winery and vineyards were sold to Gallo, who continue to produce altar wine under the Cribari brand. Production at the winery at Evergreen continued until 1991 when it was sold to Constellation Brands, Inc. The property is now a golf course and housing community, though the historic Wehner Mansion is still standing. (See map.)

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Almaden Winery

2009-11-15T14:54:00.001-08:00

When Friends of the Winemakers was founded in 1975, the stated aim was preserving the art and history of winemaking in the Santa Clara Valley. Sadly much of that history is lost, as urban development has taken over what used to be vineyards and orchards. There can surely be no better example than that of the Almaden Winery.

Almaden was founded in 1852 by Éthienne Bernard Edmond Thée, and is credited as California's oldest winery. Thée began with a 350 acre parcel along Guadalupe Creek and together with Charles LeFranc planted Mission grapes, naming the winery after the nearby New Almadén mining community. In 1857 Thée's daughter Marie Adele married LeFranc, who became part owner and eventually took over the operation. LeFranc was dissatisfied with the quality of the Mission wines, so sourced cuttings "from the most celebrated vineyards in France" and grafted them onto native rootstock. Over the next two decades he expanded the vineyard to 75 acres and production to over 100,000 gallons.

Following the death of Charles LeFranc in 1887, control of the company passed to his children, Henry, Louise and Marie. Paul Masson married Marie LeFranc and, together with Henry formed LeFranc & Masson with the aim of producing Champagne. Masson initially used Almaden grapes and was responsible for marketing the Almaden brand of wines. He went on to build the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Throughout prohibition Masson produced champagne, for which he had a licence 'for medicinal use' as well as dry wines at Almaden. By the end of Prohibition it's estimated there were 1,000,000 gallons of quality wine in bond in Almaden. The winery and its assets was purchased by Charles Jones in 1932 but within 6 years went bankrupt.

In 1941 the property was bought by Louis Benoist. Together with winemaker Oliver Goulet and wine expert Frank Schoonmaker, Almaden once again established a reputation for quality, producing bottle fermented sparkling wines and medium priced table wines. But as the population surged in the post war years the pressure of suburban development increased and by the 1950s the winery began to look for alternative locations further south. The winery established vineyards in Cienega Valley and Paicines. In 1967 it was sold to National Distillers, who took advantage of the 1970s trend towards mass produced 'jug' wines. Then in 1987 it was taken over by Heublein, who sold off many of the company's assets. The historic Almaden vineyard was sold to developers in 1988 and the main winery building from 1876 was destroyed by fire the following year.

Today the area is a residential community. At the gateway on Blossom Hill Road there is a historical marker, number 505, which incorrectly credits LeFranc with planting European grapes in 1852. At the heart of the development, on LeFranc Drive, there is a park which houses the original winery building dating from 1859, though fenced off and locked. There's also a rose garden with a basket press as a centerpiece and across the park five rows of sprawling grapevines pay tribute to the first commercial vineyard in the state.

Some other relics remain, including these carved redwood barrel ends which were recently on display in the Forbes Mill Museum in Los Gatos.

Sources include Like Modern Edens and A Companion to California Wine, both by Charles L. Sullivan

Local Urban Wineries Visit

2009-11-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

FOW Members and Friends,

Sunday, November 15, 2009
Join us for a different sort of winery tour and tasting at five local Urban Wineries, located near downtown San Jose and downtown Campbell. Afterwards, please join us for an optional dinner at Buca di Beppo, a very fun place!

12:00 pm – Coterie Cellars, 1805 Little Orchard Street, Unit 110, San Jose, (408) 828-3046.
Coterie Cellars is owned and operated by its founders, winemaker Kyle Loudon and his wife Shala. Together they are pioneering the Urban Winery movement in the South San Francisco Bay Area. As one of the smallest wineries in California, they produce wines made by hand, berry to bottle, from highly regarded vineyards in the Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands, and Fiddletown. Their philosophy is to work only with small, exemplary growers, to understand the unique characteristics that each vineyard offers, and to respect those characteristics through gentle winemaking in order to produce the most flavorful and evocative wines for each site. We will taste their current releases from each of the aforementioned winegrowing regions.

1:30 pm – Stroth-Hall Cellars, 165K Cristich Lane, Campbell.
Owners Paul Stroth, Sequoia Hall and Stu Slack set out to create vineyard designated Syrah from around California, striving to display the personality and charm of the Syrah grape from various locales, with each wine reflecting the soils and climate of its origin. We will taste and compare this variety from two different vineyards, each from two different vintages, and possibly a barrel sample or two.

2:15 pm – Travieso Winery, 165F Cristich Lane, Campbell.
The philosophy of Travieso owners Mats Hagstrom and Ray Sliter is to produce limited quantities of wine from select vineyards, keeping tight control over the grapes by purchasing only by the acre and doing the great majority of the vineyard management themselves, and using minimal intervention in the winemaking, allowing many of their fermentations to take with
wild yeast. “We have seen others try to make French wine in California, but we want to make California wine in California.”
We will taste their current releases of Sangiovese, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Red Wine blend.

3:00 pm – Pinder Winery, 165K Cristich Lane, Campbell, (408) 377-1937.
Pinder Winery began over ten years ago in the kitchen and garage of John and Marie Pinder and, like for so many others, quickly became a passionate hobby. After completing coursework at UC Davis and years of home wine making, they moved to the Campbell facility in January 2001 and now produce Viognier, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mouvedre, Merlot,
Petite Sirah and Pinot Noir. We will taste a selection of their current releases.

4:00 pm – Heart’s Fire Winery, 165K Cristich Lane, Campbell, (408) 858-6029.
Owners Julie and Dan Scheve began making wine at home in 1997. Kristen and Brian Link joined “the home winemaking madness – and the idea of starting a winery began to ferment soon after”. Specializing in Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, they source their grapes from single vineyards in Dry Creek and Redwood Valleys that best reflect what they value in the wine and
then minimize the manipulation in the winemaking process, thus letting the wine “speak for itself”. We will taste their current releases.

5:30 pm - Optional Dinner – Buca di Beppo, 1875 S Bascom Ave, Campbell, (408) 377-7722.
Buca di Beppo is a fun place! We will enjoy a dinner served family-style including Bruschetta, Chopped Antipasto Salad, Lasagna, Penne Basilica (Chicken, Broccoli and Pesto Cream Sauce) and Veal Parmigiana, with Tiramisu for dessert. Wine is available for purchase on your own, or you may bring in your own wine (any size bottle!) for a $15 corkage fee.

Cost: Wine Tasting Only – Members $5, Non-members $8.
With Optional Dinner– Members $43.00, Non-members $53.00.
RSVP with check payable to FOW no later than Saturday, November 7 to:
Cheryl Markman (408) 578-8315
4982 Collomia Court
San Jose, CA 95111
Up-coming events:
December 10 (Thursday) – Holiday Dinner Dance
January 9 or 23 (?) – Guest Speaker Master Sommelier Reggie Narito

Vineyards of Santa Clara Valley

2009-10-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

If you walk into any decent wine shop and ask for a Santa Cruz Mountains wine, it's very likely that they'll have something for you. But if you ask for something from the Santa Clara Valley you'll probably be out of luck. Certainly the mountains have a lot more wineries, but it might surprise you to learn that the valley has at least twice as many planted vines. In fact of the six vineyards in the area over 100 acres in size, all are located in the county of Santa Clara and only Ridge is inside the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA.

The largest vineyard is Dunne Ranch. Located where highways 152 and 156 meet, it straddles the border into San Benito County and one corner extends into the Pacheco Pass AVA. Of the 1000 acres which make up the ranch around 40% are under vine. 300 acres are planted to Chardonnay; this alone is enough to make Chardonnay the most planted grape in the AVA. It also has 66 acres of Gewurztraminer which not only makes this the second most widely planted white variety in the AVA but is roughly equal to the acreage of all other white varieties combined. The vineyard is owned by the Blackburn family, who also own the Pietra Santa winery in nearby Cienega Valley. Pietra Santa uses some of the fruit, but most of it is sold.

To the west of Dunne Ranch along Highway 152 lies the San Ysidro District. This sub-AVA contains two vineyards. The larger of the two is Mistral Vineyard, with 260 acres planted from a total of 375. It's mainly planted with Chardonnay and Merlot, though there is a small amount of the port grapes including Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cao and Tinta Madeira. Until its sale in 2007 the vineyard was owned by Millbrook Wine of New York, who also own the Williams Selyem winery in Sonoma. The Williams Selyem 'port' was made with fruit from this vineyard.

Next to Mistral is San Ysidro Vineyard. Roughly half of its 250 acres are planted with Pinot Noir with the remainder being Chardonnay and a small amount of Merlot. It is owned by the San Ysidro Corporation, who also own the San Felipe Vineyard. This 122 acre property is located within the Pacheco Pass AVA, along Highway 156, and is evenly divided into Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Corporation owns no wineries; all the fruit is sold, mostly to large producers.

Finally we come to the Clos LaChance estate in San Martin. The winery farms 150 acres surrounding the Cordevalle golf course, with a wide range of varieties planted. Most of the winery's fruit is sourced from this estate; some alos comes from around 40 acres of maanged vines in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and some Chardonnay purchased from Monterey County. Despite being located at the heart of the Santa Clara Valley, Clos LaChance wines typically carry the wider Central Coast appellation.

Welcome

2009-09-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new blog site for the Friends of the Winemakers.

Friends of the Winemakers is a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to preserve the history of winemaking and the enjoyment of wine in the Santa Clara Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountains; to share the knowledge with others; and to stimulate interests about vineyards, varieties of wine, and the process of wine production.

Each month we schedule a wine oriented activity. Some of these involve visits to local wineries and tastings in support of the Santa Clara Valley and Santa Cruz Mountains wine industry. We help non-profit organizations with volunteer assistance by pouring wine at their events. More ambitious projects to further knowledge and history of local wines will be undertaken as resources permit.

On this site you will find information about our organization and links to our member wineries.