Saddleback Cellars News

Tag Along - '05 Cab Release Party

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:26:00 -0600

Wed, 15 Jul 2009

It's that time again! We share the semi-annual tradition to piggyback Silver Oak's famous release parties with the rest of wineries in the Oakville area. Our Tag Along party will have good food... good music... and of course, good wine!

Join us Saturday, August 1st, Noon-4pm. The cost per person is $25 for non-club, $15 for Posse members. Come enjoy a tri-tip lunch, Saddleback wine, and live music by Gary Lee Yoder Band. It'll be a good 'ol time... Yee-haw!!!

Winery Happenings

Mon, 19 Mar 2001 19:59:00 -0600

Sat, 01 Apr 2000

Nils and Kirk take a moment to marvel at the beauty of the waterfall at Rossini Ranch. The headwaters of this stream begin at the upper level of the property.

As I prune my vines amidst the tall grasses and bright yellow mustard, the sun is warm on my back, ren-tinding me that springtime is right around the corner. The air is still, crisp and full of perfumed aromas; it's the kind of day that makes a guy glad to be alive and lucky to be a farmer. We just finished pruning our sixteen acres of vineyard here in Oakville. The selected canes (the ones left unpruned) look thick and hearty after last season's growth. After each prune cut we observed plenty of water from each wound in the wood, indicating adequate moisture within the vine to allow good growth after this spring's bud break.

Following a peculiar dry spell that lasted from October well into January, we were blessed with quite a number of average-sized storms passing through the valley. Our reservoirs and ground water tables quickly filled back to a normal level. The rapid frequency yet short duration of the storms allowed us a wonderful amount of rainfall with nary a fright of flood nor erosion. We count ourselves blessed with this moisture when so many of the nation's farmers have suffered through a severe drought.

As for the activity within our winery walls, we recently removed all of our small lots of 1999 white wines from their barrels to prepare them for either bottling or further oak aging. And thus, with the release of this newsletter, the first fruits of our labors from the harvest of 1999 may be tasted in the two recently bottled wines, the Pinot Grigio and Pinot Blanc. The remaining white wines, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Sauvignon Blanc, were relegated back to barrel, as is our tradition, for further oak aging. Either way, be prepared; one of the coolest growing years in known California history has really created some fantastically balanced wines. In addition to working on the treats to offer you from our last harvest, we have also been racking the 1998 red wines from their respective barrets. We are beginning to put together the final blends for these '98 reds, and all we can say is watch out!

With increasing frequency we have continued to receive exclamatory local and national reviews for our Saddleback and VENGE wines. We attribute this success to all of you, our loyal fans, for spreading the good word. These are heady times for Napa Valley wineries, and we have been fortunate to gain such prized recognition. We particularly appreciate all the close contact with our newsletter's readership and strive to continue making ya all great wines long into the future.

I hope you enjoy our springtime releases!

- - Ya Hoo!

Nils Venge

At Home on the Ranch

Mon, 19 Mar 2001 20:04:00 -0600

Sat, 01 Apr 2000

The Huckfeldt boys had the well drilled in just 2 days!

We're proud to report that Rossini Ranch has been through some major changes since it was purchased in July of last year. The initial focus has been creating the infrastructure required by a new vineyard. One crucial project was to find an adequate water supply. We contacted the legendary Frank L. Wood, a professional dowser, to locate a good drilling site. Quivering twigs in hand, he found a promising location near the two homes and abandoned winery. In November, Don Huckfeldt brought his drilling rig out and after 400 feet managed to hit a whopping 100 gallons per minute! Collective big sigh of relief. The electrical hook-ups, pump, filter, and other required elements to extract this vital water are currently in the works. We hope to have this part of the project completed by the end of April.

Another major accomplishment has been planting three and a half acres of land with dormant St. George rootstock. The vines will establish themselves during this growing season, and next year we'll bud them over to several different varietals, mainly Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. The new vineyard also required that a deer fence be built to protect it from those hungry beasts, and between each vine row a carpet of clover was seeded and is now well established to guard against possible erosion. Additional erosion control measures employed consisted of strategically placed hay bales and plastic sheeting. As the winter rains appear to be done and moving by, we're very pleased that all these preventative efforts have been quite a success.

We currently have two more acres of level soil prepared for planting this spring. Once the soil dries, rootstock will be planted in eight foot wide rows, with six feet between each vine. After this vineyard is planted we plan to set our sights higher. To them thar hills! The desire is to reestablish some of the pre-prohibition vineyards on the hillside with some Bordeaux blending varieties, perhaps Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot. To accomplish this task we have slaved over the surveys, diagrams, and measures for an Erosion Control Plan as required by Napa County. Our proposal is now headed to the county, hopefully for approval. Wish us luck!

Additionally, the abandoned ghost winery has been cleaned up and is awaiting a use permit, allowing us to restore it as an operable winery once again. Our goal is to create a 5,000 case a year facility, which would allow us to process the fruit from the new ranch. But how do you fit 300 or more barrels into a ghost winery that is only forty feet by forty feet? In caves! That's where! Cave engineers have examined the hill behind the old winery and determined that the soil is perfect for caves. Just imagine: Barrels stored in a cave the shape of a horseshoe, burrowing from the back of the winery and through the adjacent hillside. How exciting!! We're tapping into local architects and engineers to lend their expertise in hopefully making the historic winery sing once again with bottled poetry.

This Bug's a Burden

Mon, 19 Mar 2001 20:06:00 -0600

Sat, 01 Apr 2000

March 18, 2000 - Bottled Pinot Grigio and Pinot Blanc

We hope that by now you've caught the wine bug hard and just can't get enough of our great wines. But don't get caught up in the "romance" folks, true winemakers are just glorified farmers. And like any good farmer, we're obsessed with weather and pests. You've heard about the weather, now the pests. Most vineyard pe@ts and diseases are well known by now. Phylloxera first required the replanting of all France way back in the 1900's, yet was still able to ravage much of Napa Valley in the 1980's. One may know the enemy, but a true adversary knows many means of attack.

It now appears another well-known disease may be rearing its ugly head once again with even greater destructiveness than before. Pierce's disease has affected vineyards around much of the world for quite some time. The disease is a bacterial infection that is spread from host plants to grapevines by insects, The bacterium (Xylella fastidiosa) affects the water conduction vessels of plants, basically destroying the plant's ability to hydrate itself. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease. Once a plant has been infected, it will die soon thereafter (within three years). In California, the main transmitter, or vector, of this bacteria to plants has been the blue-green sharpshooter. An annoying and pervaseive pest, yet it always needs to be near the foliage which surrounds streams, rivers, and ponds. Even then its maximum range tends to be only five to eight rows into a vineyard. A serious problem around the edges of vineyards in moist areas, to be sure, but not devastating.

Enter the glassy-winged sharpshooter. Same disease, Pierce's, but with a new host in California. This vector of the disesase is two to four times the size of the blue-green sharpshooter, averaging a half inch in length, and is physically more powerful than its counterpart. A stronger flyer, it moves further into the vineyards. This provides it with a greater range of plants to feed and reproduce on. Additionally, the glassy winged tends to feed near the canes and wood of vines rather than just on the leaves. This allows the bacterial infection to kill the entire vine rather than just the tips of some canes which are pruned off every year anyway.

One has to look no further than Southern California to observe how important an issue this is. In a few short months last summer, 200 acres of vineyards in the Temecula region of Southern California withered and died.

Currently the only course of action is to employ a strict surveillance program. This program focuses primarily on the nursery businesses, because the glassy-winged sharpshooter can move north from Southern California via ornamental and citrus plants. In order to minimize the spread of this disastrous threat to viticulture, we must constantly search for signs and symptoms of disease. What are we looking for? A dark brown to black insect, with a lighter underside, approximately one half inch in length. The upper parts of the head and back are stippled with ivory or yellowish spots; the wings are partly transparent with reddish veins.

Saddleback Cellars, along with all Napa Valley and California wineries are determined to do their part to help mitigate the power of this pest. This includes frequent inspections of the vines, and the placement of yellow "sticky" traps on the perimeters of the vineyard. We hope that with co-operative strategic planning the state can thwart this most recent dilemma. If we do find a diseased vine, we will pull the entire vine out and replace it the following year. Recent promising news is that the state legislature has approved a $2.2 million emergency research fund and The North Coast Pierce's Disease Task Force is spending another $10,000 on the problem. Here's to catching the wine bug, not the vine bug!

Harvest News

Tue, 15 May 2001 18:42:00 -0600

Mon, 01 Nov 1999

Harvest season provided us with another roller coaster ride this year and a few surprises to boot. Spring came late; the summer temperatures were mild. We expected another later-than-normal harvest- Surprise! The extreme temperatures of a heat spell in August drove up the sugars in early maturing varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc. Stan Teaderman's grapes, typically first to crush, actually come to us a month earlier than last year on September 1st. A week later we harvested our own Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. The grapes were in beautiful condition. Foggy, cool mornings ensued and then back to another two week hot spell. We had to scramble to get grapes picked fast enough! Dehydration of the grapes caused rapidly escalating sugars the last week of September. Some growers found it necessary to turn on their drip systems to try to rehydrate the grapes and slow down the alarming sugar spike. Zinfandel skyrocketed to 27' Brix with Merlot up to 28. We were seeing a rise of 1 Brix every day. Fortunately, the acid and pH levels, remained fairly constant and at reasonable levels. Hand pickers are hard to come by at times like that, but we managed to get our crews and filled our stainless steel fermenters, many plastic bins outdoors and we even had to import two stainless steel 2 ton bins to meet the demand.

Harvest started about three weeks ahead of last year. Cluster counts are about average in the Cabernet; however, the weights are running lighter than last year. On the surprise side we see an unbelievable second crop hanging and Ionging to be picked in another week or two. The bright side shows marvelous colors and flavor concentration in all red varieties. At this writing harvest is 95% complete and we are delighted! (Hoe Down Time!)

Here is the latest word regarding our new Rossini Ranch in St. Helena: Busy! Busy! Busy! We have a new vineyard planted to St. George rootstock by Mac McKay Vineyard Management. After Harold Smith and Son Construction ripped the land, Mac disced the soil to smoothness prior to laying out and staking by hand around the home and ghost winery. This was not an easy task as we had to remove tons of rock, including huge boulders, from the site. Once the drip irrigation system was installed and fertilizer mulch spread, we were finally able to plant 3000 vines by the first of August. We followed this operation by constructing a deer/rabbit fence all around our borders. I am pleased to say the young vines are faring nicely and show good growth on the 6' x 8' row spacing. We plan to bud the vines to Zinfandel next summer. Thanks for a job well done by Mac and his crew! Kirk Venge has moved to the property and will oversee future development.

That wraps up the Iatest news for now. We look forward to the new millennium and more exciting challenges. Please celebrate by enjoying our premier release of Late Harvest Zinfandel from the fabulous 1997 vintage.

Happy Holiday Season - Salute!

...And a Good Time Was Had by All

Tue, 15 May 2001 22:58:00 -0600

Mon, 01 Nov 1999

Well, our First Annual TAG ALONG Day was a huge success! Our winery was dressed up and rarin' to go! We even managed to rearrange our main barrel room so that we could welcome guests through our beautiful redwood double door. Quite a feat considering it had been thirteen years since they had been open!) We welcomed over 200 people in the course of the day. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones. Thank you to all who stopped by to visit and enjoy our wines.

The staff at Saddleback also want to thank the many people who volunteered to help - the successful event would not have been possible without you. We look forward to seeing y'all next year!

Thanks to Hunter Boon for your great photographs recording this historic event.

Laws of the Land

Tue, 15 May 2001 22:59:00 -0600

Mon, 01 Nov 1999

We hope that this portion of the newsletter does not need to become a standard; however, it is necessary at this point to print a few reminders and some new information regarding order processing and shipping.

Unfortunately, deliveries have become a never ending battle now-a-days, and it is virtually and literally impossible for us to contact each and every customer to confirm receipt of an order. This may be a possibility in the future, perhaps via email.

"Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery". This particular statement has now been updated to fit in with the constantly changing Iegislation regarding shipment of alcoholic beverages. Also, we want strongly encourage you to ship to a business address.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST! We have received notification from the Maryland Alcohol & Tobacco Tax Unit that, effective October 1, 1999, it is a "felony for anyone engaged in the business of selling or distributing alcoholic beverages in or from another state to ship, cause to be shipped, or deliver alcoholic beverages to persons in Maryland".

AERO PACKING UPDATES As of September 17,1999, AERO has had to discontinue CONSOLIDATED SHIPPING to non-reciprocal, non-legal states for 6 BOTTLES or less. What does this mean? It means that it will cost the same amount of money to ship one bottle as it will to ship a case of wine.

The staff at SADDLEBACK wishes to apologize for any inconvenience you may have suffered due to delays in your last shipment. We're sure most of you realized this was due, in part, to the diligence of our shipping company, AERO Packing, in not shipping during extreme heat which might damage the wine. Another factor is their attempt never to ship at the end of a week. This might cause the wine to sit in a hot truck over a weekend. We all want our product to reach you in optimum condition. With that in mind, please be mindful that we can not always promise exact delivery dates.

LA NIÑA'S WINTER

Tue, 15 May 2001 18:28:00 -0600

Thu, 01 Apr 1999

Each winter we anxiously anticipate Mother Nature's effects on Venge Vineyards and Saddleback Cellars. This season, we find last winter's features flip-flopped; which, I suppose, is what El Niño and La Niña are all about. This December our vines went into dormancy early with a quick drop in temperature. The weather stayed cool and foggy for several weeks. New Year's began with a steady set of rainstorms that moved in and out quickly each week. By early February the vineyards had already been soaked with our average annual rainfall and had just about reached saturation. With continued rain, the waters almost rose to flood stage here at the winery, but we lucked out for a change! By now the vineyards are all pruned and tied-up. Although we've enjoyed a few respites, the weather continues to be cold and wet, so we are headed into the frost season. That means I am readying the farm equipment for work as soon as the topsoil dries. I foresee a delayed bud break, especially in the Chardonnay.

Our two year quest for upper-valley Zinfandel, either an existing vineyard or planting site, may soon come to fruition. The cost of land continues to escalate, fueled by the high demand for exclusive home sites, especially on small hillside parcels. Additionally, Napa County has enacted strict regulations for hillside vineyard development. However, I have found a suitable 71 acre property, located in the Bell Canyon area to the east of St. Helena. The land is partly flat, the rest in forested hillside. There's a residence, old barn, and even a ghost winery dating back to the 1890's. We are beginning escrow proceedings and hope all goes well. We are very excited and will keep you posted!

The vintage of 1998 may be our last bottling of Pinot Blanc. As mentioned in the past, most older plantings of this varietal are failing due to Phylloxera. The latest news is we've lost our longtime Pinot Blanc source in Carneros. Sadly, this leaves us with one lonely acre on our estate. The good news is we have been working on a new varietal to us, Pinot Grigio¹ (a.k.a. Pinot Gris). In addition to our own 100 vines, many new plantings are going in around the Napa Valley. It appears Pinot Grigio holds the future spot as Saddleback's other white wine, alongside the ever-popular Chardonnay.

Travelwise, this spring I will be paying visits to Texas (Dallas & Houston), Kansas, and other points East on an extended sales trip. It seems Texans are finally taking notice of Saddleback's wines, so I look forward to pulling up to some new hitching posts this year. Once again we're participating in the Midwest Wine Festival in Wichita, benefiting the Guadelupe Clinic. I always enjoy meeting up with ol' renegade pals at this fun and worthwhile event.

The last year of the century presents a great prospect for us: bottling many of our beautiful 1997 reds and 1998 whites. We received a great response to our barrel sample of '97 Zin poured this January at the ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) tasting in San Francisco. It was a hootin' fun time. With our flavor-packed 1998 Pinot Blanc and intense 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon now being released to the world, it's comforting to know that in our stable we're holding on to some other beauties as well. Can ya blame us for being sentimental about these wines? Come on, it's branding time!

1. Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris) are brother/sister in relationship to Pinot Blanc.

Sustainable Viticulture

Tue, 15 May 2001 18:35:00 -0600

Thu, 01 Apr 1999

It's a nightmare out there! Fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases, leaf hoppers, spider mites, cutworms, nematodes, phylloxera, pocket gophers, deer, starlings, are all hungry for a piece of the vineyard. The grape grower's job is to make choices about watering, fertilization, pruning, and managing pests, from an arsenal of tools: biological, technological, and chemical, that result in a healthy, well-balanced vineyard. But those choices are not always easy or clear. Sustainable viticulture provides a framework for informed decision making that considers environmental impact as well as profitability, with the long-term goal of preserving and enhancing the quality of vineyard land. At VENGE Vineyards, we have adopted many sustainable farming practices in our vineyards.

Integrated Pest Management ("IPM") is a wholistic approach to managing pests and diseases by the least toxic and energy intensive means. Vineyards where pesticides are not used, such as VENGE Vineyards, are less likely to develop future pest resistance problems, and the grapes are free from pesticide residues. Managing pests can begin before a vineyard is ever planted, with considerations given to site selection, use of pest-resistant and certified pest-free rootstocks, vineyard layout, and trellis design. In mature vineyards, the leaf canopy, water, and soil are carefully managed to encourage balanced growth. Biological pest control is the deliberate use of natural enemies to manage pests and establish a balanced insect population. Nils can be seen out in the vineyards, routinely monitoring pest levels by checking individual leaves and counting nymphs. This way any potential problems can be "nipped in the bud."

Cover crops are legumes and grasses that grow on the vineyard floor. The most familiar of these may be brilliant yellow mustard, which carpets Nils's vineyards in the spring. These plants provide erosion control and homes for beneficial arthropods that eat pests. When they decay, fertilizer is created which helps the vines natural growth cycle. Cover crops prevent compacted soil and excessive water use, ultimately protecting the Napa River Watershed's water quality. The decaying mustard taproot also creates tunnels in the soil, allowing oxygen and water to enter deep below the surface. At VENGE Vineyards, we mechanically till around vines with a hoe plow and then down the rows with a disc and roto-tiller, incorporating the cover crop and pruning debris into the soil, improving soil "tilth" or texture, and minimizing the need for herbicides.

Excessive synthetic nitrogen fertilization stimulates excessive growth and canopy development, leading to a myriad of problems: less crop, less light penetration, increased mildew and bunch rot, reduced fruit color, and delayed maturity. The soil pH is lowered, ground water is affected, and a higher nitrogen content is found in grape must, the crushed fruit awaiting fermentation. To avoid this and insure proper leaf function in our vines, we use only 100% potash fertilizer, which is softer on the ecosystem. Composting is another method of providing nutrients to the soil, while simultaneously discouraging water evaporation from irrigated fields. At VENGE Vineyards, we spread pomace-the mass of grape skins, stems, seeds, and pulp leftover from the winemaking process-into the vineyard where it breaks down into humus, the rich organic portion of soil.

Next time you savor a glass of our wine, do us a favor and think about dirt. Not just any dirt, living dirt: crammed with invisible microorganisms, wriggling worms, burrowing ants, beetles, insect larvae, spiders. Gophers and moles tunneling under the roots. Any masterpiece, of music, art, literature-or wine-is a product of its environment. Healthy, living soil means balanced vines and robust, rich grapes necessary for good winemaking. This is how we see it at VENGE Vineyards. And sustainable viticulture means adopting practices that will insure this thriving quality continues into the next century.

- J. & K. Anderson

Interstate Shipping

Tue, 15 May 2001 18:39:00 -0600

Thu, 01 Apr 1999

We're thinking about quitting grape-growing and getting into the gunsmithing business, because sometimes it seems like it would be easier to ship a gun out of state than wine! The boom in internet sales of consumer goods is increasing the efficiency of interstate shipping, decreasing shipping times and lowering costs. However, many states don't see these benefits when it comes to wine. In fact, with trade-barrier legislation in some states, shipping wine is getting more and more difficult. To try and relieve some of the difficulty, we've come up with some tips generated from a behind-the-scenes look at shipping you your wine.

First of all, at the moment we process your order form, your wine becomes your property here in California. We hand your wine to an independent packing and shipping company, Aero Packing, and they ship your wine to you. Nice o' them, huh? At that time, they will charge your credit card for the shipping costs (orders paid by check will get an invoice in the mail). This explains why there is no room on our order form for shipping costs.

One of the most important issues to consider when shipping wine to yourself is where to send it. Experience has shown that the least costly and most reliable "ship to" address is a business address. Even households where there is "usually someone home" often miss the first, second, and final third try by your local delivery service, in which case your wine is shipped back to California! If your boss thinks it's presumptuous of you to have a personal delivery at work, have 'em order a case of our wine at the same time as yours. You know coming into work the day after they open that first bottle, you'll be their hero! The other point here is that orders of six bottles or more will get to you faster...and at the case level (12 or more bottles) our 10% discount will pay for, or at least help pay for, the shipping. So mix and match a case; these wines will last for years! Although we can't guarantee they'll last in your home for years...

Moving on Down the Cross Road

Tue, 15 May 2001 18:40:00 -0600

Thu, 01 Apr 1999

We were tempted to call it the end of an era, but although Mary Pisor has moved on from her role at Saddleback, she hasn't moved far. After years of helping Nils hold down the fort here and writing a personality-filled newsletter, Mary's moseyed on down Oakville Cross Road, just a pace from Saddleback, to PlumpJack Winery, where she is assistant winemaker. Friends of Saddleback may already know that in addition to being the owner and winemaker at Saddleback, Nils acts as consultant winemaker to a few other prime projects in the Napa Valley. That cowboy wears more hats than anyone I know! One such project is PlumpJack Winery, where Mary's been helping Nils craft tasty wines for some time. As a side note, Nils's history with this particular location is pretty unique. You see, back in '72, Nils was the first winemaker at Villa Mt. Eden, as the property was known then. The name moved on, but good ol' Nils hasn't...harvest of '99 will be 27 years later, and he'll be crushing fruit from the same vineyard. Ya-hoo! We're looking forward to visiting Mary down the cross road, where harvest will be one big hoe-down all over again. Who said you can't make great wine and drink it too!?

Kirk Goes South

Tue, 15 May 2001 18:41:00 -0600

Thu, 01 Apr 1999

After working with sparkling wines at Mumm, Napa Valley since his graduation From UC Davis in Viticulture and Enology last year, Nils's son, Kirk Venge is now spending some time in the southern hemisphere. With opposite annual climates come opposite grape harvests, and many a young winemaker spends his early years running around the world chasing those ripe babies. (Our own Kristof Anderson spent the harvest of '93 working in South Africa.) Kirk just couldn't resist the call and is currently in New Zealand for their harvest of 1999. We're looking forward to hearing about his great adventures and sitting around the campfire with a bottle of NZ wine...or two. Stay tuned!

Late and Great in '98

Wed, 16 May 2001 07:57:00 -0600

Tue, 01 Dec 1998

While our hands are still freshly stained from pressing off our last red wine, let's talk about our over-100 ton crush. Vintners and growers alike characterize this harvest season as "one to remember." In our summer newsletter, we described this Spring as the coolest and wettest ever for the Napa and Sonoma Valleys and the prediction that we would be about a month behind normal harvest came to pass. Although we experienced several moderate heat spikes during July through September reaching 100û, they made little difference in advancing grape maturity, especially for our white varietals on the Valley floor and some hillside grapes.

The "miracle month" of October arrived just in the nick of time. It was exactly what we needed to push us over the ripening edge, especially for our red varietals. Our annual Indian summer with its Santa Ana-like drying winds aided in quicker sugar accumulation by dehydrating the grapes. With all of these factors in our favor including a predicted rainstorm that passed us by, we finally got started on September 29th. You can bet your bottom dollar that by then we were chompin' at the bit and rarin' to go!

The cool Fall evenings staggered the ripening in both red and white varieties so they all didn't mature at once. Once begun, crush went smoothly and harvest stretched out over a five-week period. By the third week of October, we had completed harvest of all of our estate grapes with just a few contract tons outstanding.

Crop levels were near normal in our increasing acreage of Cabernet Sauvignon at SADDLEBACK and, although production numbers were low, we were happy with the quality of the first crop on the new Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Zinfandel and Merlot vines at the ranch, all of which have been replanted since 1996. Compared to last harvest, however, some of our growers of Pinot Blanc and Zinfandel were shy in tonnage from between 25-40%, even though the vines looked like they had plenty of full clusters on them. Luckily, we were successful in acquiring additional fruit from neighboring growers where needed, i.e. Merlot and Pinot Grigio. We also pur ?ome rare Charbono and some esoteric Viognier for blending experiments.

The most unique and exciting thing about the 1998 crush is the effect that the late bud break and ensuing long, cool growing season had on grape maturity.1 Because of the temperate, cellar-like cool weather, the grapes had tremendous "hang-time" during which they were able to gain flavor complexity while retaining good grape health. The extraction of fruit flavors plus color and tannin structure in the reds is tremendous. 1998 has given us yet another classic vintage.

As 1998 comes to a close, I delight that we were blessed with a successful and prosperous 15th anniversary year for SADDLEBACK CELLARS. It was an active year full of travel for me and a tremendous amount of new, positive feedback from consumers and reviewers alike for us. In closing, we wish all of you and yours best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season, and a prosperous New Year. Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm!

1 Maturity in this usage means the level of flavor complexity in the grape and does not necessarily reflect the actual sugar accumulation (as measured by Brix). Maturity is often of far more interest to a winemaker than how much sugar is actually present at harvest.

Appellation de Oakville?

Wed, 16 May 2001 07:58:00 -0600

Tue, 01 Dec 1998

Now we're official! Oakville, like the Stag's Leap District and Rutherford in the Napa Valley, has been designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA) by the BATF. Some of the best-loved and well-known wines in the Napa Valley make Oakville their home: Cosentino, Dalla Valle, Flora Springs, Groth, Harlan, PlumpJack, Opus I, Screaming Eagle, Swanson and, of course, VENGE Vineyards. The Oakville Appellation extends from the Yountville Hills on the south to Skellenger Lane on the north, and to the 500' elevation in the Vaca Range on the east and Mayacamas on the west. The Oakville Winegrowers' Association, of which VENGE Vineyards is a new member, has sponsored this handsome marker which is now seen all over Oakville designating those vineyards and wineries who proudly claim Oakville as their own. VENGE Vineyards' membership becomes more significant when you recall that Nils has been directly associated with three prestigious members of the Oakville Winegrowers' Association.

By Request

Wed, 16 May 2001 07:59:00 -0600

Tue, 01 Dec 1998

As you can imagine, no one's had much time around here to do a lot of creative cooking during this later-than-normal (but oh-so-beautiful!) harvest, but one item caught our eye at the Family Reserve Cabernet harvest on October 10tth. This colorful combination spread on crackers or freshly sliced baguettes tastes great with almost any wine, especially Nils's Merlot! It originally appeared in Sunset magazine years ago, and we insist on giving it another incarnation. Start ahead of time and enjoy!

CAL ITALIA TOWER
Have ready:
1 clean, new 6" clay flower pot (huh?)
18"x18" clean, dampened cheesecloth (two layers)
1 lb. butter
1 lb. cream cheese
1 4 oz. frozen basil pesto (thawed)
1 4 oz. frozen sun dried tomato pesto (thawed)

Bring butter and cream cheese to room temperature and blend together with mixer or food processor until smooth. Set aside. Your clay pot is your mold! Prepare by immersing in cold water and draining. Line the inside of the pot with the dampened cheesecloth, making sure oth inside. Starting at the bottom of the pot, spread a 1" layer of the butter/cream cheese mixture, then a 1/8-1/4" layer of the sun-dried tomato pesto, then a layer of the cream cheese mixture, alternating the three until you end with a layer of the cream cheese mixture at the top of the flower pot. Seal off the top of the pot with a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours. Before serving, unmold on a decorative serving plate, remove cheesecloth, and allow to come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Serve with an assortment of crackers, sliced baguettes, some middle-Eastern olives and our 1996 VENGE Scout's Honor or 1996 VENGE Merlot and watch it disappear!

HOLIDAY COOKBOOK SELECTION

Companions at Table
Margaret Smith and Barbara J. Braasch
1998, Toyon Hill Press, Woodside, California
www.toyonhillpress.com
$16.95

Margaret Smith is the founding and now former executive director of ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers), a very successful consumer and producer awareness group for the Zinfandel grape and of which SADDLEBACK CELLARS is a member. After conquering Zinfandel, Margaret's interest was piqued by lesser-known Italian varietals such as Sangiovese, Barbera, Charbono, and Nebbiolo, still relative "unknowns" to the American wine consumer. This cookbook gives exciting insight into the grapes' origins and fabulous recipes to pair with these unique wines.

Ridin' the Range

Wed, 16 May 2001 08:00:00 -0600

Tue, 01 Dec 1998

NILS VENGE, owner and winemaker of SADDLEBACK CELLARS and VENGE VINEYARDS, has been very busy this year. Before crush, he was able to slip in some fly fishing in British Columbia and lake trout fishing with the Boy Scouts in Minnesota. Although a horseman for years, Nils never learned to rope or dog cattle. Heeding the call, he spent a week at a real dude ranch in Wyoming with his friend, Mark Pope, n?e The Bounty Hunter. Came back with one heck of a hat, too! Where else have we been? Yountville Days Parade [10/4] and received the "Most Spirited" prize (very appropriate, we thought); Consorzio Cal-Italia Tasting [10/12] with the past tense '96 VENGE Sangiovese; Family Winemakers of California Tasting [10/29] with the '97 SADDLEBACK Chardonnay and new VENGE Merlot. See us on January 25th at the 8th Annual ZAP Barrel Tasting in San Francisco at Ft. Mason

ZINFANDEL ADVOCATES & PRODUCERS 8TH ANNUAL TASTING
JANUARY 30TH - FT. MASON - FESTIVAL PAVILION - SAN FRANCISCO
BLUE JEANS TO BLACK ZINFANDEL AUCTION & DINNER
JANUARY 29TH - GIFT CENTER - SAN FRANCISCO
GOOD EATS & ZINFANDEL PAIRING
JANUARY 28TH - ROSENBLUM CELLARS - ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA
CALL HAPPY TOURS (800) 877-5262 FOR MORE INFO - zap@happytours.com

Harvest Numbers Ninety-Eight

Wed, 16 May 2001 08:01:00 -0600

Tue, 01 Dec 1998

Yes, harvest was later this year and as a result, so is this newsletter! Thank you all for your patience. Although SADDLEBACK'S total production was down from last year, the quality certainly was not -- if anything, it looks to be better! We are so spoiled!

TOTAL TONS 98.73 tons = 197,460 lbs. = 6,600 cases (yikes!)

GRAPE VARIETIES CRUSHED: 12

WHAT WERE THEY? Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Charbono, Chardonnay, [Field Blend Red], Merlot, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Zinfandel

HARVEST STARTED September 29, 1998

...AND ENDED November 9, 1998

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Venge Re: Visited

Wed, 16 May 2001 07:51:00 -0600

Wed, 01 Jul 1998

I am astounded that Mother Nature and her Little Boy (and now, some say, her Little Girl!) have all decided to commemorate our 15th anniversary with such flagrant and notorious weather. I find it so easy to take El Ni–o personally...

Until June 13th when we got our first real sun, we thought we might not have a summer at all, which in turn left us wondering about crush. As you may have already guessed, California, like most of the nation, has been experiencing a dizzying array of weather patterns. Unlike the pattern of recent seasons, the rains were slow, consistent, and regular, leaving us mostly damp and warm. As a result, 1998 is the wettest winter in a century in California. Then, on June 13th, summertime was here! Now we have our traditional foggy mornings and pleasantly breezy afternoons. Whew! Our unusual precipitation combined with warmer weather had the effect of producing a high amount of vegetative growth on the vines. From another perspective, lack of sunshine on those cloudy days made bloom later normal and consequently harvest of the whites will be well into September and harvest of the reds into... well, we shall see. Our November newsletter may find us in the middle of crush!

With the weather update complete, I'd like to share a part of SADDLEBACK CELLARS' history in honor of our 15th anniversary:

Back in 1976, after searching for just the right property, my family and I heard that Ken Bathgate had a good-looking, 17-acre parcel for sale on Money Road which was already planted to my first winemaking love, Cabernet Sauvignon. It was close to where I worked at Villa Mt. Eden, and it was just the right size. Perfect! My father-in-law, Bob Call of Santa Rosa, and I purchased the vineyard and named it Ven-Cal Ranch just weeks before the birth of my son, Kirk.

The size of the ranch allowed me to work the vineyard myself, and I still do. The property has been replanted twice: once due to leafroll virus in the original Bathgate vines (1981), and the second due to Phylloxera (1991). I sold the grapes we produced (1) until 1982, when I decided to make Cabernet under my own SADDLEBACK CELLARS label. 1982 was also the year I helped Dennis and Judy Groth start up their new winery just down the Oakville Cross Road. I bonded Saddleback in 1983 and released the '82 Caberenet in 1984.

Until early 1994, SADDLEBACK's work was accomplished around my winemaking duties at other facilities and including weekends, holidays and my friends' good will. I was, and still am proud to be a quintessential weekend warrior and a proverbial "Type A!" Even now, SADDLEBACK is not my full-time job. Consulting for several other small wineries keeps me just as busy, challenged, and on my toes as ever - just the way I like it.

I hope you enjoy the wines we've released in this newsletter. They are certainly well-loved and we are proud to be able to bring them into your home and put them on your table. Enjoy!

1 My buyers were Kent Rosenblum and Brian Pendleton.

Popular Pests

Wed, 16 May 2001 07:52:00 -0600

Wed, 01 Jul 1998

...remind us that winegrape growing is just dirt farming after all

Phylloxera, Pierce's Disease, viruses, nematodes, mildew, molds -- you name it, we've got it someplace in the Napa Valley. Controlling these pests and blights can be even more difficult when you farm in a monoculture. Never heard the term? Let me introduce you. Monoculture means pretty much what it sounds like: a farming area or region where predominantly only one crop is grown. The Napa Valley is a virtual monoculture with our crop being winegrapes. Because of this single-crop environment, when some pest or problem "crops up" (excuse the pun), there are no limiting factors for that problem except for weather conditions or geographical barriers. A critter or disease could become an epidemic in a very short period of time because it can just eat its way from field to field or move from vineyard to vineyard. This element in the popular pest equation is a dynamic and acute factor. Some of our pesky pests are carried by borne by insects in the soil (Phylloxera) and some by airborne insects (Pierce's Disease). Lets take an abridged look at these two notorious banes of Napa Valley winegrape growing:

Phylloxera1 Often called the "root louse," it is actually more closely related to an aphid. Populations of Phylloxera are always present in the soil, especially in vineyards. They feed on the new root tip growth of grapevines. Because the new root tips are often the only way for a vine to acquire certain crucial nutrients and water, the removal of these root tips by Phylloxera has the effect of gradually debilitating the vine and eventually killing it. This process, from a viticulturist's view, is pretty rapid, taking only two to three years to ruin a vine's productivity.

Eradication of Phylloxera was attempted but found impractical. The attempts were actually shown to have a detrimental effect on vines and soil health. The consensus of scientific opinion since the late 1980s has been that the best protection against Phylloxera is development of grapevine rootstocks2 which can tolerate the feeding by Phylloxera, even in areas where population counts are high. If you've visited any winegrape growing regions recently, I am sure you have noticed a lot of young/new vines. True, some of these are new vineyard development, but really are far more likely to be replants to new rootstocks due to the devastating and prolific feeding of Phylloxera -- over 65% of all vineyards in the Napa Valley have been replanted!

Pierce's Disease Although recognized as a problem in the early 1800s, "P.D." is really "the new kid on the block." Eclipsed by the more widespread problem of Phylloxera, it is only in the past three to five years that P.D. is receiving the serious academic attention it warrants. This research will give us a better handle on the disease itself and methods of control for what was once called "mysterious disease."

P.D. is caused by a bacteria which, once in the grapevine, has the effect of gradually restricting the vascular flow of water and nutrients to the whole vine, much in the same way that that cholesterol blocks the arteries of humans. This obstruction has a rapid and debilitating effect on the grapevine and the vines die comparatively quickly (two to three years).

Xylella fastidiosa bacterium is transmitted to the grapevine when the vine is fed upon by the blue-green sharpshooter, a small native flying insect. The sharpshooter flies or is carried by the wind into the vineyard from local riparian (creekside) habitat or ornamental plantings where it has been feeding on plants which act as hosts to the deadly bacteria without being harmed by it themselves. When the sharpshooter feeds on the host plants, the X. fastidiosa lodges in its mouthparts; if it feeds next on the new growth of a grapevine, the bacteria in the mouthparts is transmitted to the vine. The bacteria enters the vascular system (xylem) of the grapevine and quickly fulfills its biological destiny by reproducing rapidly, eventually completely obstructing the vine's source of nutrients and water and killing it.

Unlike Phylloxera which can take out a whole vineyard, vines affected with P.D. are single hits, with "hotspots" occurring where heavy sharpshooter populations and P.D. host plants are present in nearby ornamental or riparian flora. P.D. is becoming a source of major economic damage for many Valley growers, especially those in hillside areas where host plants are abundant and feeding is rife. Controls are limited: currently, replanting on a vine to vine basis and establishment of non-host plant borders, which act like a fire break, between riparian areas and the vineyard are the only known and ecologically acceptable controls.

Watch yourself, P.D... we've got your number and we're goin' in for the kill. YOU'RE NEXT!

-- MARY BUCKLES PISOR

1 an in-depth history of Phylloxera will appear in a future issue of Re: Venge
2 like other fruits and nuts, fruiting wood of grapevines is almost always grafted onto rootstocks chosen for their suitability to climate, soil, production needs and pests.

Venge Family Reserve Cabernet

Wed, 16 May 2001 07:54:00 -0600

Wed, 01 Jul 1998

Nils Venge and his sister, Karen Bertram, have been producing the Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as a special project at Saddleback Cellars since 1984. Originally under the Saddleback Cellars label, the Reserve was moved to the more appropriate VENGE label with the 1992 vintage. The 1994 Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon presented in this newsletter is the 11th anniversary vintage of this distinctive wine. The VENGE Family Reserve is the quintessential expression of Nils's winemaking style and the fine grapes from Saddleback's vineyards and unique for many reasons:

Continuity and Quality The Cabernet Sauvignon for this wine comes from the same four rows in Saddleback's vineyard each year. A special weekend is set aside every harvest for Karen and Jerry Bertram, their friends and various Venge family members to come to Saddleback and hand pick the grapes themselves -- that's right, no paid-for picking crew on this wine! Starting on the selected harvest-Saturday morning, the group heads out to the vineyard with their gloves, knives, bins, drinking water and, most importantly, their indomitable spirit! The group stops picking only for a short but festive lunch and to sample some of the best wines Saddleback has to offer (one would hope!). Picking continues after lunch, and is followed by a celebratory dinner in the evening. Then its back to work for another half-day on Sunday.

Each day after the mature Cabernet Sauvignon is brought in from the vineyard, the family "turns to" once again to crush the grapes. Nils oversees the analysis, processing, and inoculation of the must, but the hands that labor are those of the family!

During fermentation in small 4' x 4' plastic bins, the Reserve is punched down twice daily for it's 7 to 9 day fermentation. The wine is then racked into Nils's personally tailored blend of barrels: a mixture of old and new French Nevers and Allier (66%) and tight-grained American (33%) oak barrels from his favorite cooperages. Old barrels are rotated out and new barrels are rotated in each season to replicate Nils's original "recipe." The Family Reserve Cabernet remains in the barrel for 30 months and is then bottled with a great deal of fanfare each April. After bottling, the wine is laid down for another year prior to release.

Nils perennially strives for quality and consistency in all of the Saddleback Cellars and Venge wines, vintage after vintage. The Family Reserve Cabernet expresses that sense of perpetuation to its fullest: 100% Oakville Appellation Cabernet Sauvignon, from the same site, with the same harvest figures, same barrel selection and the same winemaker, year after year. How better to track vintages in a vertical progression? Consistency is the test and measure of a fine vineyard and good winemaking. From an academic standpoint, verticals of wines made with this much eye to uniformity are not only unique, but very valuable as educational tools.

Not everyone loves the "academics" of a situation; the question is, does it taste good? You'll love it! The aromas and flavor complexity that Nils and the family achieve with this style from this location has to be experienced.

Reserve Status Although there seems to be some confusion about the exact meaning of "reserve" when used to describe a wine, you'll find no such ambiguity at Saddleback! When a wine has received such a high level of care and treatment, it merits the "reserve" status. In addition, to us "reserve" implies that only a small amount of that particular wine was made. We are puzzled by wines characterized as "reserve" when 5,000 cases are made! Production of the VENGE Family Reserve Cabernet ranges between 150 and 250 cases. The current release of 1994 vintage is only 240 cases. You should note: when properly cellared, this wine will live for 15 years!

Winegrape growing and winemaking are feats of strength and love for the work and the Venge family understands that in a very real way. They proudly present the 1994 VENGE Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon to the world with their blessing and the sweat of their brow. And it certainly doesn't hurt to have Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate, give his benediction with a score of 95, either!

The Newest Re: Venge

Wed, 16 May 2001 07:56:00 -0600

Wed, 01 Jul 1998

El Nino Baptizes our 15th Anniversary

Wed, 16 May 2001 07:47:00 -0600

Wed, 01 Apr 1998

I greet you this Spring from what seems to me to be the lowest-lying spot in creation: this small plot of ground on which humble, meek, yet sturdy SADDLEBACK CELLARS' winery rests. Luckily, only the winery building itself and the Pinot blanc vineyard have come under direct siege during the last six years of persistent flooding. The winery boasts (?) being flooded 1.51 times a year since 1992! Thankfully, the vines are oblivious and unaffected in their winter sleep by this seemingly unending flow of water from the heavens -- I wish I could say the same for myself!

As repetition seems to be the theme, I must say that I am having distinct and not entirely warm-and-fuzzy feelings of deja vu regarding budbreak in 1998. A pattern seems to be emerging which is distinctly similar to that of 1997. Last year's budbreak gave us an early, high-quality, non-stop, heavy harvest which is a blessing in many ways, but for the unwary can spell an experience only comparable to novice level bungee jumping.2

First, as you may know, the grape crop was "set" for the 1998 harvest in June of 1997. During that period, we had nothing but scintillating weather in the Napa Valley: clear and warm in the 70's and no clouds. So we say, "Good crop set."3 Second, when I haven't been concerned about being washed away, I am out in SADDLEBACK's vineyards frequently and can definitely say that buds started to swell in early February. Frankly, I don't think the vines ever went truly dormant as they should have which may be due to the fact that while we may have been inundated with 50"4 of rain, the Valley never really got good and cold this winter because of the warm, tropical nature of the weather fronts moving through. Precipitation has abated, but the weather remains warm. So we say, "Early bud break."5

My observations for 1998: "Barring any unforeseen circumstances" it looks as if we may have another high quality, above normal harvest in 1998, which is a little overwhelming and very exciting. Yee- ha! Here we go again!

Now, here's the real deja vu: I pulled out a copy of the March, 1997 Re: Venge newsletter and, although worded differently, this article is almost a carbon copy of last Spring's cover story. Scary!

We also have some anniversaries this year. I am amazed to be celebrating my 25th year of winemaking in Oakville, Napa Valley, California. The old adage of, "Head west, young man, head west!" seems to suit me: I started my professional winemaking career with Jim & Anne McWilliams at Villa Mt. Eden Winery just three ranches east of Saddleback on the Oakville Cross Road in 1973. As fate would have it, I returned to the Mt. Eden Ranch as winemaker for the new PlumpJack Winery in 1995. Who says you can never go home again?

The vineyards which constitute SADDLEBACK were purchased in 1976 and the garage-come-winery was bonded in 1983 with a production of 30 cases. Just like any other weekend warrior, I ran SADDLEBACK in my spare time from my winemaking duties at my "real" jobs.

So take a moment to raise glass of Saddleback Cellars 1995 Cabernet or 1997 Pinot Blanc and wish us well on our anniversaries in 1998! And, as for the 1998 crush, I say: "Head 'em up and move 'em out!" Stay in touch!

1 Is this the same as the average family's 1.5 children?
2 I can only imagine... Gift certificate anyone?
3 Or if you're really fancy, "good bud differentiation."
4 Normal rainfall is approximately 32" annually.
5 When the first leaves emerge on the vines.

Malolactic Fermentation

Wed, 16 May 2001 07:48:00 -0600

Wed, 01 Apr 1998

...taking new wine from grade school to university

To start our discussion, let's take a good look at the terminology used to describe this fascinating element of winemaking called malolactic fermentation. For years, malolactic fermentation has often been referred to as secondary fermentation. Although suggestive, this phrase is used in the wine industry to describe quite a different winemaking practice which is discussed below. A friend of mine once commented that malolactic fermentation was what took red wine from high school to university.

If a secondary fermentation isn't malolactic fermentation, what is it? In all winemaking, there is the primary fermentation of the grape juice or must by yeast. This first fermentation converts the sugars present in the grape juice into alcohol, produces heat and carbon dioxide (bubbles), and converts the whole into wine. The wine from this primary fermentation is still, or "not bubbling."

But let's say you want to make champagne -- for that you need bubbles. How to get them? Well, you could start a second fermentation in a finished wine by giving it a dose of sugar syrup and yeast which would start it bubbling and fermenting all over again -- hence, secondary fermentation. For most champagne houses, this fermentation is induced in the bottle.

Now, what is malolactic fermentation? Malolactic fermentation (or just "malo" as they call it in France) is the conversion of malic acid present in wine to lactic acid by the action of a group of three strains of bacteria called malolactic bacteria. Yes, that's right: this is not a fermentation caused by yeast, but by bacteria.

Why is this particular process of interest? Well, different fruits contain different kinds, levels and strengths of acid, malic acid being one of the strongest. Fruits like grapes, apples and tomatoes contain a high quantity of malic acid, as opposed to, for example, oranges or lemons, which have a high amount of citric acid. The effect of high amounts of acid in fruit is well known: these fruits are good for canning, preserving and cooking; but sometimes the amount of acid in fruit can be too high and make it sour and unpleasant.

Newly fermented wine, especially red wine, often can be too tart due to this high concentration of acidity. Malolactic bacteria basically eat up the malic acid in the wine and excrete lactic acid. Lactic acid is a softer, less astringent acid than malic, and often produces flavors of butter or the sensation of creaminess in wine (note the "lactic" as in "lactose" as in milk or dairy products).

Why is malolatic fermentation important in winemaking? Malolactic fermentation is used as a tool by winemakers to: (1) reduce the acidity of a wine; and/or (2) to add flavor complexity to the wine. With very few exceptions, all the red wine you enjoy has gone through this process.

Conversely, malolactic fermentation of white wines is used far more selectively by winemakers. A white wine may be subjected to no malolactic fermentation, partial malolactic fermentation or full or complete malolactic fermentation, depending on a winery's style, the tastes of the winemaker, or based solely on the recommendation of the marketing department! The current trend among wineries of making Chardonnays in a more buttery, creamy, rich style is an excellent example of using partial or full malolactic fermentation as a tool to reduce acidity and add complexity and approachability to a wine. However, it must be noted that: (1) although delightful as a "cocktail" wine, I find that this type of Chardonnay is more difficult to pair with entr?es; and (2) rich, creamy Chardonnays are not for long-term cellaring and are best if enjoyed within 1 to 2 years. Why?

Acidity in wine is a keystone to aging. Acidity enhances and maintains fresh fruit flavors and keeps the wine in chemical balance as it ages. Acidity respirates out of wine as it ages and changes in the bottle. New wines, red or white, with either naturally occurring low acidity or which have had their acidity reduced below a certain level either by fining or by malolactic are not good cellaring prospects.

Nils barrel ferments his Saddleback Cellars Chardonnay and prefers little or no malolactic conversion in the finished wine. The crisp acidity remaining due to the low percentage of malolactic fermentation bolsters the complex fresh fruit flavors. Nils enjoys this winemaking style for his Chardonnay which emulates the great Montrach?ts of France which are successfully aged for 3 to 5 years. Conversely, Nils prefers the creaminess given by almost complete malolactic and barrel fermentation to the 1997 Saddleback Cellars Pinot Blanc, and has traditionally always made it so. All the red wines at Saddleback undergo complete malolactic fermentation in the barrel.

In closing, malolactic fermentation is an effective and useful tool used primarily to reduce acidity in a wine, and secondarily, by its presence or elimination, to tailor a specific wine to the winery's style or signature.

-- MARY BUCKLES PISOR

Page Three

Wed, 16 May 2001 07:49:00 -0600

Wed, 01 Apr 1998

IN REQUIEM: PER VENGE

PER VENGE, father of Nils Venge, passed away on January 11, 1998 in Calistoga, California. He will be much missed by his loving family and by his sidekick Dachshund, Penny.

Per was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and attended school in Denmark and France prior to emigrating to the United States in 1942 with his parents, Knud and Elsa Venge. After settling in Southern California, Per married Gudrun Ingwersen in 1943 and raised his family in San Marino. After working during World War II for Lockheed as an efficiency expert, he started his own wine importing and distributing business in Los Angeles, California. Per loved his work and remained in the business for the next forty years. In 1991, he retired to Napa where he assisted Nils by becoming a local salesman for Saddleback Cellars' wines. Per loved to bicycle, was an avid philatelist, and in his later years enjoyed helping out at the winery and taking his dog, Penny for walks along the creek in St. Helena. He was a well-liked and active member of the Wine Hospitality Organization of Napa Valley.

NAPA VALLEY FLOOD FIX ANTICIPATED

Early in March, Measure A for Napa County residents was passed by a 2/3 majority. Measure A was designed by the Army Corps of Engineers in cooperation with Napa County and California State agencies to relieve the pressure of heavy rainfall and resulting flooding in the Napa Valley by improving watershed areas, and restoration and improvement of existing creeks and ditches which have not been adequately maintained and are persistently overwhelmed. Most Napa County residents are enthusiastic about the project, especially due to the fact that the County has suffered losses of over $542 million over the past 36 years. But how will the passage of Measure A this affect you, our pardner and fellow consumer? A good portion of Measure A's funding will be generated by a 1/2% increase in sales tax in Napa County for the next 20 years. California residents purchasing Saddleback's wines directly from the winery will have the satisfaction of knowing that their additional contribution to Napa County's sales tax coffers will hopefully result in the cessation of flood-theme articles appearing on the cover of Re: Venge, and might actually be responsible for saving the sanity of SADDLEBACK's principals...

ZAP DAYS COMING TO OAKVILLE RANCH ESTATE

YOUNG TURKS & OLD TURKS OF ZINFANDEL is the theme for a "meet the winemaker" dinner and Zinfandel tasting scheduled for June 27th at Oakville Ranch Winery as one of the events celebrating Napa Valley Zinfandel Days sponsored annually by Zinfandel Advocates and Producers.

Featured Zinfandel producers will be SADDLEBACK CELLARS, Oakville Ranch Winery, Newlan Vineyards & Winery, Fife Vineyards, and D3. Katherine Brandel, Head Chef at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone recently traveled in Turkey and has returned to the Valley with some fabulous and inspired Turkish cuisine which she will share with us. John Bee, winemaker at Fife Vineyards, and his friends will serenade us with traditional middle eastern music on the terraces of Oakville Ranch, which also boasts an impressive walk-in cigar humidor. Appropriate ethnic costume would add an exciting note to this unusual evening and is encouraged for attendees. $50 per person, limited to 40. Contact Emily Jones at Oakville Ranch Winery for tickets at (707) 944-9500.

SO WHAT'S THE POSTCARD FOR?

Have you mailed yours in?

If you will not be ordering wine from this newsletter, but would like to continue to receive our Re: Venge on a regular basis, be sure to return the enclosed response postcard confirming that you want to remain on our mailing list. If you did not receive a response card with this newsletter, please mail or FAX us your address and interest to: SADDLEBACK CELLARS, P. O. Box 141, Oakville, CA 94562, FAX (707) 944-1325.

On the card you will also see that we have asked for your opinion on whether we should continue to feature the SCOUT'S HONOR blend of sangiovese and zinfandel. The first vintage of this wine was released in November, 1997. SADDLEBACK has always released single-variety wines (i.e. chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, etc.); SCOUT's was our first-ever blend. Did you like it? Should we do it again? Let us know!

New Shipping Rates

Wed, 16 May 2001 07:50:00 -0600

Wed, 01 Apr 1998

WOW! Suddenly it's so expensive to ship wine to "non-reciprocal" states! Why? Because the shippers (read "wineries") and shipping companies (read "UPS, Airborne, FedEx," etc.) are receiving an incredible amount of litigious pressure from various states' legislatures and lobbyists. Some shippers and wineries have abandoned wine shipments entirely!

Opponents to direct shipment of wine to consumers -- which sometimes primarily seem to be special interest lobbyists -- cite a variety of objections to direct shipment, which include: that minors are able to (if they aren't already, God forbid!) illegally receive wine shipments; that wine and spirits distributors are being "undercut" by direct shipment to consumers of small-release wines from small-production wineries; and, that we, as small wineries, are no better than "bootleggers" trying to sidestep the "natural" order of distribution and taxation!

Au contraire! This just has never been an issue before now! We say: give us practical, uniform regulations and a system for shipment and taxation and we'll happily comply. In the meantime, however, please don't cut consumers off from a product they can only effectively receive by shipping it directly to them!

If your particular state has made direct shipments of small-production wine to consumers illegal, please make your dissatisfaction known to your legislative representative, preferably in writing. Our position: Yes, we certainly can do business through the "three-tier" system of wine/spirits distribution, but many of SADDLEBACK's small releases (<300 cases) are just too small to release to our distributors in any way that results in a large number of interested consumers receiving the wine. Attempted in the past, the result has been that these rare wines are purchased or placed solely with prime accounts or prime collectors -- and that's okay, we guess, but it means you don't get any!

Here's to equal opportunity and laissez faire -- especially when it comes to getting your favorite small-production wine! Give this issue some thought and then give that thought to your local legislator. Note that we can ship you a ball cap, but soon we may not be able to ship you wine...