Sebastiani & Son's The Crusher Petit Sirah 2007

Ah, The Crusher, no it’s not a wrestling figure, it’s a wonderfully delicious wine produced by Don Sebastiani & Sons. My first experience with The Crusher was at local wine bar, The Vine. I immediately fell in love with its velvety smooth yet complex structure and its $12.99 price tag isn’t too shabby either.

The deep dark purple colors swirling in the glass along with aromas boasting of toasted nuts, blackberrry and spice lure one in for the first sip. Ah, the first sip and an immediate calming effect takes a hold of the body. Smooth flavors of oak and chocolate wash over the palate, velvety tannins, soft plums and a hint of black licorice finish out the party and all is right in the world.

Don’s family has been making wine since the early 1900’s when his grandfather Samuele Sebastiani emigrated from Italy. August Sebastiani, Samuele’s youngest son took over the winery in 1944. In the mid 1970’s the winery was run by the August’s son, Sam. By 1986 the baton was passed to Don who took the winery from 2 million cases per year to 8 million, leading to the sale of its Central Valley Assets in the year 2000. The sale allowed Don to develop a new winery with his sons and provided them the freedom to create new concepts and additional portfolios.

The grapes for The Crusher are grown in the Clarksburg appellation of the Bay Area Delta. Poor drainage and loam rich soil provide for a nutrient packed growing soil. Warm days and cool nights allow the grapes to retain more acidity than grapes grown in other regions.

With vineyards in both Napa and Sonoma, Sebastiani & Sons continue to offer quality wines under their many portfolios at reasonable prices for the masses to enjoy.

The wine pairs well with any type of back yard grilling, perfect for summer. My favorite is a buffalo burger with all the fixings.
Just in case you’re wondering where the wine gets its name; a crusher is the mechanical device that breaks the grape berries and extracts the juice.
My rating - Too good to put down

The Vine is located at 17667 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Lutz FL 33548

2010© Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.

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Screw Kappa Napa comes to the rescue

What does one do after scheduling a routine AC maintenance only to be told there is mold through out the system and will be costly to clean and prevent, drink some Screw Kappa Napa Merlot of course.

The wine is just another wine from Don Sebastiani’s Three Loose Screws winery and is another score for wines under $9.99. The name obviously comes from the screw cap closure. The wine is a deep ruby color and as I smell beyond the sanitizer just pumped into the AC ducts, I detect blackberries and cherries. Flavors consist of strawberries, cinnamon and a hint of vanilla.

I’ve written about several of Don Sebastiani’s wines so I won’t bore you with the same details but I did learn Sebastiani served in the California State Assembly from 1980 until 1986. In 1986, he ran in the primary for California State Controller but lost. He then returned to Sonoma to run the family's wine business, taking production from just 200,000 cases to 8 million cases. He headed the family business for 15 years at the helm. In 1986, he and brother-in-law Roy Cecchetti, Cecchetti Sebastiani Cellar (CSC) and developed the label Pepperwood Grove.

In the Spring of 2001 he started Don Sebastiani & Sons with labels such as Smoking Loon and Plungerhead. In 2008 the wine company reported they had reached 2 million cases in sales and it appears there is no slowing down, at least not if I keep buying the wines.

After the work is completed tomorrow I think I’ll turn on the AC even if the high is only 74 degrees.

2009© Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.

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Aquinas Cabernet Sauvignon

Last week as the banana leaves were shredded due to Hurricane Ida’s passing by, we were forced to stay indoors; not because of any rain as that was much appreciated and needed in the Bay area but rather we may have been blown away, kind of how I feel about Aquinas Cabernet Sauvignon, blown away.

The wine is a deep rich red with plum hues. Aromas are full of ripe fruits, spice and oak. Flavors of cassis, coffee and black currant along with a lingering finish make this wine smooth and very easy drinking.

Aquinas is produced by Don Sebastiani & Sons who established the Three Loose Screws winery. Don Sebastiani and his family were profiled in the Green Acres review last week. Don along with sons Donny and August, run Three Loose Screws as well as The Other Guys winery. Three Loose Screws was established in 2004 and caters to upscale yet moderately priced wines while The Other Guys portfolio is focused on a direct and personal approach to the consumers and wine. The grapes used for Aquinas are grown in one of their Napa Valley vineyards.

It was purely accidental that I selected this wine after just having written about the Sebastiani’s family and the demise of their 100 year old winery. The first two wines have been memorable and as I look at the Three Loose Screws portfolio, I notice I have another Don Sebastiani & Sons wine just waiting to be consumed. I’m truly looking forward to that tasting too.

This wine can be found at your local wine shop for around $8.99.

2009© Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.

http://winechicksguidetoeverydaywines.blogspot.com/

Green Acres Ranch is the place for me

Halloween has just passed but you would be hard pressed to find many traces of the remaining fall season and the still to come Thanksgiving. The stores have already decked the halls, Digital Music is playing holiday music but I’m still looking at pumpkins.

Since I’m in no hurry to rush through the season, think I’ll linger awhile in the present with a bottle of Green Acres Zinfandel. Colors in the glass are dark red with purple hues. The aromas burst of oak, black pepper and spice. The flavors are smooth and well balanced with plums, raspberry, black pepper with easy, pronounced tannins. As I read the label, I realize I just read about the wine’s makers, the Sebastiani family, today in Wine Spectator.

The winery was founded by Samuel Sebastiani who left Northern Italy in 1895 at the age of 21 and set off for America arriving first in New York and making his way to California. Green Acres Ranch is located in Lodi, CA and was originally used as an aviary. Samuel established the winery in 1904 and began selling wine door-to-door for a nickel a ladle.

Shockwaves rocked the wine community last December when the family announced the winery had been sold. The winery is among the oldest wineries in continuous operation in California making the news of the sale even more stunning. Seems none of the Sebastiani heirs wanted to continue in the business and none of the other family members wanted in, or they were unable to buy out the heirs out. Some of the wineries better known wines, Vendange and Talus had already been sold in 2000.

Since the death of their father, August Sebastiani, siblings Don, Sam and Mary Ann have each had their turn at running the winery. A much publicized squabble ousted Sam from the helm and Don stepped in but later stepped down allowing Mary Ann to take control. The family concedes they did not want to let the family business go but this does give family members the opportunity to redirect their focuses.

The sale went to William Foley Wine Group who has added the acquisition to his collection of wineries. It saddens me to hear of so many California wineries being sold to either big conglomerates or individuals to put another feather in their cap. Unfortunately it seems to be a trend as wine maker’s age, economic shifts affect sales and a multitude of other reasons that I think will be saved for another article.

I recommend grabbing a couple of bottles of Green Acres Ranch while you can. I found this at a local wine & liquor store for $7.99. Check local stores to see if they carry.

2009© Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.

http://winechicksguidetoeverydaywines.blogspot.com/