A Guy, a Girl, and a Bottle

Today’s episode we visit the Picchetti winery (http://www.picchetti.com/), one of the oldest wineries in Northern California and have been continusously bonded under several names since about 1896. (Their California Bonded Winery number is #148 !). The Picchetti family was a great lover of birds, and one of the favorite - the Peacock - still roams freely about the grounds.

The winery itself is located on the edge of the Mid-Peninsula Open Space District (http://www.openspace.org/), and therefore many trailheads are very close to the winery, affording a great recreational opportunity in addition to the wine tasting.

The Picchetti Winery produces approximately 9000 cases of wine per year, including some from 110 year old Zinfandel vines. The wines we sampled are:

2004 Viognee $24.95 424 cases produced (Double Gold - 98 pts California State Fair)
Winemakers’ Notes - Enjoy this sophisticated wine, great for summer, with a floral nose and crisp, light palate. Serve chilled with creamy brie or oysters on the half-shell

2001 Leslie’s Estate Chardonnay $19.95 (Silver Medal) 546 cases produced
Winemakers’ Notes - In the Santa Cruz Mountains 2000 was a good vintage, but 2001 was even better. This wine is a good example of the potential that the region has for making high quality wine. Aromas of peach, pear, melon, and citrus blossom are abundant in this wine as well as a hint of butterscotch. The body is supple, and produces a long and pleasant finish.

2001 Red Pavone - $15.95 (Gold Medal - 90 pts Santa Cruz Mountain Commercial Wine Competition)
Winemakers’ Notes - Dark and rich this wine is blended for complexity with an emphasis on youthful fruit. It is primarily a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Cherry and raspberry fruit aromas are complimented with notes of leather, pepper nutmeg, vanilla and baking spices. The velvety tannins carry the fruit and spices through the palate to a long pleasant finish. This is a great wine for picnics, barbecues and cool fall nights. Try it with dishes with mushroom preparations. This is our second release of this wine and for those that missed the first. Pavone is peacock in Italian.

2003 Old Vine Zinfadel - Picchetti Estate $49.95 125 cases produced
Winemakers’ Notes -This wine, from our 100+ year old estate vines, is spectacular. No wonder this was the one vineyard area the Picchetti family kept in production through Prohibition for their family use! The deep color, full mouthfeel and exquisite balance of fruit and tannins make this a truly exceptional wine that we reserve for our Club Members. (2 bottle limit.)

Lastly we have a quick promo by our friends over at Accident Hash and some music from the Podsafe Music Network by Olivia Greer. You can check out her music on i-Tunes .

00:00 Quick Intro
00:47 Intro Music
01:16 Welcome Back - History
03:02 Midpennisula Open Space District
04:17 Winery Grounds Description
06:27 2004 Viognee
08:14 2001 Chardonnay
11:14 2001 Red Pavone
13:01 Old Vine Zinfadel
14:49 Tasting Room Details
19:17 Exit Music
19:40 Olivia Greer

Next week we vist the Thomas Fogarty Winery a Silicon Valley staple. Be sure to tune in!

As always, please let us know if you like what you hear, have suggestions, or would like us to review a particular winery. You can drop us a line at guyandgirl@gmail.com , or (206) 984-0257.

-A Guy