NEWSLETTER
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SUMMER 2016
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
SUMMER 2016
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, It is hard to believe, but the story of Vina Robles is now nearly 20 years strong. I became intrigued with Paso Robles in the mid-1990s, and our first estate vineyard was planted in 1997. In many ways, it seems like yesterday—and yet so much has changed since then. In the late 1990s, Paso Robles was only just beginning to be recognized as one of California’s premier winegrowing regions. Today, our regional reputation is well established. Paso Robles was named Wine Region of The Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2013, and the recent creation of 11 new sub-appellations is helping drive awareness of the magnificent diversity within the greater Paso Robles wine region. Now we are heading into another promising summer season, and the 2016 vintage is just around the corner. We have some exciting summertime events lined up at our Hospitality Center and Amphitheatre, as detailed in this newsletter. In the vineyard, we are off to a great start to the growing season. After several years of drought, we enjoyed a relative wet winter and some spring storms that brought this year’s rainfall total up to the regional average. We could have used more, but it was nevertheless a nice relief. You can see the effects in the vineyard—the soils look a little richer, and the vines look vigorous. I hope you can visit soon and see it all up close. Best regards,
Hans Nef
SUMMER 2016
FEATURED WINE 2013 RED4 With RED4, we call upon “the power of four” to create an intriguing blend that is more delicious than the sum of its parts. As always, the 2013 vintage is composed of four grape varieties that excel in our region, specifically Petite Sirah (41%), Syrah (40%), Mourvèdre (10%), and Grenache (9%) from three estate vineyards. The Petite Sirah brings richness and structure, while the Syrah provides a balance of spice and cherry qualities. The Mourvèdre adds rustic nuances, and the Grenache contributes bright fruitiness. We aged this wine for 16 months in a combination of French, Hungarian and American oak barrels to add complexity while fostering a velvety finish. The result is a rich yet approachable blend that appeals to everyday enjoyment.
Tasting Notes The 2013 RED4 offers vivid cherry aromas with notes of bergamot, juniper berry, leather, and tobacco. A round, juicy texture presents integrated black and red fruit flavors with hints of cocoa and mineral, all converging with chewy tannins along a smooth, supple finish.
Pairing Recommendations The 2013 RED4 is a perfect companion for summertime cookouts featuring dishes such as barbecued chicken, grilled steak, garlic bread, and pasta salad. It also appeals to pizza and red sauce pastas.
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NEW RELEASE 2015 WHITE4 The 2015 WHITE4 blend is a refreshing new release that is a perfect counterpoint to the warm days of summer. Once again, this vintage of WHITE4 features a globetrotting selection of four white grape varieties originating from the RhĂ´ne Valley (Viognier 49%), Bordeaux (Sauvignon Blanc 23%), Portugal (Verdelho 20%), and Italy (Vermentino 8%). Each varietal lot was cold fermented separately in stainless steel, with different yeasts suited for each grape. The Sauvignon Blanc and Verdelho bring vibrancy to the blend, while the Viognier and Vermentino round out the mouthfeel. Peach aromas lead the way with hints of starfruit and ginger, while a mid-bodied palate offers fruit layers that integrate into a rich, quenching finish.
AGING: STAINLESS STEEL BOTTLING DATE: 04.12.1604.13.16 RELEASE DATE: 05.20.16 ALCOHOL: 14.5%
SUMMER 2016
SPRING BLOOM Behind the Vine with Viticulturist Sukhy Sran As I write, we are about two weeks away from the spring “blooming” period across our estate vineyards in Paso Robles. Bloom is the second key phase of the growing season. The first is “bud break,” when the dormant vines wake up and begin to push the first green growth of the season, usually in March. Then comes bloom in May, when the tiny new clusters “set” the crop for the upcoming vintage. During bloom, the infant clusters shed their hard green caps to reveal actual flower blooms underneath, starting a process of self-pollination and fertilization. If you think of most flowers, what comes to mind is something delicate—and it is no different when you are talking about vines. For this reason, you want the weather during bloom to be nice and warm and steady, so that the pollination process goes smoothly. If the weather turns wet or windy, or too cold or too hot, then you can have a problem on your hands. Each year, this is what I hope for during bloom: moderate daytime temperatures ranging between 60 and 90 degrees, without dewy moisture or rain or wind. When conditions are like this, the vines are in a perfect environment for self-pollination, and the whole blooming process goes quickly over a period of around two weeks. I would estimate that, on average, we enjoy seven to eight such blooming seasons every 10 years. In those odd years when the May weather turns goofy, the pollination process gets disrupted. The result is what we call “shatter,” with grape clusters that look sparse because they were unable to set a full crop. That is exactly what happened last year, when we had a cold spell in May. Because of that, yields were down across the region, especially for Cabernet Sauvignon. At this moment, things look promising in the vineyard. We had an early bud break, there is plenty of vigor and our pre-bloom cluster counts look normal. Now we just
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need Mother Nature to keep calm and carry on with some mild May weather—and when that happens, we will be well on our way to a successful harvest.
BULLISH ON BARRELS From the Cellar with Winemaker Kevin Willenborg There is a popular saying that “great wine is made in the vineyard,” but the truth is that even the best grapes will only take you so far. In order to make a great red wine, you need another essential ingredient: oak barrels. Yes, you can make a good red wine wholly in stainless steel tanks. But a great red wine, with depth, complexity and age-worthiness—a wine like that requires maturation in oak barrels. “Oak barrels are very expensive, but they are a necessary investment,” says Winemaker Kevin Willenborg. “There are no cheap shortcuts. All of our reds benefit from barrel aging.” Oak barrels provide dual benefits. First, they impart oak flavors and wood tannins that can enhance a wine’s complexity and texture. Second, they allow for “microoxidation” of the wine, whereby the pores of the wood allow a slow ingress of air and a measured egress of alcohol and water. “That limited yet continuous intake of air helps evolve the wine’s tannins and texture, making it smoother and rounder,” Kevin says. “As this happens, there is some continued page 8...
SUMMER 2016
BULLISH ON BARRELS cont. evaporative loss of water and alcohol in the other direction, which helps concentrate the fruit flavors.” Then there is what barrels directly impart to a wine. “I liken it to a chef,” Kevin says. “You have seasonings at your fingertips—the toasty oak, vanilla, spices and other flavors that come from oak. You just need to be judicious about how you use those flavors, so that you don’t overwhelm the wine. At Vina Robles, that means keeping the oak influence in the background to add complexity, and never increasing it to a level that would detract from the pure fruit character of the vineyard.”
The types of flavors that come from oak are largely
dependent on the origins of the wood. Our barrel program revolves around three different sources— French, Hungarian and American oak.
The species of oak from France and Hungary is the
same, but there are still some notable differences. The French oak tends to be more assertive, imparting more richness and tannin. The Hungarian oak comes from a region with infertile volcanic soils, resulting in a wood grain that is very tight. The resulting influence on the wine is more subtle, with background notes of caramel and chocolate. The American oak comes from the Midwest and is a distinct departure from its European brethren, imparting less tannin while bringing a more pronounced vanilla character to the wine. “With our bigger, rich red wines such as our Cuvée Collection blends, we emphasize French oak, because they demand that more robust influence,” Kevin explains. “Hungarian oak helps us build subtleties into wines such as our Petite Sirah – Estate and Cabernet Sauvignon – Estate. I like incorporating American oak into our Petite Sirah as well, because the vanilla notes marry really well with the luscious dark fruit.” He adds, “It all comes down to finding the right balance for each individual wine. That’s the goal that leads you back to tailoring what type of oak you use, how much of it is new oak, and how long you keep it in the barrel. It’s all about respecting the fruit, and enhancing rather than masking it.”
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FEATURED RECIPE We recently held a sangria party here at Vina Robles. Several employees developed sangria recipes, and then held a tasting to choose the staff favorites. Our winning “mixologists” devised the following two recipes showcasing the wines featured in this newsletter. Both offer a refreshing twist for summertime. Cheers!
WHITE4 Sangria Ingredients 1 bottle ¼ cup 2 tbsp. ¾ cup 2 sprigs
WHITE4 Triple Sec Lemon juice Ginger ale Cilantro
¼ cup ¼ cup ¼ cup ¼ cup 2 cups
Brandy Orange juice Club soda Sugar Chopped fruit – peach, mango, orange, green grapes
Method In a pitcher, combine all of the ingredients and stir. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, until the drink is chilled and the flavors are blended. Serve the sangria in chilled, ice-filled wine glasses.
RED4 Sangria Ingredients 1 bottle ½ cup ½ cup 2 tbsp. 2 cups
RED4 ¼ cup Brandy Triple Sec ½ cup Orange juice Lemon juice 1 cup Club soda Sugar 2 tbsp. Pomegranate juice Chopped fruit – blackberries, cherries, red grapes, plums
Method In a pitcher, combine all of the ingredients and stir. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, until the drink is chilled and the flavors are blended. Serve the sangria in chilled, ice-filled wine glasses.
SUMMER 2016
HAPPENINGS Youth Take Over “Saturday Live” Enjoy a fresh take on our “Saturday Live” concert series as youth musicians take the stage on July 30 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Come support these emerging artists and relax with your family in our beautiful Tasting Room—all while savoring award-winning Vina Robles wines by the glass or bottle as well as charcuterie plates and tapas that are available for purchase. No reservations are required for this complimentary event, just come on out and enjoy the show. For more information about the Saturday Live series and upcoming artists, visit vinarobles.com.
SIGNATURE WINE CLUB EVENTS Wine Club BBQ Welcomes Fall Come soak up the harvest season with fellow members as we host our Signature Wine Club BBQ on Saturday, September 24 at our relaxingly rustic Pleasant Valley Vineyard in San Miguel. The festivities will include grilled tri-tip, Vina Robles estate wines, live music, games such as cornhole, and a decadent strawberry shortcake. For now,
please
mark
your
calendars and stay tuned for more details and official invitations. We look forward to seeing you!
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Vina Robles Amphitheatre Embarks On Fourth Season
MAXWELL JUNE 23
CHICAGO JUNE 29
PEPE AGUILAR JULY 7
SYMPHONY AT SUNSET JULY 31
FLOGGING MOLLY AUGUST 4
ZIGGY MARLEY AUGUST 12
STEVE MILLER BAND AUGUST 14
BOY GEORGE AND CULTURE CLUB AUGUST 20
THE GO-GO’S AUGUST 23
PETER FRAMPTON AUGUST 25
JACKSON BROWNE AUGUST 26
GOV’T MULE AUGUST 28
YES SEPTEMBER 3
NEEDTOBREATHE SEPTEMBER 9
Visit the Amphitheatre website for tickets and an up-to-date schedule: vinaroblesamphitheatre.com
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