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April 2006
"Wine is sunlight, captured in water",
declared the Italian scientist Galileo Galelei.
We invite you to help us celebrate
the Sonoma County sun captured in the 2003 Montemaggiore Paolo’s Vineyard
Syrah, released today on the occasion of our son Paolo’s fourth
birthday. Shake off those wintertime blues and welcome the springtime sun
with a glass of rich, luscious Montemaggiore Syrah!
Benvenuti 2003 Syrah!
Our most important critics (people such as yourself) who
have already tasted the 2003 Paolo’s Vineyard Syrah commented “oozes
with ripe, rich blackberry”, “fabulous white pepper” and “I always
taste bittersweet chocolate in Montemaggiore wines”. One of the
reasons this wine is so special is that it was made in a
combination of open- and closed-top fermenters, which imparted both
intensity of aroma (closed-top) along with a broad, textured palate
(open-top). This wine has already received a gold medal at the San
Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in February, and we expect more
accolades in the coming months! The 2003 Syrah can be ordered
now over our website, or can be found at fine restaurants and
wine shops in California over the next couple months. To learn more
about this wine, check out the wine area on our website.
Spring rain of
biblical proportions
We are finally celebrating spring with the recent
abatement of rain! Including the wettest March on record, our
vineyards received over 60” of rain for the winter (>33% over
normal). The rain itself doesn't affect our steep, rocky
vineyards as much as the lack of sun slows down new growth on the
vines. We typically have bud break around Vincent’s mother’s
birthday (March 19th), and this year we celebrated her 90th birthday
and bud break simultaneously—right on time! Usually, however, we
have about a foot of growth by Paolo’s Birthday (April 21st). Above,
you can see that the new growth amounts only to a couple inches!
This doesn’t necessarily mean a delayed harvest, but Vincent will
have to rigorously check the vines' vegetative growth so that the
grapes receive enough sun throught the summer.
Riches in Chicago
Our latest Wine Lovers are Ross and Rene Rich who are such die-hard Chicago Cubs fans that they live in the Wrigleyville neighborhood of downtown. As with all Cubs fans, there's a heartbreak story: when Ross was just a tyke of eleven in 1969, he spent his life's savings going to Wrigley Field regularly when it looked like his team was headed for the World Series—but the Cubs were beat out by the NY Mets in the final weeks of the season. The 1984 and 1989 and 2003 seasons also bring tears to Vincent's eyes. It's the pain that binds Cubs' fans together…
Jesse Cool’s Lamb Burgers
with Caramelized Shallots
We
are always asked what foods to pair with Montemaggiore wines, and we
have many favorites including anything grilled, Italian foods, hard
cheeses like Parmegiano Reggiano, and even pizza! We have recently
discovered a standout from Jesse Cool, our favorite
sustainable/organic chef in the Bay Area. Her recipe for a
simple, but delectable lamb burger goes fabulously with the 2003
Montemaggiore Syrah—your taste buds will thank you!
| 1
tablespoon olive oil |
1
teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary |
| ½
pound shallots, sliced |
½
teaspoon salt |
| 1
pound ground lamb |
½
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
| ½
red onion, grated |
4
whole wheat buns or thick slices of rosemary
bread |
| 1
garlic clove, minced |
| Heat the oil in a large skillet
over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring
occasionally, for 7 minutes, or until soft and golden brown. Remove
to a bowl. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the lamb, onion,
garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 burgers. In the same
skillet over medium heat, cook the burgers for 10 minutes (or grill
on a barbeque over high heat for about 8 minutes) until a
thermometer inserted in the center registers 145ºF for medium-rare.
Place the burgers on the buns/bread and top with the shallots.
Adapted from Your Organic Kitchen by Jesse Ziff Cool ©2000.
Upcoming Events
For those of you who live or travel in
California, you can taste our wines here:
Healdsburg at Oakville
Grocery on Saturday, April 29th
Paso Robles at Hospice
du Rhone on Friday, May 12th
San Mateo at A Taste of
California on Sunday, June 11th
If that isn't convenient, come visit us in
bucolic Sonoma County. Although we are not open to the general
public, we are open for sales tastings and vineyard tours by
appointment (707.433.9499 or info@montemaggiore.com).
Have a wonderful Spring!
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