1997-02 February Classic Newsletter

February 1997 Newsletter

Fascinating People
Where's the time machine when you really need one? After hearing about the people associated with this month's selections, I had this incredible desire to meet them, learn of their goals and aspirations as well as taste the wines from their respective eras. Not that I don't find most of the people associated with our selections interesting, but for some reason the story around these two wines and the people associated with them were particularly compelling.

Fountain Grove gets an "A" on the fascinating people scale. The story of California's first Japanese winemaker, educated in Scotland, was about as interesting as it gets. I'm not sure how much more I can find out about Mr. Nagasawa and his adopted father, Timothy Harris, but I'll certainly start looking them up in my wine history books.

And then, of course, there's the lovely Montepulciano D'Abruzzo. How could you not be intrigued by a winery founded by Princess Farnese over 400 years ago? The wine is a great value, as Montalpucianos have been for decades. Either selection would be a treat with any meal.

Domestic Selection

Among Harris's many beliefs, catalogued in heavily-wrought prose from his own printing press, was a faith in the health-giving and spiritually uplifting properties of fine wine. He had produced fine wine in New York, an arduous task even today, and was determined to make world-class wine in California. He did with the help of his adopted Japanese son, Kanaye Nagasawa, in what has to be one of the most fascinating stories in the world of wine.

As a young samurai member of the Satsuma clan, Nagasawa was sent to England to learn the ways of the west. The leader of his clan felt that Japan's isolationism would stunt the growth of this great nation unless it learned to interact with the West. From England, Nagasawa went to Scotland where he acquired a Scottish accent and a love of cigars. It was here that he befriended a follower of Harris, whom he followed to California and learned winemaking.

Nagasawa inherited his father's estate in 1906 upon Harris's death, and went on to become one of California's most revered winemakers. He died in 1934, a wealthy and successful man who counted the likes of Luther Burbank as close friends. The winery and vineyards were gobbled up in the urban sprawl of Santa Rosa until the history and buildings were resurrected by wine enthusiasts Dick Goldwin and Bob Cappuccino.

For decades, Chenin Blanc was turned into bland, tasteless and non-descript wines either labeled by the grape or the catch-all phrase, "Chablis." Fortunately, Goldwin and Cappuccino are familiar with the lovely, pear-blossom scents and delicate flavors this grape is capable of producing . Along with the Fountain Grove name, they are restoring both to their rightful place in the world of wine. We heartily approve.

Imported Selection

The lineage of landowners throughout the last four centuries have preserved the Farnese name, built upon it and elevated it to the position of being one of top producers in the area. The vineyards are located in the Mariella Mountain Range, approximately 9,000 feet above sea level and 18 miles from the coast. These factors produce an ideal microclimate for this wine, giving it all the attributes of greatness; low yields, good color and enticing flavors.

The area is dominated by mountains, most prominent are the Apennines. Fully 65% of Abruzzo qualifies as a mountain zone. The remaining 35% is hills. There are practically no flat areas at all. It's hard to drive there, but great for grapes.

Like many of the names of Italian wines, this one tells you exactly what you need to know by its very name. Montepulciano is the grape. It was named after a wine made in Tuscany named Vino Noble di Montepulciano. That wine however is a special clone of Sangiovese which is the principle grape in Chianti. The Montepulciano D'Abruzzi was thought to be a clone of Sangiovese which had mutated to the grape it is today. This theory has been proven false, but the name has stuck. It is just another instance of the rampant confusion which seems to affect the Italian wine trade more than any other country.

Of course this fact shouldn't take away from the wine! Montepulciano D'Abruzzo has been one of the best buys in Italy for decades. While prices have been escalating out of sight for the big names like Chianti and Barbera, this grape has kept a low profile, rewarding us with flavors reminiscent of the higher priced offerings.

Member Inquiry

This is an interesting question and one we've been asked a lot recently. First of all, let me start out by saying that rain at this time of year is exactly what the growers want. Most vineyards are planted on hillsides where drainage is best, so heavy rains, even the torrential ones we've had lately, won't have too serious an effect at this time.

Vines are dormant in the winter so there is basically no activity within the vine. As long as the grapes are grown in soil with good drainage, like hillsides and mountains, the water doesn't pile up around the vine. Instead, it drains into a water table deep below the earth where the root system of the vine accesses it as needed.

Vines planted close to the bottom of hills and on flatlands can be seriously damaged by heavy rains. The most common problem is root rot. The roots actually deteriorate just like any other wood exposed to too much moisture. If the land doesn't purge the excess moisture, the vine could be destroyed.

There have been stories of torrential rains which have run off so much top soil that the vine is literally carried away. This can even happen on hillsides, though rarely. The pictures look pretty bad on the news of the neighborhoods under water. If it rained that much for the vine to be carried off, those neighborhoods would probably already be floating in the ocean! It takes more rain than we've seen so far for that kind of damage to occur.

Most growers would trade a drizzle in the spring when the vines are pollinating for the heavy rain we've had lately. Rain during the spring can be much more devastating than the downpour of late because it inhibits pollination and thus grape yield. Rain during the fall harvest season is a major problem because there's no way to effectively dry the grapes before crushing. Water gets into the vat along with the grapes and dilutes the wine.

The rains have been a problem for those living in the affected area. But for grapegrowers, it's better now than at any other time during the season.

Adventures in Food

The line of reasoning worked out pretty well! The acidic lime-tarragon sauce helped to mellow out the Montalpuciano's acidity, leaving just lovely fruit and smoky tar components. The starchy pasta the shrimp was on seemed to help mop up the wine's moderate tannins. The shrimp wasn't overpowered by the red wine in the least! Of course, our Chenin Blanc selection also works well.

The key to this dish, as with any pasta dish is to finish it in the sauce. The starch from the pasta thickens the sauce and also helps the sauce to adhere to the pasta.

I'm looking forward to serving the lime-tarragon shrimp dish to some friends sometime and seeing the looks on their faces when I pop open a Montalpuciano D'Abruzzo to go along with it!

In a large pot, boil water for pasta. Add salt when water begins to boil and then add pasta. Cook until almost done, but still slightly hard to the bite. While pasta is cooking, heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion for 3 minutes, add the garlic, shrimp and red pepper flakes and sauté for another 2 minutes. Remove just the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Add the vermouth, tarragon, chicken broth and lime juice. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 15 min. Raise heat and boil sauce for 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Taste sauce and adjust acidity with more lime juice if needed. The sauce should be fairly tart, but not painfully so! Return shrimp to pan, add cooked pasta and simmer about 2 minutes until all is warmed.

Earlier Selections

Gift Order Form

Wine of the Month Club and Wine of the Month are registered trademarks of the Wine of the Month Club. Wine of the Month Club is America's preferred wine club. Each wine featured in our wine clubs is selected from hundreds tasted each month. Monthly wine clubs are a great way to find unique and exciting wines. California wine club, napa wine club, international wine club, red wine club, and discount wine club are wine month clubs that allow one to find great value in the wine industry. Join a wine club today . Our wine club offer is created to give the consumer a chance to get the first shipment to try our Wine of the Month Club.