Fenestra Winery Blog

Sips of News from the Winemaker

To Blend or Not to Blend

Blending is an integral part of winemaking, and is arguably one of the most important skills necessary to being a winemaker. Blending can be done to enhance a wine, to make it more complete, more complex, to create a wine type or style (i.e. Bordeaux blend, rhone blend, Iberian blend) and to ultimately, make a better wine. Blending doesn’t mean that the original wine was flawed, or of lesser quality. It just means that the wine was enhanced by the addition of other wines. Most wines are technically blends, maybe not of different varietals, but of different barrels and vineyard blocks.

One key to blending is balance; you don’t want to change the character of the wine, you want to enhance it. For instance, our 2007 Syrah has 2% Mourvedre. This was added to enhance the mid-palate structure, and add complexity and length to the finish. It doesn’t make the wine taste like Mourvèdre, it brings out the best in the Syrah. Most of our wines are blended, sometimes as little as 1⁄2% is used and other times as much as 15%. Legally, to label a wine as a specific varietal, it only has to be 75% of that varietal.

Only a few of our wines are consistently 100% varietal; Petite Sirah, Chardonnay, Malbec, and Verdelho. These wines have consistently been bottled without blending-in any other varietals. This isn’t necessarily done intentionally; they simply have not needed any blenders. If addition of another wine were to enhance them, I would add the blender.

The other side of blending is creating a non-varietal wine. Most European wines are blends; you usually don’t see varietal wines from Europe. We currently have five non-varietal wines; Semonnay, Rosé, Tourvanillo, Conjugation, and True red. These will be discussed in detail next time. 

- Brent Amos

 

Featured Wine - Mary Teschner

As an added feature to our newsletter, we are including a favorite wine pick from a person on the Fenestra staff. For this issue Mary Teschner, Hospitality Staff and Scheduling Coordinator, shared her choice:

Fenestra’s 2010 Pinot Gris

With summer and warmer temperatures fast approaching, if you’re like us, we’re looking forward to sitting on our deck and sipping some of Fenestra’s award- winning white wines! One of our favorites for the summer is the 2010 Pinot Gris.

Pinot Gris (also known as Pinot Grigio) grapes grow in a pine cone-shaped cluster (pinot) and sometimes take on a grayish-blue tint (gris means grey in French) towards the end of the growing season, therefore the name Pinot Gris. I think the fact the wine was barrel-fermented and aged sur lie in French oak for 10 months gives it the characteristics that I prefer in a white wine. This year’s Pinot Gris is medium bodied, and smooth with a lush lingering finish. It reveals elegant flavors of ripe pear, lemon, and some spice on the finish. 

This wine is great as an aperitif and pairs nicely with goat brie on crackers. It goes well with shellfish and chicken dishes. We recently enjoyed this delicious wine with Grilled Artichokes and Sesame dipping Sauce and a Curried Cauliflower Soup. Another quick and easy dish to serve this wine with is my Linguine & Clam Sauce recipe. Simply sauté a clove of garlic in two tbsp each of butter and olive oil, add a can of chopped clams (with juice), and two tbsp of capers. Boil an eight-ounce package of garlic and basil pasta, add to the sauce and heat thoroughly. Serve with a tossed salad, bread, and a glass of Pinot Gris. Cheers! 

 

 

Awards from New International Wine Competition and Lodi Consumers Wine Awards

We have been doing very well at recent competitions. At the new World International Wine Competition, founded by Jerry Mead, our 2007 Conjugation won the highest red wine award – Best new World red Wine, Best of Varietal, Best of Class, and double Gold! The 2009 Graciano got a double Gold, Best of Varietal, and Best of Class, and the 2008 Cabernet Franc won a Gold Medal. Silver Medals were awarded to 2010 Semonnay, 2008 Petit Verdot, 2007 Tourvanillo, 2009 Lodi Tempranillo, 2008 Petite Sirah, and 2009 Lodi Malbec.

At the Consumer Wine Awards in Lodi our wines earned 6 Platinum and 8 Gold Medals. Only 35 Platinum medals were given, and we earned 6 of them! Fenestra wines winning Platinum medals and their points scored were: 2006 Conjugation, 97 points (no wine scored higher!); 2009 Lodi Malbec, 96; 2009 Graciano, 95; 2007 Thatcher Bay Cabernet Sauvignon, 94; 2008 Cabernet Franc, 94; and 2008 Ghielmetti Cabernet Sauvignon, 94. Those winning Gold Medals (89-93 points) were: 2008 Estate Syrah, 2007 Tourvanillo, 2008 Petite Sirah, 2009 Lodi Tempranillo, 2010 Pinot Gris, 2008 Mourvedre, and True red, Lot 26. 

 

New Releases - Summer 2012

We have four new red wine releases. All are rich, bold flavorful wines that have won significant awards and are former club wines.

• The 2009 Malbec, Lodi, was made from grapes grown by Ron Silva. It is fruitier and lighter-bodied than our Livermore Valley Malbecs, but it is still delicious.
• Graciano is a Spanish varietal that is usually used in blending. Our 2009 vintage, like the first one, comes from Bokisch Vineyards. It is spicy, aromatic and intensely-flavored.
• Our first Livermore Valley Tempranillo is the 2008 vintage, and it comes from a Wente vineyard. It is a big, rich wine with good structure, and I really like it.
• Finally, but not least, we are releasing our first Petit Verdot, the 2008 vintage, which was made from Ghielmetti Vineyard grapes. Petit Verdot is a minor Bordeaux variety, valued for its dark color, structure, and lovely violet scent. It is late- ripening, but seems to do well in Livermore Valley.
• We are also releasing the 2011 Riesling from Arroy Seco. 

 

Article on Young Winemakers of the Livermore Valley

Read this great article from the San Jose Mercury News about young winemakers in the Livermore Valley, featuring Fenestra's very own Brent Amos and Meredith Miles!

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_19199342

 

SIPS OF NEWS FROM THE WINEMAKER

Now for part two of Wine Barrels 101.

One important aspect of a wine barrel is the tightness of the grain. Different grains will produce different results when used in wine. A tighter grain will have a slower extraction of flavor and tannin, whereas a medium grain barrel will allow for quicker extraction. We use barrels with a variety of grain types, often using different grain types within the same wine. By keeping in mind the impacts of each grain type, and the origin of the oak, we can decide on the proper use of oak in each wine. It is important to use oak as you would a spice when cooking; you want to enhance the wine without having the oak dominate. Case in point: the 2007 Thatcher Bay Cab.

In our 2007 Thatcher Bay Vineyard Cab, we used a mix of French, Romanian, and American oak. The French oak was a mix of tight and medium-tight grain, the Romanian was tight grain, and the American oak was medium grain. The French oak contributes structure and mouth-feel in the form of silky tannins, and enhances the complexity of the wine while extending the finish. The Romanian offers firmer tannins, mainly in the mid-palate, which serve to lift the fruit and adds a touch of spice. The American oak is much more imposing, which is why it was used in a smaller amount than the other two. It adds fullness to the palate, and just a touch of toasty vanilla on the nose. Overall, 60% new oak was used in this wine.

Brent Amos, Wine Maker

True Red, Lot 26

We ran out of True Red, Lot 25 in the middle of October, so we have now released Lot 26. Like Lot 25, Lot 26 is primarily a blend of Bordeaux, Rhone, and Iberian varieties.

 

New Releases - Winter 2011

2010 Verdelho, Lodi, Silvaspoons Vyds: This is a crisp, flavorful wine with good acidity, and it is a good alternative to Sauvignon Blanc. It won the Best White Wine at the 2011 Best of the Bay Wine Competition. I think it is the best Verdelho that we’ve made.

2007 Syrah, Livermore Valley, Estate: This is our first vintage since we bought the winery property and took control of the vineyard, and it shows the results of improved vineyard management. It is rich and full-bodied, and was a former wine club selection. It earned 92 points from the Wine Enthusiast magazine and four Silver Medals (Best of the Bay, El Dorado County Fair, Orange County Fair, and the State Fair).

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore Valley, Thatcher Bay Vyd: Blended with 7% Merlot from Thatcher Bay Vineyard, and 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc from Ghielmetti Vineyard, this wine has good varietal character. It was aged five months longer in barrels than normal, and thus shows smoother tannins and greater complexity. We might still have a few cases of the 2006 vintage left at the Holiday Tasting.

 

Fenestra Fanatic Open House - November 12, 6-8 PM

The owners of Fenestra Winery, Fran and Lanny Replogle, will be hosting an open house for the Fanatics this Saturday, Nov. 12, from 6-8 PM. This is a great opportunity for Fanatics to try the new Fanatics releases and to pick up their Fanatics packs.

The Fanatic wines for this quarter are: 

2008 Petit Verdot, Livermore Valley, Ghielmetti Vyd

Our Petit Verdot exhibits luscious aromas of cranberry, mocha, violets, and spice, with rich flavors of cherry, raspberry, vanilla, and tobacco. It is full bodied with a lingering finish. Enjoy with venison, prime rib, and other rich foods. Age for maximum enjoyment. Gold & Silver Medals $30.00/btl

2009 Graciano, Lodi

Graciano is a grape traditionally grown in the Rioja region of Spain. Our 2009 is very aromatic, with aromas of cranberry, cherry, spice, and violets. It is full bodied, with flavors of bing cherry, cola, plum, and pepper. It pairs well with venison, paella, wild game, and pasta. $22.00/btl 

In addition to the availability of the new Fanatics releases, the Open House will feature light hors d'oeuvres. There is no cost for this event, but we do ask that people RSVP to info@fenestrawinery.com so that we can get an idea of how many people will be coming

35th Anniversary - How Far We Have Come!

In preparation for our 35th Anniversary Celebration, Lanny and I looked through piles of old photographs and newsletters. What a lot of memories these hold! I remember the first wine tasting and sale of wine. It was 1977. We sent newsletter-invitations to all our friends and acquaintances. We set up a table in our small space (Ventana Alley) at the old Ruby Hill Winery. We sold out our Riesling (20 cases) that afternoon, and our winery was launched.

We originally named the winery Ventana; this is the Spanish word for window, but also means an opening to a new view, and new future. We changed the name to Fenestra, window in Latin, due to a conflict of names.

After 4 years at the old Ruby Hill Winery, we needed more space, so we looked for our own winery building and found a dilapidated structure near Ruby Hill. The first day we started working on the building was a bitter cold day in December 1979. The roof was falling in, the walls were sagging, and the floors were completely covered with dirt and debris. After 8 months of hard work on the building and getting bonded and licensed, we were open for business.

For the 35th Anniversary Celebration, the weather was lovely for the weekend. The Tom Rose band was enthusiastically received, all the picnic tables were full, and some guests were dancing on the lawn. Curb Dogz provided tri-tip sandwiches with blue cheese crumbles, Mrs. True (Kip West) made a “ghost appearance”, relating tales of her life at the winery in the 1800s. Friends we hadn’t seen in years came to congratulate us. It was a wonderful weekend!

- Fran