We'd like to introduce you to two more members of the Montemaggiore family...
Ciao Joe, ciao Janelle!
Hometown:
Burlingame, California
Favorite "obscure" varietal:
They discovered Albariņo while visiting the Gallicia region of Spain, and have many fond memories of sipping Abariņo while tasting various Spanish seafood dishes at the many tapas restaurants there. They also happened to catch the harvest of the Albarino, and were intrigued by the unusual cluster of beautiful grapes.
Favorite wine travel destination:
Joe and Janelle love exploring the many backroads that skirt the greater Russian River area. They enjoy discovering the hidden wineries that are family-owned, small, and making terrific wines.
Occupation:
After retiring, they started the website and blog winecountrygetaways.com. In fact, they published a wonderful piece on biodynamic farming at Montemaggiore.
Impetus for publishing on the web:
Relatives and friends were always asking their advice for where to go in wine country. Most web sites merely list a directory of wineries, but Joe and Janelle wanted to recommend their favorite wine trails and list only the best wineries to visit. One of the best perks of their new career is talking with owners and winemakers at the many wineries they visit.
Recommended wine (or otherwise) book:
Joe: "The Widow Cliquot" about the Champagne heiress
Janelle: "Luncheon of the Boating Party" about the Renoir painting of the same name
Favorite board game:
Scrabble (this is the favorite of many wine lovers—hmmm... what's the correlation?)
Recommended food & wine pairing:
A homemade mushroom pizza with an earthy Syrah.
