Vina Robles Spring 2017 Newsletter

NEWSLETTER

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SPRING 2017

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

SPRING 2017

3. . . . . . . . . A Note From Hans Nef 4. . . . . . . . . Featured Wine 5. . . . . . . . . New Release 6. . . . . . . . . Behind the Vine 7. . . . . . . . . From the Cellar 9. . . . . . . . . Featured Recipe 10. . . . . . . . Happenings

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Dear Friends, The new year not only heralds the next growing season here in Paso Robles, but also two milestones for Vina Robles.

Indeed, 2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the planting of our first vineyard—Jardine Vineyard—as well as the 10th anniversary of the opening of our Hospitality Center. It seems like just yesterday that we were a newcomer in Paso Robles. Today, we are a mainstay with a track record that spans two decades.

To celebrate, we are hosting a 20th anniversary dinner with Winemaker Kevin Willenborg in March during Vintage Paso Zinfandel Weekend, a 20th anniversary blending seminar in August, as well as a Hospitality Center 10th anniversary weekend in July featuring a barbeque on the outdoor patio and other special activities.

Fittingly, but coincidentally, we are embarking on another milestone this year—the construction of a new winery facility at our Huerhuero Vineyard property.

This will be a state-of-the-art winery that sets the table for the next 20 years of Vina Robles, and we are beginning construction this spring.

In addition to presses, fermenters and other essential winemaking equipment, the new winery will also be home to a showcase barrel room where we look forward to hosting special events, as well as an extensive wine library. We will keep you posted on our progress.

Meanwhile, we are priming the Vina Robles Amphitheatre for the upcoming season, which promises to be our best yet. We have already announced superstar singer-songwriter Idina Menzel as one of our featured performers, with more to be revealed soon. Check the calendar in this newsletter for more information.

We look forward to seeing you at Vina Robles during this celebratory year.

Best regards,

Hans Nef Cover: The Vina Robles Oak Tree at Jardine Vineyard

SPRING 2017

FEATURED WINE 2014 FORE – Petite Sirah This year marks the 20th anniversary of the planting of our estate Jardine Vineyard, and one of the first wines we produced from this site was Petite Sirah—a variety that remains a cornerstone at Jardine Vineyard today, most notably in our bottling of Fore. Named for the warning call of “Fore!” that we hear when golfers from the neighboring course launch errant shots into the vineyard, Fore is a limited-edition wine selected from the finest lots of the vintage. The resulting wine showcases the rich intensity and natural structure that are native to Jardine Vineyard, where well-drained sandy soils and warmer climates produce low yields with high concentration. The 2014 vintage was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels. Only 352 cases were produced.

Tasting Notes The 2014 Fore presents an inky garnet hue as a premonition of what is to come. Aromas of ripe boysenberry and dark chocolate reveal hints of brown butter sugar cookie. A fullbodied texture cascades with flavors of sweet, dark fruit and notes of vanilla, all finishing with rich, supple tannins.

Pairing Recommendations The dark intensity of the 2014 Fore provides a fitting match for lamb shanks, beef enchiladas and braised short ribs, as well as dark chocolate.

WINE CLUB EXCLUSIVE To learn more and join, visit VinaRobles.com

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NEW RELEASE 2016 SAUVIGNON BLANC – Estate Sauvignon Blanc has long been a mainstay at Vina Robles, as we are convinced that it is ideally suited to the growing conditions of Paso Robles. Here, the reciprocating climate of warm days and cool nights— with daily temperature swings of up to 50 degrees in the summer season—allows the Sauvignon Blanc grape to achieve an exquisite balance of ripe flavors with true varietal character. Our Sauvignon Blanc program is rooted in our estate Jardine Vineyard, where we experienced a banner vintage in 2016. After harvesting and light pressing, the wine was cold-fermented and aged in stainless steel to preserve the fruit’s delicate aromas and bright acid structure.

The result is a crisply textured Sauvignon Blanc with abundant flavors of guava and passionfruit, all intertwined with assertive varietal grapefruit notes. The 2016 vintage is nothing less than one of our finest Sauvignon Blancs to date. Enjoy it with the recipe featured in this newsletter.

AGING: STAINLESS STEEL BOTTLING DATE: 02.16.17 RELEASE DATE: 03.17.17 ALCOHOL: 14.9%

SPRING 2017

DETERRENTS FOR A DROUGHT Behind the Vine with Viticulturist Sukhy Sran As I write, our estate vineyards are something they have not been for quite a while: sopping wet.

After several years of sustained drought conditions, the

floodgates finally opened up to start the new year here in Paso Robles, where we were hammered by a succession of rainstorms. Needless to say, this was a welcome development that put a long-overdue dent in the drought.

While the persistent dry conditions of recent years

have been stressful on our vines, our vineyards would have struggled a lot more if not for a proactive decision we made before the drought even started.

That decision was to use deep-rooted, drought-

tolerant rootstocks for all plantings in our vineyards. These rootstocks form vine roots that reach further down into the ground, where they are able to acquire more soil moisture when conditions are dry.

For more than 10 years now, any re-plantings or new plantings we do in our estate vineyards are done with drought-tolerant rootstocks that go by industry names such as 1103P and 101-14.

When a young grapevine is purchased from a nursery, it is actually a hybrid of two parts. Grafted on top of that rootstock is wood from a specific grape variety (the clone) —such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. This enables us to grow the type of grape we want while also choosing a rootstock that fits our region and soil profile.

In wetter wine regions with fertile soils, you would choose a grapevine rootstock that pushes its roots along a shallower path—more horizontal, less vertical.

But Paso Robles is a relatively dry region even when we are not in a drought, and the soils are of low fertility by traditional agricultural standards. Such soils are perfect for growing fine wines, as they produce small, intensely flavored grape berries.

However, these soils do not hold much moisture. This is where the droughttolerant rootstocks come into play. By pushing their roots deep into the ground by as

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much as four feet, they are able to gain access to embedded moisture that remains far below the topsoil. This allows them to stay healthy during dry months and to ultimately survive amid drought conditions. (left) Young grapevine from nursery (right) Fieldgrafted grapevine

THE ARDUOUS TASK OF BARREL TRIALS From the Cellar with Winemaker Kevin Willenborg Winemaker Kevin Willenborg is known for being relatively soft spoken and even-keeled, but there is one thing he does that never fails to rankle his cellar crew: his insistence on labor-intensive oak barrel trials.

“There is no denying that this level of barrel experimentation is a pain,” Kevin says. “But it is something that keeps us on our toes and aware of any opportunities to enhance quality, so from my perspective, it must be done.”

In fact, Kevin has been doing it for so long now that it is considered one of his signatures, dating back more than 30 years to stints in Napa Valley, Canada, Santa Ynez Valley and, today, in Paso Robles.

Indeed, Kevin stages a new barrel trial each year, involving approximately 30 barrel types spanning a variety of coopers with variations in wood sourcing, seasoning time, grain tightness, toasting level and more. When comparing one barrel type to another, he buys two of each. He also rounds up a pair of used barrels that he calls his continued page 8...

SPRING 2017

BARREL TRIALS cont. “controls,” because older barrels impart very little oak influence. He then fills them all with red wine from the same lot, and ages the wine for up to two years so that he can compare and evaluate their impact over time.

The challenge is that when a wine ages in the barrel, it must be periodically “racked”—that is removed and then returned to barrels in order to aerate the wine and remove solids that settle to the bottom of the barrel.

Normally, when racking a specific wine lot, the cellar crew will empty all of the barrels into a large stainless steel tank, wash the barrels, and then simply fill them back up from that source tank. But in the barrel trial program, the wine must be racked and returned to the exact same barrel it came from.

“It is very inefficient and time intensive to empty and refill each barrel on an individual basis,” Kevin explains. “It’s not something the cellar crew looks forward to, but when the time comes, they buckle down and do a great job of it.”

The return on this labor investment, however, is significant. “We source barrels from a variety of coopers who make them from different types of American, French and Hungarian oak, all with a dizzying array of treatment options,” Kevin says. “By conducting these trials through blind tastings, I can unbiasedly sort through all of these options and evaluate how they shape our wines.”

Most notable in this effort is the fact that one size never fits all when it comes to barrel selection. “There are barrels that I really liked using for Cabernet Sauvignon while making wine in Napa Valley, but there are others I prefer for our Paso Cabernets,” Kevin states. “Each region has its own character, as does each vineyard. That is one good reason why these barrel trials are so important, because they allow us to discover and isolate precisely what is best for the wines of Vina Robles.”

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FEATURED RECIPE About the Pairing The following crab cakes recipe is one of our favorites at Vina Robles, particularly as it is a perfect match for our Sauvignon Blanc. Indeed, Sauvignon Blanc is well known for its synergy with seafood, and crab cakes are no exception. What takes this pairing to the next level, however, is the addition of fresh lemon dressing.

The citrusy tang of this dressing really accentuates the character of our Sauvignon Blanc, melding with the wine’s grapefruit notes to add a refreshing twist to the more rounded, tropical flavors of guava and passionfruit.

We hope you enjoy this pairing as much as we do!

Crab Cakes with Fresh Lemon Dressing Serves 4 Pair with Vina Robles 2016 Sauvignon Blanc – Estate Crab Cakes ½ cup 1 each 1½ tsp.

Dash 2 tbsp.

Sourdough bread, small diced (no crust) Egg yolk Chives, minced Tabasco sauce Butter, melted

½ cup 1 tbsp.

1 tsp.

8 oz. ½ tsp.

Mayonnaise Italian parsley, minced Dijon mustard Lump crab meat Old Bay seasoning

Method Preheat the oven to 425°. In a glass bowl, mix the first seven ingredients together. Let sit for five minutes.

Carefully fold in the crab so meat does not break up. Gently form crab into loose two-ounce mounds on a lightly oiled baking pan. Melt the butter and add the Old Bay seasoning. Lightly brush over the crab cakes and place them in the oven until they reach an internal temperature of 165°. Cakes will feel springy to the touch.

Lemon Dressing

½ cup Mayonnaise 1 tbsp. Chives, minced ¼ cup Heavy cream

2 tbsp. Fresh lemon juice ½ tbsp. Tarragon, chopped Salt and pepper to taste

Method Mix mayonnaise, juice and herbs together. Whip the cream to soft peaks and then fold into mayonnaise mix. Keep chilled. Serve crab cakes on butter lettuce. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy with Vina Robles Sauvignon Blanc.

SPRING 2017

HAPPENINGS Doggies Are Nobody’s Fool at April 1 “Dog Jog” You and your best canine friend are invited to choose between a 2k or 4k route and romp through Vina Robles’ picturesque vineyards at ‘Parks 4 Pups’ Ninth Annual Dog Jog happening Saturday, April 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Once your legs are stretched, it will be time to settle into lunch and wine tasting while enjoying live music, children’s activities, a silent auction, and even a “dog contest.” All participants will receive a goodie bag, finisher’s medal, commemorative dog bandana, and wine glass. Event proceeds will benefit Sherwood Park, which is the only dog park in Paso Robles. Tickets are $25/pp and may be purchased at parks4pups.org.

Honor Mom with Your Own Work of Art Can there be a better way to celebrate the many beautiful facets of your mom than at our Mother’s Day Art & Wine Bar Luncheon on Sunday, May 14? From 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., we invite you to luxuriate in an afternoon of delicious flavors and artistic ambience. Our on-site artist will guide you through the process of creating a mosaic necklace of your own design. The program fee ($50/pp; $40/Wine Club members) includes a glass of sparkling wine, lunch and materials for your project. No experience is necessary. Visit VinaRobles.com for tickets.

Celebrate with Vina Robles during Wine Festival Weekend The Vina Robles Hospitality Center will be abuzz on May 18-21 as we celebrate the 35th Annual Paso Robles Wine Festival Weekend. Be sure to check out our case specials, food offerings, live music, and newest releases during this spirited time. The entire region will offer wine seminars, tours, barrel samples, and dinners, all culminating in the Paso Robles Downtown City Park Grand Tasting, where more than 70 wineries come together. Be sure to save the date and visit PasoWine.com and VinaRobles.com for more information.

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Amphitheatre Calendar Vina Robles Amphitheatre Kicks Off Its Fifth Season

AN EVENING WITH DAVID CROSBY & FRIENDS APRIL 25

JASON BONHAM’S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE MAY 19

BRYAN ADAMS MAY 21

Visit the Amphitheatre website for tickets and an up-to-date schedule: vinaroblesamphitheatre.com

SIGNATURE WINE CLUB EVENTS A Country Brunch Beckons at Wine Club Open House Weekend Attention Signature Wine Club members! It is time to mark your calendars for a leisurely wine country brunch at our Signature Wine Club Open House Weekend on Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This is a chance to collect your spring shipments and bask in a beautiful day at our Hospitality Center. Please visit VinaRobles.com for more information.

3700 MILL ROAD, PASO ROBLES, CA OPEN DAILY 10-6 SUMMER / 10-5 WINTER

ABOUT VINA ROBLES We craft wines that represent a stylistic bridge between the Old and New worlds, capturing the finesse associated with European wines while celebrating the bold natural flavors of our estate vineyards in Paso Robles. Here, proprietor Hans Nef and managing partner Hans—R. Michel bring their Swiss heritage to California’s Central Coast, where they aim to unite the best of both experiences. Our wines are available across the United States and overseas, and can be enjoyed at our Hospitality Center in the heart of the Paso Robles wine country. Please visit us soon to taste the Vina Robles difference.

P.O. Box 699 Paso Robles, CA 93447 tel: 805-227-4812 fax: 805-227-4816

www.VinaRobles.com